The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard is a fabulously gripping novel, with a main character that is an interesting mix of hopeful and tragic that keeps the reader turning the pages anxiously to the end.
I have been known to say, repeatedly, that time travel gives me a headache, but the unique concept of this novel intrigued me so much that I couldn't resist picking it up. The tale of Odine grabs the reader, and it is more the series of choices she makes and the resulting events that sweep her away than the time travel element itself that makes the book so riveting.
With this book, Howard establishes himself as a premier storyteller, and I look forward to what he does next.
And I'm happy to report that I did not, in fact, get a headache.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheOtherValley.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard ~ This book won't be out until February but I was lucky enough to get access to an early digital galley through @netgalley & then had a happy day when a print galley showed up on my desk at work 🥹

The Other Valley is recommended for fans of Emily St. John Mandel, David Mitchell, and Kazuo Ishiguro & I highly agree with this recommendation! The story follows Odile Ozanne, who is 16 years old & lives in a valley between two other valleys, the one to the west is 20 years behind her valley & the one to the east is 20 years in the future. Residents from the valleys can ask for permission to visit one of the other valleys to see loved ones either in the past or future, although permission is given only in certain circumstances.

When I began this reading journey, I felt disoriented & I found the book much more enjoyable when I just let it pull me along through the tale. It's an interesting story, not just because of the uncanny setting, but moreso because at its heart it is about humanity & coming-of-age & love.

Overall I really really enjoyed this book. Oh and the author is BC-based which always gets bonus points from me! Read BC!

Thank you to @simonschusterca for the galleys 🤗

#TheOtherValley #ScottAlexanderHoward #bookstagram #books2024 #canlit #readbc

The Other Valley is the story of a woman, Odile, growing up in a town in a valley neighboured by its own past and future. Travel one way and you are twenty years in the past, travel the other way and you’ll find yourself twenty years in the future. Travel itself is highly restricted and determined by the Conseil, the governing body that Odile is attempting to become a part of. But when she accidentally recognizes visitors from the future, she finds herself drawn to a boy who seems doomed to die and grappling with her own future.

I wanted to like this more than I actually did. This book certainly deserves the praise it is receiving and there are people I can see myself recommending it to, it just didn’t quite work for me.

The concept, valley, and implications of time travel were all handled spectacularly. It was a really interesting read at times, and I am still thinking about the implications of Odile’s actions and what it would mean for the future.

The ending of the story was the strongest part for me. Everything really came together, the emotions were strong, the stakes were high, and the underlying implications had me questioning everything. If I had known it was heading in this direction I think I might have read the story much faster, but I spent much of the earlier parts wondering what kind of story this was actually going to be.

My biggest struggle may have been Odile herself. There were times in the beginning when I found myself wondering at her age (meant to be 16) and feeling that she fluctuated between being too immature and also too mature. For much of the story, she is very passive and depressive, making it feel like a very slow, melancholic read for a story that is already very internally focused. Much of what happens, happens to her rather than because of her.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, Atria, and NetGalley for making the DRC available to me. All opinions are my own.

In an unknown valley, there are three villages set in the past, present and future. Contact between the villages can only be arranged via petitions to see a long lost loved one. The petitions are reviewed by the villages conseil and then approved or denied.

Odile lives in an unknown valley with three identical villages set in the past, present and future. Contact between the villages can only be arranged in the form of mourning tours if the village conseil approves petitions submitted by bereaved residents. Odile has applied for a position on the conseil. She sees and recognizes two mourners she shouldn’t and is sworn to secrecy. She then finds herself in a difficult position as she has also become friends with the person who is supposed to die. She is torn by what she should do—should she risk her own future or let the natural course of events happen.

Initially I found the book difficult to read because of its oppressive atmosphere and dystopian feel—the rules, the caste system, the angst. So I set it aside for a while, then came back to it and read it right to the end. I’m glad I did so, because in the end I found I quite liked this novel. Even though I've finished the book, I still wonder whether it was choice or fate that lead to the final outcome. I think this novel would be a good book club read, as I think its premise would cause a lot of discussion.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All of the opinions offered in this review are solely my own.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book! I thought that the concept was so fun and original and I enjoyed the story. For me the timelines were just a bit confusing and the fact that the dialogue isn't in quotation marks made me a little confused while reading because at times it would be challenging to separate the dialogue from the text and the inner monologue of Odile. Overall I thought it was a great and captivating story but the writing style wasn't my favourite.

