This book follows December a seventeen year old that can see the past present and future. Most of the time she hides her ability but one day while at the pool she jumps in to help save a man from drowning. Because she intervenes it changed some timelines and she finds herself falling in love with the lifeguard that she helped, a boy named Nick.

This was a cute love story about December and Nick coming together but the overall story isn’t about the romance but the future of their togetherness, December sees death for Nick and she is wants to do everything she can to save him.

The overall story was a very interesting concept. The author doesn’t attempt to explain how or why December has these abilities only that she has them and has always had them. Since the plot is really formed around this impending doom and death the pacing is a little odd. I found myself wanting more things to happen, more actions to be taken in both Nicks’s and December’s parts to prevent this future but that kind of fell flat.

The book uses alternating POV to tell their story and while this works in a number of ways, like the reader understanding both motivations, it was a little confusing at times following whose perspective you were in, even with bold titles. I found myself struggling to alternate between them in my head smoothly which made for even more of a pace problem. Overall the plot was handled well between them. I was very surprised by the ending, I think I missed some key points somewhere, but I was not expecting the outcome and I wanted resolution elsewhere… I won’t go into detail though so as not to spoil it.

I think overall this is a well written young adult contemporary book about love, loss, bravery, and guilt but that it tends to be on the slower side so it can be difficult to get through to the good parts. If you are looking for a love story, with an interesting premise, this one might be a good one for you to pick up. If you aren’t a fan of alternating POVs, you might want to steer clear.

Rating 3.5 stars

I can definitely see the comparisons to both THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END and THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. In TBDATE, the story carries this feeling of an inevitable march toward doom. I think this book captured that pretty well in some pivotal scenes. So I felt the comparison the most at those moments.

One of the things that was tricky about this book for me was how internal both characters are. We spend a lot of time inside December’s mind, sifting possibilities and memories and thinking through what-ifs. With Nick, we spend a lot of time diving into what it means to have dyslexia, how he experiences the world, and how he feels about it.

I liked that up-close look at what they were thinking and feeling, but sometimes it did leave me feeling disconnected from what was happening in the scenes of the story.

I think Maverick was actually my favorite character. He’s bright and silly and added a lot of pep to what is otherwise a pretty serious story. I also liked Nick and December as characters. Nick really cares about doing the right thing. December wrestled with vulnerability, which felt very easy to identify with.

On the whole, I think the premise is really engaging, and I like the inner life of both characters, but I wish I was able to connect more to them in the way they related to other characters.

I could see readers who enjoyed THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera or BEFORE TAKEOFF by Adi Alsaid enjoying this one.

3.5 Stars

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.

When Nick freezes during a rescue while working what was supposed to be an ordinary shift as a lifeguard, December uses her gift of foreknowledge to step in and help, ultimately saving the drowning man’s life. However, December was only supposed to observe the situation, and by stepping in, her actions have changed the future. She receives a new vision: she’s going to fall in love with Nick, but he’s going to die. To try and deal with his shame and give December the credit she deserves during the rescue, Nick makes a deal with her–he’ll help her find her mom, and in return, she’ll go to the newspaper and set the story straight. However, as December and Nick get closer together, the future looms ahead of them, and December must try and save his life before it’s too late.

❀ INTERESTING CHARACTERS

December and Nick are interesting characters, and I enjoyed getting both their perspectives. December is compassionate, and I was intrigued by the tension she experiences as she wants to use her gift to help people, but changing the future can have unforeseen consequences. I also felt for Nick as everyone treats him like a hero, but he feels guilty for hesitating during the rescue. What I especially appreciated about Nick’s character is the dyslexia representation and the conversations around this throughout the book. However, while I enjoyed December and Nick, I found the romance a bit flat, which I think might be due to the fact that it is foreseen and progresses so quickly.

