The Other Year
By Rea Frey
Publish Date August 15, 2023
4.5

Review:

What a tug at your heart! It doesn’t matter if you are a parent, this book will make you cry for Kate. The parallel gives shows the struggle for losing a child and the other of still having her. You will have to be in the right mind set to read this wonderfully written book.

I really enjoyed it being narrated by Brittany Pressley.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the advance reader.

Description:

Can the entire course of a life be traced back to a single moment?

On a coveted two-week beach vacation, working mom Kate Baker’s nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, vanishes suddenly among the waves—a heart-dropping incident that threatens to uproot her entire reality. But in the next moment, Olivia resurfaces, joyously splashing.

What would I do if she didn’t come up? Kate wonders. How would I live without her?

In another set of circumstances that hold a different fate, Kate doesn’t have to wonder. Because in that “other” world, in the pulse-pounding seconds after Olivia goes under, she doesn’t come back up.

Told in parallel timelines, Kate begins to live two lives—one in which Olivia resurfaces and one in which she doesn’t. In the reality that follows her daughter’s death, she maneuvers through every mother’s worst nightmare, facing grief, rage, and the ques¬tion of purpose in the aftermath of such profound loss. She endures, day by day, in a world without her daughter.

In her alternate timeline, while she explores a tremulous romance with her best friend, Jason, she finds herself grappling with the ex-husband who abandoned Kate and Olivia years prior. Even as Kate scrambles to hold her daughter close, Olivia pulls further away. The line between joy and loss seems to get thinner with each passing day.

Woven into a single story, both Kates discover a breathtaking fragility and resilience in their respective journeys. Bringing to light the drastic polarities dire circumstances often create, The Other Year explores truths about love, loss, and the sharp turns any life can take in the blink of an eye.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC by Rea Frey. I really enjoyed In Every Life by Frey so I couldn't wait to listen to this one. While I did enjoy the novel, I did find several things that were difficult for me; keeping track of the different timelines for starters. While both were written well, there was so much repetition between the two, it was kind of redundant. Also, a love triangle is one thing but to have three different men to choose from was just too much. I think the story would have flowed better with only two love interests for Kate. Lastly, I had a hard time accepting the fact that after less than a year of mourning, Kate finds love. But maybe life (and grief) really don't have a timeframe and it is possible to find love again while grieving the loss of your only child. I hope I never have to find out which brings me to my last point. This novel was very difficult to read as a parent. I did appreciate the forward by the author that prepared me for what I was about to read, but it was still sad nonetheless.

I received this book as an audiobook via NetGalley from Harper Muse publishing as an advanced listener copy. My review is my own and in no way influenced by anyone else.

Have you ever lost a loved one? Have you ever thought about what the trajectory of your life would have been had you not lost them? The Other Year follows Kate and 9-year old Olivia; one journey if a major event happens and one if it does not. I don’t recall having read a story with parallel timelines done in this way, but it works. The characters were likable, the story was engaging and I found myself wondering ‘where is this going?’

In the end, in a maybe not so surprising, yet heartwarming realization, left me feeling a bit of relief that maybe we do end up where we are supposed to be, even if the journey has twists and turns and is not the easy, smooth terrain we expect.

If you’re looking for a good wholesome read, this is one I would definitely recommend. I would certainly pick this up to read in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and Rea Frey for this heartwarming ALC.

This novel is heart-breaking and inspiring in the most beautiful ways. If you love a parallel timeline, with mom-guilt, friends to lovers drama, loss, and twists of fate, you'll enjoy this novel.

I adored this book so much. It's perfect for fans of "Sliding Doors" and stories where you can imagine how your life can veer into two different pathways.

This one made me cry and it's the most beautiful love story. It does have some triggers around cancer, loss of a loved one/death of a spouse.

It's an emotional, hopeful and heartbreaking story.

I love a sliding doors story and this did not disappoint. It struck a chord with me, as a mother. It was heartbreaking, eye opening, and an emotion ride. I loved the juxtaposition of the two scenarios, one where the worst can happen and one where it doesn't. This did not disappoint. The narrator was fantastic, which made the story that much better.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Following along on both journeys to learn about love after heartbreak and moving through grief. It was a beautiful book.

Through the main character Olivia, we are taken down two paths - one in which her daughter drowns in a split second of distraction, and one where her daughter reappears from beneath the water. Over the course of a year, we are shown the ways in which her life would differ depending on that singular moment.

This book was very moving, I highly recommend it.

Brittany Pressley is the narrator of this audio book by Rea Frey who is quickly becoming my new favorite author. The author has such a unique way of writing about painful events and explores multiple timelines to help us process the potential outcomes. This is the story of Kate Baker and the dual timelines of how her life would unfold with and without her 9 year old daughter Olivia. The book is brilliantly written by letting us see the path of Kates life in both timelines, will she survive this potential tragedy or will her timeline continue with her daughter.
Rea Frey takes us on this journey of the two paths Kates life could take and lets us weigh the impact being a parent has on all of the decisions of her life. The story is powerful and full of emotion. Have a box of Kleenex handy. This book will make you laugh and cry but ultimately will make you to ponder what if and what would change. Will life end up the same no matter what journey Kate ends up with. I loved the narrator of this book Brittany Pressley truly became Kate for me, I absolutely recommend this audio book a must listen

Hmm, okay, read, really emotional. The storylines revolve around a little girl, Olivia and her mom. In one story, the daughter dies in another, and she does not. There's a love triangle, the heroine, Jason, and Ian, and then there's an ex, Michael.

