Opposite of Always by Justin a. Reynolds Book Review
“It’s not about how something ends that matters. Maybe it’s about having something good, even for a little while.”
About
Author: Justin a. Reynolds
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
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Synopsis
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.
Review
Spoilers Contained Below
To those with almosts,
What a read.
What a read 😫
But before we get into things, I just wanted to say this review will be kind of different, the book is divided into different parts based on when Jack goes back in time, so in order, this review will be split into each storyline of each do-over Jack gets because each do-over is so uniquely different that I have to talk about it 😉
I also wanted to mention how amazing and beautiful I found Justin’s writing to be. There’s honestly only a few writers out there whom I have read and have been genuinely wowed by the style, humor, and finesse in which these people write with. Justin is one of them. From page one, I felt that kind of spark and feeling of “wow” with the words. And honestly, if this book was about a sleeping sloth, I would have still read it because Justin’s writing was just that good! Again, I just adored the style of the writing and how clever the words were to end and start a scene. And gosh, I loved loved loved the chapter titles! Few books these days have chapter titles, but these chapter titles were like quotes in the making.
Anyway, the plot itself was heart wrenching and complicated in the best way. I liked how the book touched on love, friendship, and family and how there was such a perfect balance between all these three things; Usually, most books just focus on one or the other, but I think there’s a good mix between all of them and that’s what makes the story ten times as heartfelt.
So who is the man of the hour with this book?
Jack King.
The King of almosts.
Almost valedictorian. Almost made varsity. Almost got the girl.
Almost. Almost. Almost.
I liked the whole idea of Jack King in being someone who has almost achieved something because most main characters are people who fully achieve things. So it was kind of an interesting dynamic to have a main character who was more human in the way of not being perfect. It made Jack more relatable too because I bet we’ve probably all had our fair shares of almosts. And when you almost accomplish something, doesn’t it ever just feel like the worst knowing you were so close to something? SO CLOSE! ALMOST! It made me feel sad for Jack because he’s such a good natured person from the get-go who deserves to fully do something or achieve something in his life. But Jack doesn’t pity himself. He kind of takes his whole “almost” identity ightly and finds the humor in the situation. He also kind of has just accepted that he is the guy of almosts and that’s okay because that’s what life is for him. This made me respect Jack more as a person because most people—-myself included—-would kind of lose hope in myself in my abilities to do something, but he saw the bright side of the situation. I mean, you have to love a person who looks on the positive side of life, right?
The book starts off with a chapter from a later scene, so it really just puts you right into the action, which at first confused me because I was like, “what’s going on,” but then after that, things go back to the beginning and things make sense. It’s Jack’s full story and intro of who he is. And I love how the book just talks to you in some moments and this goes back to my love for Justin’s writing. There was a part in the beginning where Jack was talking about how he liked this girl for a long time and that girl was his best friend, Jillian, but he never told her he liked her. Then Jack goes ahead and dumps a grade A explosive on us all in being like, “Oh, I never told her I liked her also because she’s dating his other best friend, Franny”. If I didn’t feel bad for Jack, enough!!😆 Gosh, he’s such a good person! He really deserved better odds.
When visiting a college one night, Jack goes to a party with Jillian (aka, his die hard crush), and he’s sitting on the stairs, staring longingly at her.Then comes the woman of the hour, Kate. Just Kate—–who told Jack that he was blocking the stairs and from this comes a beautiful, lighthearted conversation where Jack was no longer pinning for Jillian, but thinking about Kate. They were just sitting there underneath the stars, talking about meaningful things like family, their hopes, their dreams, and then they ate cereal together and I was just so happy for Jack that he got his head out the clouds and had his head in the stars when talking to a girl he could realistically date—–it was like a proud mother moment. You’re doing great sweetie! 🤪
During their conversation though, some things spiked me as odd, but they also built on who Kate was. The whole time, Jack was being very open about who he was. He was being humorous, giving Kate his full name, while Kate just told him her name was Kate. And there’s nothing wrong with not wanting to give away your full identify to a guy you just met, so I highly respect that, but they were having a deep conversation about topics you wouldn’t normally talk about on a first meet-cute. Again, though, Jack was very honest about himself and I think as a guy, there’s some strength and some weakness in that. I think Jack was so forthcoming with Kate because he’s the type of person who wears his heart on his sleeves and loves someone deeply and immensely once he feels it. I mean, he loved Jillian for practically his whole life but didn’t tell her because he didn’t want to ruin any of his friendships. But point is, he loved deeply. People who love deeply like Jack are rare. But people who love deeply like Jack, also end up getting hurt the most in the end because they invest so much of themselves in the other person when that person is not returning it as much back. That’s where that person gets hurt tremendously because that big heart of theirs gets big-time broken from someone they deeply cared about. And Jack has never been in a relationship or in love for a long time, so of course he was going to be open with Kate. But Kate’s reserved and she had I’m-going-to-break-your-heart written all over her. She had her guard up and wouldn’t talk about her family as much and other things—–she just seemed secretive. Again, I get it though, she just met the dude. But the inner mama bear in me was highly concerned for Jack because I just didn’t want him to be hurt in the end.
