The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein

“Motherhood gets idealized, mothers get shit on.”

This book is a lot of things. It’s about Hannah, a new mom struggling with anxiety and coping with motherhood. It’s about a mother who will do anything she can to save her son. But it’s also a story about quantum physics, parallel worlds, and the what ifs.

All day Hannah has had visions of a world without Jack, which she chalks up to being a result of exhaustion. But when Jack disappears from his crib and it seems proof of him is being erased, Hannah begins to suspect her mind isn’t just playing tricks on her and that something more ominous is at play.

To save her son, Hannah must tap into her ability to visit parallel words before it’s too late.

This isn't something I would normally read. I don’t understand quantum physics or string theory, or really any of the science that was used to explain things in this book. However, this book was extremely captivating from the beginning that it still managed to pull me in. At the core, this is a story about the harsh realities of motherhood. The gut-wrenching anxiety that mothers carry and the judgment that they face.

I think Yael did a good job of trying to make things understandable in the sci-fi aspect. Until the end, I thought I was following along, but then things started to get confusing. I think if you’re a typical fan of sci-fi you would be able to follow along.

This story felt like a love child between The OA (gone too soon 😔) and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

This book is out next week!

A new mother looking for her son through parallel universes, stepping into alternate lives to find him - sign me up!

I really enjoy books that explore alternate timelines, so one that combines this with life of a new mother was very fascinating to me. But I can see how this book might not be for everyone - the in-depth look at motherhood will appeal to mothers of young children, but if you are sensitive to missing children or even the possibility of a child not surviving, this book might not be for you. I can be sensitive to that, but this book wasn’t terribly graphic so it was fine for me. But proceed with caution depending on your triggers and sensitivity levels.

That being said, this is a powerful book about the real feelings of motherhood - the hard days, the intense love, and limitless sacrifices you would make for your child. The writing was beautiful, and I found Hannah likable and easy to relate to. I will say I wanted a little more from the climax of the book - I think it was hard to write in a compelling way and would be better served to see it visually, but that’s just me!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Haunted by the traumatic birth of her son, a new mother can't stop obsessing over the terrifying possibility that she could have lost her baby. When her worst fear comes true and her son disappears from his crib, she discovers that she can “ride the possibilities” and visit parallel worlds to save him. Lots of spot on descriptions of early motherhood anxiety and impressive writing, but the sciencey bits were muddled and kinda boring.

The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein-Love is unlike anything I have read before. It is part multi-verse/many worlds theory, part love story, part psychological mystery; most of all, it is about a mother's love and willingness to do anything to keep her child safe, or "motherhood as hero quest." The writing is multi-layered, stunning, and luminous. Goldstein-Love somehow manages to combine the vast emotions and physical demands of motherhood (especially breastfeeding) with string theory and make it accessible to the reader. I could not put this book down; I couldn't stop reading until I got to the conclusion, which was one of the best climax scenes of any book I've read. That scene will stay with me for a very, very long time. I look forward to much more fiction from Yael Goldstein-Love. Fans of L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time, Blake Crouch's Dark Matter and Ellen Meister's The Other Life will likely love this book. Trigger warning: a recurring theme of this book is stillbirth/infant death. Please proceed with great caution if you have lost a child.

Like Jessamine Chan's The School for Good Mothers and Ashley Audrain's The Push, The Possibilities is a propulsive story that centers motherhood and grief, though with a more speculative twist (in some ways, also similar to Adrienne Celt's End of the World House). I don't wanna say much more in order to not spoil anything, but this was one I couldn't put down. Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley!

I was very intrigued with the cover first of all. I mean, an upside down house? Sure why not try it? Well I could not connect to this book at all from the beginning. It was so confused from the beginning that I wasn't sure what was real and what was not. Thanks to NetGalley for this early release in exchange for my honest review. It just was not for me.

I think it’s safe to say that multiverse fatigue is super rampant these days, but this book was not a part of that. The Possibilities felt like a pretty fresh take on the whole multiverse theme that has been sort of plastered everywhere over the last few years. It hit pretty similar to Everything Everywhere All At Once, but it had its own message and focus and really delivered on it. I’m not usually a sci-fi reader or a huge contemporary literature buff but, this book really worked for me. The characters were likeabke and they portrayed a story that’s rare—at least for me— to see in any media, in a way that seemed relavent. I can’t wait to see what else Yael Goldstein-Love comes up with, cause I just know I’ll love it(pun intended)!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC of The Possibilities in exchange for an honest review!

DNF - At another time in my life this story may have been adored. As for now, I wasn’t able to immerse myself in the story & the writing kept me at a distance.

"The Possibilities" initially intrigued me, but I, unfortunately, had a difficult time getting through this book. I couldn't connect with the main character struggling with motherhood and postpartum anxiety, and the parallel universe aspect sometimes fell flat. This is one of those books that straddles the line between genres (contemporary and science fiction) and therefore hard to categorize when compared to other titles. That said, while I personally did not enjoy this book, I know there are readers out there who are a more fitting target audience.

