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The Other Side of Infinity
They Both Die at the End meets The Butterfly Effect in this YA novel by Joan F. Smith, 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.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day at the pool, but when lifeguard Nick hesitates during a save,
seventeen-year-old December uses her gift of foreknowledge to rescue the drowning man instead. The action comes at a cost. Not only will Nick and December fall in love, but also, she envisions that his own life is now at risk. The other problem? They’re basically strangers.
December embarks on a mission to save Nick’s life, and to experience what it feels like to fall in love―something she’d formerly known she’d never do. Nick, battling the shame of screwing up the rescue when he’s heralded as a community hero, resolves to make up for his inaction by doing December a major solid and searching for her mother, who went missing nine years ago.
As they grow closer, December’s gift starts playing tricks, and Nick’s family gets closer to an ugly truth about him. They both must learn what it really means to be a hero before time runs out.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day at the pool, but when lifeguard Nick hesitates during a save,
seventeen-year-old December uses her gift of foreknowledge to rescue the drowning man instead. The action comes at a cost. Not only will Nick and December fall in love, but also, she envisions that his own life is now at risk. The other problem? They’re basically strangers.
December embarks on a mission to save Nick’s life, and to experience what it feels like to fall in love―something she’d formerly known she’d never do. Nick, battling the shame of screwing up the rescue when he’s heralded as a community hero, resolves to make up for his inaction by doing December a major solid and searching for her mother, who went missing nine years ago.
As they grow closer, December’s gift starts playing tricks, and Nick’s family gets closer to an ugly truth about him. They both must learn what it really means to be a hero before time runs out.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 25, 2023
13 people are currently reading
6246 people want to read
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February 12, 2023
When I was a kid, I was OBSESSED with the movie The Butterfly Effect, so I was super excited when I got this ARC.
Yes, I realize this is a weird film for a child to go absolutely bonkers over, and yes, I realize there are probably things I would hate about this movie if I were to rewatch it as an adult. But kids are dumb and like dumb things. I mean, for Gods’ sake, I also had a crush on Pauly Shore for some unknown reason, so let’s just move on from young Britt’s interests.
ANYWAYS! How did this one stack up? Did it go swimmingly, or did it sink? Let’s find out!
What I liked about the book:
1. I loved the concept of this and when December’s unique ability really shone. I don’t want to give away too much, but it was fun seeing how she thought things out and how much she went down the rabbit hole with the butterfly effect of actions. I especially loved when she brought up her “hypothetical” situation to her friend group and there was an actual cerebral conversation about the topic.
2. I liked Nick’s friend Maverick and Nick’s sister Sophie the most.
Maverick was a wicked smart high schooler taking college classes and setting himself up to be one of the brightest doctors/scientists of his generation, but he also was trying to kick a nicotine habit. I appreciated the depth this small detail brought to his overall character and found him intriguing because of it.
Sophie was a fun and spirited 10-year-old. She had opinions, which were often humorous, and she really strove to accomplish her goals. We got to see her succeed in running and not succeed as well in dancing, which brought depth to her character.
I’ve definitely been reading too many brother’s-best-friend romances because I would totally read a spinoff focused on Mav and Sophie ten years in the future. However, I would not read any other spinoffs from this series.
What could have been better:
1. I didn’t really like any of the characters. I didn’t really hate them either, they were all just a bit boring. Let’s put it this way, none of the characters compelled me to care about them or their lives.
I also felt the circle of friends that December developed was really surface level for how much the author tried to play up her feeling included in their group. The trio of girls were mentioned first by Nick seeing them at the pool, and then they just suddenly became friends with December. I liked how this subverted expectations because they were the popular girls and December was “odd”, but otherwise, there was nothing super intriguing or deeply developed about them or the group dynamic.
2. The pacing of this was too slow for my taste. I felt like Nick not acting on his lifeguard duty and his feelings about that took up too much of the word count. These feelings also led to him wanting to make it up to December and find her mom, which was not really something I was interested in; if December herself didn’t care, why should I?
I also felt like Nick had this secret through the whole book that we weren’t supposed to find out and it got annoying. For how vanilla this guy was, it didn’t seem juicy enough to keep me hooked, but it kept getting brought up over and over again.
