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The Undoing of Arlo Knott

Heather Child (Goodreads Author)

3.60 · Rating details · 151 ratings · 46 reviews

What if your life had an 'undo' button?

Arlo Knott develops the mysterious ability to reverse his last action. It makes him able to experience anything, to charm any woman and impress any friend. His is a life free of mistakes, a life without regret.

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 childho ...more

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Kindle Edition, 464 pages

Published August 1st 2019 by Orbit

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Jul 23, 2019 Schizanthus Nerd rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-food, content-warnings, netgalley

When I read the blurb for this book it reminded me of an episode of one of my favourite TV shows growing up, Round the Twist. Paul Jennings was one of my favourite authors and I loved encountering the unexpected in his stories. He wrote the episode, Spaghetti Pig Out, where a main character finds a remote control that can pause, fast forward or rewind anything or anyone it’s aimed at. This coincides with a spaghetti eating competition and the school bully just so happens to find out about the r ...more

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Jul 27, 2019 Shalini rated it really liked it

This was an intriguing tale of physics and life. Arlo Knott had a rare ability, he could undo time-space continuum. He could go back in time and correct his mistakes. This started with a few seconds in the past until it moved on to greater lengths of time. And this was his life story as he learned how time and universes really worked. And the role he played in that.

Heather Child has written a thought provoking concept based on a single line - what if we could have an undo button? How would we us ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Kate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites-read-in-2019, out-in-2019-and-read

This book is fabulous! It's a clever speculative thriller but it also explores quite deeply the worlds of family, friendships, responsibility and - that awful emotion - guilt. Arlo Knott is a fascinating character as he explores the many different ways in which undoing an act can take him and realises how dangerous and terrifying and whimsical life really is. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights. ...more

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Dec 25, 2019 Mieneke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2019

Heather Child’s The Undoing of Arlo Knott is superb! It’s even better than her first book Everthing About You. I loved the way Arlo discovers the limits of his gift and the limitless ripples it sends out into the universe when he uses it, in ways great and small. How when you can just go back and undo and replay events, people in your life become like NPCs in a computer game and you can reload until you get the desired outcome; they don’t seem real anymore. There is so much grief in this book, b ...more

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Jul 10, 2019 Kate~Bibliophile Book Club rated it really liked it

Check back in August for my blog tour review! Really enjoyed this one 😊

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Jul 09, 2019 Kelly Van Damme rated it it was amazing

Hi and welcome to my review of The Undoing of Arlo Knott! First of all, I’d like to invite you to take a good look at that gorgeous cover, because it pretty much sums up the whole story, albeit in a way you don’t really realise until you’ve read it. Also, a note on the chaptering, which is a bit funny: it starts with part 6. A publisher note explains that this is meant to reflect the time-reversing aspects of the novel. While I don’t exactly see the added value in this, it doesn’t distract from Hi and welcome to my review of The Undoing of Arlo Knott! First of all, I’d like to invite you to take a good look at that gorgeous cover, because it pretty much sums up the whole story, albeit in a way you don’t really realise until you’ve read it. Also, a note on the chaptering, which is a bit funny: it starts with part 6. A publisher note explains that this is meant to reflect the time-reversing aspects of the novel. While I don’t exactly see the added value in this, it doesn’t distract from the story, nor is it confusing at any time. The chapters in each part are not neatly numbered starting from 1 either: they reflect Arlo’s age. In that way there are multiple chapters with the same number. Again, not confusing at all, and I do see the added value in this, because his age does matter more than protagonists’ ages in other books.

Right, so, The Undoing of Arlo Knott starts with Arlo, aged thirteen. A tragic accident that he’s at least partially to blame for changes his life forever and soon after he realises he can do something no one else seems to be able to: he can undo actions or events by returning in time to just before they took place.

