A review by oliviabrcka
Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

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

3.0

All in all, Opposite of Always strikes me as a book that is just fine. There were definitely traits I loved, but overall, I just don’t ever enjoy time-traveling books and this was no exception.

The best, most standout part of this book was the writing. It reminds me of a Jenny Han novel in the sense that it is cinematic and charming. The visuals are vivid and incredible and I could quite literally eat a book like this for dessert because I love the writing so much. I can’t even describe what makes is different and amazing, it just is, and it is what kept me reading until the end. It is also why I can say that I will still likely read other books by Justin A. Reynolds in the future because his writing is *chef’s kiss*!

Other than the writing, I found the characters to be likeable and I personally have never read a book featuring a character with sickle cell disease, so I appreciated the insight into what life might look like as a person with it. 

Unfortunately, I found the rest of the book to be pretty nondescript and uninspiring. I think what really killed it for me was the time travel aspect. I just have never enjoyed reading time travel books so this is largely a personal preference thing and I think a majority of people would enjoy this! I really only found the book to be forgettable and repetitive because of the time traveling, but if that does happen to be your jam, this is the book for you!
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