❀ THOUGHT-PROVOKING THEMES

There are some though-provoking themes throughout the book that make it an interesting take on the idea of the butterfly effect. There are many questions of free will and the impact of even the smallest actions, and I was intrigued by the decisions December must make as she can see both the good and the bad things to come. Even if she does choose to intervene and try and change the future, there is still the possibility that something worse might develop instead, and this was interesting to think through as a reader.

❀ A TWISTY STORY

The Other Side of Infinity is a twisty story that explores what it means to be a hero. I loved the premise of foreknowledge and the suspense that this brings, and the main characters both have interesting internal conflicts. I was especially intrigued by some of the themes throughout the book that make this one a thought-provoking read.

I highlighted this book on my Booktube channel. The video can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/1IG1Y0S4odo

December has a gift. She can experience the past, present, and future of herself and others - anything except for things that relate to her mother, who has been missing for years. She meets Nick, who she knows will save a drowning man. But when she helps intercede, she shifts the future for the very first time: now Nick and her will fall in love, but Nick will die.

I love anything in storytelling that has to do with time travel, messing with time, that sort of thing. I also have a soft spot for YA magical realism, especially those that deal with heavier topics. Those together made this an easy book for me to request. What did I like about this book? I was very engaged at the start, especially with December's ability. The execution of how being able to experience essentially any point in time while living a fairly average life exceeded my expectations. Learning more about how her life works with this, and how it develops, was what pushed me through this book. I was also invested in finding out what happened to December's mother. What didn't work for me? I felt like the YA contemporary parts of this book were underbaked. For example, the characters didn't stand out much and I didn't have as much investment in them as I would've liked. I thought that the stakes and pacing were a bit off. This made my enjoyment wane as the book went on, but I was waiting for the ending to wrap up everything together in a satisfying and surprising way. Unfortunately, the ending to me was surprising in a sudden, cop-out way that did not seem to match the tone of the book. I thought that this book had a lot of potential, but ultimately lost its way.

Overall, this had an interesting magical realism plotline through it that I will have on my mind for a while, but unfortunately, the rest of the book didn't execute on its potential.

I want to start by saying I think a lot of young YA readers will love this book.

I didn’t love this book.

It started out oddly choppy at the beginning.

I also did not fee a real connection with the Nick or December at all. I really wanted to like them. December also was harder to like due to she seemed very manipulative of situations.

The plot also drug on a bit for me. I also got a bit tired of Nick and his guilt to that day. If he doesn’t want the hero role tell someone the truth.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

When new lifeguard, Nick, freezes while the town's favorite teacher is drowning, December steps in. The thing is, she wasn't supposed to interfere, only observe. December has the ability to see what happens in the past and future. She was only supposed to watch Nick save the teacher but when he was frozen in fear, she couldn't let the teacher die. She quickly disappears, in a panic, after CPR is performed. Stepping in has altered what is going to happen and now she must figure out what to do.
Opinion
The first thing that went through my mind was that I hope this book is like To Kill a Mockingbird. I absolutely loved that it started and ended at the same place. This book told you within a few chapters what was supposed to happen at the end. (No comment on whether or not it really did.) Then I after thinking about what was supposed to happen, I changed my mind. I hoped it didn't.
What I loved about this book is December's ability to see the future, with the exception of when it pertains to one person. Who wouldn't love to be able to predict what will happen next? The book does show the drawbacks as well, specifically with people who know she has this ability.
This book was such a fun read. I would recommend this as a summer beach book, especially for teens.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

First and foremost, I was excited about the premise of this book. The first thing I could think of was actually Final Destination - moreso because of the domino effect that "intervening" in certain events caused.

It's certainly heavy with the subjects it deals with and I found myself drawn the most to the different relationships in the book. For me the relationships were the best part of the book and I'm glad that a lot of attention were paid to that respect, but it also made me feel like other aspects could have been given a little more attention.

I did feel the way that the book ended was very sudden and jarring, so for me that was a little harder to swallow. Still, it was an emotional and sometimes heavy read that did carry a lot of impact.