I liked the idea of this story where Valleys divide past and future parallel lives. It reminded me a little of the 2013 movie Oblivion.

This story is about decisions and choices when you already know the future and have an opportunity to change it

This book hooks you right from the beginning. The premise is unique: three valleys twenty years apart, linked by the characters within a valley. The idea that, with approval, you can visit your past or future self. That idea gives the idea for compassion in grieving, the ability to go back and view a loved one just once more.

But what happens if you see something your shouldn't? A visitor that you were never meant to see. Would it affect the future? Can you back and change the past? And what happens to you if you did.

I was half way into the book before I even realized there weren't quotation marks around dialogue. The voice is just that fresh and gripping. I'd recommend this book to anyone who like alternative fiction, or dystopian fiction as it has that kind of feel to it.

I'd rate this one higher than five stars if I could. It's the kind of book that goes onto my favourites of all time and will stay there. The kind I'd read again and again and enjoy every time.

Get ready for this mind-bending book coming out in February of 2024. Odile is a 16 year old girl living in a valley. A valley with intense security. She has to write a paper that will affect her future. The paper has to answer the question: If you could leave, would you travel west or east? Why is this such a big deal? If you travel to the valley to the west, you go back in time 20 years. If you travel east, you go forward in time 20 years. Suspend all beliefs and get ready to be swept up in this story.

The Other Valley is one of the most unique books I've read in ages. I can't believe this is a debut novel! It's a fantastic journey from beginning to end that will leave you filled with a crazy mixture of happiness and sadness.

Odile lives in a valley bordered by two exact same valleys, one 20 years ahead in time and the other 20 years behind. She is vying to become a member of the Conseil, the group which decides whether applicants can be permitted to cross the border between valleys to see lost loved ones. One day she sees two such applicants from across the border and realizes they are the parents of her close friend. She is forbidden from warning her friend of his impending death. This is Odile’s coming of age story and poses the question of would you change things if you could.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and really enjoyed the first half of it. Once the book unexpectedly switches to Odile’s life as an adult, my interest started to wane. Thankfully the final section of the book pulled me back in and was very enjoyable. The book is well written, the characters and situations are intense, and the dilemmas in the story make you think. I did find it odd that no quotation marks were used to indicate what was said.

Overall this is a strong book.

The Other Valley is a profound literary novel about a young girl, Odille, who takes you on a heartfelt journey in a valley that is neighbored to itself 20 years in the past and 20 years in the future. It is an intriguing concept about time and how interference amongst towns is highly lethal; just one small interaction in the past can completely alter the history of the neighboring valleys, which is why travel amongst them is highly restricted. Only family members of those who have passed away may petition to travel to view another valley.

But one day Odille recognizes two visitors from the future as the parents of the boy she loves. Once she sees them, she knows that he is about to die and that she can't say or do anything to prevent it... or can she?

In summary, this Scott Alexander Howard has delivered a captivating novel that prompts readers to reflect on the intricacies of human nature and the choices that define our lives. I highly recommend this book because of the compelling blend of time travel, relationships, character development and profound storytelling!

Thank you to NetGalley for the privilege of being able to read this in advance copy of its February release in exchange for an honest review!

#comingofage #timetravel #foundfamily #moraldilemna

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reminiscent of "The Giver". It follows sixteen-year-old Odile as she prepares for training and selection, aspiring to become a council member. Council members bear the responsibility of determining whether visitors are allowed to travel to the valley to the east, set 20 years in the future, or the valley to the west, set 20 years in the past. The dynamic among all community members in the valley and the precarious consequences of their actions in both their own and neighbouring valleys will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this wonderful novel. I will be on the lookout for more from Scott Alexander Howard.

I was enrolled in this book from the very first page! The concept is interesting & unique & really loved loved loved the ending. From u love able characters & although a bit of a slow burn, I still really enjoyed the storyline overall. I was completely imersed in the world & story!