The Possibilities
by Yael Goldstein-Love
Pub Date: 25 Jul 2023

This was a a very strange and difficult read for me, but the book was interesting to say the least! The story did hold my attention.

Synopsis:

A new mother ventures into parallel worlds to find her missing child in this mind-bending novel that turns the joys and anxieties of parenthood into an epic quest.

Thank you #Netgalley, #ThePossibilities & #RandomHousePublishingGroup-RandomHouse for the e-arc.

Is there another you somewhere living your life but with different choices? When you chose option A did she choose B? If you've always wanted to explore the thought of multiple realities or 'possibilities,' and have kiddos this set up really is the perfect start!
Recommend for everyone but Hannah's motherhood experience was front and center so moms would relate even more to her quest. Goldstein-Love created worlds that you desperately wanted to escape but never have the story end. Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy of this fantastic book!

What if the traumatic birth of your only son, where he had to be resuscitated for 8 minutes, left you with a vivid memory that your living, breathing 8-month-old son did indeed die that day? What if this memory haunted you so much that it not only caused a rift in your marriage but also a rift in your entire reality and universe? This is the premise of Yael Goldstein-Love’s book, The Possibilities.

This book opens almost like a domestic thriller, but it quickly becomes clear that what is causing the distress is not coming from within the house but from another timeline entirely. New mom Hannah is struggling with postpartum depression and the traumatic birth of her 8-month-old son, Jack. Her fixation on her memory of him dying at birth leads to her husband, Adam, experiencing a lot of distress as well, which creates problems within their marriage. He wants Hannah to let go of her false memory, but instead, Hannah finds herself being pulled into different realities after Jack disappears. What proceeds is a uniquely crafted, poignant tale of a mother navigating the multiverse to save her son.

I thought this book segued into the science fictional elements pretty effortlessly. It starts simple—things in Hannah's reality are not matching up to what she remembers, and it is incredibly subtle. She and her therapist both believe she is suffering from panic attacks, but we quickly learn that it could be more than that.

I will say I am also incredibly biased because I am a sucker for any novel that even alludes to the idea of a multiverse, so I loved this book.

Not only is the sci-fi element enthralling, but it's also an emotional tale of the bond between mother and child and how complicated that bond really is. As soon as I finished this book, I didn't even want to start a new one. This book makes you feel feelings, and when I was done, I just wanted to let those feelings bathe over me while asking myself if I'd have made the same decisions as the protagonist.

I received an advance reader copy and have provided an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this opportunity.

This review will be posted on 7/25/23 on Goodreads, my book blog https://ann0tatedbooks.wixsite.com/books, my Twitter account https://twitter.com/Ann_otatedbooks, and my Instagram account https://twitter.com/Ann_otatedbooks.

Word count: 260

Trigger Warning: Stillbirth, child death, and child disappearance.

When Hannah gives birth to Jack, she can see both his initial struggle to breathe as well as a version where he doesn't survive. This starts a series of visions of other versions of life without Jack. These possible worlds that Hannah can travel, are they just in her mind, or are they real? When Jack disappears and everyone starts to forget that he survived childbirth, Hannah has to make scary and difficult choices.

I love a good multiverse what-if story, and this is no exception. This one can be difficult to read at times because you really feel the struggle of the mother as she tries to save her child both from the disappearance and from being forgotten. The author has tapped into real parental fear here. When I recommend this book, it will definitely come with a warning, but don't be mistaken, I'll be recommending it.

The Possibilities by Yael Goldenstein-Love follows Hannah, a new mother trying to balance her life after having a traumatic birth experience with her son Jack in which she almost lost him. Hannah is on edge constantly, always thinking about what if things had gone differently and she had lost her son. She finds herself dipping in and out of another reality where there is no Jack. This new reality becomes more and more real until one day, when Hannah puts Jack in his crib, he disappears without a trace. Almost like he never existed. Hannah is forced to embark on a journey through time and space to find her missing son.

Heavy trigger warning for this book surrounding motherhood, child loss, postpartum anxiety/depression, and grief of a child.