I like to think I have a pretty strong suspension of disbelief when it comes to fiction. I'm not picky about rolling with magic systems and out-of-this-world scenarios -- provided they have an internal logic. Unfortunately, Joan F. Smith's The Other Side of Infinity lacks that internal logic. Without giving anything away, even the "explanation" of December's gift at the end doesn't clarify its somewhat haphazard rules. 

That's not to say I hated the book. While December's chapters aggravated me, I quite enjoyed Nick's storyline, particularly the exploration of his dyslexia. Not enough books (or media in general) dig into the problems in the US education system concerning learning differences and alternative education. Smith does a great job there. I adored this. I'd gladly read a whole book of Nick fighting against mainstream education. 

I do want to put out there that I picked this book up because Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of MacMillan Children's) is the publisher, and its books have never done me wrong before.  The Other Side of Infinity is not necessarily something I'd necessarily choose on my own (stretching out of my comfort is something I love about getting to review books).

The Other Side of Infinity by Joan F. Smith, 336 pages. Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan Publishers), 2023. $19.
Language: R (58 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Nick (17yo) is serious about his job as a lifeguard and keeps his eyes on the pool. But when Mr. Francis obviously needs help, Nick can’t get his feet to move. Instead, a bystander, December (17yo), hops off her chair and urges Nick into action. Together, they save Mr. Francis’s life—a life that wasn’t supposed to be saved. And Nick has no idea what December’s interference has done to change his own life.
December’s unexplained ability to know everything that has and will happen leads to interesting discussions about agency and destiny for both characters and readers. Smith uses December’s unique perspective to suggest that each of us is brave for getting up in the morning when we don’t know what is going to happen today. The story of Nick and December is beautiful in its tragic way. It’s one of those books that leaves readers changed.
Nick and December are portrayed as White on the cover. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, mentions of drugs, innuendo, and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for blood and death.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

What would you do if you knew everything that has happened, and everything that has yet to pass? Do you let these events occur as you know it will, or do you wish you could be more than just a passive observer, especially for bad events?

That’s something that was super interesting about our omniscient protagonist, December. All her life she knew what has happened to other people, both present and past, as well as events directly related to her. Knowing something will happen is largely different from feeling what it would be like in that moment when it is about to happen. And that is how December finds herself changing events by her interactions with Nick.

Before I dive more into Nick and December’s story, I just want to say that Joan made such an interesting analogy about December’s ability. It’s hard to understand from her perspective otherwise, but comparing each memory or event to a gumball in a large jar was super helpful. December just happens to have access to more than only her own past gumballs, but also everyone’s that she can mentally search through if she wanted. I love that analogy and it made December’s POV very enjoyable to read.

The storyline with Nick was what I anticipated. The only reason why this isn’t a 5 star read is the rapidness of their growing relationship. When December knows they’re going to fall in love and Nick just fell super hard super quickly, it doesn’t leave us much room to allow feelings to grow organically with these two at the pace they did. However, I did end up loving their relationship and how they each tried to help the other in their own way.

There is one major plot line focused on each of them. Nick’s guilty conscience as a hero when he might not have deserved all that praise alone took perhaps too much page time, especially the lead up to the big reveal for whatever event in his past that further aggravated his feelings of guilt in the present. I feel more time could’ve been given instead to December’s missing mother, the big Blank Spot among her gumballs of knowledge. What happened to her and why is anything related to her disappearance missing in her ability? I didn’t feel this wasn’t focused nearly as much, and the resolution left me yearning for more.

That being said, I don’t want to give away anything more, but I will add that I enjoyed the ending. I thought it was fairly predictable – if you know other books and what this one is being compared to – but I thought it was perhaps a lovely way of bringing this book to an end. Do I wish for more? Sure. It felt a bit rushed and abrupt at the end with no real build up to this climactic peak, but perhaps that’s just how things were meant to be.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book when I first jumped into it, but I can say it was hard to put down and I’m still processing all of my feelings now that I’m done. I fervently hope you give this book a chance when it comes out! It just may surprise you like it did for me.

