Some Laneys Died is an unforgettable read, that messes with the readers head and their grip on reality a little. Absolutely brilliant.

Hi everyone!
Rating 3.5 out of 5
I have mixed emotions about this book, I loved the writing so much (I highlighted so many sentences),
The plot was amazing and suspensful I finished it in just a few days
The only peoblem was the main character, I didn't ike her at all, which made it very difficult to enjoy this book fully.

I enjoyed this very much! I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did, but it was so good. I loved Laney and I loved the relationships, and how everything unfolds. Brooke Skipstone does such a wonderful job of keeping you guessing until the very end about what is going to happen and what actually is happening at the time even. The only issue I had with it was the relationship with Laney and her mother, and the attitude towards her mothers looks and her mothers attitude towards her for such a trivial thing of possibly looking like her dad’s girlfriend. Other than that, I loved. I can’t wait for book two!

“I couldn’t go back in time, but maybe I could skip sideways.”

Well I can say that this isn’t a book that pulls its punches.

I actually got this while browsing through NetGalley and stopped on it because of the cool cover. Blood-red, weirdly psychedelic. Like a sci-fi novel waiting to happen. And I wasn’t wrong; Some Laneys Died by Brooke Skipstone plays heavily upon the alternate universes-- specifically about how certain choices we make affect the multitudes of alternate universes out there in the world.

Laney West is a traumatized teenager. Years ago, she caught her father having an affair. The choice she made, to tell her mother and effectively destroy their family, is one that she’s regretted since. In order to cope with this, she writes-- and lives-- in alternate universes in which she made different choices.

It’s already sounding twisty, right? Well hold on. Because add to the mix that recently there have been the bones of two young girls found where Laney confronted her father that original time.

Laney is an interesting character. She is obsessive about this alternate universe theory and much of the beginning of the novel reads like her psyche; some kind of fugue state where she mentions that things happen, but you don’t see them. In all honesty, it’s hard to keep up; Delaney’s mind is so one-track that even the reader has no real idea of what’s real or not. And that’s before she starts seeing into her alternate selves' choices.

It’s a chaotic writing style, that’s for sure, one that does take some getting used to and can be taxing to try and sort out as you move on to the middle of the book. But once you do it’s almost-- endearing is the wrong word, but the chaos of this novel becomes a tolerated and respected quirk. Easier to parse out what’s happening as time goes on. More enjoyable to just sit back and ride along with all the crazy.

I also think the writing of the novel could have been smoother. There are some odd choices sprinkled in the novel-- jokes that don’t quite land, phrasings that are cringe-y, not quite “on the mark” when it comes to how high schoolers would act/react.

Laney is also very much a teenage girl who, I think despite the author’s best intentions, doesn’t always come across as particularly mature. And that’s okay, she’s 16 and acts 16 and she’s thrust into this weird world of choices and alternate selves and-- well she constantly feels like she’s on the brink of a mental breakdown. It’s tiring, but understandable.

The side characters are interesting-- each one seems crazier than the last, but hell, at this point let’s throw in the weird party friends and the pervy high school flirt and brothers and sisters. They do liven up the plot quite a bit, especially in the middle, where the story seems to lag for about 30 pages.

To me, where the story really shines in the concept and originality of the idea. Not only are we questioning what’s real and not real throughout the story, but we are also trying to “solve a murder.” We are dealing with a very hotly contested topic-- alternate universes-- and Skipstone bends the physics and theories behind it to weave a bendy tale with multiple plotlines.

Within these plotlines, however, there are some major trigger warnings.

I said before that this book doesn’t pull its punches and I meant it. There is a good deal of sex, sexual violence, suicidal tendancies and attempts, and altogether crazy shit that is not for the faint of heart. You should not go into this book for fluff because you won’t find it.

What you will find though is a book about a girl trying to deal with her place in her family, her relationship with herself, and how the choices that one makes has consequences that can span far beyond your respective universe.

This is an ambitious book. While I don’t think it quite ended being my cup of tea, for some it absolutely will be. It shouldn’t be counted out as a potential popular sci-fi novel, especially since I have a feel alternate universes are going to begin growing in popularity.

3.5/5

Laney caught her dad cheating and he begged her not to tell. Upset and angry, she told her mum and since that day Laney is filled with regret about her decision. She writes version after version of how differently things may have turned out according to the choices she could have made.

At first it seems to be just a fictional outpouring of her grief as she tries to deal with what happened but when she hears the news that two girls were murdered at the same time and place as where the events of her past took place, she starts to believe it is all linked.

Quantum physics and parallel universes admittedly make my head hurt but the explanations provided by Laney’s mother, an expert in the field, helped me understand it enough to grasp the book’s concept. Following Laney through different versions of herself and her worlds depending on the butterfly effect of choices she made was deliciously dizzying sensation. I’m really looking forward to the next in the series!

Try this if you enjoy a fast paced book that makes you twist and turn the possibilities over in your mind.
Avoid this is you prefer twists and turns to be more traditionally written.

"Reality is an illusion we create in our mind. We live in a foam of universes like the head on a glass of beer."

CW: graphic depictions of suicide and suicidal thoughts, graphic depictions of sexual assault and general sex, extreme violence and language.


'Some Laneys Died' is a young adult, sci-fi thriller blend following a girl named Delaney West after she discovers her father cheating on her mother. Her obsession with the decision to tell her mother leads her to discover the multi-universe theory and how her decisions directly impact her selves in those other universes.

I found this book entertaining! While it's not the most intense or well-written thriller I've ever read, it still kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading. The beginning has a clear hook as it lays out the concept of the novel, and the last 1/4 of the book is extremely gripping! I did find the middle to lag slightly between the two high points, but the plot was still moving and I wouldn't say it was boring.

I found the characters to be a major positive of this book, but surprisingly it was the side characters rather than the main character that were the most interesting. There's a wide cast featuring diverse races and experiences, different personalities and opinions. It really helped to move the plot along at random points where it would start to drag.

The main issue I had with this book was the characters realtionships with the main character Delaney; they all seemed to instantly trust whatever she said and just roll with it. There was no minor push back to anything she said, which stifled some of the twists that would have been more extreme had there been some more conflict. Also her narration left something desired, it felt slightly like a typical 16 year old YA protagonist.

All in all, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy an entertaining thriller, a quick read, or those who are looking to begin reading in the thriller/suspense genre.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a digital ARC of Some Laneys Died in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be honest with you guys, this book is messy and complex and was 100% the right book for me, but I can totally see it not being the right book for other people. I've been obsessed with multi-verse books basically my whole existence and this one was no exception. Laney feels like such a fully formed protagonist, the world and her family is so wonderfully fleshed out, and I love the way multi-verse theory is explained. I will say, I found the middle section of this book a tad lagging and some of the end bits felt unnecessary but I know a lot of people will likely disagree with me. I just happen to be a fan of more open ended, just after the height of action endings but I know a lot of readers who love it when books gradually work down so you get to know exactly where the characters end up so I'm not sure if that's honestly much of a negative, it's more of a preference thing.

Basically, if you grew up rereading Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me an unhealthy amount of times, this is going to be right up your alley.

TW: Repeated depictions of sexual and physical assult, PTSD, suicide & suicidal thoughts