Gosh, I was fully invested at this point!
Kind of like Jack. Because after meeting Kate, his mind, his body, his soul, his whatever else breathed Kate. Kate was on the brain, on the heart, in the phone, in every place he looked. Kate was his new Jillian. Because Jack’s always thinking about Kate and spending more time with her, he hardly hung out with his friends or his family anymore. There was this one moment when Jillian’s angry with Jack and she sounded kind of jealous of how he met someone. I mean, talk about a want what you can’t have type of situation. I think it took Jillian until that moment to realize that Jack was a good guy and she liked him that way, but haha jokes on you, you had your chance, so you can’t be jealous that Jack has moved on 😆 Besides, Jillian had a boyfriend. I just found it kind of funny how she had the audacity to act jealous of Kate. If only she knew that Jack liked her all this time. . . Sucks to suck.
Things between Jack and Kate escalated rather quick and Jack asked her to his prom over email. OVER EMAIL! I mean it’s cute that Jack asked Kate to prom and how nervous sounding his email was, but I mean EMAIL!? Jack, did you mom not teach you about face-to-face communication? Ugh! I know if I was asked to prom over email, I would feel thoroughly offended. It’s like texting someone Prom? I mean where’s the pizzaz? I don’t expect Jack to bring out a flash mob or have fireworks, but at least do it in person.
Guess what Kate’s response was to him?
MAYBE!
That’s like ALMOST!
UGH! JACK! You deserve to be someone’s yes!
But what was worse—–what made me cringe and cringe and cringe for Jack, was that he got all spiffy for prom and he was excited because Kate was going with him in the end, but then . . . SHE BACKS OUT! I mean, she calls him after he sat waiting at home for hours for her to show up and she’s like “I’m sorry,” and “I can’t come.” And I know why she couldn’t go, but at the time I was just so angry and heartbroken for Jack. HE WAITED FOR HER! I could honestly imagine Jack just sitting there patiently in a tux, looking at his watch, then looking up, hoping the next car that passed by was hers. I mean the typical scene in the movie where the person gets stood up to prom.
My baby Jack had his first crack of many in his too big heart. And I knew it. I knew it.
But you know, Kate had a very good reason.
After Jack’s anniversary party with his parents, he finally gets another call from Kate after all this time and she’s thoroughly sorry for what she did, but she also has this desperate tone, but not in a desperate to get you back in a way, like desperate to say everything before it’s too late. Jack rushed to the hospital to see Kate where she’s on her sick bed and he doesn’t understand how or why Kate’s there. To Jack, all he thought about Kate was being healthy, but I guess it goes to show you that you should never assume things about people.
Later that night after making up with Kate at the hospital, he gets a call from the mom saying Kate passed away. And I could feel Jack’s heart dropping in his chest with a great big thud.
Almost had a great love.
Almost lived.
Almost.
And I can’t express how pained I was to feel Jack lose so much hope and light in that moment and that he fell down the stairs. He was like good night, Jack. Good night. But I was like, NO, JACK, good morning, get your butt out of bed and wake up! It’s not nighttime for you, no lights out.
Do Over Two: So Sequels usually suck, but. . .
So we’re back at it with Jack and Kate’s love story.
Round two.