From that point in time onwards, we follow Arlo through life, as he goes forward in time like everybody else, but also back in time. His ability to time-travel, albeit very limitedly, makes him nonchalant and brazen on the one hand, and a bit of a freeloader on the other: as a student he needs money, what easier way than to go gambling, or buy scratch cards. All the possibilities are there, all the realities are for the taking, once he has seen one reality, one possibility, it becomes real, but he can return and let it play again, or change reality by doing or saying something else.

Arlo leads a fascinating life, all the while trying to figure out what his ability means, how it might be explained, and all the while trying to stretch it, going back just a minute more, just an hour more, honing his unique skill. For a while he’s a magician, the great ArlO, raking in the money, because what he can do is as close to real magic as one can get. But eventually tiring of freeloading and his own self-centredness, and realising his ability is what got him and possibly lost him the love of his life, he decides to use it for the greater good, to help people and he starts a new career. But can he really keep meddling with people’s lives like this, even if it is for the greater good, or is he messing with fate?

Arlo’s journey is a fascinating one. His character’s arc is incredible. You see him grow as a person throughout the story and although I didn’t really like him at first, he grew on me as he was growing as a person. Knowing how he started out, that rather selfish little boy, and how the novel ends, is just… wow. This is a thriller, a family drama, a love story, an episode of Black Mirror and a Blake Crouch novel all rolled up in one sublimely plotted novel with a gasp-inducing finale that must be added to your reading list this summer, or next winter, or whatever, just add it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it, especially to all the Black Mirror fans out there.

Massive thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for the free eARC! All opinions are my own and I was not paid to give them. ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Lel Budge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: compulsive-readers

This starts with young Arlo helping his mum in the garden, he’s holding the ladder for her while she sands down some woodwork. He is then distracted by a slowworm and moves away from the ladder……..the tragedy that follows haunts him with guilt….could a slight boy have actually made a difference…?

Arlo then discovers he has a ‘gift’….he can jump back in time a few seconds….with practice this gets a little longer….at first he uses it to get himself out of situations, like eating his nans shortbread ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 Jess C rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Undoing of Arlo Knott is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s a book that grows in its power: it starts off like a single recorder being played out of tune but quickly builds up to a crashing crescendo with a show-stopping finale.

After a traumatic childhood incident, Arlo Knott discovers he can rewind time. He can undo any mistake, make uncanny predictions, impress friends and strangers, and chat up girls. But this temptation to undo and erase his mistakes isn’t the gift he initially thin The Undoing of Arlo Knott is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s a book that grows in its power: it starts off like a single recorder being played out of tune but quickly builds up to a crashing crescendo with a show-stopping finale.

After a traumatic childhood incident, Arlo Knott discovers he can rewind time. He can undo any mistake, make uncanny predictions, impress friends and strangers, and chat up girls. But this temptation to undo and erase his mistakes isn’t the gift he initially thinks it is.

Sounds like fantasy, right? Click your fingers and go back in time – correct all the bad things that happen and stop awful things from happening in the future. But it doesn’t feel like fantasy. Child includes an impressive level of physics – through Arlo’s sister Erin and her girlfriend Nina – and the science behind Arlo’s gift is eventually unwound. You learn a lot about psychology too.

There’s romance: Arlo’s love is the driver behind much of the plot. And there’s action in the form of landmine detection, foreign hostage negotiation and life as a copper. Arlo Knott packs a lot in, yet it doesn’t feel contrived or hard to follow. Just like Arlo’s heavily edited, perfect life, this book makes no mistakes.

The plot sounds a little crazy, and the amount you go through with Arlo gave me a serious book hangover. But Child has tight control over this and never once slips up. Every action, every move, every relationship makes perfect sense.

Child’s main gift is character building. I hated Arlo to start with. Like, I really did not like the kid. But I couldn’t help myself from investing in him and his story. It takes a gifted writer and storyteller to create such a character while making you want more.

The way Child develops Arlo’s character is genius. He remains flawed, yet he shows real growth. Not just in his attitude to his gift, but in how he treats people. He starts thinking about the consequences and effects on others, and whether he has done more good or more bad. This book really makes you question your ethics, morality and what it means to be mortal.

