As I may have mentioned before, time travel narratives usually confuse me. This book though, never did.
Odile lives in a valley bordered by both its past and its future. People can request visits to either bordering valley and one day Odile recognizes visitors as the parents of the boy she loves. This realization sets off a course of events that will change not just Odile’s life, but countless lives to come.

This quiet novel is beautifully written and still impossible to put down. I was sucked up into this world and didn’t want to leave.

I have just finished reading ‘The Other Valley’ and what a wonderful read it was. I am not a big science fiction reader but for some reason I am drawn to time travel. Having said that, I am equally put off time travel based books as they can get overly confusing and complicated.
‘The Other Valley’ is so well written that the story has a logic which is both intriguing and thought provoking.
We follow Odile as she navigates childhood and middle age with a variety of challenges all underlined by the concept of valleys to the east and west which are future and past from the present valley and visitable from each other under special circumstances.
A fascinating read and this would make a fabulous book club choice.

I requested this book off of one person's recommendation, and I'm so glad I knew barely anything about the plot going in.

Imagine living in a world where you could travel to the future or the past simply by walking across a border. This book poses some fascinating questions: Can you change the past? Will knowing the future change your present? I tore through this book, and I'm shocked that this was a debut novel! It was an excellent work of speculative fiction. And it's not shocking that the TV rights have already been acquired, months ahead of its release date.

Highly recommend for fans of Ruth Ozeki and Kazuo Ishiguro. It reminded me of reading DIVERGENT and THE HUNGER GAMES for the first time. Beautiful writing and I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thank you Net Galley for the early digital copy.

An absorbing, philosophical, absolutely unputdownable sci-fi featuring a time travel paradox, The Other Valley hits like a train.

Despite my normally not seeking out books with teenagers as main characters, Odile is a realistic, likeable, lonely girl whom you root for the entire time. She’s awkward around other teens, but we get to see her bloom and grow. Unless you were a very special teenager, we all had moments (sometimes years) of not knowing who we were, of feeling like we didn’t fit in, that we didn’t know what we wanted to do with our lives; Odile encapsulates these emotions as the main storyline plays out. Her personality and sense of self are directly related to the events in the book in a way that is masterfully done.

The other characters were either likeable or understandable, and all felt real as well.

Because it’s been a while since a concept in a novel has wowed me as much as this one, the logistics of how the town functions didn’t even bother me (e.g. How do they get things like cars or earrings or makeup? Where does the garbage go? How will their town expand if the population increases?). While normally, this sort of thing would annoy me, it's clear this book is intended more as a thought experiment than a literal place.

I obviously can’t say much else about the plot, but if you enjoy time travel paradoxes, this book takes the idea and tackles it in a way that feels realistic and fascinating. The author has a doctorate in philosophy, focusing on the relationship between memory, emotion, and literature. Does he ever nail those themes! This is a book that really brings in the ripple effect idea of time, or divergence. We see this often in sci-fi movies about time travel, but this book uses this concept to bring out deeper themes of regret, choice, and social control. The entire town’s purpose, it seems, is situated on the idea of stopping time paradoxes, though we’re never really told this or why. I’m presuming it was to ensure, as usual, people in power stay in power, but those politics are only hinted at and shown, not told, by the difference in status and wealth between Odile and her friends, her mother’s bitterness at her job, and various other things here and there.

If you enjoy fascinating sci-fi concepts, excellent characters, a superb climax, and lovely writing, you should check this out. It’s not exactly fast-paced, but I flew through it nonetheless.

What a fantastic concept for a book!

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard is set in a valley surrounded by other identical valleys, each twenty years apart. The borders of each town are guarded heavily to prevent people from crossing without the express approval of the Conseil, the governing body responsible for the interactions between valleys. One can petition the council to visit another valley as part of their grieving process, and requests may be approved or denied based on the likelihood of the requestor interfering and, therefore, altering history. Approved visitors must hide their identities and cannot interact with anyone from that timeline.

The story follows Odile, beginning when she is a teenager. One day she sees visitors from another valley and is able to identify them as her classmate Edme’s parents, which she knows means his death is imminent. She leverages this experience into an opportunity to compete for an apprenticeship to the vaunted Conseil, but as she grows closer to Edme, she becomes more and more conflicted over her duty to keep quiet about what she knows.

The book follows Odile into the future, and its unexpected path based on the events of her childhood. Though the story moves slowly in parts, it was an interesting read that I greatly enjoyed.

The Other Valley is a beautifully written debut that explores the philosophical implications of time travel. Great for fans of speculative fiction and a great book club read!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @atriabooks for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

absolutely gorgeous literary fiction with a really unique time setting in the timetraveling town! i found it really cool to read. tyssm for the arc!

