Publisher: Washington Square Press
Published: July 7, 2015
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: e-Arc
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1CUq3da
Blurb:
From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interruptedand After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.
At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.
Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?
In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?
Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.
At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.
Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?
In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?
Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.
Review:
I'm 72% through with this...book. This big block of endless pages of words. Words that have made me laugh. Words that have made me cry. Words that have angered me; some that have hurt me. I'm crying as we speak. If you're at the 72% mark...well maybe you feel my pain and maybe you don't. But damn, it hurts. And it's not like I can tell you because I would be spoiling some major plot lines for you. My heart hurts and bleeds for these characters. I've been where they are... Only difference is, is that I faced it alone. The female friendship in Maybe in Another Life is amazing, and I can't help but think that they are lucky for having each other. I may not be making sense right now but I couldn't help but go write down some feelings before they left me. I'm going to finish the book now and hopefully have some coherent thoughts.
*30 minutes later* Okay, I've finished the book. My thoughts are still with loving the book. But at the same time I can't help but feel disappointed in one of the scenarios. Obviously, you've read that the book goes in two different directions based on a choice that the main character, Hannah makes. The day she comes back to her hometown in L.A. to live it out with her best friend and her best friends husband, she faced with a choice. The choice to either go home from her homecoming party with Ethan, her high school boyfriend.
On one hand, we see what happens when she chooses not to go with him and let the pieces fall where they may. Then, it changes to the scenario of what happens when she DOES choose him. The whole time these two stories are happening, we see the consequences of the choices she made. Throughout it all, we see how things could potentially end up. There's so much I want to say but I want you all to be able to experience this beautiful story without me saying too much.
Bottom line is, is do you believe in fate? What about alternate universes? Could it be that every single choice you make in your life, there's another version of you out there making the opposite of that choice and so on. It's so wonderful and intriguing to think about. I think that's why I like this book so much. Sure I was disappointed in the way one "life" needed but that's only because I didn't think that Hannah had much chemistry with the guy she ended up with. I didn't like him. But that was just me.
At the end of the day maybe things don't always work out as you want them to and that's ok. It's just life. Instead of going on and thinking about how things should have been, be happy with the way they already are! After all maybe things do happen for a reason, and all is what it's supposed to be. At least
in this life.
in this life.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Buy Link:
AMAZON- http://amzn.to/1HFEJ5j
AMAZON UK- http://amzn.to/1HFEUh3
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. Her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, was named one of the "11 Debuts We Love" by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and their dog, Rabbit. You can follow her on Twitter @tjenkinsreid
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