Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

5 reviews

modernhobbitvibes's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Pros: The focus on friend-love and friends-as-family was good. Time loop plots are always fun and this was a good example of that.

Less a con, more that it's "not for me": Sometimes the teenagers act like teenagers in a way that activated my secondhand embarrassment hardcore. Less a criticism, more a warning that those prone to such feelings might cringe at a few sections.

Con: Kate was SEVERELY manic pixie dream girl'd in her characterization. That's the biggest factor that knocked this book down a few pegs. 

I'd say this is overall a pretty good book and worth reading, but the Kate characterization could've been better.
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genevieve_eggleston's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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micaelamariem's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0


I just finished one of my first books of the month, a Book of the Month pick from a few months ago, Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds.

Essentially, Opposite of Always is a Groundhog’s Day retelling. Jack, the main character, meets Kate, the girl of his dreams. They could have had a whirlwind romance. But she dies. And while that should be the end, Jack finds himself back to the same day he met Kate. Again and again, stuck in this endless time loop trying to save Kate.

The author, Justin A. Reynolds, is an author from Ohio. Opposite of Always was his debut and it won the Indies Introduce Top Ten Debut Title and became a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Apparently, it’s also being adapted for film.


My initial impression is that while I enjoyed the book, I’m not sure I’m the kind of reader that likes time loops or time travel. I wasn’t sure before, but now I think those are things I’m just going to steer clear of. That being said, the story was still compelling. Particularly because the crux of the narrative lied with the characters.

Jack, the main character, always feels like he doesn’t measure up, especially against his two best friends. Kate is working against an illness she doesn’t want to define her life. Both Jillian and Franny are coming to terms with nontraditional families and troubles with their respective fathers. Through it all, Jack is working on who he is, how he can save his love, and how he can be a good friend. The main lesson, or theme, I took from the storyline was that sometimes instead of fixing the issue, it’s important just to be there and do what you can.

“Don’t be afraid. Take chances. And when those don’t work out, take more.”

For the most part, the book was also well-written. As a YA romance/science fiction, the chapters were short and sometimes, the main character was frusturating in his shallow thoughts and mistakes he made. But hey, that’s being a teenager. I think, perhaps, the main thing that annoyed me about Jack was how quickly he changed from the girl he was pining after to claiming affection for a new girl. It was all very “insta-love” and I really am not a fan of that.

Overall, however, I think the book met my expectations, if a little frusturating at times. I suppose I didn’t have as high hopes for this one and was still entertained. Still, I’d give the book three stars and I’d recommend to those who do like time loop stories.
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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really liked this book! There were so many laugh out loud scenes, moments that were so difficult to read. Great characters and fantastic writing! 
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jillkaarlela's review

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book is heartbreaking, inspiring, interesting/gripping and well developed. Imagine falling in love with someone and then watching them die, and then being traveled back in time to when you met over and over again. What a great concept. This book deals with loss, illness, grief, hurt, complexities of friendships and relationships, and falling in love/soul mates. This was so beautiful, I really liked it. 
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