Opposite of Always

by Justin A. Reynolds

Overview

“One of the best love stories I’ve ever read.” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give

“Read this one, reread it, and then hug it to your chest.”  —Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Debut author Justin A. Reynolds delivers a hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose, and the moments that make a life worth reliving. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green.

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.

But then 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. 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 to save the people he loves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062748386
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	13,260
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Justin A. Reynolds has always wanted to be a writer. Opposite of Always, his debut novel, was an Indies Introduce selection and a School Library Journal Best Book, has been translated into seventeen languages, and is being developed for film with Paramount Players. He lives in northeast Ohio with his family. You can find him at www.justinareynolds.com.

Editorial Reviews

This charming, wry novel packed with witty, crackling banter is propulsively readable. There are some big questions about choice, consequences,
loyalty, and love in this novel, and Reynolds beautifully complements those heavy concerns with the sweet, funny, and genuine voice of his protagonist.

Booklist (starred review)

Relationships take a central role in this passionate novel, as Reynolds delves into the emotional experience of Jack’s inner circle, giving them and their interpersonal connections depth. It’s an intense ride and readers are likely going to want to stick with Jack to the (real) end.

Shelf Awareness

A story of friendship, young love, and learning how to make the right choices... In tough times, we can’t get enough of these books and we don’t get nearly as many as we need. Science fiction is lucky to have this one.

Locus

Jack’s narration is as funny as it is poignant as he moves from romantic to frantic and back again... [a] sentimental but not saccharine fantasy.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Opposite of Always is as beautiful as it is funny, warm, and captivating. One of the best love stories I’ve ever read. Jack King is the hero we’ve been waiting for.

Angie Thomas

Read this one, reread it, and then hug it to your chest. Reynolds’ debut is wise, heartfelt, and wildly, infinitely charming.”  

Becky Albertalli

Reynolds spins a poignant, dizzying tale of love and loss in this page-turning time-travel fantasy.

Horn Book

This charming, wry novel packed with witty, crackling banter is propulsively readable. There are some big questions about choice, consequences,
loyalty, and love in this novel, and Reynolds beautifully complements those heavy concerns with the sweet, funny, and genuine voice of his protagonist.

Booklist (starred review)

01/07/2019

Ask African-American high school senior Jack who he is and he’ll tell you: he’s an only child, and the king of “nice try” and “almost.” Unlike his best friend Franny, he never makes the team. And he doesn’t get the girl because he’s in love with his other best friend, Jillian, who’s dating Franny. But Jack does learn from his mistakes, and he has lots of opportunities to try again when he finds himself in a time loop. It starts when his first girlfriend—who is already in college and into him despite his corniness—dies of sickle cell anemia, which Jack didn’t know she had. He plummets into a do-over, and then another, but for everyone else, it’s always the first time. Watching Jack scheme to save Kate at any cost, including ignoring his friends, betraying Franny, gambling, and lying, is both touching and worrying for the reader. Though Kate feels a little too perfect and Reynolds, an #OwnVoices debut author, occasionally hits the message (about loving people while they’re around) a little hard, he also creates an enormously likable character who is doing the best he can and then some. Happily, the book’s blend of humor and heartbreak wins out. Ages 14–up. Agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt Zacker Literary Agency; rights, the Bent Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Jack’s narration is as funny as it is poignant as he moves from romantic to frantic and back again... [a] sentimental but not saccharine fantasy.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

★ 02/01/2019

Gr 8 Up–Jack King is the King of "almost" with a slew of unfinished projects under his belt. He's almost athletic, almost a rock star, almost at everything. He is sitting on the stairs at a college party staring at his best friend and unrequited love interest Jillian, when he meets Kate. These two teens forge a bond over the love of cereal, bad dance moves, and nerdy movies. Jack becomes the Cap'n to Kate's Crunch until Kate is a no-show at Jack's high school prom. Jack survives the heartbreak through the efforts of Jillian and his other best friend Franny "Francisco," Jillian's boyfriend. Jack learns that Kate has sickle cell anemia and was in the hospital during prom. While at the hospital, Kate tells Jack about a doctor who has some promising experimental trials, but the treatment is expensive. Jack goes home to rest only to be awakened by a phone call from Kate's mother telling him that Kate has died. He's headed to his car when falls down the stairs and wakes up back at the college party where he first met Kate. Jake's life now cyclically reboots as he attempts to save Kate and maintain his friendships. This is a love story about friendship with a "choose your own adventure" twist. The humor in this story will keep readers engaged. Any teen who's ever wanted a do-over will enjoy reading this story. VERDICT A great title for public and school libraries seeking excellent realistic fiction with a twist.—Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH

School Library Journal

2018-12-09

Romeo and Juliet meets Groundhog Day and Love Story in this wonderfully romantic story of teenage love and second chances.

What can Jack say about a college freshman girl who's dying? That she is beautiful and brilliant? That she loves writing, witty banter, and him? Or that he is destined to meet her over and over again? In this engrossing debut novel, Reynolds creates both a pair of unforgettable protagonists who are doomed to love, lose, and work to find one another again and again and a well-rounded cast of supporting characters. Jack King, who is African-American, is an only child, caught in a love triangle with his two best friends: Franny, a resilient and optimistic Latinx boy, and Franny's Italian-American girlfriend, Jillian, who is grappling with family issues—and who is the one who got away. All of that changes when Jack meets Kate, an African-American student tour guide, during his visit to her university. When she stands him up for prom, he is heartbroken—even more so when he learns that she has a serious genetic condition. Among the best elements of this supernatural romance are the three-dimensional relationships between Jack and his parents and between him and his two best friends.

A realistic teen drama that tackles complex subjects in an uncompromising way. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

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