A sweet teen romance along the lines of Groundhog Day meets PG Netflix''s Russian Doll. It's nicely written and a will make for a good summer read. For me personally, the characters, particularly Kate, lacked depth and so I found it hard to be invested in the romance. I wondered if the plot was going to try and say something more than it did in the end, but it's still an enjoyable ride and Reynolds is one to watch out for on the YA scene.

Lovely, sweet, sad, quirky teen romance. I wish I could say more, but this wasn't necessarily something for me. Having said that, I have no doubt my students would 100% love it. It took me a while to read - I kept dipping in and out of it, but I think that's just because this is one of those YA novels that will (and I'm sure already does, as it's been published already) satisfy its intended audience more than adults. Obviously this isn't an issue as it's a YA book, but there are times you stumble across a YA novel that you fall in love with at any age. Props to reynolds for his lovely story, brilliant protagonist, and important message of love and time.

This was a fun read about time travel, teen romance and illness. Jack King, used to 'almost' getting what he wants, is in love with his best friend Jillian who, inconveniently, is in a relationship with their other best friend Franny. Nevertheless, on a campus trip to Whittier University, Jack feels the need to tell Jillian how he feels. At the same party, before he's able to do this, he meets Kate who he quickly falls for. The budding romance between the two is lovely and full of gorgeous little moments that characterise falling in love. When he discovers Kate has a terminal illness Jack is crushed and more so when Kate dies. So he's both baffled and delighted to find himself moments letter back at the same moment in time and place where he first met her. With no comprehension as to why this is happening he decides it's his job to help save her. I enjoyed all the funny moments where Jack knowing what's about to happen has to be explained away and all the errors and gains he makes in doing this. His relationships with everyone are probably the strongest part of the book. The history between characters and the interaction between this is unique to each person in the novel and their voices are strong. That said I found the concept started to get a little laboured around half way through the book and I didn't understand some of Jack's choices whatsoever. I'd say this is a teen book that really should mostly be read by teens. While, as an adult, I enjoyed the reading experience I definitely felt that I'd have enjoyed it a lot more as a younger reader. Which is, of course, the intended audience! That said this is a novel with heart and a lot of love.

The characters and relationships were relatable and engaging and I found this book hard to put down. I loved the loop we were thrown in, it was addictive and keeps you on on edge as the constant changes that occurred due to him wanting to change the future, added different elements and layers to the story and to the wonderful cast of characters. Well worth a read.

This time-travel contemporary had me so excited going into it. Lots of representation, characters from a variety of different backgrounds and a odd but endearing reason for the time slip – go and save the girl you love. This quickly however started to go downhill for me. Jack is a very self-deprecating character, constantly having a mental monologue about he’s just missed out on everything in his life. While at first this is charming, it quickly becomes quite old, as everyone around him is constantly disproving the things he thinks about himself. I realize that it’s his own self image that’s affecting his behaviour, but there’s only so much I can handle before I just zone out during those bits of the story. Kate starts interesting and entertaining but also soon slips into quirky dream girl, that loses any and all autonomy over her disease – something that I really couldn’t get behind. I couldn’t help but feel slightly skeptical about the romance, where Jack is risking life, limb and family for a girl that he’s only known for about 6 months at that point – most of which we only get snippets of so it felt even shorter to me. This one really wasn’t for me, which is so disappointing!

I really wanted to love this, however I felt the story just dragged in the middle, which was disappointing as I found the concept and first part of the novel so interesting. Also, I loved the author's style of writing and the banter between the main characters, plus Jack's narrative voice really stands out.

A time travelling contemporary young adult novel, I was so prepared to love this novel! Unfortunately it didn't amaze me. The beginning was great, I was hooked on the story! I enjoyed the cheesy writing style where Jack sort of interacted with the reader, the explanation of the time travel aspect and of course the introduction of Jack and his best friends.

By the time I reached halfway the story felt slow, the pace wasn't moving along as quickly as I liked and it felt as though the writing lost some of its humour. By the end of the novel the pace had picked up again but I really felt as though I was pushing myself through the middle.

Saving the sick girl trope isn't one of my favourites, but I was looking forward to the added time travel element. But add insta-love to that and you've lost me, in my opinion Jack attempting to save one of his best friends would have been a more believable story. As a reader I felt as though I hardly knew Kate, so how could Jack possibly think he loved her?

