I wish I could say that I enjoyed this one more than I did. Despite being a YA novel, I didn't feel like the characters were TOO juvenile for me to enjoy the plot, but I just couldn't relate to them very well. Nothing really grabbed my attention in the early parts of the book, so I found the latter half hard to enjoy. The more the plot went on, the less I liked the characters and felt like some of them were extremely manipulative and found that there were lots of extraneous parts that didn't pertain to the rest of the story. 2.5/5

I really enjoyed reading The Other Side of Infinity by Joan Smith. The relationship between December and Nick was sweet and realistic, and I loved their determination to help each other, even if it meant sacrificing a part of themselves in the process.

I would definitely recommend this book to my students and friends. A huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Magical realism is popular with readers on our campus so I think it would be a good fit for us. December and Nick's post-rescue entanglement brings up lots of emotional outcomes, some better than others, and I felt sad for Nick. I loved the side characters,! I'd be open to reading a spinoff about them. Overall I liked the characters, though I felt like parts of the storyline were left dangling in the end.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

I was completely sucking in by the beautiful cover art and interesting plot. I haven't really been much into YA lately, so I was unsure how I would feel about this book, I would say, overall, that I enjoyed it. I liked the unique plot and the characters were endearing, I just struggled with staying engaged throughout the story.

The Other Side of Infinity by Joan F. Smith is a unique take on the concept of the butterfly effect. Following a girl with foreknowledge who gets a vision that the boy she will fall in love with is going to die, this one contains two interesting main characters and thought-provoking themes including free will and the impact of each action, no matter how small. With an ending I never saw coming, this is the perfect read for fans of contemporary with a sci-fi twist and those who enjoyed They Both Die at the End.

Our main protagonist is December, who has the gift of precognition. She can see everything in the past and future, except for her missing mother, which she calls the Blank Spot. December and Nick cross paths at the public pool where Nick is a lifeguard; he is supposed to rescue a drowning man, but she intercedes on his behalf and rescues the man instead. When she interferes in this event, she gets a new vision that Nick and her will now fall in love, but because of that love, Nick will die.


This started off so strong, and was a really interesting premise. The beginning really had me hooked, and I loved how unique December’s ability is. We also got enough information on how it worked, but not too much to where her “magic” was lost. There were also a few great side characters that made me smile (Sophie, Maverick, December’s uncle). Nick’s dyslexia was also well-done IMO, but since I don’t have dyslexia, I can’t say for certain.


Even though this was a cute, magical contemporary, there were a few things I wish were done more to my liking.


Not a whole lot happened in the middle…and the instalove between Nick and December was a bit annoying.
I didn’t love any of the characters; I was ambivalent to almost all of them, even though a few of them are memorable for sure, but I didn’t truly care or connect to any of them.
I never understood why Nick wanted to find December's mom if she herself didn’t care to look for her mom. Not only did I think it was disrespectful, but it was just an odd plot point.
After we find out what happened to December's mom, I feel like her life choices were really peculiar? I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think the explanation was not good enough to just leave your child for the foreseeable future. December’s mom’s thought process and choices were unexplained and most of the information we got was conjecture. The whole plot line with her was very unsatisfying. For it to be one of the main storylines for the book, I expected it to be explained further, so it was such a letdown for me.
On top of not loving the “explanation” for December’s mom, I did not like the ending. It was so random and jarring, with zero foreshadowing. If I had been more connected to the characters, I could have found it emotional and charming, but I just had a bad taste left in my mouth after so many plot points that were not explained well.


Overall, this was a very well-written YA contemporary that ends with a bang. However, I do wish we got some more explanations in regards to December’s mother and perhaps more personality for the teenage protagonists.