We all say that hindsight is wonderful – but what if you could act on it? This is less Bernard's Watch – and more like Black Mirror, with a healthy dose of The Butterfly Effect too. The twist in Arlo Knott took my breath away. I’m sure I strained my eyes finishing it: once you get to that point, there’s no going back. I won’t give away the ending. But I will give you my thought process as I read (and re-read, and re-read, and re-read) the last three pages: “Ah, got it. Right. Poor Arlo. Err. What? Hang on – HANG ON. REALLY? Is this –? Did that –? Oh my. Oh.”

The Undoing of Arlo Knott is a masterpiece. It ticks all of my boxes: fallible, human characters; an unpredictable plot; vivid descriptions and an effortless writing style; and thought-provoking scenes and issues. I finished it almost a week ago, but the moral and ethical dilemmas it raises still linger in my mind. I’m almost tempted to dock it a star for the serious book hangover it’s given me, but no…

5*

Thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group (UK) and Heather Child for a copy of this ARC, in exchange for an honest and open review. ...more

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Jul 29, 2019 Kath rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed Everything About You when I read it last year so was quite intrigued to see what the author would serve up for this, her second book. And, the verdict; I blooming loved it!
Arlo Knott suffers a devastating loss as a child and has felt guilty ever since. One day, he finds that he can "rewind time" initially only going back a minute or two, but long enough for him to erase mistakes, take back things he's said, or find out information he can manipulate people/situations with. Sadly, he can I enjoyed Everything About You when I read it last year so was quite intrigued to see what the author would serve up for this, her second book. And, the verdict; I blooming loved it!
Arlo Knott suffers a devastating loss as a child and has felt guilty ever since. One day, he finds that he can "rewind time" initially only going back a minute or two, but long enough for him to erase mistakes, take back things he's said, or find out information he can manipulate people/situations with. Sadly, he can't go back far enough to "undo" the biggest regret of his life but he can make the life he has more bearable. But, as we all know, actions have consequences, even ones that are undone. How far will Arlo go to keep his life on track and will he ever be able to go back far enough to make a real difference?
You know how many times I've wished to be able to "undo" stupid things I've said in the heat of the moment, or rewind to before I went out last night. Luckily, I did most of my stupid stuff before the age of the internet and social media so evidence is few and far between. Even so, there's still a bunch of "off the cuff" comments that I really should have left as "things you think", and more than a few "wake up in shock" moments at what may have happened when I was a bit drunk. I quite fancy giving a few people a gentle slap and taking it back too! But I'm no Arlo Knott and I also guess that maybe, if I was, the temptation to "undo" would get a bit out of control.
Arlo is a complex character. Probably due to his many "rewind and redo" moments, you never quite see the real person behind all that manipulation. He also seems to have an air of self-importance and can be arrogant at times. This all makes him a bit unlikable, especially when the majority of the things he rewinds only really help him, he's kinda selfish in that regard. But he does have the odd redeeming characteristic so I was able to connect to him in some way as the story progressed.
I can't say too much about it but I really enjoyed both the way the book was set out and the way the timey-wimey elements came together at the end (and you may well have to re-read the last few pages - I did!). Oh and more importantly, yes, it starts at part 6, no need for panic!
This is one of the rare books that I have now added to my to be re-read pile. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Annabelle Heath rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2019, 5-star-reads, full-reviews, received-for-review

It’s difficult to know where to start with reviewing this, as it’s so unlike anything I’ve read recently. I can’t call to mind an ‘if you loved X, you will love Arlo Knott’ comparison. It’s hard to even place the genre. Science fiction? Fantasy? General fiction with a magical twist? It's a book that rather defies categorisation.

The Undoing Of Arlo Knott is the story of a man with the ability to go back in time a very short amount. He can undo the previous few moments, take back a badly landed pi It’s difficult to know where to start with reviewing this, as it’s so unlike anything I’ve read recently. I can’t call to mind an ‘if you loved X, you will love Arlo Knott’ comparison. It’s hard to even place the genre. Science fiction? Fantasy? General fiction with a magical twist? It's a book that rather defies categorisation.

