The Possibilities is a really brilliant book evoking the changes to the sense of self, worry, anxiety, and other massive changes that come along as a first time parent, and especially a mother.
As novelist Hannah gives birth to her son Jack, she sees both a live baby and one that was stillborn. Now, months later, she has flashes of both outcomes, and starts straddling both worlds and we and those around her don't know what to believe. Is she seeing her therapist for postpartum depression or grief counseling?
Then, things become really weird as her husband, therapist, mommy group, and others in her life begin to forget or doubt that Jack is alive.
Hannah digs deeper and begins to explore vast reaches of her possible lives where relationships with her mother, husband, and others are all quite different -- even down to how a better relationship with her mother (trapped in her own multiverse of possibilities) might have led her to a different writing genre, success level, and confidence.
Her quest, powers, and decisionmaking are a vivid metaphor for the choices we all have to make in how to anticipate and hopefully prevent disaster wherever possible -- which is especially vexing in that first year of a baby's life.

What a phenomenal, original, moving story this was! Motherhood is an insane state of being, and Goldstein- Love captured that insanity perfectly in all its technicolor glory. The science fiction elements and the interpersonal relationships were both so definitely managed and intricately interwoven. The characterizations were magnificent and the pacing was spot on perfect. This was it really fabulous and engaging story that captured my heart and my imagination from the first pages.

This book is very hard to categorize. The best I’ve managed so far is litfic sci-fi about adjusting to motherhood. It’s an interesting read but one that seems to lose itself and its message sometimes.

Ever since the birth of her son Jack eight months ago, Hannah has been on edge. Her therapist says it’s just a lingering response to his traumatic birth but Hannah isn’t wholly convinced. And on quite possibly the worst day of her life, suddenly Jack disappears and then reappears from the lobby of her therapist’s building. Was it just a hallucination brought on by a lack of sleep, as her therapist thinks? Of is it an omen of even worse things to come?

“I was a suspense writer for goodness’ sake. Fear was my mother tongue. But this level of fear right now, these past eight months, every second since the moment Jack was born. This level of fear was something altogether different, something that broke open the rules of how the world worked.”


As someone who had postpartum anxiety, it was all too easy to identify with Hannah. Parts of the book were painful to read – as I imagine they’d be for most people – but there were also parts that had me yelling “yes, that!”. While Hannah’s diagnosis was different, it cropped up in similar ways in her life. I was also part of a postpartum support group and the women there, while not the cast of characters that Hannah meets, were also a lifeline and a comfort in one of the darkest periods of my life. All that is to say that I found Hannah’s experiences of motherhood and her postpartum experience very realistic.

Hannah is a horror author but hasn’t written a word since Jack’s birth, turning down every nanny share her husband Adam has arranged. Instead she’s filled her days with the minutiae of Jack’s life, never more than an arm’s reach away, subsuming herself in the search of perfect motherhood. Any one who’s ever parented a baby – or interacted with the parent of a young baby – can probably guess how well that’s going. Since Adam’s reaction to the stress of parenting is to research and plan out everything in detail – and you can also guess how well babies and plans mix – it’s led to frustration and resentment on both sides.

My main issue with the book was the uneven pacing. The sections that were paced like a suspense novel were engrossing. The more introspective sections however had some repetetive items. Perhaps it was for lit fic fans who would be unfamiliar with the sci-fi concepts but some of their explanations felt especially belabored. The concepts themselves though, while a common sci fi trope, had an interesting spin that I enjoyed in terms of Hannah’s predicament.

“I’m so afraid,” I finally said.
Adam took one step closer.
“I know you are. That’s always when you start to ride the possibilities.”


Overall, an interesting exploration of motherhood through a sci-fi lens.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Hannah is having a bad day. Her son was born eight months ago, and she still thinks about how scary his birth was. She almost lost him, but things are looking up. Hannah begins to have visions of different paths, what if her son would have died? Or gone missing? Or…just so many things could go wrong.

Then one day, her son does go missing. She’s living her worst nightmare. To find him, she must enter the different versions of her life. Will she be able to find him and bring him back home.