3. The romance was a miss for me. I loved December’s descriptions of the butterflies and just letting herself fully fall into her emotions. THAT was brilliant! Otherwise, even with the foresight that they would get together, the start of their romance seemed to come out of nowhere; no real build up, no real flutters from Nick’s point of view, and then suddenly the boy couldn’t get enough of her. Is that really how high school boys think? Perhaps I’m wrong and giving too much credit to the younger opposite sex, but somehow, I don’t think so.
4. There were things drilled into (like December’s mom) that were wrapped up either unsatisfactorily or not at all. If I have to read about it, at least give it an ending!
5. I 100% did not like the ending. Because I didn’t feel a connection to the characters, the ending was more random than emotional for me. It could have been a real heavy hitter if some of the points I highlighted above were executed a bit more well.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, the idea was good and the writing was technically well done, I just felt the execution was lacking in some of the major areas I look at. Not for me.
Final Rating: 2 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and Joan F. Smith for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
Yes, I realize this is a weird film for a child to go absolutely bonkers over, and yes, I realize there are probably things I would hate about this movie if I were to rewatch it as an adult. But kids are dumb and like dumb things. I mean, for Gods’ sake, I also had a crush on Pauly Shore for some unknown reason, so let’s just move on from young Britt’s interests.
ANYWAYS! How did this one stack up? Did it go swimmingly, or did it sink? Let’s find out!
What I liked about the book:
1. I loved the concept of this and when December’s unique ability really shone. I don’t want to give away too much, but it was fun seeing how she thought things out and how much she went down the rabbit hole with the butterfly effect of actions. I especially loved when she brought up her “hypothetical” situation to her friend group and there was an actual cerebral conversation about the topic.
2. I liked Nick’s friend Maverick and Nick’s sister Sophie the most.
Maverick was a wicked smart high schooler taking college classes and setting himself up to be one of the brightest doctors/scientists of his generation, but he also was trying to kick a nicotine habit. I appreciated the depth this small detail brought to his overall character and found him intriguing because of it.
Sophie was a fun and spirited 10-year-old. She had opinions, which were often humorous, and she really strove to accomplish her goals. We got to see her succeed in running and not succeed as well in dancing, which brought depth to her character.
I’ve definitely been reading too many brother’s-best-friend romances because I would totally read a spinoff focused on Mav and Sophie ten years in the future. However, I would not read any other spinoffs from this series.
What could have been better:
1. I didn’t really like any of the characters. I didn’t really hate them either, they were all just a bit boring. Let’s put it this way, none of the characters compelled me to care about them or their lives.
I also felt the circle of friends that December developed was really surface level for how much the author tried to play up her feeling included in their group. The trio of girls were mentioned first by Nick seeing them at the pool, and then they just suddenly became friends with December. I liked how this subverted expectations because they were the popular girls and December was “odd”, but otherwise, there was nothing super intriguing or deeply developed about them or the group dynamic.
2. The pacing of this was too slow for my taste. I felt like Nick not acting on his lifeguard duty and his feelings about that took up too much of the word count. These feelings also led to him wanting to make it up to December and find her mom, which was not really something I was interested in; if December herself didn’t care, why should I?
I also felt like Nick had this secret through the whole book that we weren’t supposed to find out and it got annoying. For how vanilla this guy was, it didn’t seem juicy enough to keep me hooked, but it kept getting brought up over and over again.
3. The romance was a miss for me. I loved December’s descriptions of the butterflies and just letting herself fully fall into her emotions. THAT was brilliant! Otherwise, even with the foresight that they would get together, the start of their romance seemed to come out of nowhere; no real build up, no real flutters from Nick’s point of view, and then suddenly the boy couldn’t get enough of her. Is that really how high school boys think? Perhaps I’m wrong and giving too much credit to the younger opposite sex, but somehow, I don’t think so.
4. There were things drilled into (like December’s mom) that were wrapped up either unsatisfactorily or not at all. If I have to read about it, at least give it an ending!