Jack’s back at the staircase where Kate tells him he’s blocking the way. And Jack has no idea what’s going on so he comes across as a freaky weirdo to Kate because he knows her but she doesn’t know him. I found it completely funny how he followed her into the backyard and Kate’s all creeped out. A part of her, however, feels like she knows him, which she does . . . if only she knew. But the beginning of their story is just as cute as before where where they joke around and get to know each other, and Jack’s all giddy and happy because Kate’s alive and well and to him that’s all that matters. What I liked about this time around was how they went to the grocery store and filled their cart up with so much cereal and milk. The person who rang them up at the store gave them funny looks. If I was the cashier, I would think that they were weird, but cute because who doesn’t like two kids young and in love? 😉
After the grocery store, they go back to the dorms and eat Cap n’ crunch and Fruit Loops—-all the good things—– and Jack’s so happy and it makes me so happy. I loved how after eating their cereal, they passed out the rest to Kate’s dorm because they realized they had too much. Really, I couldn’t tell 🤪 It was cute when they were passing out the cereal and Jack was like, “Because everyone deserved to taste magic.”
Jack has tasted magic.
He deserved it.
To Jack everything seemed to be going good because Kate was alive and he intended to keep it that way. So knowing that Kate was sick and was going to pass in the end, Jack raises his concerns to Kate, nonchalantly asking her if she’s feeling well—–like asking a person if they’re in good health is a nonchalant question. Very subtle Jack, very subtle. Are you feeling well? Can you be more blunt? 😆 But I get it because he loves her and his concern comes from a good place.
This time around Jack really puts Kate first in this life and I just think that since he lost Kate the first time around, he was so shocked to see her again that he felt consumed by the need to always be with her. I think Jack feels like he should have spent more time with her and in getting to know her and if he had done that before, he would have known Kate was sick and that he could have helped prevent her death the first time. So I understand why he would spend every waking minute with her, but at the same time, I wanted to take Jack aside and tell him he can’t save everyone.
Because he’s so focused on Kate, it’s kind of hard to see how all his healthy, strong relationships with his family and friends diminish. He went see Kate across town one time, and this completely disappointed his parents because Jack lied to them about where he was and why he borrowed the car. It wasn’t even the fact Jack went so far to see this girl they knew nothing about, but that their good son didn’t tell them the truth. I guess, love does make you do crazy things.
But what hurt me the most was how Jack was neglectful of his friendships with Franny and Jillian. Franny and Jillian have been there for him his whole life and they were happy that he had happiness with a girl he loved, but they didn’t like that he was never showing up for them. Jack would supposed to be at the band practice for his parents anniversary, but he would be with Kate and that’s just disrespectful to his friends because it’s Jack’s own parent’s anniversary party that they’re practicing for, so by no means do they need to be there, but they were.
I didn’t mention this with the beginning story, but Franny has it tough. And when I mean tough, I mean TOUGH. But Franny is genuinely a character that I highly appreciate and think is so strong despite the cards that he has been given. He has grown up with his abuela practically his whole life because his dad, the Coupon, has been in jail. I’m still not sure why he’s called the Coupon, but I think it’s because he’s cheap or he likes to steal. When I think of the Coupon, I’m thinking of a man that resembles Mr. Krabs from Spongebob. Is that weird? But the Coupon is getting out of jail and deep down, the abuela is excited because she gets to see her son. As much as it might not seem like it, Franny is excited to see his father too. But there’s also this part of Franny that doesn’t want to get his hopes up when he knows his father will never change. Franny keeps this little bit of hope in him that his dad will come out of prison and all of a sudden be the father he was meant to be for him, showing up at Franny’s games, having out with him, and all these things.
But Franny’s dad never shows up for him.
He didn’t go to Franny’s basketball games and when he went to the dinner that the abuela threw, he ended up getting arrested. But within good reason because Franny’s dad was just trying to get ice cream for his son, but the store owner didn’t like that the Coupon was an African American man shopping in his store. And maybe I wouldn’t have reacted as harshly as the Coupon, but gosh do I UNDERSTAND why he would punch the store owner! I mean just because the Coupon was a person of a different skin color dressed in black, didn’t make him an instant robber.