So, a lot is going on in this book. The audiobook was okay. I was not totally into this narrator.

#netgalley #theothe

I listened to this. Novel because I love. The voice talent of Brittany Pressley is used very well as the parellel storylines are told in different tones and styles.
I feel for Kate and though I have never suffered a tragedy of a child, I can only Imagine going through the pain and guilt alone as a single parent.
A heart stopper moment of turning around and your kid is gone is horrific feeling now keep that kind of feeling throughout a whole 10hourbook is so depressing. I felt so sad and burdened…even during the “good” storyline.
Wow, what a unique telling of a single mom’s struggle.

what an emotional story.
i loved this book even more than the first i listened of the same author.
tysm for the oportunity

The Other Year is an emotional roller coaster that explores the idea of "what-if" through two parallel stories - one in which tragedy strikes, and one where tragedy was narrowly avoided. I also really loved the mother/daughter themes in the story. The writing was very well done and authentic, and the story brought me to tears multiple times. Thought-provoking and deeply moving, this story will stay with me for a long time.

The Other Year by Rea Frey was one of my top books this year! This work is a poignant and beautiful look at grief, women's rich inner lives, and exploring our compounding impacts through a dual timeline. I loved the illustrative language and the detailed interactions between mother and daughter. The audiobook was well executed - the narrator was clear and had good intonation. I docked one star because I feel the book relies too heavily on the unnecessary romantic subplots in both timelines, and it hinders the messaging of moving through, not around, grief. Overall, this book was lovely, and with the obvious trigger warning for child death, I would recommend it widely.

I really enjoyed the idea of a dual/Sliding Doors storyline and found it easy to follow and switch between the two. I didn’t particularly find the characters likeable and the big focus on a love triangle was disappointing and distracted me from what should have been a gut wrenching and moving story. I think this is ultimately the reason I didn’t particularly care for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rea Frey and Harper Muse for this ARC . A positive review was not required, just my honest opinion.

I received this audiobook via NetGalley but opinions are my own.

Wow, I knew it would be going into it- but this is a tough one to get through, especially toward the beginning. The timeline where Olivia has died is absolutely heart wrenching. The narrator did a PHENOMENAL job. The anguish Kate went through was 100% felt through the narrator. Just when I thought I would have to stop listening and take a break it switched to the other, happy timeline.

I really appreciated the honesty the author shared in her note at the beginning of the book. This is my second audiobook by this author and while I enjoyed both, this one is my favorite of the two.

I have noticed my rating is higher than the average reviewer’s and I am aware I could be biased. While not the same, I have a child who I could have lost on more than one occasion due to health issues. As a result, I may have empathized and appreciated the effort, pain and thought that went into the timeline where Olivia drowned.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review!

This book is heart wrenching & deeply emotional. It's a story of a mother and her daughter who are at the beach for the mother's birthday. They are at the ocean and for a second, the mom looks away. The book separates very quickly into two alternating timelines...
one timeline is where her daughter resurfaces. the other, her daughter doesn't and she drowns.

This book had me crying every other chapter & I was wrecked. It also included so many different aspects of grief I wasn't expecting and was deeply touched to read about. I am not a mother but I plan on it someday, and I cannot imagine reading this as a mom. It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster throughout and the author knew exactly how to convey grief in such a well receiving way.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this book, it was beyond what I expected it to be!

This book was not what I expected and I hovered at 3 star feelings for the majority of it, then it came through a bit in the end.

A Sliding Doors story of dual realities based on one “what-if” moment. Kate, a single mom, watches as her daughter plays in the ocean and then disappears among the waves. In one reality, she pops back up after a brief moment, in the other, she does not surface.

Such a sad, but really interesting premise.

Unfortunately, this book seemed less about that and more about “which man should she choose to be with?”
Which was really not something I cared about at all, at least not in the timeline of grieving her lost daughter.

In the end, I’d have preferred an entire book dedicated to the more tragic timeline. It had more depth, I more to overcome, more story, and although the outcomes were both great, the journey to the outcome of timeline two mattered more to me.

Despite that, this was well-written, well-performed, and a decent read overall.

I know going into Rea Frey’s books I’m going to be in for an emotional ride. Her writing is amazing and she creates characters you can relate to and want them to be your friend. This book is told in two timelines in alternating chapters starting with a pivotal event. The timelines are different outcomes from the same event. What I kept looking for was events that happened in both timelines. Were certain things going to happen no matter the outcome of the pivotal event? Be ready to enjoy this book!

THE OTHER YEAR by Rea Frey is heartbreaking, full of grief and pain but also full of love and finding peace. In a second, Kate’s life changes forever when her daughter slips under the waves at the beach. In one timeline, her daughter pops back out of the water and they go on with their vacation. In the second timeline, Kate faces her worst nightmare living without her daughter. The second timeline is difficult to read and you feel her pain and grief. It’s interesting to read a unique story like this seeing where that one second difference took her life.

I highly recommend the audiobook for this one! It’s narrated by Brittney Pressley, who does a fabulous job as always.