Sliding Doors is a movie that I happily rewatch again and again, and part of the appeal of this book was that it explores the idea of a “multiverse” of different lives formed by different decisions characters make. Having multiple narrators whose lives intersect added dimension and layers to this concept that was very satisfying. A well-written and interesting first novel that makes me want to read more from this author.

The whole time, I kept thinking "I wish she (the author) had done this instead," which I don't really love. However, it was an enjoyable read and I'm glad I read it.

Can speculative domestic dramas be a new trend? Because I would like to read at least five more books like this one. It takes the kind of complex character building I really enjoy and adds unexpected elements and surreal twists that keep it from feeling like anything close to the same old thing.

At the heart of this book is what usually exists just in your mind as you wonder what other paths your life could have taken if you'd made a different decision. But in this book, those other selves are ever-so-briefly made real to a group of characters in an Oregon town. In the middle of a normal day they will see, for an instant, another version of themselves that is much the same but slightly different. As these visions recur, they have varying consequences for everyone involved. A woman starts to wonder about the possibility of life with a female coworker by her side instead of her husband. A daughter views glimpses of her recently-dead mother planning a new start and starts to reconsider who her mother was.

I particularly loved Cass, the brilliant-philosopher-turned-new-mom who is not sure she will ever go back to finish her PhD. She reminded me of two other recent brilliant female characters in 2019 novels, in LOST AND WANTED and THE TENTH MUSE, and I am hopeful there are even more coming.

This is the kind of book that could do really well in a book club, generating a lot of discussion and a good way to dip your toe into speculative fiction for clubs that may be hesitant to move into genre novels.

I was excited to receive an ARC of this book from the publisher. This is an exciting, thought provoking, and suspenseful book. The comparison to Little Fires Everywhere is correct - I love seeing how each of the characters are connected to each other.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this. I was intrigued by the premise of this book, the time warping and lives unlived. I had high expectations going in. It could have been a great book, but the execution lacked something for me, unfortunately there were just too many holes in the story, too many instances where something was missing.

If, Then is a fictional book that follows neighbors in Clearing, Oregon. The "parallel realities" were super interesting to follow and I was compelled by the mystery of how they came into being and what they meant. Kate Hope Day's writing was distinct and clear and I really enjoyed this book.
4/5 stars

I love books that are creative and not something I've read before, so I was excited to pick up this one. I loved the premise of this book but I felt like the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. I also would have liked to have seen more of the alternate paths and how they differed. An interesting read!

I nudged "If, Then" up on my To Read list when I spent a rainy, foggy weekend in Oregon, and I am so happy that I did. Kate Hope Day tells an engrossing, poetic story, and the ambiance only helped me enjoy it even more. I always love a story told from intersecting multiple points of view, and this was done particularly well, especially as the reader gleaned background information about each character from the perspectives of others. Keeping the cast of characters relatively small also helped make each of them feel rich and tightly knit (in the way of a small town). They were also all immensely sympathetic -- even when they did or said things I found frustrating, it was hard to hold against them because I felt like I had a strong grasp on why they had just said or done that very thing.

The writing had a lilting pace, which I found extremely readable. I was particularly impressed at how Day managed to weave in both technical medical information and complex philosophical ideas into the narrative, and in such a way that didn't make the writing feel suddenly bogged down with details, or like the subject matters were being treated superficially.

The only thing I found somewhat lacking was a deeper exploration into exactly why the shifts between universes occurred. I didn't expect (or really want) a detailed explanation in the narrative -- but I was surprised not to see more questioning from the characters themselves as to why they might suddenly see a strange double. "Hallucination" is certainly one expected answer, but some more speculation or ideas from the characters might have opened up the possibilities for the readers in a fun and interesting way. I found it somewhat dissatisfying to just accept that it was happening without a little more. But really, that's a minor complaint -- on the whole, I found the book to be really wonderful and I can't wait to gift it to several friends. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

Beautifully written and thoughtful. I love a good Sliding Doors-style multiverse story and this one did not disappoint. I cared about the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. This book also had the most honest and vulnerable descriptions of new motherhood that I have read in a long time. Recommend.

This book was too slow and weird for me. I like weird and unusual but this was weird in the sense that there were times it didn’t make sense. I do like the premise of the story and at times I liked the direction it was heading but then it went away. First of all, I was more than halfway through when it dawned on me that there were overlapping timelines, which the author never alluded to, unless I totally missed it. And at the end this wasn’t explained at all. I wish I could explain how this was but it would be a major spoiler. Suffice it to say I got to the end and went “Hey! Wait a minute!” Also, the characters are too stiff. They’re not believable. I don’t think they’re developed enough. As I always say in my reviews, though, I would still suggest to my fellow readers to go for it. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t make it a bad boo’.

I'm not sure that I've ever read anything like If, Then. It's one part science fiction, one part literary fiction. Each of the well-developed characters in this novel are dealing with personal and family struggles in the midst of seeing themselves in parallel realities. Oh and a natural disaster is also imminent.. I found it to be fast-paced, keeping me hooked until the last page.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy.

I was hoping for a lot more from this novel. The cover really got me, and the premise sounded so cool. The content was lackluster at best.

Strong writing with an interesting premise. However, the story is si convoluted that you scratch your head after each chapter. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Great writing, but the book is more character study than a resolved story which isn't my cup of tea.