Overall Recommendations:

The Other Side of Infinity packs a punch while also drawing a more reflective side in its readers. Following an intriguing protagonist who knows everything, past and future, I loved learning how December sees the world while also figuring out what happened to her mother, the one thing she didn’t know. Balancing both complexities in character with an underlying plot driving the story, there’s something about this book that stays with you long after the final page is turned. A definite must read!

I really enjoyed most of this story. It was emotional, and unique, and heartfelt. But then the ending happened, and I hated it. Like- not just "not my cup of tea" hated it, but kind of made me wonder why the heck I had read the book? The thing was, it probably would have been a "not my cup of tea" ending, but there ended up being a lot of threads that just... didn't come together with the ending being as it was. I can't say more than that, for the obvious reasons, but yeah.

Let's talk about all the good, though. Because please don't misunderstand, this book was really good until I got mad. And maybe you will like the way it ended! We meet two main characters in this story. Nick is a lifeguard who is actually terrible at saving lives, and December is a girl who can see people's entire pasts and futures for some reason. Their paths cross when Nick fails to save Mr. Beloved Teacher (I don't recall his actual name, sue me), and December steps up to the plate, saving him. She's never been able to change her visions before, but upon changing Mr. Man's fate, she sees a new one for Nick- his untimely demise, but also, their love story.

So yeah, the premise is pretty great, right? And it was! I adored December, even though her name kept confusing me and I thought we were suddenly in the month of December during many chapters. I digress. Nick was a wonderful character in his own right. I also adored the focus on all the relationships in their lives, especially the family bonds. Of course the story was emotional in sad ways, but also in really heartwarming ways too. Basically, I was loving every single thing about this story. Which is why I am only docking a star for the ending.

This is not actually a spoiler but if you're anything like me you do not like to know anything at all about endings so I put it in spoiler tags just in case. (view spoiler)

Bottom Line: I loved this book right up until the end. And even so, I still highly recommend it for all its heartwarmingly and heartbreakingly wonderful bits.

The Other Side of Infinity takes the idea of being able to know the future and asks us what is the meaning of fate and free will. For December, she's always known how the future would unfold - with a few caveats - but when she manages to alter a piece of the future, what could this mean? The ripples and consequences of her actions cross across multiple character's lives and could just change her own abilities. Beginning with fast and immediate action, The Other Side of Infinity balances these themes with character.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Joan Smith and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
It was suppose to be a normal summer day at the pool, but when Nick hesitates on a save in the pool, December has to jump in to save the beloved teacher. That save came at a cost though. Soon after the save, December has a vision that she and Nick will not only fall in love, but his life is now in danger.
December soon embarks on a campaign to save Nick's life, while he is trying to save himself from the shame of not officially making the save and trying to stay out of the spotlight as the town's hero.
As things get harder for both of them, they have to learn what it really means to be a hero.

This story was slow to start but definitely picked up as I read. I liked both Nick and December for various reasons. I will recommend this book to others!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this title.

I enjoyed this book a lot. This has a little bit of romance and a little bit of sci-fi. It was a very quick and enjoyable read. I felt like this book started off really strong, and I was thinking it could be an easy 5 stars. Somewhere along the way, it lost me a little though. I found the middle section of the book not quite as engaging as the beginning. Then the end happened, and it pulled everything back together for me. This is one of those YA novels that really pulls at the heartstrings. I didn't have the instant heartbreak and tears reaction that I was expecting, but it was sad and took me by surprise. This would be the perfect book to take with you on vacation or just to read while lounging around in the summer. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

So this was not my cup of tea. Writing was fine so was the story line but I just wasn't in the mood for the ending. When people say have tissues ready they weren't kidding. Just not my kind of story. Again I am sure there are tons of people out there who will love it like they loved "The Fault in Our Stars" but it's just not what I need in my life at the moment so not a great rating from me.

