Cassandra in Reverse

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK "A Time-Twisting Delight" -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 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.

"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)

1. What do you think your first impressions of Cassandra would be if you met her toward the beginning of the book? Do you think you would tend towards understanding or frustration?

2. 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?

3. Greek mythology is woven throughout the book as one of Cassandra's great passions. Outside of her mother being a world-renowned Classics professor at Cambridge, what do you think it is about these tales that draws her to them?

4. Cassandra tells Will that her emotional synesthesia is more complicated than simply "red is anger, blue is sadness, yellow is happy." Can you imagine what it would be like to see emotions as colors? How might it impact the way you interact with others?

5. After finally achieving a successful "first night" with Will, Cassandra asks herself if she is using her rewinds to manipulate him. Is her behavior immoral? Unethical?

6. It's revealed near the end of the book that Cassandra, like her mother, has autism. While this might not have been as surprising to you as it was for her, how did experiencing life through her eyes affect your understanding of autistic people?

7. Upon discovering her powers, Cassandra's first instinct is to save her parents, and the second to recover her career and relationship. What does she end up gaining despite not achieving any of those goals?

8. Given all of her personal and professional successes, do you think that Cassandra makes the right decision to start over one final time?

9. If you had the power to go back and relive moments of your life, what would you change?