Book Review: The Other Side of Infinity, by Joan F. Smith

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Nick

My parents fawned over December. I could hardly blame them.

My mother over-complimented her hair – its length, color, and (apparently high) degree of shine. It was true that her hair was like something out of a movie, I guess. I know it smelled of sunlight and something herbal, like basil. My father kept asking December questions about her uncle’s favorite gardening hacks (??), feigning interest.

A new ice age happened, a thousand children shouted are we there yet? From their parents’ back seats, hell froze over, and finally, we were alone.

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?

Official synopsis:

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.

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.

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Becki Bayley is a Gemini who loves getting lost in a good book. See more of her book review on her blog at SweetlyBSquared.com.