The Undoing Of Arlo Knott is the story of a man with the ability to go back in time a very short amount. He can undo the previous few moments, take back a badly landed pickup line, change an accident to a near miss, say or do whatever he wants, only to reverse it, as if it never happened. It’s the story of what he does with that power, which, as you can probably imagine, is to thoroughly abuse it for personal gain.

There is some exploration of why he has the ability, the physics involved, but largely the story is focused on what he does with it. And it's not always easy going. Arlo is selfish, using his ability to live a charmed life, without thought of the consequences, because his life has no real consequences. He can just undo anything bad as long as he does it quickly. He's a very difficult character to like - even as he tries to engage in heroism, joining the police or clearing landmines, he does so with only personal glory in mind.

And, of course, it's difficult to talk about his development as a character without ruining the story. All I really want to say is that there is development, and the reasons behind it are beautifully imagined and brilliantly executed. In fact, when I reached the end of the book, I had to stop, turn back five or six pages and read it again, just to be sure I'd fully understood. It left me a little breathless, and I found myself thinking about the ending over and over for a few days after I put the book down.

So, a difficult book to describe, but utterly worth picking up if you enjoy thoughtful explorations of human nature with a twist of the magical to provide an anchor point, a focus, for the narrative. Despite Arlo being a largely vile character, you can't help but be behind him, root for him, and the revelations towards the end of the book will leave you wanting to go back to the beginning and experience the whole thing again. Highly recommended. ...more

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Jul 28, 2019 Ioanna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What if your life had an 'undo' button?

At thirteen, among pain and regret for his mother's passing, Arlo Knott realizes that he has an extraordinary ability: he can reverse his most recent action. His power, at this point, comes with limitations: he has to remember exactly what was done in order to reverse it, and it must be the most recent happening. But it's still a tremendous ability. Is this h ...more

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Sep 29, 2019 Rosie Amber rated it really liked it

Shelves: time-travel

The Undoing Of Arlo Knott is a time travel contemporary fantasy.

Arlo Knott has the ability to go back in time so that he could change an outcome of an event. He first discovered this ability as a teenager, when he moved time during a school class. With practice he learns how to 'unknot' time for longer periods.

The story follows Arlo between the ages of thirteen and thirty-six. As he sought ways to feel adored and appreciated, his 'undoing' was not used for the most altruistic of purpose, and it ...more

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Nov 24, 2020 Sarah rated it it was ok

Sigh. So much potential with this concept but it feels rather wasted. The hook feels to just endlessly meander through minor ups and downs and then just as it finally shows an inkling of something gripping happening it ends.

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Aug 05, 2019 Lynn Williams rated it really liked it

https://lynns-books.com/2019/08/05/th...
The undoing of Arlo Knott was a captivating and thought provoking tale that literally made me think – ‘be careful what you wish for’.

The story gets off to a really strong start. We meet Arlow as a young boy, gauche and awkward, a self confessed ‘mummy’s boy’ and in fact he is indeed helping his mum as she undertakes some DIY on their cosy little house. It’s simply one of those scenes that you know, like you sometimes know it’s going to thunder, that things https://lynns-books.com/2019/08/05/th...
The undoing of Arlo Knott was a captivating and thought provoking tale that literally made me think – ‘be careful what you wish for’.

The story gets off to a really strong start. We meet Arlow as a young boy, gauche and awkward, a self confessed ‘mummy’s boy’ and in fact he is indeed helping his mum as she undertakes some DIY on their cosy little house. It’s simply one of those scenes that you know, like you sometimes know it’s going to thunder, that things are going to go horribly wrong – and of course, they do. This is a day that will have a massive impact on both Arlo and his sister. A day of ‘what ifs’. But, in real life there are no ‘what ifs’. You make your choice and take your chance and that’s that. And yet, Arlo discovers, too late to have any impact on that disastrous summer day where one moment of carefree behaviour led to a tragic accident, that he in fact can reverse time. Maybe only little snippets at first, but eventually having a far more reaching effect – although never quite enough to go back and prevent that one big life changing moment.

