I’m sure all of us have wondered what if. All those little -- and big -- choices that we’ve made throughout our lives. What they would have led to, where we’d be today had we chosen a different path. If, Then explores what would happen if we got a glimpse of these once possible other lives. The plot is mostly slow-moving and even when big things happen, the focus is almost entirely on the characters’ internal lives. Kate Hope Day is a remarkably good writer, and I was surprised to find this was her debut novel. She writes flawed, believable characters whose lives you will truly care about. It’s hard to delve too much into without reaching “spoiler” territory, but I’ll try.

Ginny was probably my favorite character (although I’m probably biased because she’s queer). She starts out as the stereotypical woman-who-can’t-have-it-all, a surgeon who doesn’t have time for her family, but as her thoughts and experiences are exposed to us she becomes her own person outside of the trope she lives. I do wish that her husband, Mark, had felt a bit more sympathetic to me, but I think that’s also due to some personal bias. It was interesting to see how Ginny’s perception of their relationship seemed to change the nature of the relationship itself, although Mark had something to do with that as well.

Samara is deep into mourning the loss of her mother, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship explored in a different way than Ginny and Mark’s. Most would assume that the death of a person ends your relationship with them, but it was clear that Samara’s bond with her mother was able to strengthen even after the death of the latter. I liked how this was displayed, through Samara imagining the things her mother would say and how those things shifted after Samara’s impression of her had changed.

Last but not least, I just adored Cass and seeing how her relationship with herself changed. Cass is a new mother and former doctorate student who put her studies on hold in order to care for her child. After giving birth, she lost all motivation to write and sees no way of returning to her former life in academia. As someone with depression and chronic fatigue, I can relate to having the need to do something while also lacking the ability to do it. Watching Cass grapple with this internal struggle felt simultaneously saddening and inspiring. With not just Cass, but the entire cast of characters, Day shows that change, even when necessary, is not easy.

What I really loved was the ending. There is a slowly rising wave of emotions building throughout the novel that come to a thrilling climax near the end. The aftermath of this wave is examined in a thoughtful and realistic light, and Day makes no promises of easy happy endings. She recognizes that although things are hopeful for these characters and their futures, difficulties still lie ahead. I’m no longer satisfied by carefree endings and enjoy the more nuanced world Day was able to provide. The journey of these characters is not at an end, and that is made clear to the reader. I put down the book with a surge of emotion, and hope that Day’s next novel will give me a similar experience.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

I'm not big on sci-fi books. They're either hit or miss for me, there's not really an in between. Unfortunately, for me this was a miss.

I feel like it did have an interesting premise but I just couldn't get into it. It felt incredibly slow and tedious to sit through, where nothing happened until the end and even that wasn't too exciting. The characters were all flat and bland, none of them really interesting or having any growth through out.

It wasn't written poorly it just overall wasn't for me.

If, Then follows several characters who live in the shadows of Broken Mountain in Clearing, Oregon who begin to witness alternate versions of their own lives. A scientist lives like a hermit in the woods and sees his wife living with a different partner. The scientist sees impending disaster and tries to protect his family. Dead parents are alive. A new mom sees herself pregnant again.

I enjoyed the premise of the book, and the characters were engaging and interesting to follow. In its “if, then,” supposition (if this happens, then this happens, if that happens, something else happens), Kate Hope Day’s book reminded me a little bit of Kate Atkinson’s “Life after Life.”

I’ve been fortunate to read a number of really excellent books so far in 2019. That being said, I’d call this one good, and worth a spin if you like stories that play with altered reality.

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I loved this book! It kept me turning pages and with likeable characters that made me want to know more about what was happening. I DNF 50% because I couldn’t find any gifts to include in our box but this is one I will definitely be picking up in the future to see what happened.

This copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a debut novel and it feels every inch of it. Though I kept thinking to myself this would be visually very beautiful I think, because of Day's being new to the publishing world that her idea, (which is a really interesting one) suffered from her weaker skill as an new author. This isn't to say she can't improve with time, It just felt very surface level. Especially with the characters, I didn't feel attached or really cared (or didn't cared for that matter) for any of them. The only proactive of the main characters Mark, was the only one moving the story forward so he was the must interesting to me.

It feels like 60% of this book is build up for not very much... It does start to get more interesting towards the end but I hate when books do that. Why do I have to suffer through most of the book only to get a marginal payoff? That's not good build up or good writing in my opinion. This book had a really interesting idea which is what pulled me to it initially, but the execution was done in a way that made me feel nothing for the characters or their eventual outcome. I read that this book has been optioned for TV rights so lets hope that an adaption would improve on the already good concept.

I’m really into science-fiction TV and movies: Star Trek, Star Wars… I love them both. Weirdly enough, however, is that my enthusiasm for the genre hasn’t really translated much over to literature. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when stories take place in an alternate reality (like Harry Potter or any of the great YA trilogies), but I’d not consider much that I’ve read science-fiction… if anything.

That’s why when I saw the description for If, Then by Kate Hope Day in NetGalley, I thought this would be a great way to marry science-fiction with literary fiction and maybe push me into the genre a little more. But boy, this book really wasn’t what I thought I was signing up for.