"The Other Side of Infinity" by Joan F. Smith is a poignant and emotionally resonant romance that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the healing power of connection. Smith's storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a tale of friendship, growth, and the pursuit of a second chance at love. The book's relatable characters and heartfelt plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with young adult readers. Smith skillfully delves into the emotions of grief and the process of moving forward, adding depth to the narrative and making it a compelling read for fans of romance and young adult fiction. "The Other Side of Infinity" is a touching reminder that even in the face of tragedy, the possibility of new beginnings and unexpected love can bring healing and hope, leaving readers with a warm and uplifted feeling as they join the characters on their journey of healing and discovery.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

I ended up not finishing this book after attempting to read it as an ebook and then as an audio book. I just didn't get invested in either of the characters so it made it difficult to want to continue going through the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

initially I was hooked until the story went off track for me plus personally I wasn't that fond of Nick.
I liked the different p o v in chapters. Nick meets December at the pool when he is supposed to save his teacher. He hesitates and she saves him instead.

I liked December s ability. I Really liked Sophie. Sadly there was just something missing in Nick.
I was hoping the story would go a certain way but it didn't. The first part I couldn't read fast enough but the middle got bogged down. Then the ending was rushed.

Overall I enjoyed 75% of the story. Parts were unique enough to keep me reading. So I recommend it


3 and a half stars rounded up a bit.

Thank you to the author. And Net Galley and the publisher.

Oh man, unfortunately, this book was not it for me. The pace was incredibly slow and it took me a really long time to get into it. I also wasn't a huge fan of the character development and build-up relationships. I can't stand instant love stories and this was definitely that.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙔𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙣―𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠.

📍 Read if you like:
• YA Magical Realism
• Dual POV
• The Butterfly Effect
• They Both Die At The End

I honestly wasn’t expecting to love this book after it was compared to The Butterfly Effect. However, I did enjoy They Both Die At The End and it was also compared to that.

I really enjoyed the dual POV of December and Nick. They were both super interesting characters. While I don’t typically pick up fantasies, this one has more of a magical realism aspect to it.

It was so interesting how December could see the future for everyone around her. She ended up saving a drowning teacher after the lifeguard, Nick, hesitates. He gets all the appraisal and everyone sees him as a “hero”, but he doesn’t feel it’s right when December was the real hero.

She declines when Nick offers to give her the credit, but he knows it’s not right so ends up helping her find her mom.

I loved their connection toward each other and how they slowly started getting feelings for each other. They were also so sweet working together.

It did take me a while to get invested in the story and understand December’s ability to see the future.

While I don’t think this book will be for everyone, I had a great time reading it. I enjoyed both characters and the magical realism aspect.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Death, dementia, grief

Thank you so much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review and thoughts.

I wish I could say I enjoyed this one thoroughly, but sadly it fell so short of its summary. Blurbed as They Both Die at the End meets The Butterfly Effect, this YA novel about summer days at the pool starts with our heroine using her fantastical abilities to save someone when a lifeguard hesitates.

Going into this one, I knew that YA is mostly not my favorite genre to read. I find them a little too juvenile, however, this one did not read that way to me. It was mellow, which was weird to read for the age group it's targeting, but it was also incredibly fantastical and dramatic. I like drama, I mostly read adult romance so I do truly love the theatrics, but this one was on the edge of whiney.

Many of the characters had horrible quirks of assuming the worst or being completely negative of the actions of others wanting to help.

So even though I wanted to like the premise of this novel, I just found that I could not.

Unfortunately, this book just didn't hit for me. I felt the pacing was a bit sluggish - so I felt like I was trudging through the story. Even with the slower pacing, I didn't feel the relationship was developed well; with the "forecast" it felt a bit like insta-love, and I want no part of that!

Overall, I really enjoyed the premise of the book, but felt the execution was a bit lacking. The random plot point of the mother being a secret agent? I felt like it came from nowhere. I did enjoy the ending and found it to be poetic, albeit sad.

“You were supposed to witness that, not change it.”

The Other Side of Infinity follows two teenagers named December and Nick. They meet on one fateful summer day when Nick, a lifeguard at the community pool, freezes while someone is drowning. December, who has the gift of knowing the future, jumps in to save the drowning man — changing the future course of events. Even though she's changed the future slightly before, this time is different. Now that December has intervened with Nick’s fate, she learns that she will fall in love with him in the future. Then, he will die. Is there anything December can do to save the boy she will inevitably fall in love with? Or is the future predetermined?