Now, when Arlo discovers this special ability he’s a young boy really and so of course he uses it for all types of petty revenge not to mention abusing it to chat up girls. He can’t say anything wrong if he can keep rewinding until he gets things right after all! The problem is that Arlo becomes lazy. As he experiments more and more with his special ability and understands the freedom which it brings he really, well, for a time, becomes quite easy to dislike. If he says the wrong thing he can simply rewind it which in turn means he has very little thought in his head for anyone else or their feelings. To an extent, his ability actually has a negative impact on him. He never takes that heedless rush at things, experiments or takes chances, because everything he does comes with a ‘time back’ guarantee. Does he really have friends or a partner that know him? And that’s what I mean by ‘be careful what you wish for’. We have all had moments where we’ve thought ‘If I’d only…’ but having the power to rewind those moments in some way steals the real impact and the true life lessons that those moments teach us It’s like he never really experiences anything – or at least, he does, but in ten different ways which means he never really learns anything – he knows he doesn’t have to because he can rewind.

On the face of it Arlo seems impossibly lucky. He gets to change his career repeatedly and quite unrealistically and always becomes good at what he does. He’s like the golden child. His sister, who is actually incredibly intelligent and a well respected physicist has a lot less easy time of things in spite of really striving to achieve. There is the sense of ‘unfairness’ to it all but I’m sure we’ve all had friends or colleagues who seem unbelievably lucky and Arlo comes across as one of those. Maybe we all know an ‘Arlo’?

At the start of the story I can’t say I really liked Arlo. He was incredibly self centred but, he really does have an incredible story arc eventually coming to the realisation that he isn’t really experiencing life the way things currently stands – which coincidentally almost clashes with another character unexpectedly wanting to manipulate his talents.

So, criticisms. Well, there is very little, ergo none at all, explanations here. In some ways I respect that. This is a story of fantasy after all. Nobody expects the existence of dragons to be explained when they pick up The Hobbit so why can’t Arlo knott and his special abilities simply exist in a modern contemporary setting? He can, of course, but the only issue for me was that I had other little niggles. Everytime Arlo turned back time I couldn’t help but wonder – does that affect everyone in the world? It surely must – but then that seems such a big deal that it practically blew my mind. Also, there is an underlying theme of sadness – so you do need to be in the right mood for this – which isn’t to say this book won’t grab you and hold you from the get go – because it will – but just be prepared that this isn’t necessarily a rosy tale of happyness. And, I reached a certain point in the read where it started to feel monotonous with Arlo repeating, rewinding, and repeating mistakes – that is until things change.

This is a difficult book to review in that I don’t want to give away spoilers, which is why I’ve not gone into the plot at all. What I will say is that this is a strange tale of a young man trying to change things, who falls in love and realises that he doesn’t always need to change things – until he realises that his own constant mini-rewinds have more of an impact than he ever realised.

I enjoyed this, I was hooked, I had a blip of ‘sameness’ at a certain point but I was never not intrigued enough to continue reading and the more I reflect upon it the more I appreciate just how clever it really is.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion. ...more

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Feb 06, 2021 Gareth Howells rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: b-fantasy

This was intelligently written, with the basic premise of the book being explored fully throughout, but the way the author chose to explore the concept wasn’t what I was hoping for; the book is essentially a wistful love story with an unlikeable character at the centre of it....the last 100 pages were good though...and it had a poignant ending.