This book was so interesting. I am still not entirely sure what to think about it. It was a difficult read and I think that it would be difficult for any parent and anyone who’s dealt with post-partum mental health problems or anyone with PTSD from their child’s birth. As someone who dealt with post-partum depression and birth PTSD this book did hit close to home. Now, the premise was albeit interesting and held my attention, I didn’t want to stop reading. I loved the different dimensions though it could be hard at times to figure out where the characters were, but there were so many different dimensions that it really didn’t matter. I really enjoyed the writing style and would like to read more from this author.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House Publishing Group – Random House, Random House, and Netgalley, @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah is a new mom who wasn't sure about the idea of children for most of her life, but is absolutely enamored with her infant son, Jack. She's struggling post-partum, though, haunted by the image she swore she saw in the delivery room of Jack not making it. She's fixated on tending to Jack to keep it from becoming a reality, and is going to therapy to work through it. But husband, Adam, insists this anxious person isn't who Hannah is, and initiates a separation. I want to throttle him. 

Overwhelmed with emotions and exhaustion, Hannah wonders briefly what her life would have been like if the delivery room nightmare that haunts her had been real, and suddenly is transported to another reality. In this world, her and Adam are still together, but Jack doesn't exist. After freaking out and returning to her reality, Hannah chalks this up to a waking nightmare from sleep deprivation. Until later when Jack disappears into thin air, and people start forgetting he exists. 

After another 'waking nightmare' where she meets a version of Adam that knows she's not 'his Hannah', and seeing the same two strangers in multiple 'nightmares', Hannah is on a mission. Figure out if she just really needs a nap (relatable), or if she can really travel between realities, and how to find HER Jack and keep everyone where they belong.

The physics involved in this book were fascinating to me, and I loved that Hannah was a horror author. Sometimes reading books where the MC is a writer can be annoyingly meta, but this did not feel cheesy and was a fun lens for her to see things through. I definitely felt vicariously gaslit and stressed by the characters' disregard for Hannah's experiences, and the end got a little wonky for me, but this book had some really interesting and beautiful takes on emotions and love told in a way I've never read before. I think this would hit harder for moms, but I enjoyed it regardless.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I got about 20% in and it felt like it jumped around too much, it was hard for me to follow - maybe that was the point, what’s real and what’s not, but I wasn’t connecting with the MC or the story.

the possibilities by yael goldstein love
3.5/5⭐️’s
•
the possibilities is a captivating novel about motherhood that both challenges and entertains. the book explores thought-provoking themes with nuance, encouraging readers to ponder on deep, existential questions. yet, it occasionally veers into the realm of the overly-philosophical, making the narrative slightly inaccessible at times. this is a good read for those who appreciate introspective, character-driven stories and are willing to venture into somewhat dense philosophical territory.

For fans of Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, mixed with a horrifying fever dream/sci-fi/thriller with home invasion elements and a mother's worst fear vibes, The Possibilities is a fantastic read that had me quickly turning the pages until I finished the book. Hannah and Adam just had a baby boy and Hannah's reality seems to be glitching - she can vividly remember seeing her newborn taken away from the operating table because he was stillborn, but Jack is also 8 months old now. Except something seems to be warning Hannah that her baby boy is in danger, and so begins the mind-bending adventure. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about parallel worlds and world-jumping, and also any new mothers. great book!

I've said this before and I'll continue to say it: I personally can't relate to stories about motherhood and that fierce, unbreakable bond between parent and child. I do not have a maternal instinct. (And admittedly, the number of times that the MC Hannah fondly talked about "that bready smell" of her baby son kind of turned my stomach a little bit.) It just isn't my world. But I have no doubt that the unwavering devotion portrayed in this story is accurate, and that anyone looking for that sort of thing will find it here.

"The Possibilities" is definitely more science fiction and not really horror at all, though it does deal with some pretty heavy topics. Postpartum Depression is tackled head on, and also used as a metaphor. Grief, guilt and loss are constant themes. If you, the reader, have recently lost a parent or a child I caution you that this will likely be a very tough read and you might want to hold off for the moment. (Then again, it might be cathartic. I suppose it depends on your situation.) There is some humor throughout to lighten the mood, so it's not all doom and gloom.

The writing is pretty decent, and Hannah is a protagonist that you root for. I liked the side characters as well, especially Ash from the support group. This is a book about the power of Mothers and women supporting each other. I generally tend to lean more towards horror with the books I read, and some of the scientific jargon was confusing to me, but it was confusing to Hannah, too so I didn't feel bad about it. The core story was interesting even if I couldn't personally relate to the themes and I was invested in the resolution. And I do think that Multiverse theory is awesome. (That was the main draw of the book for me.) The novel went to some creative places. I especially liked how in the first part of the book, it wasn't entirely clear if what was happening was in Hannah's mind or in reality, etc. (You will, of course, have to suspend your disbelief quite a bit for this one.)