Synopsis
Four neighbours from Clearing, Oregon begin to experience something strange: Themselves, but not themselves, in glimpses of a reality that could have been. Ginny, a surgeon who spends more time at work than at home, sees herself happy again, sleeping with one of her co-workers. Mark, her husband, sees an impending doom to not just his family, but those around them, too. Samara, who is mourning the death of her mother, keeps seeing her mom everywhere—like she never left. And finally, there’s Cass, a new mother and a scholar, who sees herself pregnant again, when all she wants to do is jump back into work.

What happens when everyone is experiencing something no one wants to talk about, for fear of being called crazy?

My musings
I’m going to be honest here: I almost didn’t finish this book. The characters were just regular people, living regular lives, and though that sometimes makes the book relatable, in this case, it meant that I felt absolutely nothing was happening.

Sure, there were people having these visions of an alternate reality, but no one was doing anything about it; they were just sort of accepting it as is. And Cass didn’t even start seeing these visions until three-quarters of the way through the book… and I was beginning to question what she was doing there.

I was really hoping there was going to be a sci-fi story here…and there wasn’t. There is an explanation as to what happens to these people, but I found it unsatisfying. The only reason I gave it that extra half star was because I like the way Cass’s storyline didn’t quite fit into everyone else’s. I like that she was the piece that didn’t quite fit. It made for a slightly more interesting conclusion.

But if you’re looking for some big mystery to be solved, some bad guy to catch or some science-fictiony twist, you’re not going to get it. What you get is the story of these ordinary people, doing ordinary things and sharing a common experience. Which is a great big metaphor for life, I suppose. Look for it in stores everywhere on March 12.

1.5 STARS

The review will go live on March 11 on my blog, The Modest Reader. (https://modestreader.com/2019/03/11/if-then)

Suspenful, quick read that was hard to put down. In the beginning, it reminded me so much of Pines by Blake Crouch, mountain small-town mystery, that my expectation of the novel skyrocketed. I loved how Pined trilogy kept surprising.
If, Then novel is more about people than surprises. The characters deal with glimpsing the other versions of lives and make unexpected choices. I very much enjoyed this speculative story and its writing style. Looking forward to more books by the author. I would recommend this book, not to sci-fi lovers, but women fiction lovers.

Expected publication: March 12th!

Congrats to Kate Hope Day on a successful first novel. I simply adored the concept as well as the telling of If, Then.

Do you ever think about how your life would have turned out if you made a different decision somewhere along the way? This book challenges the reader to stretch their imagination and consider their own alternate realities while experiencing the journeys of several characters in a sleepy mountain town. Each of the various characters in this book have a story to tell and each of them struggles with inner demons. But, when they begin experiencing some paranormal activity in the form of what they think are hallucinations, they wonder if they're catching a glimpse into what could have been or if they're just going crazy.

I really enjoyed this entire book from start to finish. It is relatively short so makes for a quick read. And I felt that the characters were all distinct and relatable. It was easy to envision each person trekking their way through life, overcoming their daily struggles, discovering themselves. And the way each of their stories interconnected was done wonderfully.

I would characterize this more as a "slow burn" as it wasn't terribly fast moving. But while it was on the slower side in terms of movement, I never found myself bored. Kate Hope Day was able to strike a good balance.

Overall, this was a very solid novel with some interesting philosophical content. I would recommend to anybody who tends to like books that make you think on a deeper level.

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Hope Day, and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to review.-

I loved If,Then. The characters were real and so believeable. Ginny and Mark could have walked out of the neighbors house and right into this book. Seriously, if you read nothing else this year, read this.

This book was just not as thrilling or interesting as I had expected. I feel like the eeriness of seeing different dimensions/timelines was not conveyed as much I as has hoped it would be and the fact that there were even alternate timelines to begin with was not portrayed clearly enough. This is one of those books where, if it was doubled in size, it probably would have made more sense and the plot would have been a fully developed one but this just left me feeling confused and not sure of what the point actually was. The individual character plots did not mesh or combine very well and it felt disjointed overall. Again, there was hope for this book and the writing style was not terrible, but a lot of work and more story would be needed to really accomplish what I think this book was aiming for.

This book was a bit like floating down a river, seeing sticks and leaves floating by and disappearing, little rapids popping up occasionally - wait, is that a rock? No? Oh, okay, keep on floating. Someone claims to see that rumored 100-year-old catfish lurking just out of view towards the bottom, but it was probably just light angles and imagination. Confused yet? That's how this book felt. Fine, for a bit, but the shifting alternating realities or whatever the what they were just really didn't quite work for me. I constantly felt like I was supposed to be keeping track of which version of people were I'm the same story line, but it really was pointless. I mean I get that it was like a "what if this other version of yourself didn't drink that orange juice for breakfast? Would the world change?" - but, meh. I was entertained for a few days, but struggled with the point, ultimately. Fine writing and character development, so full points to Gryffindor.

