University neighborhood in the pacific northwest undergoes strange weather-induced episodes of doppelgangers. I'm neither a science-fiction fan nor someone who understands the philosophy of counterfactuals so maybe the glitches in plot line that bothered me here are supposed to make sense in a metaphysical way?

Cass who used to be a philosophy genius before her brain got soggy and slack due to the birth of her baby girl Leah, watches her pregnant multiverse self give birth to a son. Cass can't figure out how to work a breast pump, or a baby sling, and she flushes pregnancy tests down the toilet. Mark McDonnell is a biology professor who becomes obsessed with survival bunkers; his double lives in the woods, is very dirty, and physically assaults him. Professor McDonnell's wife Ginnie is too busy as a surgeon to take care of their 11-yr old son Noah, whose friend Livi can't keep her hot little hands off of. For some reason, Noah's hair smells like crushed flowers and has since birth. Ginnie's dreamworld twin is a lesbian. Despite her position as chief of surgery, Ginnie is completely unfamiliar with how an MRI works or what it sounds like. And despite crediting her husband with raising their son, she goes home after work and figures out what to make for dinner, plus she irons her own shirts. Samara Mehta is having a clandestine romance with Shawn, a friend of hers from high school. They've been together for weeks but she didn't know he has dogs. Samara's dead mother's twin is trying to sell the family home.

I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book, but unfortunately the final third it felt like it fell apart. I didn't think the way it wrapped up made sense. It was a bit rushed and the characters didn't seem to all have resolution. Maybe it was just me, but I also didn't understand why all of the shaking and visual hallucinations were happening. I love stories like this, and can always suspend belief when reading. But this book just lost me. Sorry :( I really wanted to love the whole thing, Like I said, the first two thirds I was in love with it. I enjoyed the details and loved the strange happenings. But something about the end just didn't work.

This is a brain buster for sure. The multiverse threads may confuse some readers but I found the storyline easy to follow.

Once the reader crashes down into that dip where they realize exactly what’s going on in the book there is certainly a very real sense of dread. This is not a relaxing read in any way but it is engaging and intriguing.

My only wish is that some of the stories hinted at were fleshed out a bit more, but there was a lot of ground for the author to cover here. Fleshing out all of the storylines may have been too much.

i enjoyed this a lot, maybe not as much as i could have, but for what it was i enjoyed it. i loved mark, and hated ginny with a passion, oh don't even get me started on that lady... i love multiverse theory so much, i feel it could have delved deeper and bigger things could have happened, it was pretty light and easy going, just a...book, really. (and that's no insult because i lovelovelove books! it just needed something more) nothing happened to make it grasp you and shake your world up, sadly. oh well, i don't regret reading it, i liked the premise even if they payoff wasn't as grand as it could have been.

I received the opportunity to review Kate Hope Day's debut novel If, Then from NetGalley. The description and cover of the book had me interested, but I was not prepared for such a wonderful page-turner!

I will admit, the sci-fi element of parallel universes is not something I would typically be interested in. However, the author's writing and character development was so well done that I was completely hooked after a few pages. I quickly became invested in each of the characters, and was eagerly anticipating whether or not the volcano would erupt, or the occurrence of an alternate event that could otherwise explain the strange events and emotions plaguing the characters. The imagery was superb and I devoured the short chapters. I loved the setting of the rainy Oregon town!

My only qualm was that some of the conclusion left me with unanswered questions. I really wanted to know what happened with Robby and felt that some of Cass' storyline was unexplained.

I really enjoyed If, Then and am so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone for this one! I highly recommend this novel!

When I saw this book explored parallel universes, I knew I had to read it. I also knew going into this book that it would likely be more literary fiction than paranormal thriller. I was right, this book is not the next Dark Matter. I think as long as the reader knows that going into this book, they will not be disappointed.

I enjoyed the author’s detailed descriptions of counterfactuals and medicine, and I appreciate how much planning and thought must have gone into crafting this book. The author discusses some very relatable and timely topics, such as marriage issues, new motherhood and its impact on the mother’s career, and climate change. Yes, that is a wide range of topics, but the author pulls it off, as well as addressing complicated philosophical ideas. I read this book on a beach, which may not have been the best state of mind to read this book in. But I still enjoyed it and plan to read the author’s next novel.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

What would happen if your life didn't exist in the singular but in multitudes? If there were multiple versions of your life that co-existed? If, Then - the idea of Counterfactuals (If X happens, then Y happens) is the overarching theme of this novel, which relates delicate family dynamics in a small town, to larger life discussions about the choices we make and the subsequent consequences.

Set against a small town in Oregon, which sits aside a dormant volcano, a group of neighbors starts to experience their lives in alternate realities.

