Member Reviews
Cassie has never really fitted in. She remembers everything. Understands nothing. And consistently says the wrong thing.
So when she gets dumped, fired AND her local café runs out of banana muffins - all in one day - it feels like the end of the world.
But then Cassie discovers she has the power to go back and change things.
With endless chances to get it right, can she stop it all from going wrong?
I loved the premise of this book and the main character was incredibly relatable to me. I love this author.
Holly Smale's "The Cassandra Complex" is an intriguing and thought-provoking exploration of identity, truth, and the consequences of speaking out. The novel follows Cassandra Bowden, a complex and compelling protagonist who grapples with her own past and the weight of her prophetic visions.
Smale's narrative is gripping and suspenseful, blending elements of psychological thriller with insightful character development. Cassandra's journey unfolds with tension and mystery, drawing readers into a web of secrets and revelations.
"The Cassandra Complex" is a captivating read that challenges perceptions and delves into the power dynamics of truth-telling and personal agency. Smale's writing is evocative and immersive, making this novel a compelling choice for those intrigued by complex narratives and moral dilemmas.
This book was an absolute joy to me. What a funny, compelling and poignant read it was. Thoroughly enjoyed it. There was so much to see and take from it. The struggles and also joys of living day to day with autism were portrayed beautifully.
Highly recommended and rightly deserves the 5 stars.
Thank you Netgalley
This book's premise drew me in and I was excited to see where it was going. I liked Cassandra as a character and she had some truly laugh-out-loud moments, which is rare for me to experience.
I am not sure how I can put into words just how wonderful this book is but I am going to try. Cassandra is without a doubt the most 3D character I have ever met, I saw parts of myself in her while also managing to see into a different perspective on the world. Navigating the complex relationships at work, social and home life all the while with a sense of humour and the time travel weaved in was just done so perfectly. This at its core is a book about a young woman discovering who she is without the constant narrative of what the world expects her to be and this will definitely be one of my top books of the year, I dont see how anything could beat it!
a strange book to read but once you start to read you have to read to end difficult to take in in some stages but sorrowful for cassie for the way she as to live probably a quiet and peaceful life the entire opposite to her sister
Everything goes wrong for Cassandra but then she discovers that she can go back in time and make changes. If she goes back enough times, will she be able to create a world that’s right for her?
The Cassandra Complex is a great story, and a highly enjoyable read. Similar to Groundhog Day, Cassandra keeps trying to correct the wrongs that life throws at her. Each time, she discovers new things about herself and her life, before she feels the need to start over again. But is there ever a perfect place?
Would recommend to anybody for an entertaining read.
Love Holly and this adult debut was brilliant. Funny, clever and with a cracking central character. I'm a fan of the Groundhog Day trope, having written one myself..! And this one was done so well. X
This quirky girl really touched my heart and loved reading about her.
The author has not only created the perfectly enigmatic character but also a lovely take on groundhog day as Cassie gets to take a do-over whenever she wants to. She can change a crappy day but making different decisions, she can un-do bad things by going back and avoiding them, she can take back awful words by literally not saying them.
But, does re-doing something 100 times truly give you a different outcome? Join Cassie on her journey to find out and contemplate whether having this power would be a blessing or a curse...
Great book - really enjoyed it.
The Cassandra Complex is about Cassandra who is dumped by her boyfriend and loses her job in the same day. Cassandra finds navigating the world hard, she doesn't seem to be able to read people like everyone else does, and on this bad day she finds that she can time travel. Anyone in Cassandra's shoes having the ability to time travel would do exactly what she tries to - stop her boyfriend dumping her and keeping her job. I liked her and I had to remind myself that she wasn't like everyone else so had to be more patient with her character and |'m glad I was because I feel she get's to her happy journey eventually. I liked the Greek reverences and stories and way that Cassandra is shown trying to get through life in a way that's not like everyone else. Overall I enjoyed this book and the development that Cassandra goes through.
