Oh my goodness I’m obsessed with this book. This is my favourite book of the year so far. I loved the representation, I loved the twist on the Groundhog Day style narrative, I loved the descriptions of London and the ending had me bawling. This book was pure perfection and I wish I could read it again and again and again for the first time.

‘There are infinite things you can do with time.
You can save it, spend it, stitch it, kill it.
You can beat it, steal it and watch it fly.
You can do time and set it; you can waste it and keep it; it can be good or bad, on your side or against you. You can have a whale of it; be in the nick of it or behind it; you can have it on your hands.
Memories are time travel, and so are regrets, hopes and daydreams. When we die, the people we love carry us forward into it.‘

I am a huge lover of stories about time travel. Most of those stories involve going back to stop a world disaster, to see what life would look like if another path was taken, or to meet famous celebrities and transport them through time to your history class presentation so that you don’t have to go to Military school.

The Cassandra Complex on the other hand is quite different. What starts out as our main character trying to ‘fix’ mistakes she’s made, to stop her from being fired, dumped and at odds with her flat mates all in a day, she soon realises she’s not trying to undo decisions, but she’s trying to undo herself.

Cassandra is a neurodiverse character living in a world that doesn’t understand her and one that she struggles to understand in return. She uses her new found gift to try to steer her through situations and events. The knowing what will happen appears to help and soothe her through decision making. She knows the process and the events that will unfold. But what happens when they start to go off their timeline?

Warm, witty, a sprinkle of romance, a family backstory and a whole lot of Cassandra.

I loved her honesty and her paint chip chart made my heart warm. Whilst I’m not diagnosed as neurodiverse in any way, I could identify with many of the issues Cassandra had in the world around her and could relate to her and her senses in that way. Hello fellow loop earplugs wearers!

The story did feel like it went on quite a long while but given that we are reading the same part of the story multiple times it is quite explanatory as to why the pacing could feel slow.

However I fell hook line and sinker for Cass and her love of Greek mythology. I was so happy with the ending. It really is one where you’re cheering for the protagonist and dead chuffed at how it all works out. It left me feeling super warm and happy!

Fantastic adult debut novel and congrats to Holly Smales! Huge thanks to Penguin for my free copy of this’un. 💜

While the premise of this book and the themes discussed were interesting, I unfortunately struggled with this novel. I'm sure that it will find it's audience but sadly that wasn't me

This was an interesting read and it powerfully explored adult autism. It’s not your average fluffy time travel novel - I actually felt bad for Cassandra and how exhausted it made her, having unlimited chances to get something right is totally overwhelming for her. I LOVED the Greek myths and literature being a through line and a point of reference for Cassandra in everything in her life. However, that being said - this was just one of the things that made it so obvious to me that she was autistic. It seemed impossible for anyone around her to not know this, and I actually assumed she did know she was autistic until the “reveal” at the end. As much as I enjoyed this, I actually found to be a bit of a grim read at points. Some of the situations Cassandra got herself in seemed miserable.

I loved this book I loved that as the story progressed so did my knowledge of Cassandra character, it’s like peal the leaves off an onion. Very interesting plot.

I’m really struggling with this book. I want to like it and finish it but I don’t think I can. I understand the main character is neurodivergent but I’m finding her character extremely annoying and it’s spoiling my enjoyment of the book

Meet Cassandra Penelope Dankworth. She likes everything in order and as it should be, right down to which colour of jumpsuit should be worn to work each day and which meal she'll be having for dinner. Then her life is unexpectedly turned upside down, her boyfriend Will dumps her, she goes to work and gets fired and then (the worst in my opinion) the cafe she goes to each day for a banana muffin has run out! Cue a mental breakdown of epic proportions...but then...the previous day starts again...

Cassandra discovers she can time travel, not far enough to change her whole life but enough that she should be able to keep Will, her job and eating those muffins. If only she can get it right this time...but then if she doesn't she can try again...and again...and again.

It's an interesting concept, a bit like groundhog Day and she can keep trying different things to get the outcome she wants (or just tell her boss to bog off then erase it). At first it's really interesting and some of the scenarios are funny, but it does get a bit samey after a while keeping doing the same events in slightly different ways. Cassandra is also big into her mythology which does slow the story down as she likens people and events to the myths.

Overall I liked it. I enjoyed that Cassandra isn't your usual book heroine, she's prickly, neurodivergent, avoidant and can't read people (all emotions are displayed as colours that she has to interpret) and I felt the ending was perfect for her. I'll give it 4 stars because even though I enjoyed it, it did drag on a bit in the middle.

Review also posted to Goodreads - won't link to this account properly.

Cassandra lost her home, ger boyfriend and her job all in one morning, and the final straw, no banana muffins in the café.
But then Cassie discovers she can time travel,not too far back in the past but maybe enough that this triple whammy doesn't happen.
Discovering Cassie, her quirks and foibles was a joy.
Seeing her make friends, try to correct her mistakes and find familial love is a lovely read.