This book was unexpected and beautiful. It got me out of a reading slump and I am still untangling the non-linear/multitudes from the story in my mind. I also think Kate Hope Days does a beautiful job of describing Oregon. As a woman born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, it was perfect, not hooky or belittling or too crunchy. I loved it and think many others will as well.

This story encompassed the lives of four individuals and how they are dealing with their current life. Life has its ups and downs but what if it were different? What if life took a different turn than the present? This book is similar to Dark Matter by Blake Crouch with more character development.

I initially found it difficult to follow the storylines of the Ginny, Mark, Cass, and Samara. The story seemed clunky and out of place at the beginning until you realize the characters feel out of sorts as well. One moment they may be in the present, next they can be in the ‘what if’ realm. So I guess it could be said that this story is confusing in the best way possible since you may feel as disoriented as the characters.

But it will be okay. I hope.

If, Then was a story I had to sit on. Upon completing the story I had no idea how to process what had been read. On the one hand, I enjoyed it enough though some parts were dry. But on the other hand it had one of my greatest peeves with a story of this nature. Let me elaborate...

If, Then lets us follow a family of three, a new mother, and a family that experienced quite a major loss. These neighbors are all experiencing some weird happenings. They are experiencing these moments where the taste of metal fills their mouth and a scene of some sort unfolds before their eyes. What they see varies but is undoubtedly from a parallel reality. Each of these characters get to experience their lives played out in an alternate universe. From there, we get to witness just how they react and accept what they witnessed.

Some might have been attracted to the story for the parallel universe angle. However, if this is the appeal, you might be let down. As you dive into this story, you learn quickly that the parallel universe is more of a supporting character verses a leading role in this story. Instead, this story depicts and describes more how each person handles and reacts to what they witnessed. We get more insight into the feelings and emotions of seeing something unknown play out in front of uncertain eyes.

Now, if you are the type of reader that needs an explanation with the parallel reality angle, you are going to be disappointed. I bring this up because I am that exact human. I must know why, why, why! Why do things work as they did, explain it to me. Kate Hope Day did none of that. We get a maybe this is why it happened or maybe not approach. But nothing definitive. This brought up buried resentment that I have with The Leftovers. A whole story of weirdness with no explanation to satiate the mind. I suppose the story was less about an explanation. But more about the characters reactions to the happenings around them. Some readers will like this approach, others like myself might be rather annoyed. I just want to know why!

I will compliment Kate Hope Day on her ability to create a mind bend of sorts without completely throwing the reader off. These types of scenarios in novels are notoriously confusing to me. Fortunately, I was able to follow the different realities without too much hassle or pain.

Overall, I finished the story and was quick to think this is a 3 star rating. As stated above, I am not the type of reader to accept no explanation. I need solid responses. But upon thinking a few days, I began to understand that the point is not the catalyst, its the response to the catalyst. That is the point, human emotion. I am going to rate the story with 3.5 stars, but round up to 4. I've read better and I've read worst. But mostly I am impressed with Kate Hope Day writing a book with an approach that I loathe yet after more thinking and dwelling opening my mind to her way.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of If, Then.

If, Then was an interesting read. It had the quiet contemplative nature of a character driven narrative, while drawing excitement with a bit of speculative fiction.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of a handful of neighbors, each of whom is grappling with a major life change and unsure of how they should proceed in the aftermath.

The prose itself was beautiful and erudite. It was unapologetically intelligent and I enjoyed that academic topics are written about without any dumbing down. It felt more authentic.

I felt varying levels of attachment to each character, but I wish that the book had been longer and we were given a deeper understanding of each. This is essentially a character driven book and I wanted more.
I enjoyed the premise of the story, but I wish it had been explored more deeply. I was left wanting more detail and a more fleshed out set of possibilities.

The finish was satisfying without being predictable and it was fittingly open ended.
If, Then is a great debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Kate Hope Day.

I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected date of publication is March 12, 2019.

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about it. But I'm happy that I did because I don't know if I would have read it based on the description and I ended up really enjoying it. The concept of multiverses seemed odd to me, but it totally works in If, Then and had me thinking about the potential multiverses in my world.

The story focuses on a neighborhood and the people living in it. Each person has their own issues- Ginny is a doctor working through some marriage issues and discovering her sexuality as an adult. Her husband, Mark, is a scientist frustrated his wife works so much (and leaves him to raise their son) and starting to worry about protecting his family from natural disaster. Samara is a young woman back in town after the death of her mother. And Cass is a new mom, struggling with her new identity after quitting school to focus on her family.

