Reviews - The Other Valley: A Novel

2.4k reviews for:

The Other Valley: A Novel

Scott Alexander Howard

3.96 AVERAGE

bigpeng's review against another edition

5.0

Moo dang this book shook me! What a pleasant surprise. I want to read more books that make me question life and have baby existential crises.

erica_little's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

anoke's review against another edition

4.5

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

toft_'s review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

saraberkes's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective

ev_ooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The book set in a world where a village exists in the present but to the west of it the village exists 20 years in the past and to the east it exists 20 years in the future. The inhabitants of these villages know of the existence of the other villages.

The author did a good job of exploring what this would mean for grieving. Both the loss of a lost one but also - to a lesser degree - missed opportunities. Would you be able to fully process and accept such a loss if you knew that interference might be possible?
Visitations in this world are quite restricted and regulated by an institution that tries to maintain a stability across the borders between the villages. The reader experiences these regulations through the main character Odile in both how the decisions of who gets to visit are made and how those who try to interfere anyway are treated.

The book is philosophical in nature and while I enjoyed the well crafted world for the inspiring thoughts, I didn’t quite connect to the characters. A connection to those would‘ve made their decisions more believable though.

I did enjoy this overall.

jennreadsallthetime's review against another edition

3.0

Not certain if this is set in the future or a dystopian society but Odile is growing up in a place where if you cross the border to the west, you go back in time 20 years, and if you cross to the east, you're ahead 20 years. She's a good student and is nominated to become part of the elite staff that decides if a resident can go back or forward in time for a short visit. Few people are okayed for such accommodation and while she is class, vying for a position to secure a comfortable future for herself, she spots the parents of her childhood crush visiting from the future. She ascertains that this could only be happening if something had happened to her friend. She knows she can't interfere even though it would mean saving her friend's life because everyone is taught to respect the fragility of the time continuum.

Odile winds up on border patrol, a routine and dull job, when she spots a glimpse of herself in the future and it's not pretty. The time travel aspect of this book is fascinating though the lives depicted are joyless and bleak. If you're looking for a feel-good book, this isn't it. But it's a clever story and told well.