This book was beautifully done but also very confusing at times. As a pretty decently versed sci-if reader, I had to reread a few passages to make sure I knew what was going on. Especially at the beginning. I don’t know if this book is purposely confusing (much like early motherhood can be) but it did take me out of the story a few times. I do think the sci-fi elements were interesting and unique.
I think the way this story talked about the anxiety surrounding being a mother was well done. There was one character that said something like idea of motherhood is highly regarded while being a mother is so looked down on. I wish I would have highlighted the exact line because it was so powerful. Being a mother is a balancing act that is almost impossible most days. Add that to the anxiety that comes with trying to keep a tiny person happy and healthy and you can see how much Hannah has on her plate.
This book dips its toes into being a mystery because we follow Hannah as she is looking for her son but knowing that there is a sci-fi element, the stakes of her regular search don’t feel particularly high so while it sounds like this would be a thrilling, fast paced book, it’s a lot more of a quiet unraveling. Hannah trying to find her son is the meat of the story but not the most interesting part. The way Hannah goes in and out of a different reality and the cause and effect that has on the story is very intriguing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a literary science-fiction story. This book is beautifully done and emotional and manages to capture the feelings of motherhood very well but it can be confusing. Take your time going through the story but don’t try to understand every single part because it will make sense the more you read.

Such a stunning book! Sharp and vivid writing and so many unexpected swerves and surprises all along the way. A fascinating narrative.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for providing me with an eARC of The Possibilities in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I'm glad to see the highly positive reviews this has been getting, but I just wish I could have had the same experience. The sci-fi tale it presents to us about a mom traversing the multiverse reminded me so much of Everything Everywhere All At Once, even though the two stories are quite different, I'll admit. But I still had that comparison clinging to the back of my brain, so it could have made it more difficult for me to let myself fully dive into The Possibilities. That being said, I do appreciate what it has to say about motherhood's joys and pains, postpartum depression, grief, and love on this journey that always kept me engaged. It also felt reminiscent of Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, which I had a good time reading. The ending in particular was daunting to process.

Overall, I'll give The Possibilities 3.25 out of 5 stars. I wish I could give it a higher score, but I just didn't connect with it as deeply as I'd wanted it to. Maybe you'll find it more affecting, though.

I just finished reading "The Possibilities." It's rare for me to read a first-person narrative because I normally find it incredibly limiting. I like knowing everything that's going on, usually beyond the scope of the main character. But, from the very beginning, I was hooked! Even when I wasn't reading (the book is so intense, and I have a life outside of it), I was thinking about, trying to figure out what was going on. This was one of the most fascinating books I have read in a while.

I only have three negatives to point out (these are just based on my own opinion, so take them with a grain of salt):

1) There are many, many instances in this book where a simpler word, like trinket, could have been used instead of "tchotchkes." Given the complexity of the scientific explanation in this book (I'm not great at science, so I had only a child's understanding of most of it), it would have been kinder of the writer to use more Layman's terms to make the very strange, very interesting, explanation of why all of this was happening to the main character so much easier to understand, especially for those who weren't scientists or mathematicians. Never once did I feel disconnected to the writing when it was talking about mothers--something I'm not--but the same can't be said of the science. More than once, I was confused. Using big words and chucking them at the reader, almost continuously, came across as condescending and cruel, like someone who has excelled at something and can't understand why everyone hasn't.

2) The details are both a positive and a negative for me. Positive: I felt very connected to the story, despite never having been to California, because of the length the writer went to with her details. I experienced every emotion the main character did. Her anxiety and love and fear and desperation--it all leaped off the page and settled between my shoulder blades. Negative: The sheer amount of details made the story crawl in some places, especially the end. Everything the character saw, heard, felt, smelled, etc. was included in just about every scene. It reminded me of a book by Dean Koontz called "Watchers." In it, Koontz described a certain type of tree for several pages. I found myself asking, "Why do I need to know this? Is there something sinister about the tree? Do it factor into the plot at all?" Sadly, I had similar questions about "The Possibilities."

3) The ending really bothered me. It doesn't make sense with the rest of the book, and it made me dislike the main character. It's like the writer didn't know how to bring everything to a close, and it shows.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those instances where you read the book description and you think you know what to expect, but the book turns out to be so much more. Goldstein-Love writes about motherhood (both becoming a mother and being mothered) in a way that is tender and terrifying; I just kept marveling at how accurately she described something that feels so indescribable at all times.

There are a couple of spots where things get pretty abstract but you just have to hang with it because, while you might not completely understand the intricacies of what's going on, everything fits together in the end in a way that makes sense.

An interesting premise of "mom-horror": parallel worlds where small changes have occurred to change your life (mostly centered around your parenthood, or lack there of). This novel reminded me of the mindset of my early newborn days with my kids. Constant worrying and fear, the "what if". Good tension throughout, but it got a little muddled for me in the middle. In general, an interesting book.

**Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and the author for the advanced copy**

Another book where the plot really drew me in, and this time lived up to expectations. I was captivated, frustrated, and just couldn't put it down.

This book definitely leaned, loosely, towards Everything, Everywhere All at Once type vibes, but I'm happy it didn't feel like a regurgitation of the movie. Hannah's desires and the point of her abilities were very clear-- she is a mother in pursuit of her child lost to alternate realities, of "what-ifs". The difference even between what she chose for herself in the end versus what her own mother chose was powerful commentary on what it means to be a mother, and that even if it's a choice we don't understand, there's a reason behind it.