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Jul 27, 2019 Alan Taylor rated it it was amazing

Soon after his mother suffers a terrible accident, 13 year old Arlo Knott discovers that he has the ability to jump back in time, only for a short time - enough to undo the punches he has just inflicted on his sister, but, unfortunately, not enough to save his mum. Always a mummy’s boy, already abandoned by his father, Arlo initially uses his ability to fit in, to try out approaches to conversations, to relationships, taking back ‘errors’, seemingly always saying or doing the perfect thing. But, ...more

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Aug 02, 2019 Karen Barber rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

If we knew the consequences of our actions, how many of us would change things? If we could live a life without regrets, how many of us would accept what comes with it? If we had even the slightest inkling that someone could rewind time, what would we think of them? How would our lives and decisions be different?
In this intriguing read, we’re introduced to Arlo Knott who can alter time and who, over time, has learned how to manipulate events to change the outcome.
At the start of the book we are ...more

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Jan 26, 2020 Can Sönmez rated it it was amazing

As with her previous novel, 'Everything About You', Child is an author that likes to explore ideas. With her second book, the central concept is the main character's ability to rewind a few seconds of his life, a power that Child takes in intriguing directions, resulting in a rich character arc for the protagonist.

Just like 'Everything About You', the writing is of a high standard, with a shift to a more action-packed plot than perhaps was the case in her debut. A really good read. ...more

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Aug 08, 2019 Runalong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A brilliant novel exploring how someone who can always rewind time to fix things learns to grow up and take responsibility

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl... ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 Melita rated it it was ok · review of another edition

A book about undoing your mistakes. It is an interesting premise, Arlo is able to rewind time to correct any mistakes he makes whether this be a poorly landed chat up line or saving a person from a gun shot. Unfortunately Arlo can only go back by small bits and can’t save the people he really wants to.

I found the start good and the end predictable but the middle I struggled with. The issue I have is I never really got Arlo’s character which is why struggled with the middle of the book that follo ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 Kim Phipps rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved the premise behind this novel - a person able to essentially reverse time in order to undo their last mistake.

I enjoyed the narrative voice for the most part and the twists and turns kept me turning the pages.

The only reason that this doesnt get the full 5 stars from me is because there were times regularly through the novel where I just didnt like Arlo at all. In places, that detracted from the enjoyment of the story.

Overall, 4 stars from me.

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Oct 20, 2020 Michele Young rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A slow start, but then as Arlo becomes more in control of setting time back and redoing his actions, the book becomes more interesting. I found the end tricky to understand, and had to reread it a few times and even then I’m not sure I understood it, but overall a solid 4 stars for a thought-provoking read.

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May 21, 2020 Alex Sheldon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: top-shelf, speculative-fiction

An absolute page-turner with a very engaging premise.

Heather Child has managed to weave a clever story that goes in several places and with a writing style that I found impressive and could easily get absorbed in.

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Mar 13, 2020 Liz Cooper rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned

Interesting premise, long winded telling.

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Nov 12, 2020 Nate rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 31, 2019 David Harris rated it really liked it

I'm grateful to Orbit for a free advance copy of The Undoing of Arlo Knott to consider for review.

Following up the success of last year's Everything About You, which explored SF ideas about a future of virtual and augmented reality, Child returns with a more fantasy driven story, focussed on a central idea and its consequences: what if you could turn back time, undoing moments and unpicking mistakes?

Arlo Knott is introduced in childhood, a happy child whose life is about to change forever. After I'm grateful to Orbit for a free advance copy of The Undoing of Arlo Knott to consider for review.

Following up the success of last year's Everything About You, which explored SF ideas about a future of virtual and augmented reality, Child returns with a more fantasy driven story, focussed on a central idea and its consequences: what if you could turn back time, undoing moments and unpicking mistakes?

Arlo Knott is introduced in childhood, a happy child whose life is about to change forever. After a shocking trauma, he discovers that he has a talent for going back and changing things - not, though, that event.

Child paints a convincing and sympathetic portrait of the boy, and then the the teenager and young man, Arlo. It's an impressive achievement, especially given that Arlo isn't a very likeable character. As he freely admits himself, he is self-centred, oblivious to the needs of others, and self-pitying. One of the clearest aspects of this novel is how, later admitting those failings, Arlo continues to embody them, if in subtler ways. The child and the teenager crave attention and approval (something that has roots both in that previously mentioned event, and in earlier loss - Arlo's father having vanished to the US in quest of an acting career) but the man... ah, the man graduates from using his talent to turn over casinos and scratchcard vendors for easy wins to stage magic, using it to underpin a mind-reading act. He swears there's no trickery even while admitting he's literally turning back time. And it's clearly not about money - it's a quest for adulation, and when the clapping ends, he dumps the stage act.