5. I 100% did not like the ending. Because I didn’t feel a connection to the characters, the ending was more random than emotional for me. It could have been a real heavy hitter if some of the points I highlighted above were executed a bit more well.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, the idea was good and the writing was technically well done, I just felt the execution was lacking in some of the major areas I look at. Not for me.
Final Rating: 2 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and Joan F. Smith for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
May 2, 2024
“How brave is it that people go through life without knowing what happens next?”
1 Sentence Summary: December can see the future, and not only her own but everyone else who ever has and ever will live; the only catch is that she can’t change anything, until one day, she intervenes to save a drowning man and her whole future alters: she and the lifeguard, Nick, will fall in love, but then he will die.
My Thoughts: This was a super interesting concept. I love magical realism, and thought it was really well done here. December’s gift and how it worked was explained in such an interesting way. Like, it was confusing, but in a good way.
I wasn’t really sold on the characters or the romance (although I did love December and her uncle’s relationship). Also, the book kept building up to this huge secret Nick was hiding and kept going on about how guilty he felt, and then when he finally confessed it was really anticlimactic and nothing even happened.
Also, the whole plot line about that guy from the party (I can’t even remember his name) going on to become a rapist and December making a secret instagram account to expose him felt so random and disjointed from the rest of the book.
A little spoilery, but not really:
MAJOR SPOILER:
Overall, this was definitely less of a character driven novel and more of a, not even plot driven, but concept driven novel? Is that a thing? It’s like the author came up with a concept she thought was really cool (and it is really cool, I’ll give her that), but then just wrote the plot and the characters to fit around the concept without actually developing them. An enjoyable read, but I didn’t love it.
Recommend to: People who enjoy magical realism and have always wondered what would happen if we could see the future.
(Warnings: swearing; sexual assault; child abandonment; death)
May 2, 2023
The premise of this novel seemed interesting, as I enjoy surreal stories. It was marketed as They Both Die at 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 clairvoyance 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.
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 clairvoyance 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.
July 15, 2025
A tragically moving star-crossed YA love story featuring December, a teen girl who can see the future and tries to prevent the death she foretells of a young lifeguard (who she later falls in love with). Moving and great on audio narrated by Justis Bolding and Michael Crouch and perfect for fans of authors like Ashley Schumacher or the book, You've reached Sam by Dustin Thao.
April 19, 2023
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.
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.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
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.
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.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
April 21, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
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.
Throughout The Other Side of Infinity, I enjoyed the dyslexia representation in Nick's character, December's relationship with her uncle, and Nick's best friend. While I wish some elements had a bit more closure by the end - especially with the long lead up - this was a quick paced read about the impact we make in other's lives.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
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.
Throughout The Other Side of Infinity, I enjoyed the dyslexia representation in Nick's character, December's relationship with her uncle, and Nick's best friend. While I wish some elements had a bit more closure by the end - especially with the long lead up - this was a quick paced read about the impact we make in other's lives.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
November 27, 2022
This one was an impulse request on Netgalley, so really, it's my own fault I didn't like it. As soon as I got the book and read the synopsis, I was wary. I read it hoping it might surprise me, but it didn't. I never connected to either of the characters and even now, I can't describe them. Instead of being concrete and remarkable they were bland concepts. As for the plot, it never caught my attention. I guess the ending could be labeled as a twist but I had guessed it at the halfway point. Not the specifics of it, but enough to know I wouldn't be surprised. I wasn't a fan of this
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
July 25, 2022
While writing this review, I am still crying over the ending of this book. Time has always been a topic of interest for me, and the unknown has always been something I’m terrified of. I was hooked from the start! Hearing December’s inner monologue was very complicated and compelling. Nick dealing with his guilt was also relatable. This book really had it all, happiness, guilt, and loss. December had to confront her grief of her mother, knowing that’s the one thing she could never see. Along with December worrying about the butterfly effect, having to go on with all the terrible things in the world despite having some of the power to stop them, it was so interesting.
All the side characters had amazing personalities and I really loved how they could be seen as little branches from the main story given that December knew what would happen in their futures.
Joan F. Smith did a fantastic job with this book, I could barely put it down!
Thank you to NetGalley for granting me with an eARC of this book!