Thank you for an advance copy of this interesting and original story idea. We have a town in a valley and on one side of it the town is 20 years in the past, on the other the town is 20 years in the future. Odile is on the town council and gets to decide who can cross the borders into the town, thus making ethical life/death decisions. It brings about all sorts of questions of can we change the future if we know what will happen? Can we change the past? It was. a very creative concept, it moved a bit slow for me at times but overall. One thing that threw me off was the lack of grammatical punctuation....I think that impacted my enjoyment as that was distracting. Points for a creative and original concept.

Feels like it's directed at an audience younger than me and that really ended up hurting this book a lot. I hope it finds an audience that actually enjoys it cause there is definitely something here.

Fantastic!I could not put this book down. I read it on the recommendation of one of my favorite authors, Sylvain Neuvel, and he did not lead me astray. Fast-paced, fascinating, with a strong sense of atmosphere and impending doom. Great world-building and wholly original concept. I loved it.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard is quiet and slow. I gently watched the character's lives bloom and held my breath as they try to change their futures for the better. The editing is superb and there isn't an unnecessary sentence in the whole book. Extra points to the author for not tying everything into a neat little bow with an epilogue.

Fans of Kazuo Ishiguro, this is your siren call.

• speculative fiction
• time travel
• perfect for a book club

I sat pondering the philosophy for so long I was asked if I was okay 😂 to which I replied "yeah, I just finished a book."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Wow. What a well thought out book. I am not normally a science fiction fan, but this was just so well written. And what an ending that I wasn’t expecting. Great job by the author.

I loved the premise of The Other Valley. I am captivated by the concepts of time travel, alternate universes, and the like, so I thought this would be right up my alley. I started this novel with high hopes. However, I was disappointed in the grim, dark feel of the story.

In this universe, there are multiple valleys, side by side, where identical sets of people live separated only by high barbed wire fences and 20 years. Apparently, one can travel between the valleys via a special dispensation given by the town's council, in the case where you've lost a family member and would like to visit them from afar.

Odile is a fatherless student approaching the end of her school career. In the valley where she lives, this means that you're supposed to know what you want to do and start competing for internships that will determine whether you'll be placed in a job you want. I was never sure why this was necessary. In all, there seemed to be more restrictions on the townspeople than really seemed necessary. Obviously, running into another version of yourself could have consequences, but to me this didn't seem enough. I mean, why couldn't you work for a couple years in the bakery, and then later go into the forestry department or similar? Why is everyone locked into a job immediately?

The story follows Odile's attempt to gain an internship that her overbearing, alcoholic mother wants her to have. She herself doesn't seem to have much motivation, which I can relate to given her strange situation. She hasn't had many friends up till now but takes up with a group at this time. She gains momentum and confidence in the internship program thanks to these relationships, but when one boy goes missing, everything falls apart for her. The rest of the story talks about how her life progresses when the job she wants isn't attained and she has this loss to contend with. You'll see the ending coming a mile away.

Overall, the writing was good. I absolutely could envision this world the author created, and all the people inside it. The plot was sufficient and the characterizations were okay. I just couldn't imagine living in this depressing place, and I couldn't figure out why anyone would attempt to better themselves here given the limitations of their home. However, if you like a darker, quieter story, this may not be the detractor I felt it was.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I like this book quite a bit. The premise was interesting once you bought into it and didn't worry about any plot holes. It seemed to go on a little too long, but I did like the characters and the way they were drawn out, especially how they changed over time. When we looked at the characters 20 years later, it was such a stark contrast and based on my life now that I'm middle-aged, I can relate to it.

The story at the heart of the book seems basic as you read the first 3/4 of the book, but when you get to the end wow what an ending! I'd recommend this to anyone who likes science fiction.

A carefully considered, slow-moving work of speculative fiction that explores the philosophical implications of time travel with a tremendous amount of heart. At first Scott Alexander Howard’s precise language borders on stiff, but the novel builds towards a surprisingly visceral climax. The world of identical valleys Howard introduces, each 20 years removed in time from its neighbor, is unique and well utilized.

The first part of the novel follows young Odile’s attempt to join the prestigious Consiel and contains sections that almost feel like a philosophical treatise. However as Odile ages and her life travels in unexpected directions, Howard focuses more on the emotional impacts of the strange world he has created. The novel avoids most of the pitfalls of time travel stories by keeping the rules clear, being almost entirely character driven, and sticking the landing. Even if you don’t like speculative fiction, this book has strong characters and a compelling narrative.

Alexander Howard's debut novel, The Other Valley, is an enjoyable work of speculative fiction. The main character, Odille, takes the reader on a gut-wrenching journey in a valley that is neighboring itself 20 years in the future and twenty years in the past. In this world, bereaved residents of the valleys can petition the council to cross the valley's borders to sneak a glance at late family members. Odille, now on the council, must face the intricacies of human emotion and the time continuum.
The Other Valley is an exploration of the decisions we make, the lessons we learn, and all the unintended
consequences waiting for us in the future. While the journey through The Other Valley is not a cheerful one, the story of a young protagonist managing their present, past, and future is as captivating as it is daunting.

