Release Date: August 1st 2019
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 464
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis

What if your life had an ‘undo’ button?

Arlo Knott discovers he can rewind time – just by a minute or two – enough to undo any mistake, say the right thing or impress his friends with his uncanny predictions…

But second chances aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. As wonderful as his new life is, a mistake in Arlo’s traumatic childhood still haunts him and the temptation to undo, undo and keep undoing is too much to resist.

Review

I became completely hooked on the tale of Arlo Knott. The story follows Arlo as he explores the rare gift he has – he can rewind time. Not by months or hours but only by a few minutes, enough to be able to make predictions, but not much else. We see Arlo attempt to understand his gift, and use it to write the wrongs of his past.

This is just the kind of book I love. It’s a story of family and life, with that little science fiction twist thrown in. The book was beautifully written and I really fell in love with this thought-provoking tale. We follow Arlo from a young age – during a particularly traumatic period – all the way to adulthood and we see him develop his gift, flaunt it and use it for power, as well as trying to stretch it and understand why he has been given it. The story is a really deep character study, really giving the reader the opportunity to get to know our protagonist. I thought Arlo was brilliant and I loved seeing him take this journey and develop from a grieving child to this fascinating adult. He’s a flawed character, particularly in his University years, but that makes for an all the more interesting protagonist.

The Undoing of Arlo Knott is the kind of book that sucks you in early on and keeps you turning pages faster and faster as the stakes get higher. While Arlo is the star of the show there is an interesting cast of secondary characters, and the whole book felt well written and engaging. The story packs a lot in, touching on friendships, love and finding your place in the world. The story is a pretty unique one and I loved the blend of everyday life mixed with this incredible power.

The Undoing of Arlo Knott is a must read – if you love fast paced stories with characters that leap off the page, this should absolutely be your next read.