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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
very brooding without being reflective. On the whole it's good, very punchy concept and it plays with how just knowing something, whether its true or not, can be life changing in itself. I do think the ending is a bit one-note, but does make sense as the more the book goes on the more it feels like a thriller than anything else.
One of the best executed time jumps I've read though.
One of the best executed time jumps I've read though.
The Other Valley is such a cool story. Its about a town where to it's left and right are two towns exactly the same but 20 years in the past or future (and this goes in lines on both sides so you could theoretically walk 60 or more years in the past or future).
the borders are heavily guarded to prevent people trying to change things or interfere, because small changes can make whole towns just pop out of existence. Occasionally people are allowed supervised secretive visits east or west to view loved ones who pass away or something like that.
Odiles life is changed when she accidentally spots some visitors and realizes who they're here to see (meaning that person is probably about to die).
There were some really interesting ethical questions raised in this book and some good storytelling, but I wish the prose had been stronger. This is a debut novel so I'm looking forward to seeing how the author improves.
the borders are heavily guarded to prevent people trying to change things or interfere, because small changes can make whole towns just pop out of existence. Occasionally people are allowed supervised secretive visits east or west to view loved ones who pass away or something like that.
Odiles life is changed when she accidentally spots some visitors and realizes who they're here to see (meaning that person is probably about to die).
There were some really interesting ethical questions raised in this book and some good storytelling, but I wish the prose had been stronger. This is a debut novel so I'm looking forward to seeing how the author improves.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
liked the premise, but had challenges with the characters
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The high level speculative fiction approach (á la “The Memory Police”) worked great to create a fresh take on time travel. I have a lot of respect for a book with guts, and Howard doesn’t hold back; the story seldom takes the expected path, especially in the transition from Part 1 to 2. The climax was unpredictably predictable since there were so many threads that could lead to it, which also meant I didn’t wanna stop reading near the end. Also enjoyed the great chemistry between the characters (such high hopes for Odile and Alain…) and the vaguely French setting.