I cannot wait to pick up Howard's next work!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC! This book publishes February 27, 2024.

4.5 stars

There is a town within a valley. To the west is an identical town in an identical valley, but 20 years in the past. To the east is an identical town in an identical valley, but 20 years in the future. There are fences and guards preventing anyone from crossing the borders without approval from the Conseil, a branch of the government that manages the interactions between the valleys. One can request to visit another valley as part of their grieving process after the loss of a loved one, for example, but the request may be approved or denied by the Conseil based on how likely the requestor is to interfere with the timeline of the other valley. Those visiting other valleys must wear masks hiding their identities and not interact with residents, to prevent disastrous ripple effects throughout their world. 

Odile is a quiet and bullied 16-year-old when she happens to see and identify visitors from another valley. They're the parents of a boy in her class, Edme, come to catch a glimpse of him in her valley, which Odile knows means his death is imminent. She reveals her knowledge to her teacher, which leads to her being sworn to secrecy but landing the opportunity to compete for a Conseil apprenticeship. On track for the life she's always wanted, Odile should be thrilled. But she finds herself growing closer and closer to Edme, and more conflicted than ever. There are laws for a reason, and while leaving Edme to his fate feels wrong, altering the timeline could have even worse consequences. 

I don't want to give too much away besides the synopsis because man this book blew my mind. On the surface, it's such a simple concept, but the more you think about it and the deeper you get into the story, the more you see the potential ripple effects of a world like this, and it's fascinating. I loved the exploration of the logistics and mechanics of the world, and the way it made me think about fate vs. free will. If you grew up loving 2010s dystopian books this might hit just the right spot in your adult brain, like it did for me. The only thiing I will flag here is that this book doesn't use quotation marks for dialogue. It really confused me at first, and if I'd known that before I might not have requested the ARC. Once the story got going and my brain got used to it I didn't mind as much as I feared I would, but definitely a bizarre choice. I think it's worth the read anyway, but brace yourself. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh deal is a senior she’s 16 years old and lives in
Section 02 The middle Valley that sits in between the past in the future her mother insist she try out for the concierge an elite occupation for the lucky few who get to see petitioners wanting to go to the future or rarely to the past. Her teacher Mr. Pettigrew has the task of referring two people to the class and Odile through luck or some thing else is one of the two. For the most part ODL stays on her own but for a while she became friends with Edwin and a lawn to boys who are best friends love to laugh and protected Odile from bullies Tom and Hank. When she started the rounds at the concierge through juxtaposition she also became friends with Joe whose father was already a member of the elite panel. Joe was also one of the richest girls in the valley and best friends with Justina who thought herself in love with the lawn. Do to oh deal and Edwin hanging out together she started having feelings for him he was a violin prodigy and going against his parents wishes made an appointment to try and get in the music school although his parents had other plans for him. When Edwin goes missing it changes everything for Odile and others I was blown away by all the positive reviews I read for this book I don’t know where to start the summary because I really didn’t get the point of the book I get the question why would you change if you knew the future whether it be yours or someone else’s and would you sacrifice your own happiness for another blah blah blah I just found this book quite boring it took me three different times to finally finish the book I didn’t like how it seemed everyone with the exception of Ramen and a couple of others when they talk to old deal they usually sneered and stared I just said unkind things to her I also couldn’t get a good hold on Odeals personality especially the decision she made about the concierge (The name of it is not the concierge the due to the fact I am dictating that is what it keeps putting so I’m leaving it is that.) I have really been striking it out lately with Books I will not totally right off this author and will give his books another chance in the future I just found this one quite boring and didn’t grasp the point. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This book gave me vibes of an adult Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

It was a great novel that was different than anything I've read in recent years. We've all read plenty of time travel, but this was done differently. Well done.

Fantastic storytelling by Scott Alexander Howard.

In the valley, there is a town with heavily guarded borders. In the next valley is the same town, only 20 years in the future, and then next to that valley, the same town 20 more years in the future.

The Conseil is an esteemed position and Odile is the top candidate. The Conseil decided who can cross the borders between the valleys.

Odile sees a glimpse of two people from the future valley, who she realizes are the parents of the boy she loves. But the boy is nowhere to be found.
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This is a book of science fiction, speculative fiction, or one of deep fantasy. There is one question throughout: Can you change the present when you catch a glimpse of the future.?

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

The Other Valley centers around Odine a teenage girl struggling to find herself among her peers and what her future career will hold, as it is time for her class to be assigned to apprenticeships or jobs. The neighboring valleys, which are out of bounds, are twenty years apart: behind in time to the west, ahead in time to the east. Odine will be forced to make decisions which can alter her life, her friends, and the village as a whole.
This was such a lovely reading experience. The main character's voice was lyrical and descriptive, more so than a teenager should be, but I loved it all the same. Such a well-paced story that kept me flipping pages and sad to get to the end. In one sentence, I might call this The Giver for adults.