Before reading this I really hoped this book would center Cassandra. I’ve read so many (romance) books featuring autistic characters at this point, where there’s always a midway point where the character either gets diagnosed or explains to others around her that she’s autistic. That this book set out with a very obviously autistic person (special interest, struggles with sensory input, gets meltdowns, communicates differently, takes things literally, struggles with certain foods) made me really happy initially, because I thought the focus would be about her living her live as an autistic woman. It would’ve been such a nice change from the other stories I’ve read so far! I thought we’d read about how she finds a job which suits her, about how she finds a friend who loves Greek myths just as much as she does, and generally speaking gets to live her best life. 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.

In her professional sphere, Cassandra is described by a client as “relentlessly grating” and “unlikeable.” Do you think her behavior would be perceived differently if she were a man? This is a really difficult book to review. There was a lot I liked about this book, but there was also a ton of things that I found jarring. Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is not having a good day when she gets to work only to find the cherry on the rotten cake of the day is she’s being fired. Cassie doesn’t know what to think after starting the day off with a break up before it all spiraled out of control and being a creature of habit this is all just too much for her to handle. That’s essentially what Will told me this morning too. I don’t know why they’re both under the impression I must have seen the end coming when I very much did not.Instantly addictive and totally electric. Cassandra in Reverse is a gorgeous tale of all kinds of love, and dazzlingly sharp and witty. Cassie is endearing, brilliant, and Holly Smale’s writing is a breath of fresh air. If only I could time travel and experience this story for the first time again!” —Beth Reekles, USA Today bestselling author of The Kissing Booth A dazzling accomplishment—a book as intricate as it is wise; deftly plotted, deeply human, wildly original, and gut-warmingly funny. A book set to shift paradigms and make heads and hearts pop with joy. Holly Smale is a GENIUS, make no mistake.” —Emma Jane Unsworth, internationally bestselling author of Grown Ups Featured in Country Living∙ NPR Here and Now ∙ Gizmodo∙ Katie Couric Media∙ The Nerd Daily ∙ Booklist Queen∙Zibby Mag∙SheKnows∙ Tor.com∙ Scary Mommy Book Club But, part of liking a book, is liking its main character, and well, that wasn’t likely to happen for me. Why should I care about getting answers as a reader when I don’t even care about the main protagonist?

I’ve just put this book down and I’m genuinely sad, angry and frustrated. This was possibly my most anticipated release of the year and it was a huge letdown. Self discovery and awareness become the byproduct for Cassandra as she tries to fix her responses to Will in their dating events. It’s half way through that she looks outside herself to discover the other side and it’s not just about her and Will anymore. Other relationships must come into play. 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. She also tries to do her job better but I like that her view of the job doesn't change. She still hates it but learns to deal with her boss and also fix her workplace relationships. She's resilient but also learns where to be flexible. She just grows SO MUCH and I was supporting her the whole way through. I loved Sophie and how we misread her at the start. She ended up being by favourite character in the end (along with Art and Sal). Sharp, funny, quirky, insightful and so very, very relatable.” —Joanne Harris, New York Times bestselling author of Chocolat and The Girl with No Shadow

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale. Thanks to @tlcbooktours and @mirabooks #htpinfluencer for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.com 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. Choose a specific event or quote from the book that stood out to you and discuss its significance in the larger narrative. How does it contribute to the development of Cassandra’s character or the themes of the story? Obviously I heard him or I’d still be giving a detailed report on the client meeting I just had, which is exactly what I was doing when he fired me.

What I loved most was the mysterious detour it leads Cassandra on—one with a surprising twist and a much bigger purpose than she intended. The utterly heartfelt, vulnerable moments along the way made my heart so full. Time is the invisible thread that weaves our stories together. And sixty seconds can change everything.”Your job has the word relations in it,” my boss clarifies help­fully. “Perhaps you could find one that doesn’t?” 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.

It’s a productivity triumph. They should fire people for fun­damental personality flaws more often.

It could have been the moment just before I met him, which would have been a more positive beginning. It could have been the day my parents died in a car accident, which would have been considerably less so . But I wished that the character was not so obsessed in saving a job that she hated or a relationship that wasn’t older than 4 months. Seeing the other characters through Cassie’s lens and reading about their mean comments and behaviors made most everyone an unlikable character, which isn’t fun to read about. The reading journey became much more enjoyable for me as little changes were made that helped Cassie make some connections with others and see more little kindnesses. These were the good parts. But I have to admit I wanted more good parts for Cassie. The ending was definitely better than the beginning, but I still didn’t love the end. 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