I'll be honest, I nearly gave up on this book twicer but I'm glad I stuck with it as I did like it once I got the hang of it. I'm not a fan of time travel based fiction and initially struggled, however about half way it clicked and I enjoyed the premise. Cassandra is an interesting character and following a break up, she discovers the ability to go back in time and alter various events in the build up to it. It ends up being a bit more profound then just wanting to undo a breakup which is why I think it clicked for me.
It still hasn't convinced me on time travel stories but a good read none the less.
#libraryatsevern #bookworm #book #reading
#bookstagramuk #londonreader #bookreviewfeature #bookreview #bibliophile #bookstagrammers #readersofinstagram #reader #igreads #thecassandracomplex #bookblogger #goodreads #bookshelf #bookreviewer #randomhouse #netgalley #bookstragram #bookstagrammer
I picked up this book having read and recommended Smale’s Geek Girl series many years ago. Unfortunately, for me, this still felt quite simplistic and like it was for a younger audience and so wasn’t as interesting to me as I had hoped. I also found the time travel elements to be a bit false. I think this would still be good for a younger adult though who hav less experience of some of the tropes, and so would continue to recommend to those readers.
If you're a fan of a groundhog day theme and time jumps/travel, then it's likely that the Cassandra Complex will work well for you. Essentially, these are not my favourite themes and this impeded my enjoyment of the book. However, I did like Cassandra a lot, her personality, what she saw as her faults and her connections with others. There is so much to sell this book in terms of who Cassandra is but the looping back and forth through events really pushed my patience.
I think this will be a polarising read between love and irratation; it landed somewhere in the middle for me.
I tried to like this book but, I really couldn't get into it. I found it co fusing and just a little bit silly. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
This was a very enjoyable book. Deals with relationships and friendship.
Cassandra is a bit of unusual character and she discovers she can time travel so she tries to go back to fix her relationship with her ex boyfriend after he dumped her. We see the ups and downs that happen with her. How she sees the world.
I could see some of the story what it would end like but some of it I had not worked out. It is well written and certainly had funny bits in it.
Another good read
Perfect book to curl up with and to get lost in
Will have you hooked from the first page
Thanks NetGalley
"The Cassandra Complex" introduced me to author Holly Smale's work, and has left me eager to explore more of her books.
The story revolves around Cassie, who unexpectedly gains the ability to time travel. However, her journey is more a profound voyage of self-discovery.
I loved Cassandra as a character and as such, this unique and thoroughly enjoyable read comes highly recommended - particularly if you're in search of something refreshingly different to read
Absolutely brilliant book, hilarious and uplifting.. Sped through it because I couldn't put it down and was rooting for Cassandra from start to finish
I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy read following a fascinating voice. Cassandra experiences the world very differently from myself and that's the beauty of fiction - this is why I love reading.
Holly Smale's book is well written, hilarious, and full of character, making it easy to 'be' Cassandra for 377 pages. The story was about repairing a relationship with a 'soulmate' - just not the kind you'd expect, and I loved that about this book. It's also about a journey of self discovery. As Cassandra realises more about herself, she also learns to give others a chance. A lovely reminder that there are lots of different ways to be in this world.
I've wanted to read this book for a while and was happy to find it on Netgalley. A big thank you to Century for sending it my way.
I pre-judged this book in the first couple of chapters as a light read with a bit of romance but it was far from this. Holly Smale used really clever storytelling to present the protagonist Cassie’s diverse way of thinking, reactions and how she sees the world. Using the concept of time travel, which I was sceptical of, Cassie is initially trying to save her relationship but this develops into showing how Cassie is able to go back in time to look at her reactions and handling of situations and allow you to follow her as she understands herself and others more and more. It was very much a book I looked forward to picking up to read, and I came to really care for Cassie and her well-being. Reading about the author, there is clearly overlap with their own experiences having been diagnosed with Autism at thirty.
Whilst the addition of the Greek mythology was a clear way of demonstrating Cassie’s hyper fixation on particular topics, as someone who doesn’t know a lot of it about it, I did tend to skim over these parts a little.