I honestly can’t STAND people who discriminate or put down others because of their culture or skin. It’s sickening.
So is the Coupon a bad person? By all means, I don’t think so. But is he a good father? No. Not really. But he knows he’s not a good father and that Franny deserves better and I think the Coupon just thinks that he’s a failure so he’s self-fulfilling his own prophecy that he can’t be better for Franny, but I think he can if he really tried to change. I just think there’s a part of the Coupon that’s just as scared as Franny that they won’t be good enough, you know? I feel like the Coupon wants to do right by his kid, but he’s scared to try because he doesn’t want to screw up again and disappoint Franny more, so he thinks it’s better if he doesn’t try because that way he doesn’t disappoint him. But gosh, it does disappoint Franny time and time again. And it really hurts my heart because Franny is a genuinely good person.
I liked that Jack gets his head out of his butt for a moment to be there for Franny when he needed it most.
“This isn’t on you, Franny,” I say from the backseat.
“No?” Franny aks, staring out the window. “Then how come my shoulders feel so heavy?
(pg 258)
The other main part of the second do over was Kate actually telling Jack that she had sickle cell, which explains why she’s kind of closed off—–she doesn’t want to hurt Jack because she knows she’s not going to live long. And it’s like this mutual I don’t want to lose each other thing because they love each other, and that’s what makes love beautiful my friends.
Kate can be treated for sickle cell and that’s why she’s in and out of the hospital a lot, but there’s a more expensive treatment cure that her parents can’t afford to pay for, something Jack takes note of for future references if you know what I mean 😉
We also learn that Katie has ties with her ex, Xander. Xander has been with Kate through her ups and downs just like Franny and Jillian have been there for Jack, so of course she doesn’t want to lose him too. So it’s complicated because she likes Jack, but has more history with Xander. Honestly, I think she loved Xander in a brother kind of way in wanting him to always be there for her, but we all know Jack was her true love.
This time Kate does go to the prom with Jack. But you know what’s worse than getting stood up to the prom?
Getting stood up during the prom.
Really world?
Did Jack really get an almost prom date too!?
Gosh, he wasn’t lying about his fate
This time around because Jack knew Kate was sick, he stayed with her when she was in the hospital. I found the moments where they conversed to be the cutest because he was there for her and met her mom and sister. But as the chapter title indicated, second chances are still just chance
Do Over Three: The Charm of Third Times
I think this was the most strategic do over for Jack.
I liked how he knew what was going to happen and acted in ways that could potentially help the people he loved.
The big part of this do over that just had trouble written all over it was the fact that Jack does this sports betting deal with Franny’s dad. I mean it’s honestly such a smart idea if you think about it. If you know about the future and which teams are going to win, then why not place all you best bets on that team, especially in this case, the underdog team. It’s kind of like going back in time and knowing the lottery numbers, where you can use the lottery numbers to win all the money. Jack doesn’t tell Franny that he met with the dad and struck this deal, so of course, Franny will find out about it eventually, it’s just a matter of when.
This situation is also a moral dilemma. Jack isn’t really cheating anyone because he’s from the future and he’s just making honest to good money to help the girl he loves get treated for her illness. So it’s not bad that he hustled all these people to get all that cash, but I think the way he went about it—–making it a secret from Franny, that was the bas part. Secrets only reap hurt. And gosh when Franny found out that Jack was meeting with his father in secret. UGHHHHHH, that broke so many cracks in me!!
But before we get into that scene with Franny, I just wanted to mention how I liked how that Jack would still look out for Franny by talking to the dad about how Franny truly felt for him. Sure, he kept the deal with the dad a secret, but he would tell the dad how much Franny missed him and wished he would go to his games. But the Coupon tells him that Franny hasn’t been reaching out to him as much either.
There’s this open conversation they share after Franny’s dad brings Jack his “lucky” winnings. In this conversation, you really get to know more the inside workings of Franny’s dad and it’s kind of heart wrenching to read because here’s a man who was in prison who gave up on himself and his son.
“The truth, Jack? I’m afraid man. I’m afraid it’s too late. It’s no secret I’ve screwed up. And not just my own life. His, too. I know that. . . I can’t fix everything that’s happened but I can make sure it doesn’t go that way gain. I’m here now. I can make sure I stay here.”