The Other Valley is a story of a young woman set in a valley surrounded by other valleys, each twenty years apart, where bereaved residents can petition the Council to cross borders on “mourning tours” to get a glimpse of lost loved ones in the past or the future. But when a young councilor-in-training inadvertently spots two visitors from the future— the grieving parents of a boy she loves— will she challenge fate and the rules of the Council?
It is well written and moves along nicely but I found some parts of it a little stilted which may have more to do with the society depicted than the style.
Overall it is an interesting premise exploring the human condition of growing up in a stilted society.

This was definitely not the book I thought it was based on the premise, it is not my style at all and I was not able to get through it and needed to DNF.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the privilege of being able to read this in advance of its February release in exchange for an honest review! The Other Valley is truly incredible and might be my favourite thing I’ve read all year. To put into perspective how engrossed I was in this book: I was reading this on my kindle in rush hour traffic on a bus home, looked up to find that I had missed my stop which is the last stop you are able to exit before entering a notoriously gridlocked bridge crossing into another city (Lionsgate for any Vancouverites). Upon realizing I now had to suffer through rush hour traffic both ways on this terrible bridge, I was surprised to find I felt at peace because it meant that I got to spend more time with this book before the rest of my evening.

The characters have so much heart - the coming of age, family drama, and ethical dilemmas of fate vs free will of the first act on its own were amazing, and the premise of the villages and time travel is interesting yet simple enough that it won’t be inaccessible/confusing to those who usually wouldn’t pick up a novel about time travel. Even then, I’d hesitate to say this is a novel “about” time travel - it’s about so much more but just set in a village where that is a given. Despite how engrossed I was, this isn’t an edge of your seat thriller - its literary, thoughtful, and slow to medium paced other than the last ~10% of the book which I’ll warn you to clear your schedule for because you won’t be able to put it down. As the book neared its end I wondered how it could possibly wrap up in a way that made sense and did justice to the rest of the novel without feeling rushed, and it went beyond my expectations.

In short: absolutely loved this, and hats off to Scott Alexander Howard for a stunning debut!

The idea of mutli linear existence is pretty mystifying. And knowing that there is a chance that a person you know could change life in an instant and you wouldn't even be aware?

Odile, sweet shy, Odile. Being privy to a secret no one should have to hold...

This is such an amazing read, I had to stop and catch my breath at times.

The concept of this book was very interesting and the writing was wonderful. This book will stay with me long past when I closed the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy. I really enjoyed this book. The whole concept of the story really made me think, what would I do 9f there was a chance I could change my past or glimpse my future. What would happen if we interfered not only to us but to others in our lives. Everyone should read this.

A fascinating speculative premise and a read I absolutely could not put down for almost exactly the first half (Part1). Although this reader did find the pacing and characterization of the second half (Part 2) less rewarding, overall this is a stunning read - original, interesting and well worth exploring for the ideas examined alone.

Telling the story is our first person POV narrator Odeline, a strange and socially awkward sixteen-year-old, who may be finding herself in love for the very first time. Through Odeline’s eyes, the author weaves a world that is both mesmerizing and chilling (reminiscent in many ways of the excellent Shirley Jackson) occupying a reclusive rural valley, with a community of equally eery and emotionally-unapproachable characters - each of whom you can almost understand, and relate to, on an emotional level, but somehow, not quite get there. Although the location and timescape of this world (or series of worlds) is never revealed, it’s clear that these people are and will remain somewhat ‘alien’ (or other), perhaps due in part to their deeply suppressed and imminently bizarre lives.

Bound into a village in a deep valley that is surrounded, on the east and the west, by a chain of identical valleys and villages, (each of which is mostly forbidden to access by inhabitants of any other place), these villages are in effect the world transposed twenty years forward into the future, and twenty years backward into the past, as you travel east or west from the world in the center. Presumably, ad infinitum. The citizens of this worldly time warp live with weird and unfathomable cultural and enforced restrictions, aimed at keeping the boundaries of their temporal reality safe and unmuddied, all of which is fiercely guarded by the formidable Conseilors (rule-makers) and their gendarmes (foot soldiers).

Within this spectacular setting, the author explores heady and mind-expanding issues such as - what exactly controls the unfolding of time - and are we bound to its singleminded linear passage? Can we reverse it or escape it, and are there doors for alternate choices?

What exactly would each of us do differently, if we had the experiential foreknowledge of specific outcomes? Of grief, and the heartbreak of pain, and loss?

I loved the authors head-on exploration of these ideas, and find myself still puzzling out some of the related plot maneuvers.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.