I so much wanted to like this one, but it just wasn't for me.

Cassandra likes certain things, most of all certainty. So when she gets dumped, then gets fired, she is not having a good day. Cass sees the world differently from most of us, but when she discovers the secret to time travel, it seems as if she can go back and do things differently thereby changing the outcome - or can she?

Firstly, I loved the idea of this and, it has to be said, I really liked Cassandra AND I loved the cover for this novel.. However, if there is one film I really, really don't like it's Groundhog Day. Add to that the constant mythology lessons and it just didn't resonate with me at all. I struggled through to the very end but it wasn't a comfortable read for me. I'm certain that plenty of other readers will absolutely adore this novel, but it wasn't for me. 3*

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Review: This book blew me away. It was one of those books that I couldn’t wait to get back to when I wasn’t reading it so, despite being in the midst of moving house, I read it over 2 or 3 days. Holly Smale's first adult fiction is a true hit and I am sure that, whether you have read the Geek Girl series or not, you will love it!
Cassandra is not one of those characters you will instantly like, she is prickly and she doesn’t really like herself all that much so how are we as readers supposed to like her from the word go? However she is a completely intriguing individual who draws you into her life and gets you on her side through her disaster of a day when we first begin the book. Everything that could go wrong for her does and she really can’t understand why all of it is happening at once when she planned for an entirely different day. It is when she discovers her gift that we start getting to know her as a character and that she starts to get to know herself.
I’m not a huge fan of having to think outside the box and suspend my disbelief but I completely and utterly bought into the theory that Cassandra was able to rest her days and go to different days or weeks in her past and that is where the adventure of this book really happens. I;m not a fantasy reader, I don’t really like anything to stray from real life in my reading so if you are worried about the time travel aspect, please don’t be. If I can be fully invested in closing my eyes and travelling back in time, you can too!
What makes this book so uniquely brilliant is the level of detail that Cassandra goes into through the power of Holly Smales writing. She is obsessed with Greek mythology, who isn’t, and so we get to hear where she got her name from and the ways in which she compares her life to Greek heroes and villains. She is also fairly self-reflective and she realises that she has to learn how to act around some people because it doesn’t come naturally. Watching her having to learn some social queues and why it is not always OK to say exactly what you think in all situations was really emotional for me but it is part of the heart of this book.
This book is own voices for autism but really it says all there is to say about trying to make it in this world as a woman who wants to have a good life and do it independently. It is exhausting and takes multiple tries to even come close to what you thought it would be! I highly recommend this novel whether you have read Holly Smale before or not, it is brilliant and a must read!

Wow I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book so much but it captured me and drew me in to the point I want to be Cassandra’s friend/work colleague - but that makes me sound a bit creepy. I loved the Greek myth references which triggered my memory of studying the classics in translation many years ago. I particularly liked the fact that we didn’t get a Hollywood ending or a comfortable ride which made the story so much more real (if you can suspend belief in time travelling for the duration). I’m definitely going to be seeking out more books by Holly Smale as she intrigues me - which is always a good starting point.

Cassandra is differently enabled. She doesn’t have the insight into why her ways rub people up the wrong way, but she’s having a real day of it. Dumped by her boyfriend, fired from her job and made homeless.
Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, she discovers her ability to time travel.
Time travel doesn’t allow her to ‘mend her ways’ as such but discover how her behaviour/ reactions can be altered to be more socially acceptable.
She manages to reverse two out of three for a much better outcome. The third? Well, some things just aren’t meant to be but in loosing one she regains another that she wasn’t expecting.

This is a strong story of a women not desperate to fit in but fit in enough that not everything goes wrong. It’s a story of self development and self acceptance that we are all made of the same parts arranged in different ways.
An enjoyable read with echoes of Groundhog Day.

I've read several of Holly Smale's YA titles so I was really pleased to receive a copy of 'The Cassandra Complex' from Netgalley. This was a great read, likely to appeal to fans of Joanna Nadin amongst others. Cassandra (Cassie) is having a really bad day - first dumped by her boyfriend and then fired form her job, all before lunchtime! The following day brings the ability to time travel and the opportunity to go back in time and fix her mistakes. Sounds easy? However time travel is not as easy as it looks and the ripples of some mistakes are not easy to undo. Cassie is a very likeable character and her determination to 'get things right' was very appealing. The links to Greek mythology add to the story, although this is not a retelling. A fun read, great for holiday reading.

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this as time slip stories are not really my thing but main protagonist Cassie won me over in no time and I couldn’t wait to find out what she would get up to next. I enjoyed all the Greek mythology references and found Cassie’s perceptions of other people’s colour auras fascinating. Loved the make up with her sister - family is everything after all - and the story was very perceptive about how having autism makes your thinking a bit different to others.

Wow - well done to Holly Smale, this is unlike anything I've read before and I absolutely loved it.