Overall, if you like science fiction and stories about mothers fighting to save their kids, you might love this. But be prepared for some heavy themes about grief and a few descriptions of complications/infant mortality in the delivery room.

Trigger warnings: Postpartum Depression, Infant death

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of this intriguing look into motherhood by Yael Goldstein-Love - 4.5 stars!

Hannah has been struggling ever since her son Jack was born. It was a traumatic birth and she keeps getting a glimpse that he didn't survive. She begins seeing different paths her life could have taken and her marriage begins to suffer. Then Hannah's worst nightmare happens and Jack disappears from his crib. She must enter different realities to try and save Jack.

This is such a unique book - it ventures into different realities to explore all the conflicting thoughts of new motherhood. Haven't all parents in those early months wondered just exactly what they did to their lives? We follow along as Hannah is thrust into all the different feelings of the different realities with and without Jack. It also explores how others look at new mothers with judgment and have her questioning her abilities. All of this with wonderful writing and that sci-fi/fantasy twist.

This was such an interesting story!! Very different from what I usually like to read, but I really liked it!
Synopsis-
A new mother ventures into parallel worlds to find her missing child in this mind-bending novel that turns the jovs and anxieties of parenthood into an epic quest.
Hannah is having a bad day. A bad month. A bad year?
That feels terrible to admit, since her son Jack was born just eight months ago and she loves him more than anything. But ever since his harrowing birth, she can't shake the feeling that it could have gone the other way. That her baby might not have made it.
Terrifying visions of the different paths her life could have taken begin to disrupt her cozy, claustrophobic days with Jack, destabilizing her marriage and making her husband concerned for her mental health. Are the strange things Hannah is seeing just new-mom anxiety, or is something truly weird and sinister afoot? What if Hannah really did unlock a dark force during childbirth?
When Hannah's worst nightmare comes true and Jack disappears from his crib, she must tap into an extraordinary ability she never knew she had in order to save him: She must enter different versions of her life while holding on to what is most important to her in this one to bring her child back home...
This novel is so unique, suspenseful, and twisty!!
Hannah, while hectic and all consuming, was also very real and relatable; a dedicated and loving wife and mother who is desperate for answers! Very very good!
4/5 stars
Thanks so very much to @randomhouse and @netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC!
Much appreciated!! Out TODAY- July 25, 2023.

The Possibilities is a book about early motherhood and the expanse of feelings that come with it. Hannah is a married mother of an 8 month old son, Jack. She loves him desperately and is afraid of losing him. At birth, he almost didn't survive and a glimpse of that outcome is vivid in her mind. The Possibilities deftly shows how tenuous a baby's life can feel, especially in the eyes of its parents.

Though Hannah is a devoted mother, she is insecure about her parenting and quite wary of Jack's safety. Unfortunately, her suspicions are confirmed when he disappears without a trace from his crib in the middle of the night. She finds she has to travel between alternate worlds to track him down. Though there are elements of sci-fi and suspense, I would put this in the category of character-driven literary fiction. It touches so well on the dramatic changes that motherhood brings. I listened to the audiobook, which is perfectly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book is so smart and creative, and the fresh look at motherhood (not as easy as we’re supposed to think it is!) is just fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Yael Goldstein-Love, and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

The premise of a multi-verse mystery rooted in motherhood was SO intriguing to me, and honestly, The Possibilities didn't disappoint! This was probably the fastest I have read a book in several months because I was hooked in from the start. Goldstein-Love wrote an extremely compelling and complex story that, granted, went over my head a few times, but one that I could relate to even with no children of my own. Hannah's anxiety is such an accurate portrayal, and the storyline of her worst ever "what if?" coming true is extremely relatable. There were many layers to the story, both dealing with Hannah's own motherhood and her relationship with her mother, that sometimes got a bit lost dealing with all the different universes. I wasn't a huge fan of Andy, her husband, and there were some parts I wish were explained a bit better. Same with some of the side characters; I would have loved to see Grace get more page-time. However, it was a fun read that I was hooked on, and I loved the examination of motherhood in such a creative way.

The Possibilities is an interesting story about motherhood, grief, and postpartum. After a distressing birth, Hannah obsesses over her son, Jack. Then, one evening, Jack completely disappears, and Hannah travels to alternate realities to find him.

I really liked Hannah, she was a well-written character. I loved that she only wanted what's best for her son and my heart broke for her when the "alternate universe people" told her she didn't have a son. However, there were quite a few characters to keep track of, especially when there were different universe versions of the same character.

