Opposite of Always

Jack’s life changes completely when the girl of his dreams, his girlfriend Kate, dies from a rare disease. At the moment of her death, Jack is transported back to when he met Kate, and readers continue on Jack’s journey through time loops he traverses as he tries to change the past and prevent her death. Written in the first person, this novel’s highly relatable characters, fast pace, engaging storyline, and interesting premise may appeal to high school students. Its themes around love, honesty, forgiveness, and learning from mistakes may offer opportunities to engage in classroom discussions and reflections on how it may be to go back in time and repair past mistakes. The novel lends itself well as a class novel, for literature circles or independent reading. Students may be inspired to reflect on the replays in Jack’s life and consider how each decision moved the story forward.