Opposite of Always Published by Katherine Tegen Books on March 5 2019 Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
Jack Ellison King. King of Almost.
He almost made valedictorian.
He almost made varsity.
He almost got the girl . . .
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack’s curse of almost is finally over.
But this love story is . . . complicated. It is an almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do—and let go—to save the people he loves.
I received a copy of this novel for review from the publisher. This does not influence my thoughts on this book or this review.
I’ve heard so many great things about this debut so I knew I had to pick it up! Thankfully, I really liked this one.
Jack meets Kate at a party and instantly knows that she is the one. Unfortunately, Kate falls ill and Jack doesn’t know what to do. Suddenly, he is transported to the moment that he met her. He keeps going back in time to the moment where he met Kate. Opposite of Always is an almost-love story.
I really liked Jack and his group of friends. I think Reynolds did a great job building all of the characters and they really felt real. While I really liked Jack, I do think that there is little growth that he showed over the course of the novel. The book was 450 pages and for such a long book, I felt that there could be more development from Jack. Despite that, the romance between Jack and Kate was cute and I definitely could see it. All of that being said, I felt the ending was slightly underwhelming and while I understand it fit the theme, I am not quite sure that it’s the ending I would have liked the best.
Overall, Opposite of Always was a solid debut and I am definitely looking forward to what Reynolds writes next!
