Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (review)

Jack King is a nerdy guy nursing a longstanding crush on his best friend, Jillian, who happens to be dating his other best friend, Francisco. His life is completely changed, however, when he meets Kate at a party and he is immediately smitten. When she stands him up for prom, the reason is devastating: Kate has sickle cell disease. The night she dies, Jack falls down the stairs in his haste to get to her; presumably he dies as well—until he wakes up in the exact moment before he meets Kate for the first time. Their story begins again except that this time, Jack knows how it will end unless he can prevent it. The cycle repeats four times in full detail, with Jack getting a little closer each time to doing things that will save Kate. Each action has unintended consequences, however, that jeopardize other important relationships in his life, especially his friendship with Francisco, who is dealing with his dad’s release from prison and apparent unwillingness to re-enter his son’s life. Jack’s narration is as funny as it is poignant as he moves from romantic to frantic and back again in his efforts to avoid the inevitable. The narrative trick here is that he does in fact avoid it, in an achingly impossible fantasy of turning always into never when it comes to their deaths. A thoughtfully designed cover offers the perfect visual metaphor for this sentimental but not saccharine fantasy.