(pg 319-20)
But I liked that he was going to try.
But you know what they say, actions speak louder than words.
I really hoped for Franny’s sake, he acted on what he preached.
Sadly, he didn’t.
There was the part where the Coupon was supposed to be at his son’s game, but he called Jack, JACK! And Franny’s FREAKING HURT because he thinks he’s not a good enough son for his dad and that he would rather call Jack!!!!
I just wanted to reach through the book and engulf Franny in a big hug because gosh you are ENOGUH Franny! UGH!
I thought that this would be the end of their friendship because gosh I could only imagine how hurt Franny would be, but Franny’s very forgiving of Jack and knows that he hurt Franny and is regretful. So Franny tells him to give him time. Pretty soon things go back to normal, but deep down, I still think Franny’s secretly hurt.
Kate in this do over actually gets the treatment from the doctor and Jack is genuinely happy despite all the drama in his life. He’s happy Kate’s getting the help she deserves and that she’s going to be okay. It really alleviates all this stress and pressure Jack feels in needing to save her.
With Kate getting better, they are able to go to the prom, Jack’s able to meet her family at her house, and they all go to this concert and just have good a good time together. Despite all these do-overs, I like how Jack is able to keep things fresh with Kate and still find intimate moments with her.
Until the end, when Kate falls sick again.
And you know what I think is so complicated and painful?
The fact that Jack has to keep watching Kate pass away after all the efforts he has done in trying to save her. It kind of makes him feel hopeless and dejected in not knowing what he can do or what he should do.
Which brings us to . . .
Do Over Four: Four You and Me
If you thought third times the charm, then you’ve never heard fourth times the WORSE! 😫
I mean that through and through!
And not like worse like horrible writing, but like DARRRRRRRRNNNNNNNN, why you gotta write that for, kind of worse?
Jack really throws in the towel with this and I was LIVING for it!!!
Raging Jack PLEASE! YES! I’m here for it!
I mean were you not just waiting for good Jack to go bad?! Because I was 😏
Gosh, when Jack goes up to Jillian in the beginning of the book and plants one on her, my heart literally rocketed in my chest and I was like OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH, this is going to be THE CHAPTER I’ve been waiting for 😸
I was also shaking my head because gosh was this going to RUIN friendships. And boy did that happen.
As much as I love a good boy gone bad, I really felt for Franny.
I mean, his best friend literally kissed his long term girlfriend who was also his best friend. And the cherry on top, his dad was getting out of jail. Like if Jack is the king of almosts, Franny’s the king of being disappointed.
Franny takes a dark turn with this do over and it broke my already fractured heart from the third do over. Like he DIDN’T have anyone to turn to anymore and he felt all alone and I felt soooooo baddddd! Even the parents were disappointed in Jack. I loved how Justin made this list of his parents reaction in how they were like this is not my son and how could you do that to Franny and all of that. And I was like, ugghhhhh! Jack!
What was funny, Jack knew he sucked too. At least he knew.
Even though Jack and Franny’s relationship wasn’t so hot at this point, I loved how Jack still had Franny’s best interest at heart. When meeting the Coupon again to make the sports deal, he opens up more to the Coupon about Franny and how much he loved the dad. I enjoyed the story of how Franny would wait for his dad to come home even though part of Franny knew he wasn’t going to come home. Then there was the story of how Franny wrote all these emails to his father, but never sent them because he was afraid that his dad would never write back——-that the pain of him reaching out and be ignored again is worse than reaching out and not getting hurt in the first place.
Then the whole bet goes through and Jack gets his money again and he hides the money under his bed like last time. But this time when he gets home and checks under his bed, the money is gone. My heart would stop too if I knew 200k got robbed from me.
You know who stole it?
Franny.
They meet in the treehouse where they finally talk after all this time. But it sucked that they first thing that they had to talk about was how Jack was doing business with his dad. Talk about another stab in the back Jack! At this point, Jack is a screw up was running though my mind. UGGGH! I CAN’T express how frustrated and conflicted I was over the whole thing. And Jack also lost his right to call Franny Franny. Like, “it’s Francisco to you.” Gosh, that’s when you know a friendship is not going to be salvaged whatsoever.