And so it goes, as Arlo manipulates his way through a succession of careers, and through relationships too. He earlier noted that he never used his "gift" as you might imagine a teenage boy would - though he seems to come pretty close - but when he fancies a girl it proves very useful to be able to backtrack on conversational deadness and reflect her own views and preferences back to her.

For much of the book, then, Arlo is something of a rat and it's only the growing entanglements of family, his girlfriend and the succession of - I'm not sure what word to use - victims, perhaps? - he leaves in his wake that (eventualy) gives him pause for thought. When it does happen, though, the trap that Child sets for Arlo is so clever and so wicked that, as I've said, one actually does sympathises.

This is a breathtaking book, notable not only for a high concept but also for the down to Earth and plausible interaction of Arlo with that and for the effect on his personality and development. We also get a very human take on relationships, family - including ageing, the father eventually coming back from the US for support with his dementia, spending his time, in a metaphor for the book as a whole, devising and building a labyrinthine board game which seems to have Arlo at hits heart. Arlo's stormy relationship with his sister also plays a large part, Child revealing her view of events fairly late in the book and transforming one's understanding of it when she does.

It's a great read, the various sections dealing with Arlo's different careers (self-aggrandising even when allegedly altruistic) keeping the main themes in sight while ringing the changes, so that the book never settles down into samey, soft-centredness but instead keeps surprising and changing the reader. I hesitate to use clichés like "unputdownable' but this is a book that is very easy to keep reading and reading.

And when it runs into its nail biting close... well, as my poor dogs, eating for their evening walk, found out earlier this evening, yes, I think it might even justify that phrase.

All in all a triumphant successor to Child't first book. ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 Julie rated it it was amazing

Arlo Knott has a talent that defies definition, and therefore understanding. Though painfully normal in every other way, with ambitions, an unfulfilled love, a troublesome sibling and a disappointing dad, Arlo’s secret comes to dominate and shape his life. A family tragedy triggers the realisation, in the most dramatic way possible, that Arlo can, with a small effort, reset time. That he can return to a point before an action, an incident, and do things differently, or ensure that things turn ou Arlo Knott has a talent that defies definition, and therefore understanding. Though painfully normal in every other way, with ambitions, an unfulfilled love, a troublesome sibling and a disappointing dad, Arlo’s secret comes to dominate and shape his life. A family tragedy triggers the realisation, in the most dramatic way possible, that Arlo can, with a small effort, reset time. That he can return to a point before an action, an incident, and do things differently, or ensure that things turn out less badly. This proves to be something he cannot or will not reveal, partly because it sounds so unlikely, defying explanation, and partly he wants to benefit from his unusual talent. His progress through school, university and life is affected by his talent, but he cannot use it as a blunt instrument. He reflects on the effect it has on others, on himself. He carries a burden of guilt, which does not lessen with his experiences. Rather, as he comes to depend on his ability, he becomes concerned on what he is really doing, the effect it has on other people. The complex web that he has to live by has an effect on his world view and his values, but he tries so hard to do his best, avoid trouble, appalled at what he could potentially do, what he may have done. When he experiments with his ability, he realises its limitations but pushes the boundaries. I was fascinated and pleased to be given the opportunity to read and review this book.

The book begins with an account of Arlo’s childhood, on a significant day. Distracted for a moment, he fails to secure a ladder and so unwittingly starts a chain of events that will change both his life and that of his family. It is only when he seeks to deal with the effects of this incident that he discovers that he can undo the most significant of acts, simply by will. An accidental discovery, he begins to explore how he can use it to survive in school, finance his university career and influence people. A significant lashing out at fate which he reverses leads to a meeting which will transform not only his life but another unique person. He discovers that while he may be able to reverse things in his life, even flout the laws of safety and common sense, his relationships with those he loves are made even more difficult. His ambitions to do good are not straightforward, and complications always set in. Self doubt may be common among people, but his self doubt has an extra dimension, an extra level of complexity and guilt.