All the side characters had amazing personalities and I really loved how they could be seen as little branches from the main story given that December knew what would happen in their futures.
Joan F. Smith did a fantastic job with this book, I could barely put it down!
Thank you to NetGalley for granting me with an eARC of this book!
April 28, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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.
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.
Read
April 30, 2023I 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.
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.
December 10, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing and Feiwel and Friends for allowing me to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Other Side of Infinity is an okay read. I liked the dual POV of December and Nick. I enjoyed the magical realism from December's view. She can see many and all different futures for everybody around her. At a young age her mom left and years later she lives with her Uncle as they settle down for the fifteenth time. December helps save a popular teacher from dying when Nick, a lifeguard, hesitates. Nick is given all the credit when he feels like fraud and wants to give credit to December. When she declines he offers to help find her mom and they begin to work together and possibly fall for each other.
The beginning chapters were a little difficult to wrap my mind around. I think part of it is December's ability and the way her chapters are written because of it. After I passed the beginning I liked her POV more. I did also enjoy Nick's POV. He came across as realistic and relatable.
I did have slight trouble connecting but ultimately The Other Side of Infinity is a decent story and I liked the ending.
I'm on the fence with my star rating.
3.5 or 4 stars
The Other Side of Infinity is an okay read. I liked the dual POV of December and Nick. I enjoyed the magical realism from December's view. She can see many and all different futures for everybody around her. At a young age her mom left and years later she lives with her Uncle as they settle down for the fifteenth time. December helps save a popular teacher from dying when Nick, a lifeguard, hesitates. Nick is given all the credit when he feels like fraud and wants to give credit to December. When she declines he offers to help find her mom and they begin to work together and possibly fall for each other.
The beginning chapters were a little difficult to wrap my mind around. I think part of it is December's ability and the way her chapters are written because of it. After I passed the beginning I liked her POV more. I did also enjoy Nick's POV. He came across as realistic and relatable.
I did have slight trouble connecting but ultimately The Other Side of Infinity is a decent story and I liked the ending.
I'm on the fence with my star rating.
3.5 or 4 stars
April 25, 2023
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.
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.
December 27, 2022
What if you had the ability to see the future? Would you consider it a gift or a curse? Would you attempt to alter what is coming, or allow events to unfold on their own?
"The Other Side of Infinity " is a very unique story that delves into just that. With themes of family, friendship, and first love, a strong female protagonist, and an engaging plot, slightly reminiscent of "The Butterfly Effect", this book had me guessing until its unpredictable ending.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this superb book before its April 25, 2023 release.
"The Other Side of Infinity " is a very unique story that delves into just that. With themes of family, friendship, and first love, a strong female protagonist, and an engaging plot, slightly reminiscent of "The Butterfly Effect", this book had me guessing until its unpredictable ending.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this superb book before its April 25, 2023 release.
May 2, 2023
*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!
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!
May 17, 2023
Now I am sad.
I'll post a review at the end of the month since I need to gather my thoughts and decide if I want to make a certain comparison.
I'll post a review at the end of the month since I need to gather my thoughts and decide if I want to make a certain comparison.
May 23, 2025
It made me think about the different ways we all perceive life, time, and the things that happen to us (in a nice little YA fiction package). Ending was both a surprise and wasn't.
April 9, 2023
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.
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.
November 16, 2023
3.5
Heartbreaking and fascinating. I really enjoyed reading this book and I really loved the writing style. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to read a unique romance story.
Heartbreaking and fascinating. I really enjoyed reading this book and I really loved the writing style. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to read a unique romance story.
August 21, 2024
I have never read a book like this and I absolutly loved everything about it. I love the feelings of teenage lvoe that is reflected so meaningfully in this book. It makes me want to experience it. >_<
I liked how the author shed light on the very real learning disability's that people deal with. There are so many themes in this book but the biggest one is love. I rate this book 5/5 stars because of the originality of the content and EVERYTHING in this book. The author made me feel like I was experiencing love, loss, guilt, and grief right alongside the characters. <3
I liked how the author shed light on the very real learning disability's that people deal with. There are so many themes in this book but the biggest one is love. I rate this book 5/5 stars because of the originality of the content and EVERYTHING in this book. The author made me feel like I was experiencing love, loss, guilt, and grief right alongside the characters. <3
July 7, 2022
*I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*
I am unequivocally, irrevocably, joyfully awarding this magnificent book 5 glorious stars! This is not something I do lightly, however in this situation, I do so without hesitation.