It was extremely refreshing to read a contemporary novel with black main characters, particularly a novel without a political or racial theme, these softer novels need to be told alongside the powerful stories of Angie Thomas.

Maybe my expectations were too high, but this story didn't have the effect I was hoping for, paired with the cringy insta-love, there was no happy ending for me and this novel! It's a decent attempt as a debut novel and I'm definitely excited to read any future books by this author.

What a totally gorgeous read, loved it from beginning to end, a tender story all about the things you'll do for love and friendship, really loved the time travel aspect too

As Jack falls in love with Kate, again and again, you’ll fall in love with Jack. Over the course of Kate’s lives we watch him learn and grow, and feel his frustration at the chain of events unfolding, as well as his utter despair at the prospect of losing Kate, who he will do anything to protect. Inevitably, each do-over results in a different course of events with new consequences, but the story is a testament to the power of love, *even* as a teenager, and the importance of perseverance and resilience.

This is pretty good reading as an adult. I enjoyed it, and whilst some of the characterisation was clunky, it still read well. Also passed to my eldest son who thought it was great!

I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis was great, and the characters were set up to be very interesting. Unfortunately, the structure wasn’t quite right for me - it was too fast-paced, and I couldn’t quite digest everything before the next part happened. The final cycle, especially, was very rushed, and the impact was lost on me. I also thought character relationships were very jerky - so many attitudes jumped around even during conversations, and it was hard to keep track of them.

It’s a shame - it would make an excellent film or tv show, but book-wise, it just didn’t work for me.

Thanks to netgalley for the preview.

A contemporary like no other, Opposite of Always stood out to me almost instantly. I mean, who doesn't like a bit of time travel mixed in with their romance? Add in some sarcastic humour, and a few friendships to die for, and this made for a cute, lovely, hilarious read!

This story took me completely by surprise. I'd stumbled across it on Netgalley, and after reading the synopsis, thought I'd give it a shot, and it was probably one of the better decisions I've made...

This book starts in the middle of the action. Jack's been stopped by the police, Kate's in hospital, and it's clear that things are stressful. But the humour this book brings with it is unlike anything I've read for a while. I'm used to contemporaries written from the female perspective, full of self-doubt or dreamy prose. Justin injects sarcasm and amplifies it, and the result is brilliant!
Jack was such a lovely, relatable character. Self-titled king of almost, he's used to things not going his way. He's in love with his best friend, used to coming second, and completely unaware of everything that's about to happen. Because what happens next is the thing that fuels this story, and provides him with a fantastic story arc. He meets Kate.
Normally, I hate 'insta-love'. I hate watching things happen too quickly for real-life (even if there are the odd exceptions) and this is very reminiscent of that. Thing's move quickly between him and Kate, and the story is thrown into the deep-end a little bit as things unravel, until suddenly things start again. And I think that's the thing that saved it from my hatred for all thing's insta-love.
This plot isn't straight forward. There are twists and turns, and things don't always work out how you think they will. Sure, things move quickly, and for the first arc of this, it's almost that little bit too quickly, but the subsequent arcs make sense moving this quickly.
I mean... isn't that the point of repetitive time-travel?

With each arc, something new was tackled, and the characters developed further, almost like unraveling their DNA. We learn something new each time, and this allows for a 'connection' to each character that builds with the story. And watching Jack deal with each hurdle is fantastic.

If you're looking for a plot that keeps you guessing, and relationships that are so thoroughly thought through and realistic, this is definitely the read for you. And if you're a sucker for all things time-travel, or even just Groundhog Day, consider this... I promise you won't regret it!

A bit of a slow burner for me. I loved the message about the time travel paradox. I'm not totally sure I ship Jack with Late OR Jillian. I loved Franny, and how much Jack's family embraced him. Great representation in this book - POC characters at the forefront.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Jack's self-deprecating voice was perfect and added a wonderful dose of humour to a story that got more serious as it went on. I loved the time-travelling twist on a typical teenage love story, the interweaving stories of friendship and family, the sense of fun, urgency, love and anger that permeated the book.

This was one of those books that you're simultaneously desperate to finish in order to find out how it all ends, and don't want to finish as it will all then be over. I'd definitely recommend it.

