Cassandra in Reverse: A Reese's Book Club Pick

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The mystery woman, Diana, set the story on a whole new course that I was not expecting. After Cassandra's reconciliation with her, the storyline with Will is completely altered. At first, I was extremely annoyed. After all, wasn't this book partially a romance? Now it wasn't feeling like one so much. Then the more I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that maybe there was a reason she and Will keep having issues in every alternate reality she creates. As sweet as he is, perhaps they really are too different, and she was wrong about fate. She can keep altering it, but in the end, things will eventually realign in the way they were meant to go. Different journey, same results. So I adjusted my thinking about her new projected ending. This is all about her deciding not to time travel anymore because she finally accepts herself for who she is, differences and all. Except...she starts making mistakes again with Diana, time traveling again to fix it (after declaring that she won't anymore), and then deciding to contradict everything she claimed to have learned and start COMPLETELY over again. After she’s dealt a one-two punch of losing her boyfriend and her job in the span of a single morning, her fervent desire for a redo bizarrely comes true. Hoping to change the outcomes, Cassandra tries to do it all “right,” over and over. But what she discovers, and so do we, is that maybe we don’t need fixing. Full of heart, humor, and Greek mythology, Cassandra In Reverse made me laugh out loud and touched my heart in unexpected ways. — Seira Wilson

What feels at first like an unconventional romantic comedy develops into something quite different and extraordinary . . . Smale effectively brings her audience into Cassandra’s singular mind and along on her journey in what feels like a brave voyage of discovery.” —Bookreporter.comI’d tell you my boss’s name and give him a brief description, but judging by this conversation, he isn’t going to be a promi­nent character for much longer. What a waste of a gift though. It was one reason I didn’t enjoy the story. I was hoping and thinking that Cassandra would start to do better or do things differently (not Will much, much earlier) but all I can say is that I would think it would be hard to make time travel boring but I was bored. I will add that I don’t often feel bored. Even the “romance” storyline felt boring. I don’t like romance books but this wasn’t even one. Not really. I don’t know exactly what it was. I think that what Cassandra eventually does is interesting though and I wish it hadn’t taken so very long to get there. A hilarious, introspective, time-hopping journey with an unforgettable, neurodivergent heroine . . . Cassandra's first-person narration is caustic, vulnerable, and laugh-out-loud funny . . . perfect for fans of imaginative, intelligent speculative fiction.” —Shelf Awareness The deep character work and interesting plot devices make this a deeply enriching and engrossing novel to dive into…. the characters were well-rounded and interesting, the writing style was fun and conversational, and the narrative offered a fresh take on a tried-and-true idea.” -THE GLOSS, 5/5 stars Speaking of Art, I know it was suggested that Cass could have tried to save lives but I think Cass still did save lives in her own way! Sal decided to believe Cass over that trash boyfriend, Sophie got better recognition and (intentional or not) helped Art find her perfect match.

The plant.” He points at the shrubbery now clutched under my sweaty armpit. “It’s mine and I’d like to keep it.” Although this kind of concept has been done before (a single example: Groundhog Day), the main character shines.Geek + runway = a runaway UK hit! Geek Girl is the first book in a hilarious, internationally bestselling series that’s perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Julie Buxbaum. Talking about Smale’s book, Witherspoon said the novel is “so fascinating.”“It has a lead character whose voice I just loved,” she continued. “She’s very witty, very self-deprecating. She also knows so much about Greek mythology, it’s fascinating.”

So, make yourself comfortable, grab your favorite reading beverage, and join me as we embark on this time-traveling adventure with Cassandra. I hope you will enjoy my discussion questions, and let me know what your thoughts are on this amazing novel! ✨ About the story Hope you enjoyed my book club discussion questions and reading guide for Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale!The 'mystery woman' - this character (i wont explain more as I don't want spoilers) but this woman that keeps appearing and getting brushed off by Cassandra. As other readers have mentioned, what is intended to be a late-in-the-game plot twist was something that I assumed from the first couple chapters: that the main character is autistic. I also assumed she knew and simply didn't say it outright. It's a very readable book. There's quite a lot of Greek myth references but they're interesting rather than distracting. Its not a re-telling by any stretch of the imagination. Its simply the story of a woman who has struggled to be heard, to fit in, to be accepted her whole life.

By the end, I was left floundering. I wondered what the lesson was. What was the message, the timeline of anything, the takeaway from everything I just read...? It's so unfortunate, but the promising beginning fizzled out to confusion in the final chapters. Everything I thought the book was about changed to something else, then left completely unresolved and undone. I decided on three stars, but this really was a tough one to rate. I enjoyed the author's writing style a lot, unfortunately the execution left something to be desired. Also, a minor complaint I have is the excessive references/comparisons to ancient Greek Gods. I understand that it was Cassandra's obsession, but there were so many insertions into the story that it became boring and I started skimming over them. The book begins with her getting fired from her job, getting dumped by her boyfriend, and her living situation with her roommates is pretty well destroyed. So far, it was reminding me very strongly of Penny Reid's Neanderthal Seeks Human just without the huge dose of humor. (One of my top favorite books, btw) Cassandra doesn't care much for her PR job in the first place, considering she just isn't a people person. However, nobody wants to be fired and lose their financial stability, so she is naturally distraught. Even more upsetting is her unexpected break-up with her lovely boyfriend Will of four months. She truly cares for Will, and was completely blindsided by his sudden extraction from their relationship. Will seemed to genuinely admire Cassandra's intelligence and wasn't put off by her differences. What seemed to be a breaking point for him was her issue with opening up to him about her feelings and sharing herself with him. No matter how many times he asked her to share what she was thinking and feeling, she didn't know how to give that to him. Cassandra!” My boss appears in the doorway just as I start cleaning down my keyboard with one of my little antiseptic wipes. “What the hell are you doing? I didn’t mean leave right now. Jesus on a yellow bicycle, what is wrong with you? I’d pre­fer you to work out your notice period, please.”Consider the motif of control and its significance in Cassandra’s story. How does her newfound ability to reverse time impact her sense of agency and her perception of the world? Discuss the portrayal of relationships in the novel, both romantic and platonic. How do they evolve and change as Cassandra manipulates time? What insights does the book offer about the complexities of human connections? Cassandra, the main character, has some great philosophical, original thoughts that effortlessly pulled me into the story. As she begins her narration, she even breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the reader. It was a really promising first impression, and even better, she only became more interesting the more I read. I could see how many people might be frustrated or annoyed with her horrible interactions with everyone around her. After all, she hasn't a clue how to engage in small talk or polite, casual conversation. She inevitably manages to offend or anger the person she is speaking to-completely unintentionally. Still, for me, her clumsiness at personal and professional relationships made me feel so sympathetic towards her struggles. The author spent a lot of time explaining Cassandra's differences, daily challenges, and feelings of despair that she couldn't stop pushing people away. Based on all of these things, it became crystal clear very early on that Cassandra is autistic, but was never diagnosed. Aglorious testament to the transformative power of being our own true selves. It’s a brilliantly clever, twisty story that dazzles with its wit whilst touching our hearts. . . .A hugely entertaining book with an important message, Cassandra in Reverseis a triumph!” —Sarah Haywood, New York Times bestselling author of The Cactus