Reviews

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

Only show reviews with written explanations

diziet_sma's review

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hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

huntondl's review against another edition

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5.0

This was an incredible time travelesque book. It was haunting, atmospheric, and tightly crafted. I didn't want it to end. The characters were relatable and the world just felt so self contained and beautiful. I never once felt like it was too caught up in the conceit of the book to ruin the plot.

This will be one of my favorites of the year.

celiapowell's review

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4.0

There is a town in a valley. To the west is another valley with that same town, 20 years in the past. To the east, the same town 20 years in the future. The Conseils in each town tightly control travel and communication between the towns, to prevent the sort of problems that exist with time travel - in this case, literal time travel, where walking across the valley takes you to another time entirely. Odile sees the parents of a friend visiting from the town to the east, to view their son in the past - and this chance encounter changes the trajectory of her life. I love a good time travel book, and this one is excellent - it has some really interesting considerations about past decisions and how they affect our futures.