Opposite of Always by Justin A Reynolds: Book Review

My Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Genre: Contemporary YA Romance

ADD TO GOODREADS (but I really don’t think you should)

 

 

 

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 need to stop picking the books I read because boy did I judge this book wrong (in the sense that I thought it sounded really good). Honestly there was so much wrong with this book I don’t even know where I’m expected to start, but to sum up my feelings, in the words of Miss Ariana Grande:

So…. where to start?

Characters:

• Jack- probably one of the most irritating assholes I’ve ever had narrate a novel for me, there was so so so much wrong with his character. He was creepy, obsessive, disloyal, excessive and just plain old irritating. He was not a good person at all whatsoever so I’m slightly confused regarding Angie Thomas’ comment that
  

  ‘Jack King is the hero we’ve been waiting for’

Because sis, if this is your idea of a hero, you’re expectations have got to be pretty damn low.

• Kate- bland as iceberg lettuce, I really don’t get why everyone is swooning about how funny she is, the girl said nothing that was even vaguely humerous to me, which I guess could be down to my (admittedly, horrible) sense of humour but like come on
• Jillian- honestly she was just there, like what was her purpose? She added nothing to the plot
• Franny- stereotypical perfect best friend that the protag always compares themself to and then they both realise that they’ve been jealous of one another the entire time, give me a break please

Plot:

Honestly this book was a mess, you know it’s bad if all you think when reading it is ‘when is this going to end?’ like, honestly, I stopped reading to stare at my bookmark, do you know how bad a book has to be to think your bookmark is more interesting? (actually, my bookmark is a picture of BTS, so I’ll take that back)

There was so much wrong with this plot though, like there was so many irrelevant storylines happening at once, none of them fully established, and none fully resolved. The whole ‘going back in time thing’ seems rather impossible to make incredibly boring and mundane, but it sure was in this book.

I also hated the constant breaking-the-fourth-wall with the ‘you know’ and ‘guys’ etc, you’re not Rick Riordan, and the plot’s awkward enough without Jack trying to talk to me, like hun I don’t want to read about you let alone talk to you, stick to your miserable pining-over-Kate life and I’ll stick to my reading-about-an-idiot life, thanks.

I’m genuinely trying to think of something I like about this book, I guess the cover is okay? But that’s it.

What sort of supreme asshole ditches his friends in one life, backstabs his best friend in another by talking to his dad (who was arrested and literally abandoned him) to get money, and then, to add insult to injury, kisses that best friends girlfriend because his own relationship was failing??

Also that ending scene with the mushy mushy love talk made me want to stab my eyes out.

Enough said there.

 

Well, wasn’t that a lovely, positive post? let’s do it all again next week, huh? No but seriously, I’m going to be reading some actual good books, so I’ll stop being such a Negative Nancy soon, I promise.

Have you read this book? Did you enjoy it? And if you haven’t do you think you’ll be picking it up? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to know what you all think ❤ Thanks so much for reading and I’ll talk to you all (or those of you that haven’t been scared away by my rather aggressive review) in my next post<3