Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing Opposite Of Always by Justin A. Reynolds.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯
The Opposite Of Always is a beautifully crafted story exploring the awesome combination of second chances, time travel, and, of course, love. It follows our protagonist, Jack’s, countless attempts to save Kate (who he is hopelessly in love with) from a tragic death, through time travel. Sounds intriguing, right?
There were so many different aspects of this book I loved; it’s definitely up there with my favourite books. The whole story was delightfully charming and the concept was really original; it truly was a lovely read… Once I started reading I could hardly put it down, it was that good!
I suppose just one of the elements which made this book unique was the protagonist. In YA, it’s super difficult to find a book just from a boy’s first person perspective (I think this might be the only one I’ve read so far where there weren’t any chapters whatsoever from a girl’s POV) and I found this really interesting to read. Jack’s whole character was really well thought out by Reynolds, too… He was endearingly awkward and, despite making some mistakes, it was clear how much he cared about his loved ones (he even made his best friend text him when she got home safely, which was incredibly sweet). Jack was an all round amazing character!
Of course, Kate was amazing, too. She was really witty and quick and I admired her awesome sense of humour! What made her character even better, though, was how strong and resilient she was despite all the the challenges she had to overcome (I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say her death wasn’t much of a surprise)… And I can’t forget how sweet her romance with Jack was!
I think it’s safe to say that Kate and Jack might just have been one of my favourite book couples. Anyone could see how much they both cared about each other and the undeniable connection between the two. I really enjoyed watching their relationship play out again and again; it was truly lovely to see how they kept on finding their way back to each other. And don’t even get me started on the adorable emails exchanged between them throughout the different timelines!
Of course, all of the relationships in this book were executed brilliantly. Jack’s relationship with his two best friends was also perfect (despite him messing up in some of the timelines) and the dynamic between them was great. In Franny and Jack’s friendship in particular Reynolds struck just the right balance between light hearted, fun moments and heavier, more serious ones. Their friendship was so well developed and real and it became integral to the story.
Jack’s relationship with his parents was brilliant, too. In many YA books the majority of characters are either given awful or non-existent relationships with their parents but Reynolds chose to go down a different route and it certainly paid off. Jack’s relationships with his parents was perfectly ordinary and it was refreshing to read. Each different timeline delved into their relationship a little more and it was clear how much his parents cared about Jack.
The different timelines themselves (created by time travel) were also really interesting. It was definitely something I hadn’t read about before and I think Reynolds explored it in a really intriguing way. The time travel aspect was also incorporated in the most plausible and realistic way possible; he didn’t build a time machine or anything, he was just transported back when Kate’s time ran out. I was rooting for Jack throughout the book and I really hoped he would succeed on his mission to save Kate.
Second chances were also a primary theme in this book. Each time Jack went back the major events with his family and friends would play out in a slightly different way which made me consider the effect seemingly insignificant things can end up having on our lives. Let’s just say that, despite Jack time travelling, things never got too repetitive as things kept on changing!
I also loved the chapter titles. It’s not often that books are actually given engaging chapter titles (rather than just Chapter One etc.) and Reynolds not only included them but made them incredibly witty and funny, too. I really enjoyed turning the next page onto a new chapter and wondering what the next title would be!
The one thing that slightly annoyed me about this book (at least to begin with) was the amount of times the characters said each others’ names. It seemed to be every other sentence and to start with this really irked me but by the end I’d gotten more used to it. Other than that, though, the book was perfect!
Overall, I would recommend The Opposite Of Always for anyone looking for an adorable contemporary with the added twists and turns of time travel. I would never have thought of these two themes working together, but Reynolds managed to do it brilliantly, and I truly loved this book!
Have you read Opposite Of Always yet? Will you be adding it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed this review!
Ceri
Read And Review It 
I haven’t heard of this before. It sounds like an interesting read. You have shared a well written review. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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Thank you so much for your kind words and commenting!
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This is such a great review. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
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Thank you so much for your kind words and commenting!
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Wow, what an amazing review of this book! Feel like I already know the characters really well. Can’t wait to read it. Have a feeling I won’t be able to put it down.
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Thank you so much for your kind words and commenting! It really is unputdownable – I definitely recommend!
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Hello Ceri, great review!! I really like the sound of this book, really interesting!!👍
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Thank you so much! It definitely is, I totally recommend it!