“You say you were jealous of me, Jack. You jealous of me? When you have, like, literally everything? Parents who actually care about you, and who have been around your whole life, a nice house in a safe neighborhood, food on the table that you didn’t have to figure out how to scrape together, more clothes than you can count. Literally, a bag full of money. And I have, what? Man, I don’t even know. But at least I had you. A best friend who made the world a little less cold, you know. And then I get lucky, and I get something else good in my life. . . Jillian. . . and she makes everything bearable, everything better. . .and you took her away from me . . . and the worst part is . . . I never wouldn’t done that to you. Never. Far as I was concerned you and me were brothers, man. But I guess that was a lie, because brothers wouldn’t do that to each other”
(pg 406-7)
If Jack’s heart didn’t break, I will happily give him my heart to put in his chest so he can feel my overwhelming PAIN I felt for Franny! Like GOSH! I mean, FRANNY! . . . Literal loss for words.
And he has to throw in the brother card. The BROTHER CARD. That’s more powerful than bro code.
Jack, you really messed up this time.
At least he got one thing right.
He still cared about Kate.
I loved the moment when he called Kate’s parents and created this persona of someone at the school and how the school selected Kate for a donation for her to get better. Like Jack was a screw up, but he’s a good screw up. The mom was so shocked and disbelieving, I mean who wouldn’t be? A school donating so much money for the daughters health. I don’t think schools even have that kind of jurisdiction, but I could be wrong. But I loved that he looked after her still. I also loved when he went to go visit her in the hospital and he saw Xander in the elevator and Xander was like, “Gotta be the dotting, supportive boyfriend,” and “You try dumping the sick girl.” I mean the audacity of him. Jack really told him straight in being like, “No one’s forcing you to be here.” I don’t like a pity boyfriend. After that encounter, Jack pretends to be a delivery man and goes to her room with a whole cart of flowers. A whole FREAKING cart of flowers for her. AWWWWW! She doesn’t even know him in this life, let along know who the flowers are from, because smooth move, Jack doesn’t have a card addressed to her. But what got me was when he put her favorite flowers on her bedside and Kate noticed. She NOTICED. She was like how did you know these were my favorites? She was very suspicious of him, but I loved when she said, “You made my day.”
That probably made Jack’s day.
It made my day for sure.
Honestly, this was the definition of the situation if you love someone set them free. In this life time, Jack wasn’t with her romantically because he felt like maybe he wasn’t meant to fall in love with Kate. He still cared about her and helped her, but after everything, he knew he loved her even more. In all honesty, I think Jillian and Franny would have never lasted long anyway because I think Jillian didn’t reciprocate all those feelings for Franny as much as Franny did for her. In the beginning you could tell she liked Jack a little bit and if things have gone further with that, Franny would have ended up getting hurt anyway. I just think that Franny didn’t need to be hurt this way (betrayal).
Then there’s this party that Franny and everyone supposed to go to. Franny’s walking to the party and he had to go get shot!
Like really!?
As if this book didn’t already put me through the emotional gutter?
We had to shoot Franny?!
The dad actually came to see his son and he’s all emotional and teary eyed and if this doesn’t trigger him to become a better father, I don’t know what will. But the whole monologue the father says to Jack in the hospital was the most vulnerable thing the father has said in all the lives Jack has lived and it really stuck me. It really did.
This whole book just dog gone stuck me like a lighting bolt.
I can’t get up.
Jack has it so much worse. Franny told him to go away. So he does, but he tells him he’ll never leave because he’s not giving up on them. Then it goes back to the scene in the first part of the book where Jack goes to the hospital and injects Kate with the second dose of the treatment and he tells her he loves her even though she vaguely knows him. It’s just really, really heart wrenching to see Jack so despondent because this lifetime was a big mess.
He didn’t have the girl he really loved.
He almost lost his best friend.
His parents were disappointed in him.
I just really felt for Jack.
Do Over Five: Five-ever
Endings are always the best.
Because this is the time Jack gets it right.
Jack falls in love with Kate as seamlessly as shooting stars fall across the sky at night. They eat cereal together and laugh and love and live together.
“Because I believe our love is the only thing that’s for certain in these rewinds. That no matter what happens we are destined to love each other.”
