I received an ARC for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Review may contain slight spoilers.
This book was actually quite hard for me to get through at first. I struggled for the first few chapters (essentially all of part one). This being because I was very uncomfortable at the idea of the reincarnations going from lovers, to a teacher dynamic, to parents, etc. If it had been varying friendships or lovers situations that would have been different. Now that I’ve finished the book I understand how it matters less in hindsight but still made me feel super weird trying to read it. Especially when it gives a live that they marry and have a daughter together only for Thora to be Santi’s daughter later.
However, I eventually went back and powered through despite that initially turning me off. The later chapters become very intriguing and lived up to more of what I expected or anticipated with such a promising description. I actually really appreciated the sci-fi aspect of the ending rather than a philosophical view.
The premise of this book is incredibly unique and I’m a sucker for “black mirror” type stuff involving simulations or advanced technologies. The way the concept is introduced is also fantastic, it gives you the chance to piece it together along with the main characters.
I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars. I wish some of the dynamics (before you know the true workings of the lives) were different and less creepy feeling. I also would’ve loved if some of those lives went a little deeper and had more world building and construction, some of them were just grazed over to make sure you knew it happened but it wasn’t super relevant. But overall the plot and introduction of the big reveal was fantastic and I was genuinely emotional about the ending.

This book seemed to have the same argument in each vignette and honestly, the book dragged on. The last part resolved extremely quickly without enough details.

Unique. Contemplative. Surprising.
These are the three words that I would use to describe Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey.

Two people seeking quiet respite from an overcrowded party with a chance encounter that ends in tragedy, results in the reiteration of an infinite possibility of lives.

Thora and Santi meet for the first time in the foreign city of Cologne. Both have very little in common except the desire for something grander in the lives they currently have. After they die, they get another chance, and another and another.
Sometimes they are the same age, often though they are at very different life stages and meeting for what seems the first time, always in the same city. After living lives that involve various relationships; parent/child, doctor/patient, colleagues, married couple, teacher/student, they begin to realize there is some sort of connection between them. They start to recognize blurred memories and strange connections and have to quickly decipher the clues before their many lives come to one final end.

“He watches the world like a detective, like a poet, waiting for the meaning to come clear.”

This book is like Groundhog Day, minus the repetitive qualities that always seem to put me to sleep when I watched this movie. In this book, the characters and the town are the only constants. The uniqueness of their varying relationships is what kept me turning the pages for the first two-thirds of the book. Like a voyeur, this book kept me entertained for hours as it was incredibly fascinating the dynamics that connected Thora and Santi, who had very different personalities and philosophical ideas. As the clues to their connection fruited, I found myself turning the pages faster because I just couldn’t figure it out myself until that shocking revelation.

It’s a book that both delighted and surprised me! And I’m definitely sorry that it took me this long to pick it up. If you enjoy books that have fascinating character studies that only increase in intensity as the story unfolds, then be sure to pick this one up.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy to read and share my thoughts. I did have the opportunity to check the published version, which I pulled some great quotations from and it also includes a great map of Cologne.

This was such a unique book. I was rooting for the main characters the whole time. I absolutely loved it!

This book offers an emotional ride that nudges us to look at our own lives from a different perspective. I was really invested in the characters and could not wait to see how the story ultimately turned out. I loved the questions the story brings up both about the characters' lives and about the universe as a whole. I really enjoyed this one!

This is one of the more unique books I’ve read. While it was beautifully written I felt at times that I had to keep pushing myself to get through it. There were some great philosophical questions about fate and how who we are changes through the things that occur around us. Thora and Santi lead countless lives in this book, but somehow always find each other. They have different functions in each other’s lives (which was weird, they were married, parent/child, siblings etc), As they come to realize who they are and they are reliving things slightly differently each time they struggle to figure out why snd how to end their endless cycle of lives. This book made me think and it was an emotional roller coaster.

Oh how I loved this story. It was not at all what I expected and I could not stop turning the pages. Every life they lived had an impact on the story and built a complex and wonderful world. Thora and Santi broke my heart and repaired it so many times in this book and I loved seeing how all the choices they made in other contexts impacted their next challenges.

3 1/2 stars

I have so many feelings about this book. It's a unique concept and once things make sense you realize it's a race to the finish.

Thora and Santi meet at college for the first time and their brief encounter leaves a lasting impression. When Thora decides she wants to see him again she finds out it's too late. He's dead and she can only guess how it happened. And this is how the rest of Part I goes - a series of what feels like short stories where Thora and Santi meet over and over again at various stages of their lives. Each encounter is a different experience with different outcomes. Part I requires some patience because there's no explanation, just these moments that either give us a new side of these characters or reinforce their personality traits. Part II is where things start coming together and they try to find meaning in what's happening. Sometimes they get close, others they're simply not capable of getting their acts together. We're not told how or when precisely they figured out they're reliving multiple lives (I would've like to have been clued in on that) but by Part III it gets intense and they finally discover what exactly is going on. It was at this point that I thought the author was genius because she did hide clues in plain sight in Part I. The clues and patterns make sense now.