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Wow, this book sounds amazing! Amazing review!
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It definitely is! Thank you so much!
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wow, great review! Can’t wait to read this book 😊
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Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy 🙂
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Sounds cool. Might check it out!
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Thank you, I definitely recommend!
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Ooh this sounds like an interesting book with a bit of everything! Great post lovely xx
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It definitely is! Thank you so much for your kind words xx
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I adore books (and films) that involve time travel! This book sounds so interesting!
Corinne x
http://www.skinnedcartree.com
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I have to say I’ve never really read anything including time travel before, but this certainly was interesting and I really recommend it! Thanks for commenting x
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I’m fascinated at the thought that not many YA books are written fully from a male perspective. It’s kind of shocking, so it’s awesome that this one is. This story line does sound intruiging and it says a lot that details like chapter headings are even so thought out. Thanks for sharing about this one! 🙂
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Same, it’s weird, isn’t it? It definitely is, it’s a great read! No worries, thanks for your kind words! 🙂
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Great post! I really enjoyed this book too, such an enjoyable twist. Reynolds’ second novel is great too 🙂
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Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it too! I might just have to check it out then 🙂
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I’m so, SO glad to hear that you enjoyed this book! It was one of the first books I picked up last year and I fell in love with it. I listened to the audiobook but immediately purchased a physical copy. I’ve become friends with the author and he’s insanely cool! You should definitely grab Early Departures. I thought Opposite of Always couldn’t be beat, but Early Departures is up there with my very top favorite books!!
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Yeah, it’s absolutely brilliant! Oh wow, that’s actually really cool – you’re so lucky! I have to admit I’ve been drawn to it on Goodreads and after your recommendation I might just have to order it! Thanks for such a lovely comment x
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Ooo time travel and romance, this book sounds good and really interesting. Might have to check it out. Great review! xx
TheQuietGirl | http://www.quietgirlblog.com
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It’s definitely an interesting combination! You definitely should, I really recommend it. Thank you! xx
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This sounds so interesting! Time travel and witty characters, sign me in! it’s actually the first time I hear about this book so adding to my TBR right away, great review x
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It definitely is – it’s such an original concept! I hadn’t heard of this book either until I unexpectedly stumbled upon it but it’s amazing! Hope you enjoy, thanks for commenting x
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The time-traveling aspect sounds intriguing. Given how much you read it’s really interesting that you’ve deemed this book as having one of your favorite book couples. That suggests to me the author did really well creating that relationship.
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It is, it was probably one of my favourite parts! Yeah, this book really stood out to me – the author did an amazing job!
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I read this book a ways back and I loved it so much!! May have to do a re-read soon🥰
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it, it’s such an amazing book! Definitely agree with that, I do too ❤
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This seems like a really interesting concept. After watching Outlander, I’ve found that I do like fantasy and these types are dramas a lot more! It definitely adds an interesting element to the story!
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It really is! I have to admit I haven’t watched Outlander, perhaps I should check it out though! Time travel is definitely such a cool concept. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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This sounds so good! I love time travel themed booms/series/movies, so I put this on my Wishlist for now. I live the idea that it is written in a boy perspective because as you said, there are not many books like this out there for some reason. Thank you for the review!
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It definitely is! Me too, I don’t read them often but when I do I always find that I love them. It’s definitely weird, but hopefully we’ll see more of them in the future. I really hope you enjoy if you end up reading, thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Brilliant review! I like the idea of being from the male perspective. I am currently writing a YA book from the same viewpoint so this will be interesting.
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Thank you! So do I, it’s really rare to find books with a male protagonist. That’s so cool, you’ll have to let me know when it’s out! Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I haven’t read fiction in such a long time. This sounds like something I might enjoy, thanks for sharing!
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I’m so glad you like the sound of it, I really hope you enjoy if you end up reading! Thanks for reading and commenting!
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I like the concept of time travel. So this book definitely sounds interesting. Thanks for this lovely review.
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Same, it really made the book stand out and was so interesting to read! Thanks for reading and commenting.
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This was a really great review, I feel like I got a real feel for the book! And the book itself sounds like an adorable read, the plot and relationships sound really lovely.
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Thank you so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It definitely is, the relationship between them is so special and lovely. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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This sounds like an interesting read! Time travel is always a theme I enjoy. Great review!
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It really is, the time travel aspect was explored in a super interesting way! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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