This was a somber, quiet read that also sparked some wonderful moments of beauty. The characters were alive, vivid, and the story was unique without being so far-fetched that it removed you from the world Day created. Really happy I had a chance to read this one.

n general, I am a fan of Sci-Fi books that involve alternate realities or characters that see things but don’t know if what they are seeing is actually there or just their imagination.  (Is there a sub-genre out there for this type of book?)  Kate Hope Day has managed to write a book that contains these elements disguised as a family drama that leaves the reader satisfied but also wanting more.  I could see this book being a great pick for book clubs because there is a lot to discuss and dissect.


In Clearing, Oregon, four neighbors are about to see things they can’t believe.  Ginny, a surgeon, suddenly sees her friend and co-worker Edith laying in her bed instead of her husband Mark.   Mark sees a man he calls “other Mark,” a dirty and disheveled version of himself that seems to think something bad is about to happen.  Cass, a new mother whose husband is out of town working, sees a vision of herself pregnant again, just as she is about to make a life altering decision and Samara sees her mother, happy and healthy despite the fact that her mom died a year ago.    As these visions increase in regularity and intensity, everyone must decide how to react and if what they are seeing can be believed.

If there is one word that could sum up this book, it would be unraveling.  The unraveling of time, the unraveling of thoughts, the unraveling of relationships, and the unraveling of insanity.   Each character experiences a moment where they question their own sight and mind and wonder what is happening.  As the reader, it was great picking up on the small clues the author left throughout to try and piece together what was really happening.  Most books have one unreliable narrator-this book has four.  This book has a GREAT premise and had me hooked from page one.   Hope Day packs a lot of character development into 272 pages and manages to give each character enough time to develop as well as explore their visions in a way that didn’t seem rushed to me.   Honestly, this book could have been longer and I wouldn’t have complained but I appreciate an author who knows how many pages their story needs and doesn’t feel the need to add unnecessary plot.   While reading, I was afraid there wouldn’t be a meaningful resolution or that things would be left unanswered. Hope Day does a good job of wrapping things up while still leaving some open-ended story lines…but I don’t feel the need for a sequel.  It’s an interesting ending and I am very curious to see how other readers will react to it.

I would recommend this book to people who don’t mind reading something without many answers and who like domestic dramas with a dash of science fiction.  The writing was well done and the characters were great.  I could definitely see this being a top book club pick this year for its discussion worthy plot and ending.

I went into this book really not knowing too much about it. I love anything with parallel universes and alternate realities. I thought this book was gorgeously written, thought-provoking and I loved the four main characters and how they dealt with their alternate realities. Part sci-fi, part drama, compulsively readable. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if you love books like Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.

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

In her novel, If, Then, Kate Hope Day tackles some significant challenges in creating a plot that moves seamlessly between complicated characters in crises as their own alternate realities appear to them as if in hallucination after they hear the earth rumble. She pulls it off exceptionally well, leaving just a few lingering clarifying questions and the sense of having read something unique and remarkable. In the few places where the logistics confuse, the reader moves on so quickly in the plot that confusion is left behind as the reader deeply re-engages with what comes next. An ambitious undertaking that satisfies.

I suppose we've all asked ourselves the question....If .... I made this choice .... Then ....how would my life be different? That is the question that Kate Hope Day explores in this novel.

Clearing, Oregon - in a neighborhood just like any other - four neighbors experience alternate realities via hallucinations or visions.

Ginny - devoted surgeon and married mother of an 11 year old son suddenly has a vision that she and a female co-worker and friend are romantically involved.

Mark - Ginny's husband and scientist has a vision of himself filthy and in tattered clothing after what appears to be some sort of volcanic explosion

Samara - has a vision of her recently deceased mother that she is still mourning.

Cass- a new mother that is just barely coping and wishes to return to her career has a vision that she is pregnant again.

I won't even attempt to tell you that I understood what was happening in this book but, still, I couldn't stop turning the pages. The premise was just so compelling and the writing is fabulous. I felt as if the author really transported me to this cul-de-sac neighborhood in Oregon. While I liked all of the characters in this book (WHAT? THAT NEVER HAPPENS!) it was Mark's story that really had my attention. I found the ending to be satisfying. 4 visionary stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Three women and one man see their lives in an another dimension. Seeing how they could makes them see different possibilities of their current life. This was an interesting premise and while the writing was good, there was something that felt missing to the overall story to me. Honestly, couldn't figure out. Another reader might love it or might feel like me.

Members of a small community see versions of themselves and try to figure out how to cope with this new reality.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the book, but I didn't feel fully satisfied or a sense of accomplishment upon finishing it. The story involves four people living at the base of an inactive volcano in Oregon who are just going about their lives when they start to see things. Are those things real? It is their imagination? No, it seems to be a parallel universe, or a multiverse.

I felt like the story was moving along and then just quickly wrapped up but left me with questions and confusion. I wish it would have been a little more detailed and in depth.

As many other reviewers have said, it is written as if it were a television show, I guess I agree with that. I like the idea of the story, but not the way in which it was carried out.

I stopped reading at 60% in the book. I thought this would be more sci-fi but it reads more like a general fiction book with a sprinkle of sci-fi. Four people in a small town see visions of a parallel universe. They start to question how they are living their lives. The story was a bit mundane and I didn’t really care why the visions happened or how the books ends.