Cassandra in Reverse - by Holly Smale (Hardcover)

About the Book

Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order...until now. She's just been dumped. She's just been fired. Her local cafe has run out of banana muffins. Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated, but soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.

Book Synopsis

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK from the author of the GEEK GIRL series, now on NETFLIX!

"Fascinating...witty...self-deprecating...We meet Cassandra on the worst day of her life. She's getting fired, her boyfriend dumps her, and her roommates hate her. On that same day, she discovers she has the power to go back in time. You'd think you would know how this book is going to end, but it really surprised me. There's a twist at the end that I did not see coming!" --Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club June '23 Pick)

If you had the power to change the past...where would you start?
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order...until now.

• She's just been dumped.
• She's just been fired.
• Her local café has run out of banana muffins.

Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated, but soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.

"A great read-alike for The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, and The Boys by Katie Hafner." --Booklist (STARRED)

Review Quotes

A Reese's Book Club Pick
An NPR Here and Now Editor's Pick
A BBC Radio2 Book Club Pick

Featured in Country Living ∙ Gizmodo ∙ Katie Couric Media ∙ The Nerd Daily ∙ Booklist Queen ∙ Zibby Mag ∙ SheKnows ∙ Tor.com ∙ Scary Mommy Book Club

"A Time Twisting Delight" --Reese's Book Club

"Think Eleanor Oliphant meets time travel . . . Uber-particular Cassandra discovers she can travel back in time, so she does what any of us would do: She goes back and tries to fix her mistakes. But she discovers that she might be focusing on the wrong things." --Katie Couric Media

"A unique, neurodiverse take on time travel." --Tor.com

"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

"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

"Smale combines well-developed characters with laugh-out-loud humor as she slowly reveals truths about past events, current troubles, and her protagonist's undiagnosed autism. Readers will be drawn into Cassie's life and won't want to leave. This neurodiverse tale is ripe for discussion and makes a great read-alike for The Rosie Project (2013) by Graeme Simsion, Oona Out of Order (2020) by Margarita Montimore, and The Boys (2022) by Katie Hafner." --Booklist (STARRED)

"Witty, touching and totally absorbing. Cassandra is a funny and sharply-observed character who I loved spending time with." --Graeme Simsion, New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project

"A pure delight from start to finish. Cassandra Dankworth is a character as unique as she is endearing: hilariously prickly and unapologetically clever yet delicate and tragically misunderstood. Cassandra in Reverse is an unexpected take on time travel, exploring the challenges of human connection. Humorous and insightful, this is an absolute gem of a novel." --Margarita Montimore, USA Today bestselling author of Oona Out of Order

"A glorious 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 Reverse is a triumph!" --Sarah Haywood, New York Times bestselling author of The Cactus

"Sharp, funny, quirky, insightful and so very, very relatable." --Joanne Harris, New York Times bestselling author of Chocolat and The Girl with No Shadow

"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

"Hilarious, insightful, and bright with the whole spectrum of human emotion, Cassandra in Reverse reinvigorates the time loop trope with the perfect match of character and concept. Utter genius!" --Catriona Silvey, internationally bestselling author of Meet Me In Another Life

"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