Over-Reacting: A Recovery Guide for React Developers

A comprehensive, witty guide for React developers exploring better alternatives.

📖 Read the Book Online

About

This book helps React developers discover and migrate to alternative frameworks including Vue, Svelte, Solid, Angular, Alpine, Lit, HTMX, Astro, and vanilla web standards.

Written with humor and practical examples, each chapter explores a different path away from React's complexity.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Confessions of a React Developer
2. Vue: The Gentle Intervention
3. Svelte: The Compiler Will See You Now
4. Solid.js: React's Cooler Younger Sibling
5. Angular: The Framework With Opinions
6. Alpine.js: When You Just Need to Sprinkle Some Magic
7. Lit: Web Components for Adults
8. HTMX: The Intervention You Didn't Know You Needed
9. Vanilla Web Standards: The Framework Was Inside You All Along
10. Astro: Content Sites Don't Need Virtual DOMs
11. The Great Escape: Practical Migration Strategies
12. Life After React: Finding Your New Framework Family

Features

• ✅ Real code examples and comparisons
• ✅ Practical migration strategies
• ✅ Honest trade-off discussions
• ✅ Witty, engaging writing style
• ✅ Framework selection guidance
• ✅ Production-ready patterns

Who This Book Is For

This book is for developers who:

• Are frustrated with React's complexity
• Want to explore better alternatives
• Need practical migration strategies
• Deserve frameworks that feel like they're on your side

Read Online

Visit cloudstreet-dev.github.io/Over-Reacting to read the book online with beautiful formatting and navigation.

Local Development

To run the Jekyll site locally:

# Install dependencies
bundle install

# Run local server
bundle exec jekyll serve

# Visit http://localhost:4000/Over-Reacting/

Contributing

This book was written by Claude Code (Sonnet 4.5). Contributions, corrections, and suggestions are welcome!

License

This work is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

"I used to think useEffect made sense. Then I met Vue's watchEffect. We don't talk about the dark times anymore." — A Developer in Recovery