Over-Reacting

A Recovery Guide for React Developers

For developers moving from the world of React to build with better tools

The Five Stages of React Grief

  1. Denial: “useState is fine. useEffect is fine. Everything is fine.”
  2. Anger: “WHY IS IT RE-RENDERING?!”
  3. Bargaining: “Maybe if I just wrap everything in useMemo…”
  4. Depression: stares at dependency array at 3 AM
  5. Acceptance: “There are other frameworks. Good ones. Better ones, even.”

Welcome to acceptance.

What You’ll Learn

This book covers real alternatives to React, with practical migration strategies:

  • Vue - Reactivity that actually makes sense
  • Svelte - The compiler that disappears at build time
  • Solid - JSX without the re-rendering pain
  • Angular - Opinionated structure that prevents chaos
  • Alpine - Lightweight interactivity without the build step
  • Lit - Web Components for the modern era
  • HTMX - What if the backend was right all along?
  • Vanilla Web Standards - The platform can do more than you think
  • Astro - Zero JavaScript by default for content sites

Plus practical migration strategies that won’t get you fired.

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Or start with the Table of Contents.

About This Book

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

You are not a bad developer for using React. But you deserve better than prop drilling, useEffect dependency arrays, and re-render optimization hell.

“I spent three years thinking I just wasn’t smart enough to understand useEffect. Turns out it just doesn’t make sense.” — Every Developer Ever

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