(pg 424)
By this do-over, I really was craving some cereal. What’s your favor cereal?
I also appreciated how Jack learned from his mistakes and asked Franny if he could strike a deal with his father. We love an honest person. And Franny was so cool about it too. See communication does work!
I liked how there’s this one moment between Jack and Kate at the hospital and Jack talked about reliving the same four months over and over again and then they talked about their ship name being Kack or Kate. It was really cute.
There was one moment during the do overs where Kate and Jack watched movies together and Kate told Jack about craughing. Craughing is a combination of laughing and crying—–the best type of emotion when you’re both happy and sad. And that last night in the hospital when Kate didn’t wake up, on her bed is a Cap’n Crunch box and Jack craughs. Cereal was their symbol of love and Jack was always going to be the Cap’n to Kate and they were always going to find each other and love each other no matter what life.
I was craughing too 😢
The last few chapters were more personal. The author really talked to you in claiming how there were many ways in which he wrote Kate and Jack’s love story, but ultimately it was a story about a regular guy who didn’t save the girl. I loved that. That sounds kind of morbid, but I love how Jack is not your typical heroine. He doesn’t wear a cape, he messed up, he screwed up, but he loved full time. They saved each other.
“She taught me that almost doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You can try your hardest to change something—–exhaust every possibility—-and sometimes it’s still not enough.
But almost means you were there. You did all that you couldld.
In the end it’s the smallest decisions that matter most. The seemingly insignificant choices we make everyday—
To be honest with the people we love and with ourselves—
To let go of the things we can’t control, and appreciate the things we can.
Sometimes it’s hard to see how much these things mean.
But they add up.
They mean everything.
Take it from someone who’s seen the future.”
(pg 444-45)
There is honestly nothing that sums up this book better than this.
It was well said.
Because Jack was someone of almosts.
We all are someone of almosts and there’s really no shame in almost doing something because at least we tried. If we try hard enough and some things still don’t work out, it’s not meant to be. But at the end of the day, it’s the small choices that impact our lives and the good moments that we should cherish most. We should be always be appreciative of the people in our lives and be there for them when they need a shoulder to cry on, a home to go to, and person to hold through hardships. Almosts is about being there and giving it your all.
Jack had five times and he almost always got it right.
He always tried different ways to save Kate and he almost succeeds each time. But then at the end of the day, he either screws up, something else changes, or something else bad happens, and things go back to normal. Jack learns from his mistakes and experiences to do better for next time, but next time never really worked out as planned. And that’s life: things don’t work out as planned.
Jack might have almost got the girl and saved his loved ones, but the one thing he did get fully, completely, and wholly was a good ending.
I can’t really say if I know Jack is alive or not, but I guess that’s part of the mystery, but I think if he’s with Kate at the very end, maybe he’s not. Maybe he joined her in the great big sky where they can live out their love and dance like every ending of an African American movie. They dane in celebration, in love, and in life.
I’m craughing again.
But I’m dancing too.
Because what an ending.
What an ending.
What are your thoughts of the book? Most favorite scene? Least favorite? What was your favorite do over from the book? Mines had to be do over four because it was the most heart wrenching! Let me know below in the comments 💕
May your almosts be good enough and may you always live life enjoying the little moments and the people around you.
As always, with love,
Rating
5 Full Bloom Flowers
Characters: Jack is the most human main character I have ever met. He’s an honest to good person who has such a genuine heart. I would love to be his friend in real life because he seems like a loyal and funny dude. I also loved Franny and the friendship dynamic we got to see with Jack throughout all the time traveling scenarios. I also enjoyed that this book not only focused on Jack’s character, but everyone from the Coupon, Kate, Jillian, Xander, and Jack’s parents.
Plot: I thought the first scene was kind of confusing because it puts you right into things and you don’t know what’s going on, but the flow of the book after that is well done. I love how each world explored different ways that Jack could try make things right for Kate and his friends, and the moments when he felt like he couldn’t.
Writing: Justin a. Reynolds made a long term fan out of me with this book 💞
Romance: Kate and Jack or should I say Kack, are two people who were just bound to be together and I’m happy that in no matter what universe, time, or space, that they love each other.