I don’t feel like I connected to the characters in this story. I liked the premise of the book from the synopsis but was disappointed going into the book itself. For that reason, 3 stars.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

For the most part, I am not a YA reader, more so I am even less of a paranormal/fantasy reader. I don’t mind a story with a dusting of fantasy in my stories, and that is what I happily got with The Other Side Of Infinity. It is true that the main character Decemeber has the ability to ability to see things before they happen, and yes she could change the trajectory of time if she interfered, but the story wasn’t heavy with it, it just felt right in the places it had been placed.

The story was told in the dual POV of December and Nick. Nick is a summer lifeguard at the local pool, he sees one of his teachers drowning, but instead of getting into a saving mode, he freezes. December, who happens to be sunning herself nearby on the side of the pool sees what is happening, jumps in, and saves him knowing she will change what should happen. Once the teacher is safe, she runs away leaving Nick there to take all the credit, even though he tries to tell the people gathered, and the newspaper reporter that it wasn’t him who saved him. They end up together when he margins with December that if he can find her missing mom, she will go to the newspaper and let them know it is her who actually saved the teacher.

The story does focus on December’s abilities, but it also has a heavy focus on friendships, first love, and family relationships. The setting was believable as was Nick and his desire to make things right. I liked December, and for the most part, her character was real, except for the whole ability to see things, I easily overlooked that.

There were times that the story moved a bit slowly and Nick worries excessively over his situation and the secret he held on to. He was vanilla…I don’t think he had done anything wrong in his life, and his secret honestly made me chuckle, but I was a bit of a wild child growing up, and well….

I did keep reading merely for the need to know the outcome of the story.

BUT….

I am going to be honest, I am so glad that I hung on and finished because I seemed to be more caught up in the relationship Nick and December had than I thought I was because that ending…. both surprised me and broke me.

On a regular summer day, Nick hesitates when jumping into the pool to save a swimmer. So December, who has a gift to see the future, jumps in to help. However, when doing so, December gets a new vision. Her and Nick are going to fall in love. But now, his own life is at risk.

Though they were strangers on that summer day, Nick and December start to get to know each other when the school year starts. December is desperate to figure out how to save his life, but also kind of wants to know what it’s like to fall in love. As they get closer, the truth about other things starts to come to light. Will December be able to intervene enough to change the future?

Thanks to Feiwel and Friends and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Other Side of Infinity by Joan F. Smith to review! Pitched as They Both Die at the End meets The Butterfly Effect, I was definitely intrigued by the premise of this book. It does get emotional at the end, so be warned!

The idea of getting visions of the future is so interesting to me, but I don’t think I could handle it, honestly. The way Smith spells it out in this book was interesting, and December has had to move around a lot because of her gift. Because she accidentally let things slip. The way her and Nick’s relationship evolves throughout the book is well developed, spelling out a love story even when one person already knows it is going to happen. Their chemistry was well done, and their relationship felt believable.

Nick has dyslexia, and there’s a lot of great conversations around that throughout the book, especially with him and his parents. While Nick’s dark secret isn’t quite as dark as I was expecting, it works in the context of the overall story.

If you read a lot, you might see the main plot twist coming, but that doesn’t necessarily take away from its effectiveness. No matter what, you’ll still end up on an extremely emotional note at the end of the book.

All in all, if you’re looking for a book packed with emotion, this is definitely the book for you!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I have SO many feelings, but I am not sure how to express them without giving too much away. Just know that this book was heartwarming, heartbreaking, and thought provoking. The blend of family, friendship, romance, and mystery had me turning the pages, but my heart was really captured by December.

Her precognition had presented her with many challenges, and I wonder what sort of decisions I would make if I had the ability to see parts of the future. Would I be able to resist trying to change things? That was a question December had to ask herself every day. In the case of what happened with Nick, she was faced with trying to save his life.

That’s a lot of weight to carry around, and it was something that kept her from experience those parts of life we take for granted. Though she broke her own rules, December finally got to experience friendship and first love, and that was something that filled me with happiness. I will admit that the story went in a direction I was not expecting, but I appreciated the journey and all the emotions it delivered.