Cassandra, our main character, has neurodiversities and she is trying to find out who she is and how to navigate the world. She has just broken up with her boyfriend and is just about to be fired, and she's unsure why either have happened. At work she answers questions truthfully and honestly (possibly not always great in a marketing agency....) and she thought that her relationship was going to last longer. When both events hit, Cassandra walks out of work and huddles in a doorway for safety- but when she opens her eyes, its the day before and she is still with the boyfriend and still in employment. Can she do things differently this time to affect the outcome?

The author writes about having autism with such amazing insight - the way that Cassandra senses emotions as colours and then has to work out what that particular shade might mean at that time, the overwhelm of senses, the feeling of having to just escape sometimes and be somewhere totally familiar.

This all makes it seem quite heavy but its a really light book to read, Holly Smale scatters the book with wonderful little insights into life, things that we'd assume were always the case (like where a story begins, who decides?) - and descriptions that made me smile knowingly in understanding.

Throw in a whole heap of Greek god references and that is the book for me, Brilliant. And the cover is stunning. i've been really excited to see it in shops - it is gorgeous!

We first meet Cassandra on her worst day ever. She's been dumped by her boyfriend, fired from her job and told to move out of her home. She then starts living the same day over and quickly learns she can time travel ... cool right? Cassandra uses her new found power to try and fix her relationship and keep her job. Whilst trying to do this she learns a lot more about herself and what makes her happy.

I love the character of Cassandra. She's a neuro divergent adult who uses colour and Greek mythology to navigate and make sense of her world. The story is clever and funny, touching and thought provoking. What I thought was going to be a romcom turned out to be something much more special.

I would highly recommended this book to anyone who loves books with quirky characters, that are witty and hopeful.

Cassandra was a different style of protagonist to what I am used to reading. I do have a familial connection to neurodiversity and once I recognised the signs, I immediately fell into step with Cassandra and her quirky ways. When she accidentally discovers that she can control time, it’s natural that she should want to go back and fix her perceived mistakes, but that opens a whole new can of worms.
As you can possibly imagine, Cassandra is a complex character and not instantly likeable. Her thoughts are messy and it’s a challenge to understand her decisions. That said, when you read more about the author, it gives a clear insight into the mind of someone living with a neurodiverse way of functioning. I thought I understood more than I clearly do, but then, there are few people experiencing the exact same set of idiosyncrasies.
The opening sequences reminded me of the film Groundhog Day, and I have recently read a couple of books that follow that format. But this was only similar, and as Cassandra discovered that she was in control of the movement of time and able to fine-tune her travels, the book took a new direction.
There are hilarious and uncomfortable situations for Cassandra to face and some of them she faces repeatedly until she discovers more about herself. From her annoying housemates and poor boyfriend, there are some great characters to discover. My favourite, without a doubt, was Artemis, Cassandra’s sister. Artemis opened the door to understanding the chaos in Cassandra’s mind and brought a calmness to the story.
I am so glad that I persevered with this story, and I am grateful for the insight into the mind of a person living with a neurodivergent brain. I honestly believe that there are superpowers that we don’t yet understand, and I can’t wait to discover more.

The Cassandra Complex" is a thought-provoking and gripping novel that will appeal to fans of science fiction, dystopian fiction, and psychological thrillers. It is a cautionary tale about the consequences of ignoring warning signs and the importance of listening to those who speak the truth, even when their message is difficult to hear.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I so wanted to like this book. It was certainly different, I love time travel books, but to me this was more of a Rom Com with time travelling thrown in ,I also feel that I am not the indeed audience, being too old, and that is my fault, not for being too old, I can't help that ,but for requesting the book. I think other readers will probably enjoy the book more, I think it was a bit too far out of my comfort zone but will be a perfect fir for others, so I wouldn't put anyone off reading it.

I love time travel stories, especially when they’re accessible and easy to read like The Cassandra Complex is. It manages to be heartwarming, highly entertaining, and very funny.

This book also has so many of the other elements I love, too – plenty of humour, likeable, convincing characters, avoids too many cliches, and is thoroughly entertaining. I really didn’t want to put it down – if it weren’t for the fact I had visitors staying I would have raced through this novel in a day.

Firstly, Cassie is a complex and likeable protagonist who is easy to root for. She’s a hugely entertaining character who is very different and doesn’t always fit into the narrow boxes that other people expect her to, but this just makes her more likeable in my eyes. We sort of gather from the start that Cassie likely has Autism and her view on life is a breath of fresh air.

Through Cassie’s time travel, and some of her memories, we start to uncover other information about her family and friends that we didn’t realise before, and see why certain people have acted the way they have. I really enjoyed reading about her relationships with others, and I was pleased that, even at the end when everything was ‘concluded’ and there were some heartfelt moments, it didn’t feel too cheesy or over the top.

The time travel element is done SO well in this book; Holly Smale absolutely nails it! It’s fun and entertaining without being too mind-boggling or repetitive, and there were so many humorous moments that made me smile.

I’d highly recommend this brilliant debut (well, adult debut) from Holly Smale and will eagerly watch out for future releases!