First Impressions

I’m so glad I scored this eARC from Netgalley! I didn’t think I’d get it, but I did! It came in late, too. This was a last-minute addition to my June releases, so I had to read it before May ended. Thankfully, I was able to read through this in two days!

Again Again is going to be released June 2, 2020! That’s in a couple of days!

What I’m noticing about E. Lockhart is that summer is her jam. At least for the two books I’ve read of hers. She’s a great author to look to when you’re needing a summer read. Again Again is about a high schooler named Adelaide and her alternate universes, about finding herself in terms of relationships, and becoming comfortable in her own skin.

Writing Style

I loved We Were Liars and E. Lockhart’s style is very similar in this novel. However, the parallel universes through me off (hence the four stars, rather than five). The entire novel is set in multiple universes, where Adelaide ends up with different outcomes.

It’s executed well, don’t get me wrong! The alternate universes were in bold and the main universe was plain text. It was easy to see the transitions between the universes, but my brain couldn’t keep track of what was happening in each universe.

As with We Were Liars, the chapters are short and have that same kind of poetic feel to the prose. Beautiful writing and style.

Story

I loved the characters, although you don’t really get to know any of them. It’s weird because I felt like I knew Toby the best, who is Adelaide’s brother. He’s part of the story, but not the main line. I felt as though Toby’s character didn’t change with the universes, making it a deeper connection to the reader.

To be clear, none of the characters really changed, but their situations did. In each universe, the character handled the same type of situation differently, making it difficult to get to know the characters.

The plot was confusing at times. I sat down to write my first impressions section when I was 25% of the way through, which is what I always do, and I found it extremely difficult. I didn’t know what the book was about.

Now, I see that this is a character-based plot, which is difficult because you didn’t really get to know the characters. Adelaide’s character arc is the point of the plot—we see her chasing after boyfriends and failing in relationships, to finally feeling good in her own skin.

I liked the message of the plot, but the execution was a little off, in my opinion.

Should You Read It?

If you’re a fan of alternative universes and love stories, this book is for you.