Cassandra in Reverse

English writer Holly Smale worked as a fashion model beginning at the age of 15, then obtained a bachelor’s degree in literature and a master’s in Shakespeare studies. Her first published fiction was the Geek Girl series, which came out between 2013 and 2017. The middle grade/young adult series focuses on Harriet Manners, a self-described geek who reinvents herself after being recruited by a modeling agency, and consists of six novels and three spin-off stories. Her second series, The Valentines, focuses on three sisters who have fame and fortune, but lack what they really need. The three novels, Happy Girl Lucky (2019), Far From Perfect (2020), and Love Me Not (2021), each focus on one of the sisters. Cassandra in Reverse is Smale’s first novel for adults.

Smale has described always feeling different from her peers and having difficulty with social interactions. After a difficult breakup at age 39, she Googled various aspects of how she was feeling, leading her to suspect autism, which was soon followed by a clinical diagnosis (“Holly.” Room 5, Series 2 from BBC Radio 4, 2022). Smale has also reported having dyspraxia, a developmental coordination disorder, and synesthesia, particularly associating colors with emotions.