We were drawn to the book because the description on the back cover mentioned it was like the film The Butterfly Effect and the book They Both Die at the End, and we loved both. We enjoyed the unique premise of this story and all of the characters, especially Nick’s sister and his best friend, Maverick. They both were funny, spirited, and super smart. One aspect of the book we really appreciated was the dyslexia representation. We loved reading about how Nick’s brain worked and the academic obstacles he had to overcome as a student with a learning disability. December’s knowledge of the future was also a super intriguing part of the novel. We liked learning about December’s powers but wanted to know more about their origins. The family bonds in the story were touching. For example, December’s mom disappeared, so her uncle took her in, and their relationship was adorable. She also had a grandmother whom she visited regularly in an assisted living facility. Nick and his parents are close, and they seem so understanding about his dyslexia. Overall, The Other Side of Infinity was a cute, fast-paced summer read with a heart-wrenching ending.

(Actual: 3.5⭐) The gorgeous cover and intriguing premise was what initially drew me to this book - a cross between "They Both Die at the End" and "The Butterfly Effect"? Like, say less - sign me up & break my heart! 😆 In all seriousness though, this book was pretty solid. There's good detail in setting the scene/stage which made it easier to envision playing out in my head, and I found the MCs to be both likeable and relatable for the most part. There are, however, some plot holes and/or otherwise quite vague explanations (of which I felt could have been expanded on more/much further, imo) when it came to how December's powers worked and the other magical realism aspects of the novel. I also felt like things got a bit predictable toward the end (even with the "twist") and that some threads were wrapped up a bit too neatly. Then again, I know that this is a YA book and so these types of things are to be expected, which is why I'm not too upset about it. Regardless, this was a quick read and great for someone, like me, who loves magical realism-based works of fiction (no matter how big or small). Would definitely recommend!

December is certain that she knows how things end up, and hopes that by messing up earlier certainties she can change what’s next. What if her perception of it all is wrong?

Admittedly, this reader loves an unreliable narrator. So as December offers up her certainties about the future, they are indeed certainties. She keeps wondering at how much she needs to change in order to bring about different endings than the ones that she’s seen.

Some of the changes undoubtedly bring better endings for the fellow students at her new high school who she has come to know as friends. But when she suddenly stops seeing the changes she’s brought about actually manifest in the future, she isn’t sure why. Is her gift gone? Has she changed too much and been deemed too much of a risk to the real future to see any more? The story truly wanted a happier ending than the one December continued to see.

This was a charming book that was 4 out of 5 stars. The ending was unexpected, especially for a main character who was accustomed to knowing what came next. This would be an engaging read for young adults who appreciate unique family dramas and speculating about the consequences of tough moral choices.

The premise of this novel seemed interesting, as I enjoy surreal stories. It was marketed as They Both Die in the End meets The Butterfly Effect. I could kind of see those similarities.

What worked for me:
The main characters were likable and relatable in some ways. I actually did care about both of them and wanted to know what would happen for them.
I also liked the supporting characters (except for one and that was just a minor villain in the grand scheme of things).
The descriptions brought the settings and weather to life.
There was LGBTQ+ representation from some of the supporting characters.
I ended up being surprised, even though I really didn't know what to expect.

What didn't work so well:
How December's clairvoyancy worked. I would have liked to know how she got those powers to begin with and why certain things would become blank spots for her. Wasn't she overwhelmed knowing everything that was happening to everyone all the time?
The lack of consequences. It felt like they were more internalized than anything else. Nick confessed to doing something bad earlier in the year, and his parents were so laid back about it. Everyone was just "oh well" about everything that happened.
The story felt slow at various points and I kept wondering if it was going to go anywhere.

Overall, it was a good story and provided some food for thought. I don't really cast YA novels, but I pictured Isol Young as December after recently seeing her in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

*Note I have received a free copy of this title. This will not affect my thoughts or feelings towards it*

This book had my jaw on the floor! I went into this book expecting some cutesy feel good book, which it was until that last 5%. Tears were shed!!! The writing of this novel was top notch and had me feel like I was just another one of their friends listening into the conversation. December was hands down the best character in the novel and the explanation of how her powers worked was simple short and sweet. I went into this book expecting no plot twist but boy did they throw a curve ball at the end! Overall this is a great read to get you into the summer mood!

5/5 Stars!