Maybe in Another Life

Hannah has moved back to Los Angeles after city-hopping for a few years. To celebrate her homecoming, Hannah’s best friend, Gabby, takes her out with old friends. Among them is Hannah’s high school boyfriend, Ethan. The night comes to a close and Hannah must choose. Should she go home with Gabby or with Ethan? The book diverges into concurrent plots detailing just how one small decision can affect so much.

I really enjoyed this book, but it took me a while to get used to the dual realities. The chapters alternate between the realities so the timelines remain in sync. There were times it felt redundant, but I was reminded that this would be a moment when Hannah’s decision may not have affect anything. What was cool to see was how insignificant moments in one chapter/reality would be significant in the next.

The stories dealt with complex issues. There were several moments that broke my heart, but many that warmed it, too. One of the biggest questions throughout the book was, “Is anything meant to be?:”. The dual stories was a very clever way to explore this theme. Perhaps things are meant to be, or perhaps we just believe that whatever happened is fate.

I loved the characters and their quirks. I found i could relate to both Hannah and Gabby. The story kept me interested, but again, wasn’t as fast-paced as I would’ve liked. Chapters could feel a bit redundant when showing that some things will happen in both realities no matter what you choose. I think it would be very interesting to re-read the book one reality at a time. Overall, this was a great story with interesting format. Taylor Jenkins Reid does it again with another great book, and I cannot wait to read her others.