This book carefully straddles fantasy and contemporary life, where common situations and tensions in relationships are added to by a unique element. Convoluted yet sensitively written, this is a book for our time in its range despite focusing on one man’s memories. It raises questions not only about a strange concept, but also about human motivation more generally. This is a special and powerful book of love, sadness and the determination to do good for whatever motive. Arlo is a distinctive character, but his inner monologue is a true reflection of the way that we all think at times. Doubting what we do, why we do it and the effect of our behaviour on those around us is a contemporary concern for many if not most people. This sensitive and honest novel deserves to find a wide audience, and I recommend its distinctive voice and honesty.
...more

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Jul 23, 2019 Atlas rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-s

If waves of regret could have washed me so far backwards, they would have done so already

* * * *
4 / 5

Enthralling and fascinating, unsettling and haunting, The Undoing of Arlo Knott is definitely an interesting read. The story of Arlo Knott bobs and weaves, ducks and dodges along the entire timeline of his life and what a life it is. There is something bleak and disturbing and warped about Arlo, and it makes for such an engaging read.

I was a magician all right, twenty-four hours a day

When Arlo i ...more

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Aug 09, 2019 Cassandra MADEUP BookBlog rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A few comments about the book, the first is that if you enjoy something that will have you so involved in the characters loves that you have to keep going to see where this is going, you will love this. However, if you want a story where it is action packed from start to end, has a clear and simple storyline with a ‘bad guy’ and ‘good guys’ who are clear to determine, perhaps miss this.

I absolutely adored the fact that this story so wonderfully wove the past and present, it’s very cleverly writt A few comments about the book, the first is that if you enjoy something that will have you so involved in the characters loves that you have to keep going to see where this is going, you will love this. However, if you want a story where it is action packed from start to end, has a clear and simple storyline with a ‘bad guy’ and ‘good guys’ who are clear to determine, perhaps miss this.

I absolutely adored the fact that this story so wonderfully wove the past and present, it’s very cleverly written so that the ‘past’ and present are woven together to show you the situation, and what change Arlo makes. They weave together seamlessly in a very clever and unique style.

The storyline is one to slide into gradually, we see Arlo knott growing up and his ability increasing in strength as the story continues, initially beginning from young teens. I loved how believable the Characters all were, although I wasn’t particularly keen on them as individuals.

To be quite honest, Arlo was self centred initially, however that was entirely believable and understandable. If given the power to go back and change the past, wouldn’t you change situations to your benefit? Where you said the wrong thing in a job interview, would you go back and adapt it slightly to help yourself?

This is the kind of route he goes down, I won’t say more because I don’t want to ruin the book and this really is one that you need to experience yourself. A lot of the changes are quite entertaining for one reason or another, and I actually really enjoyed seeing him develop as a ‘person’.

There are several Characters that we follow, including Arlo, his sister and respective partners. How you feel about each character will be very individual, i felt sorry for each at one time or other.

If you haven’t got this on your TBR yet, you really NEED to add it ASAP! It’s absolutely amazing, wholly individual and thoroughly engaging! It will also make you sit and think deeply about whether you would or would not make changes, what would you change and why, and where would you draw the line? ...more

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Aug 04, 2019 Nicole Sweeney rated it really liked it

Review originally posted on The Bibliophile Chronicles.

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 throw ...more

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About Heather Child

Heather Child

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Heather Child's two novels EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU and THE UNDOING OF ARLO KNOTT are published by Orbit (Little, Brown).

Heather lives in Bristol, UK. Alongside writing she has had an eclectic career in charity marketing and communications, and currently works in sustainability.

You can find out more about her novels, including discussion questions for book clubs, at www.heather-child.co.uk or follow ...more