Things start happening in the novel that make you realize everything isn't happening as you originally thought in terms of chronology and details. Some of the characters begin seeing other versions of themselves throughout their day. It sounds weird, but somehow it works. Kate Hope Day's writing reminds me a lot of Don DeLillo- musings on the daily lives of normal people with some sci-fi thrown in. Because the book isn't necessarily classified as "science fiction," that makes the sci-fi feel that much more believable and like something that could actually be happening in our normal every day lives.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book that will definitely make you think... I'll happily read whatever Day comes out with next!

“If, Then” by Kate Hope Day is an eerie, beautifully written novel set in a small town in Oregon. In the shadow of a dormant volcano, ominously named Broken Mountain, a few of the folks in the town begin to experience hallucinations. It’s not immediately clear what these hallucinations are supposed to represent, but they’re disturbing enough to shake the characters who experience them into action. For Samara, who has just experienced her mother’s death, she sees her mother wandering around the neighborhood. Cass, a new mother at a crossroads between raising a child and pursuing her career, sees herself pregnant again. Ginny, an overworked surgeon, sees herself in a relationship with her coworker, Edith, instead of with her husband. Mark, a scientist studying animal behavior, sees himself paranoid, homeless and living in the woods.

The hallucinations prey on each person differently, causing them to reconsider the trajectories of their lives. Setting the story in a remote location only added to the individual characters’ isolation and the atmosphere of quiet panic throughout the novel.

Kate Hope Day has a knack for writing tense, domestic scenes, then adding some sort of mundane, yet terrifying occurrence to scare one of the characters. This book was genuinely spooky, and the characters were meticulously crafted, so not only was I scared, but I was invested. I wanted to put the book down, but I couldn’t look away.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book in return for my honest opinion.

I thought the idea behind this book was great, with the notion of different versions of the same life in this small town. However, I never felt the novel reached its full potential, The storylines became quite jumbled and hard to follow, especially in the context of different dimensions as well. I think that while the characters were good, it was hard to really get to know them because the reader was never really sure what version of the character they were getting.. I found myself struggling to keep up with what was going on at any present moment.

While I enjoy a complicated story and plot, this one had too many things going on, and was just confusing. It's hard to stay engaged as a reader when you can't figure out what is going on. I don't think the reasons behind why there were more than one dimension or version of reality was ever fully explained, and it left me shifting in the wind to figure out the why's and how's of the book.

Do you ever read one of those books where you realize you’re 80% done with it and nothing has really even happened? That was this book. There’s an interesting kernel of an idea here—about multiverses and what happens when they overlap—but it just never goes anywhere, and when it finally does (kind of?) it’s rushed and winds up feeling very incomplete. This would have been more acceptable if it were a different kind of book, the kind where deep internal character development takes precedence of plot, but it wasn’t that either.

If, Then
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. I believe this book would have been easier to read in a paper copy because I wanted to go back and re-read passages, as I found many bits confusing. The author has woven a wonderfully complex tale full of forbidden desires, love, and passion, but it sort of fizzles into a rather bland ending that just doesn’t do justice to the rest of the book. The alternate reality was brilliant and the setting was brooding and foreboding which made for a very promising plot, but when the characters didn’t share their strange experiences, the author lost the chance to bring the story together. It was a good book, that just wasn’t great, but I certainly look forward to more by Kate Hope Day.

Super trippy. I kept having to reread passages in order to follow along. Overall, not a bad read, just not one that I would read again.

I was very interested in reading this book initially, and while I found it intriguing I didn't really enjoy the way the story unfolded. It was hard to really get behind several of the characters and feel like I liked or understood them well. It was sometimes difficult to understand their motivations. The science that drove the story was a little confusing as well, but I went along for the ride and finished the book, although my enthusiasm waned toward the end.

If, Then was a unique premise in which people are having visions surrounding an upcoming town tragedy. It reminds me a lot of the Mothman Prophecies. The main characters, Mark and Ginny, are having trouble with their marriage due to work schedules. Secondary characters, Samara, Cass, Leah, all have some part of their story line intertwined with Mark and Ginny. Character development was good, suspense was ok (felt like the climax of the story could have happened sooner). A larger review to come closer to release date.

What a beautiful, atmospheric read. Kate Hope Day succeeds at creating genuine, believable characters. The story is crafted around a cul-de-sac of neighbors living in the shadow of a supposedly dormant volcano. The interactions between these neighbors and the alternative universes they stumble into drive the plot of the novel. As characters move through the text, they struggle through the difficulties of hope, loss, love, and lust. The characters are truly memorable, and I'm still thinking about the themes Kate Hope Day introduces in this novel. I definitely recommend If, Then -- despite the constant imagery of things smelling of "earth." :) Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

I had high hopes for this one because of the comparison to Little Fires Everywhere. However, the parallel universe/reality parts lost me. Good character development, at least! The story falls flat though.