This book had all of the ingredients for a beautiful, charming yet haunting love story. A complete, believable setting = check! Likable, relatable characters = check! Obstacles, tension, and conflict = check! A realistic, buyable resolution = check! An emotional, impassioned conclusion/ending = double check!
Our main character has a gift. A gift unlike any other. The gift of seeing all things; past, present, and future. This is such a heavy load to carry growing into the 17 yo girl we come to love, admire and revere. This caused our December to be courageous, plucky, and resilient. This was such a different twist to your typical love story and even different from most of the gifts awarded to the paranormal characters I am used to reading about. Now add in an absolutely adorable, humble, charming boyfriend, and I am hooked! I fell in love with both of them and their personalities, abilities vs inabilities, quirks, burdens, and how they so elegantly carried them.
I could gush on the attributes of this book for much longer than anyone will care to read. I will close by saying that once I started this book, it was a real struggle to put down and tend to my real life! It was charming, delightful, poignant, intense, powerful, harrowing, soul-stirring, and absolutely beautiful! I felt all the feels and am absolutely mourning its end.
I am unequivocally, irrevocably, joyfully awarding this magnificent book 5 glorious stars! This is not something I do lightly, however in this situation, I do so without hesitation.
This book had all of the ingredients for a beautiful, charming yet haunting love story. A complete, believable setting = check! Likable, relatable characters = check! Obstacles, tension, and conflict = check! A realistic, buyable resolution = check! An emotional, impassioned conclusion/ending = double check!
Our main character has a gift. A gift unlike any other. The gift of seeing all things; past, present, and future. This is such a heavy load to carry growing into the 17 yo girl we come to love, admire and revere. This caused our December to be courageous, plucky, and resilient. This was such a different twist to your typical love story and even different from most of the gifts awarded to the paranormal characters I am used to reading about. Now add in an absolutely adorable, humble, charming boyfriend, and I am hooked! I fell in love with both of them and their personalities, abilities vs inabilities, quirks, burdens, and how they so elegantly carried them.
I could gush on the attributes of this book for much longer than anyone will care to read. I will close by saying that once I started this book, it was a real struggle to put down and tend to my real life! It was charming, delightful, poignant, intense, powerful, harrowing, soul-stirring, and absolutely beautiful! I felt all the feels and am absolutely mourning its end.
June 20, 2023
I really enjoyed listening to this! The ending though….was not what I was expecting and it tore me apart.
July 29, 2022
They Both Die at the End meets The Opposite of Always in a fast-paced, mysterious ya contemporary. From the first chapter I was immediately hooked. The characters are so relatable and the dual pov allows the reader to get to know Nick and December even better.
With a psychic girl and a lifeguard who paused during a drowning incident at his condo pool, you will not want to put The Other Side of Infinity down.
With a psychic girl and a lifeguard who paused during a drowning incident at his condo pool, you will not want to put The Other Side of Infinity down.
April 21, 2023
Language: R (58 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
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.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
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.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
May 10, 2024
I liked the idea of the story but I didn’t like how it was executed. It was like the writing style was trying to be different and interesting but it just was not it. I kept reading because I thought that the idea was interesting but I just dragged through it.
June 11, 2023
2.5 stars. That ending though
August 31, 2023
The ending has me in tearsss.
April 16, 2024
Sounded interesting but it just fell flat
August 24, 2025
criminally underrated omg
August 28, 2023
3.25 stars
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.
1. Not a whole lot happened in the middle…and the instalove between Nick and December was a bit annoying.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
YA Contemporary 2023 Video: https://bit.ly/3YWFcfK
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.
1. Not a whole lot happened in the middle…and the instalove between Nick and December was a bit annoying.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
YA Contemporary 2023 Video: https://bit.ly/3YWFcfK
May 21, 2023
“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.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
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.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
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