Here's the thing: when I requested Meet Me in Another Life it came after I saw someone recommend it and I thought it sounded like something totally up my alley. The problem is that certain plot points which wouldn't have bothered me in the past became so after I made my request. As well done as it was, some of it was just too emotionally raw for me. I've never been one who absolutely needed content/trigger warnings, and I've always respected other readers that do, therefore I have tried to include anything I see as potentially disturbing to a fellow reader in my reviews. This marks the first time ever I wished that I had the benefit of knowing those in advance. I would like to stress that this isn't the author's fault; it's just bad timing and I had a hard time with parts of the story.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you like fantasy, sci-fi, endless do-over opportunities, mysteries and riddles, endless talk about stars, space and existentialism, a literal life or death situation that needs to be resolved ...they're all in this. Like I said earlier, it's pretty genius. I'd just caution you that the sad elements happen repeatedly - even if they're reliving their lives a little differently, those elements almost always make an appearance, and I've included them at the end of my review.

~ Bel

Meet Me in Another Life starts out in Cologne, where a seemingly coincidental exchange between two university students, Santi and Thora, leaves a lingering thought... we see different ways people intersect in their lives. At first it seems like a different type of Groundhog Day - it doesn't come together until the very end.

I liked the unique twist that author Catriona Silvey conveyed - I would have liked a bit more depth in different times, and for the ending to go a bit further. If you're interested in different timelines with a glimpse of science fiction, this is for you!

Thank you to William Morrow and to Netgalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shown here are my own.

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey follows Santi and Thora, characters with infinite lifetimes who are destined to meet again and again, each time under different circumstances. I went into this story knowing very little about the overarching plot and it was not what I expected. I thought it was interesting reading all of the different ways that the characters came together throughout the course of the story, and the different roles that they played in each different lifetime. I did find some portions of the story confusing and I had to read a couple sections over again. The story unfolded slowly for me, and I did not expect the way that the ending resolved. Overall it was an enjoyable book, although not something that I typically read. I would recommend this title if you've enjoyed other books feature re-iteration or enjoy well-written books with mysterious plots that unfold slowly.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a copy of this title which did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

This book was a magnificent masterpiece. It started out a bit slow and I couldn't really see where it was going but once you get to the end it all makes sense. It was such an original piece of writing that I wish I could read it over and over again for the first time! 5/5 STARS. Highly recommend this unconventional love story.

Meet Me in Another Life was one of the most unique books I have ever read. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I thought I was getting a totally different story from the beginning of the book but it hit a point towards the end that completely blew my mind. I was a little confused at one point but I reread, got on track and wound up absolutely loving the ending. In fact, it’s one of those books that made me want to reread it right away.

It’s an interesting mix of science fiction, fantasy, and fiction with a touch of romance. It has a magical quality to it as well. I enjoyed it, particularly the ending. It was a really beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc. What a perfect summer read.. Loved the characters. Author did a great job with this story. I did not want to stop reading...

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey- I really enjoyed reading this book. Thora and Santi meet cute at the beginning of the book, then slowly realize they keep meeting in life after life. They meet again in future lives as teacher and student, siblings, father and child, supervisor and subordinate. Throughout the course of the book, they try to understand what is happening to them and why. I really liked the author’s take on this premise, and found the ending to be original and satisfying! I also really liked prickly Thora and the more sanguine Santi, even though they both were frustrating at times! But who wouldn’t be in that situation?

Thora and Santi spend multiple lifetimes together in various relationships- siblings, lovers, parent and child, teacher and student... but they can’t understand why. I found much of the book very slow, too much dialogue, and because of the storyline it's impossible for the reader to feel any connection with or understand the characters. But I did enjoy the final twist, and in the end I'm glad I made myself continue reading.

This was a really interesting book with a very complex concept. I found the book a little confusing but it was very intriguing and I couldn’t figure out how it was all going to end.

Thora and Santi meet at a clock tower as college students in Cologne and see in each other a kindred spirit. They share a fascination with the stars and with exploration. But their bond is quickly cut short by a tragic accident…

Until they find each other again, in another life. This time, Santi is a teacher and Thora is a young child in his class. And then another, in which they are married. And another, when they are colleagues. The book moves through these vignettes of multiple lives, and with each subsequent life, they remember more of their past lives. Soon, they are on a mission to understand and end the loop.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The walk through their lives and connection is lovely, and feels a bit mystical (though I lost track of “who” they were each time I put it down). It then takes an unexpected turn to sci-fi, which felt a little unsatisfying after a long journey through a more literary, existential journey. This is certainly unforgettable, though, and you’ll want to pick it up if you love genre-benders.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I cried on chapter 1 and let me tell ya — the emotional investment continued throughout every dang page. Was I lost most of the time? yes. But this truly beautiful novel ended with all my questions answered, and that's all that mattered.

Read if you loved the likes of Interstellar, Passengers, the Time Traveler's Wife, The Midnight Library, The Book of Two Ways. Y'know... science fiction things that blow your mind and really make you think.

I loved these characters. Loved this book. Will never forget it.

I unfortunately DNF'd this book after about 50 pages, the relationship felt so forced and unrealistic and fake. Good premise though!

I love how unique this book was in the way that the two characters kept meeting each other in numerous ways and in different lives. I found the mystery, romance, and roller coaster of a ride this book was kept me intrigued. The ending was definitely a bit unexpected and it was unlike any other book I’ve read. Thank you for the copy!!