I also struggled a bit with the pacing; I found the story to be a little slow for my liking, it did pick up at certain points but then it would slow down again when there would be a long explanation of what science-y parts were happening.

I do wish the world-building was slightly better. Whenever Hannah would enter a different reality, I found myself flipping back to see if I missed reading if she was back in her world or another's.

Although I didn't quite love this one, I did find it to be an original alternate universe science fiction story. I'd recommend checking it out if you're looking for a clever sci-fi story.

Every huge and minute decision results in a different possibility. Here we have a postpartum woman who has a life in shambles that is experiencing the possibilities.

"The Possibilities" by Yael Goldstein-Love is Science Fiction-Fantasy!

What if the life you didn’t live was as real as the one you did?

Hannah's eight-month-old son Jack is her everything.

She has lingering memories of his difficult birth, the one where Jack didn't make it. Of not hearing him cry, a nurse carrying him away from her, his little arm dangling freely as he's cradled in her arms.

This version feels so real and it haunts her.

Hannah is overwhelmed by this foggy memory and it stirs frightening visions of how alternate versions of her life could shift her blissful days with Jack completely away.

But Jack is with Hannah now, until the day he mysteriously disappears from his crib...

"The Possibilities" is hard to describe, it's confusing, and to me it feels like a first-time mother beginning her journey into motherhood. The fears she has about her baby, the grip of post-partum depression, and the weight of the daunting responsibilities of maternal love. All of it.

This story takes you through Hannah's days with and without Jack. It's painful, conflicting, and totally OUT THERE. It's original, different, and creative, all the criteria I prefer in a great read.

Goldstein-Love's writing is incredible, her storytelling is mind-bending, improbable, twisty, and palpably tender. It's a book you need to spend time with, taking time to read it, digest it, and analyze it.

"The Possibilities" is not a Thriller or Psychological-Fiction. It's a blend of two genres, Science Fiction-Fantasy and I highly recommend it to those who love uniquely blended genres and stories that stretch your imagination way the heck out there!

4.5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Yael Goldstein-Love for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. Publication date: 7/25/23.

What a punch to the heart this book is. Even if you don't have children, it's impossible not to feel for Hannah and Adam (even minus the multiverse situation!) I'll admit that some of the physics went over my head, but regardless, my heart was in my throat as I watched Hannah race against the clock.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Random house, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.

Genre: Sci-Fi, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction
Spice level: Really not any in this book but there are descriptions of her feelings from making love (not the style to be titillating, though)
Sci-Fi Level of Technology: Soft (Not a solid explanation for the science behind the happenings—which I'm great with because the story focuses on people)

What an interesting story!

I was caught in the drama of what Hannah was going through and what she experienced that didn't seem to make sense. Yet, we know something weird is going on from the first dose of disconnect with reality.

This novel is about happiness, family, choices made, and more. There is so little I can say without spoiling it for you. I enjoyed it immensely and will read more by this author in the future.

I don't recommend this for a new mommy because she might feel like she's living her nightmare in this novel.

But I DO RECOMMEND this book for everyone else and for mommies when their kids are a bit older.

Such a surreal ride!

Happy reading!

The Possibilities by Yael Goldstein

“Motherhood gets idealized, mothers get shit on.”

This book is a lot of things. It’s about Hannah, a new mom struggling with anxiety and coping with motherhood. It’s about a mother who will do anything she can to save her son. But it’s also a story about quantum physics, parallel worlds, and the what ifs.

All day Hannah has had visions of a world without Jack, which she chalks up to being a result of exhaustion. But when Jack disappears from his crib and it seems proof of him is being erased, Hannah begins to suspect her mind isn’t just playing tricks on her and that something more ominous is at play.

To save her son, Hannah must tap into her ability to visit parallel words before it’s too late.

This isn't something I would normally read. I don’t understand quantum physics or string theory, or really any of the science that was used to explain things in this book. However, this book was extremely captivating from the beginning that it still managed to pull me in. At the core, this is a story about the harsh realities of motherhood. The gut-wrenching anxiety that mothers carry and the judgment that they face.

I think Yael did a good job of trying to make things understandable in the sci-fi aspect. Until the end, I thought I was following along, but then things started to get confusing. I think if you’re a typical fan of sci-fi you would be able to follow along.

This story felt like a love child between The OA (gone too soon 😔) and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

This book is out next week!