Neighbors in a small Oregon college town near a dormant volcano begin to see visions. Mark sees visions of disaster that push him to make preparations beyond all logic. His wife, Dr. Ginny McDonnell, observes herself living happily with a different partner. Samara Mehta watches her mother--who has been dead a month--prepare to sell the family house. And new resident Cass, a brilliant graduate student and new mother struggling to find balance, glimpses visions of herself pregnant.

The idea behind If, Then is fascinating, but the execution did not completely deliver. The book began with an interesting premise and the beginning was fueled by the question of the meaning of the visions and introduction of the characters.

Telling the story from four points of view provides variety and, in the case of the plot of this book, is absolutely necessary, but the characters are not all equally likable. And while I know it’s a reality for new parents, I did get tired of the descriptions of Cass’s baby’s incessant crying.

It seems clear that Kate Hope Day conducted careful research because there are meticulous details about Ginny’s surgeries and Mark’s research, but the narrative at times gets bogged down in these details, and they come at the expense of characterization. Some of the most interesting characters are secondary: Samara’s mother, Cass’s graduate advisor, and survivalist Harry, perhaps because they are among the few characters to have backstories.

With the lull in the middle of the book, I was hopeful the ending would provide a big payoff, but the denouement was rather anticlimactic and the visions and their “rules of engagement” weren’t consistent or explained.

If, Then is solidly written though and I think will appeal to readers who are interested in the “Theory of Everything” and the possibility of multiverses.

I loved ‘If, Then’ so much. Once I picked it up and started reading, I couldn’t put it down until the mind-bending, satisfying conclusion.

There are so many reasons why I loved this book. First, it was just beautifully written. I grew up in Oregon, and the descriptions are evocative and spot-on. I could almost smell the wet leaves and pine trees and feel the spatter of rain on my face. The characters are fully developed and engaging; I cared about what happened to them.

In addition to the descriptions and characterization, it was just a fascinating story. What is actually going on when Samara thinks she sees her dead mother? Who is that Other Mark, skulking about in the forest? What of Cass’s Theory of Everything and the possibility of a multiverse? The story could have been confusing or unbelievable, but it was so well done that it felt very real.

While I was reading, I couldn’t help but feel that the book is quite cinematic. I could definitely see this as a movie, and it could be great if done well.

Highly recommend this unexpected, original, satisfying book.

Four stars. A surprisingly lovely novel that is immensely readable. I’m sure this will be touted as sci-fi, but it’s really more about the characters and the choices that they make. Much like Little Fires Everywhere, I sank into this book and the beautiful writing. It all came together perfectly at the end. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If, Then is the story of 4 neighbors in the town of Clearing, Oregon. Mark is a wildlife scientist. Ginny is a successful surgeon. Samara is still grieving over the death of her mother. Cass is a scholar who is struggling to adjust to being a mother. Each of them has a vision. Mark’s vision, which consists of him living in a tent in the woods, makes him paranoid. Ginny sees herself in a relationship with a coworker. Samara sees her mother alive. Cass sees herself pregnant…again. The visions start coming more until the people affected start questioning their sanity. Why are they having these visions?

I started off liking If, Then. The author did a great job at setting the groundwork for a great book. Each character (and secondary characters) was relatable in their own way. I was fine with the book until halfway through. Then the book went a different direction. It was that sudden change in the plotline that made me go “Eh?“. I actually had to reread several chapters to understand what I was reading. I do not like when I have to do that.

Like I mentioned above, I liked the characters at the beginning of the book. Each character was relatable and likable. Even when things started to get weird (and man, did they), I still liked them. If I had to pick one who wasn’t a favorite, it was Ginny. She couldn’t make up her mind who she wanted to be with. I wanted to shake her.

I got lost reading the plotline during the 2nd half of the book. What made me lost was Cass’s storyline and the storyline with Other Mark. I had questions about both storylines there were not answered. I can’t get into what they were here but they were legitimate. I also found the main storyline a bit much.

The end of the book seemed rushed. While I am glad that everything worked out, it seemed too pat and a little rushed. I was almost hoping for someone not to have a happy ending. That would have changed things up a little bit.

I gave If, Then a 3-star rating. The book had a great start. It had a great plotline and characters that I could connect with. But, I found the book couldn’t hold my attention after the middle of the book. I got lost reading it and had to reread chapters to make sure I understood what was going on. The characters, for the most part, did stay relatable and likable. I thought that the end of the book was rushed.

I would give If, Then an Adult rating. There is sex (nothing graphic but you knew when the characters were going at it). There is mild violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be the death of a parent, cheating and divorce. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review If, Then.

All opinions stated in this review of If, Then are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The what of this book, specifically "what's happening," really sneaks up on you. Kate Hope Day does a great job of slowly and steadily weaving together small and unsettling mysteries into a satisfying crescendo. By the time you reach the last page, you'll be thinking about what didn't happen as much as what did.

This was the kind of mind-bending novel I love; it was offbeat and unsettling like I had just walked through a carnival funhouse--you know, feeling a little off-balance, glimpsing something around the corner but not knowing what it was, or recoiling when seeing your misshapen body in a mirror. Or you just aren't sure of what is real and what is in your mind. I have to admit the whole "multi-verse" thing befuddles me a bit but I left this book with great admiration for the author's beautiful writing, the development of appealing and complicated characters, and how she kept track of all of the plot threads.

Day's book is good for those who liked two of my favorite mind-bender novels The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier, and Iain Reid's Foe. The author was inspired by Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers .