The Do-Over
Jennifer Honeybourn
(Swoon Reads)
Publication date: July 14th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
In The Do-Over, a teenage girl gets the chance to redo her past in this smart and charming YA novel by the author of When Life Gives You Demons, Jennifer Honeybourn.
Emelia has always wanted to fit in with the A crowd. So, when Ben, the hottest guy in school, asks her out, she chooses him over Alistair, her best friend—even after he confesses his feelings to her.
Six months later, Emilia wonders how her life would have been different if she’d chosen Alistair instead. Haunted by her mistake, she finds a magical solution that promises to rectify the past. As a result, everything in her life is different.
Different, but not better.
What happens if her second chance is her only chance to make things right?
Our Review
I really like the magical realism that seems to be Jennifer Honeybourn's recurrent theme, and I can never resist it. For this book, we meet Em, who had to choose a boy over her friends, including Alistair, for whom she notices too late her feelings. One day she gets an only chance of changing something in her life, and she finally manages to get into a timeline in her life where she never chose the other boy. However, things unraveled in a way that she can only describe as a disaster.
I would say this deserves a 3.5.
As predictable as the trope could have been, I'll say Honeybourn managed to surprised me at times. It's still your usual YA setting but there was something different with the path the story takes. What I could point out is that, usually, this trope will lead you to conclude your previous life was better despite all our complaints. The book didn't follow this, which is a good way to play with a cliche, I really liked how this went.
While I still enjoyed the story, I couldn't get too into it. I feel that I kept waiting for the book to start and then it ended. Aside from not liking the main character enough, one issue I can point out is that while this is very centered on Em's feelings for Alistair, it was like they never got a truly romantic moment aside from the beginning. Em chooses the other boy then, and then, why did she fall for Alistair? I couldn't feel the progression of her feelings very well, and the lack of swooning moments would already have been a problem for me in a romance. I'd say this book is made for those readers who aren't that into romances but would still like to read one once in a while, because while it's one, it's definitely not the reason I'd recommend the story.
Although it was disappointment the development issue for the romance, I liked the side things going on. Em finding new friends, us having new insights of her other friends now we're in a different timeline, there was even some small mystery—although it was easy to solve. In all, it wasn't a good romance, but a nice book nevertheless.
Honest review based on an ARC provided for the book tour through Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Author Bio:
Jennifer Honeybourn works in corporate communications in Vancouver, British Columbia. She’s a fan of British accents, Broadway musicals, and epic, happily-ever-after love stories. If she could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, she’d have high tea with Walt Disney, JK Rowling, and her nana. She lives with her husband, daughter and cat in a house filled with books. Wesley James Ruined My Life is her first novel.
Thanks for hosting today, Anita!
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