I'm not your typical YA reader, but I do enjoy some books, and this was a pretty cool read.

Maybe I was just a little too old to read it and be wowed by the concept, as all I kept on thinking about was Groundhog day!

A story of friendship, loyalty and never-ending love.

Jack Jillian and Franny are a tight threesome bunch of friends until Jack meets Kate.

Who he falls for, but doesn't know is possibly terminally ill.

The story follows Jack embarking upon a loop of time travel, to try and make things right for his girl, his friends and family.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book and it didn’t let me down, a real emotional read, full of feels. This author knows how to pack a punch , felt like I was reading something completely new and fresh. Funny, sad, clever and heartbreaking, this s a great read, have the tissues at the ready

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I wanted to enjoy this so much but my interest waned after 75%. The premise was super interesting and I liked the characters but this simply did not hold my attention. The premise was super cool but it was not for me.

What if you got a redo of a time in your life that had a massive impact on you?

What if that redo let you fix one important thing at the expense of everything else?

Opposite of Always felt like an investigation into a lot of really big ideas and I really loved it, even if it took me awhile to figure out what was happening. The main premise was Jack meets Kate. Jack falls for Kate. Kate dies (because she has Sickle-Cell anaemia). Jack loops back to six months previous - the party at which he met Kate. Now, I bet you're like, 'hello spoiler?' (unless you read the summary), but I promise you Kate dying is not the point of the story. It's more about what lengths a person is willing to go to in order to save the one they love.

This story investigates 4 different timelines of the Jack-Kate story and there are many changes in each. It was really thought-provoking to read and made me question what I might do in a situation I got to relive. Questions it raised for me include: should you regret decisions you've made in the past? (Because what good does it do?) What are the important things in life, and what would I do if they conflicted at all? Can you have it all? It's going to be a long weekend pondering those questions, methinks.

The writing was beautiful and compelling, and I could not recommend this beautiful story more. You should all get it because its a brilliant blend of contemporary and SFF. This is a solid FIVE STAR read.

I received a copy of Opposite of Always in exchange for an honest review, so thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s book!

Jack is sitting on the stairs at some party, when he meets a girl. They hang out, they fall in love, everything is great, but Kate is sick, and before Jack can help it, she dies. Kate dies, and Jack tumbles head first down the stairs, only to wake up back on the stairs where they first met. He knows he is back to save her, but he fails, time and time again, trying everything he can think of. But every time he thinks he’s on the right track, he ends up doing damage somewhere else. And each time he ends up back on those damn stairs. Can anything he do change the course of his life? And is it even Kate’s life that he’s been sent back to save?

This is not your ordinary love story, nor is it your run of the mill Groundhog Day storyline. It’s not boring – you don’t relive the same details over and over again. Each retelling gives you something new and adds new details to the storyline.

The time travelling storyline isn’t the big sell of this novel though – however, it did keep me hooked. The best bit, and the reason why I desperately look forward to reading more from Justin Reynolds in the future, was the characters. Jack is nerdy, awkward, but cute and well meaning, very relatable and someone I’d very much like to be friends with.

His friendships with Franny and Jillian are both pure, and true, in the sense that you believe they’ve all been friends for a very long time. They know when they each need a sarcastic comment, or a hug, or to pretend like nothing is wrong when they need a minute of quiet.

And his relationship Kate is just all kinds of cute. There’s awkward flirting, joyfully making fun of each other, and I love when you see these types of relationships in fiction, specifically YA, because so much of the time you see two characters together and can see no reason why. They find each other attractive. And? They don’t actually seem to like each other or spending time with each other, but here they did.

So, it’s cute, it’s funny, and it tries to answer some of the big questions. Is there only ever one person for you? What are the real consequences for your actions? And how far would you go to fix your mistakes?

I loved this book and cannot to wait for more people to read it, and to see what Justin Reynolds come out with in the future! 4 (and a half? maybe?) out of 5 stars.

Opposite of Always is out now – go and grab yourself a copy!

Beautifully written and a pleasure to read. This is a Groundhog Day like story about Jack and Kate. Jack tries repeatedly to save Kate. He continually relives the period of time from when they met up until her death. He has to find a way to break this loop. This is a funny moving story about love, friendship, family, loss and perseverance.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.