Such high hopes from the synopsis but the execution was…meh. This one is about a dystopian village — very “The Giver”-esque — where to the east is a valley 20 years in the past and to the east, one that’s 20 years in the future.

• The beginning started off fine, but the middle was a snoozefest. The best part was the ending, but I wouldn’t say the journey was worth it getting there.
• The writing is so choppy and impersonal. The lack of quotation marks for dialogue BUGGED. Authors, please don’t do this.
• I do love the philosophical questions this brought up, given the time travel angle, so it could make for an interesting book club pick for that reason. It was just so-so for me.

Highly recommend this one!! This is my first time reading one of their books but it won't be the last! This book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish it. Do yourself a favor and get this book!!

I knew going in there was a romantic subplot but I struggle when that’s a heavy part of the narrative. This is a me thing.

I could not finish the book. The writing felt too blocky and unfinished. I feel like the writing reminds me of Frederik Backman. It was difficult to follow along.

This book has one of the more unique premises for a sci-fi/speculative fiction novel that I've come across in a while, but it's Howard's writing that stands out the most. The Other Valley is a wistful novel of quiet devastation and philosophical uncertainties. The pacing is slow, but thoughtfully so, giving us time to experience Odile's journey moment to moment.

I'll start by saying I was very excited about the premise of this book. I typically love books that play with time in an interesting way and the idea that there was a world that contained not only a present timeline but also future and past timelines simultaneously was very intriguing. However, I quickly discovered that Ward was less interested in writing a genre book about multiple timelines and more interested in delving deep into a literary, character study. It felt like his goal was to explore how this interesting premise would affect one person, his main character Odile, and subsequently the lives around her.

While I was not excited to go in this direction, I think Ward accomplished his goal. I did feel connected to Odile and invested in her story, which kept me reading despite some of the issues I had with the book. I struggled quite a bit with the writing style, which felt intentionally inaccessible and overwritten at times. I contemplated DNFing this book several times in the first half and skimmed over passages occasionally to get back to the meat of the story. Still, I did finish the book and found the ending satisfying.

Readers who enjoyed Station Eleven and other literary, character-driven, speculative fiction will likely enjoy this book.

The Other Valley was released February 27, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing the advanced reader copy.

The Other Valley features a world of repeating valleys, identical in every way except time period. The valley to the west is 20 years in the past, and the valley to the east is 20 years in the future. The government allows visits to the past or future for very limited reasons and the visits are highly controlled to prevent "interference." The novel begins with Odile approaching 16 years. She and her fellow classmates are beginning to consider career prospects, when one day she notices and inadvertently recognizes a visiting couple from the valley to the east. Suspecting pending disaster for a close friend, Odile manages to not interfere with the outcome, and we follow her life trajectory following that decision and its consequences for her and her friends.
The novel was engaging and maintained my interest throughout. Odile is a sympathetic character even though her lack of action is frequently annoying. I believe this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy multidimensional, overlapping timeline stories. The novel works for both adult and YA readers. Most of the characters, including Odile, are often emotionally flat, but I was still able to sympathize with the choices made, especially later in the book. I will watch for more novels from this author.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard is a literary speculative novel about a town that is neighbored by its own past and future. Odile is hoping to become part of the Conseil, so she can decide who is allowed to cross the town's borders into the past and future. This was an interesting concept, but unfortunately I didn't really enjoy it. However, it may have just been a case of it being the wrong book for me. Others will almost certainly enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

“The Other Valley” by Scott Alexander Howard is a sci fi novel set in a valley in between one that is 20 years in the future and another that is 20 years in the past. The main character, Odile, is a 16 year old school girl who wants to join the Conseil. It’s best to go into this speculative fiction knowing as little as possible. Very interesting book

Scott Alexander Howard creates an odd interesting twist on time travel with a world of valleys each representing 20 years difference in the future or the past. But mainly, the tale is coming of age of story that goes horribly wrong and the main character spends the rest of the time trying to correct it. The central character is charming and the prose is well written.

'The Other Valley' by Scott Alexander Howard is an intricate dystopia novel. There is a slow burn but pay attention even in the slow parts!

This one has languid dystopian vibes like Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun. I would even recommend readers who liked The Giver to give it a try. This one is angled more as a character driven story with plot and explanations of the world taking a back seat to Odile's feelings and transition. I wanted more scifi than literary, but there will be readers who LOVE this one!

Things that make you go hmm...⁣
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Summary⁣
A solitary young woman grows up in a secretive and eerie village that shares its borders with both its future and its past. A thought-provoking exploration of ethics, power, love, and time travel that is perfect for fans of Ishiguro and McEwan.⁣
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This one is tough because the summary made me think I would inhale it, but I didn't. The first half was beyond boring - and y'all know I love a good quiet book but slow and quiet are not the same thing. I had a few friends really like it so I persevered and then around the halfway mark it started to pick up its pace and I was like "yes! I'm so glad I stuck it out." But then it kind of went off the rails a bit and left me underwhelmed 🤷‍♀️⁣
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Format rec: I primarily listened so if you think this sounds like a book you'd like, I'd recommend the physical book.⁣
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Is this one on your list? ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

In "The Other Valley," time travel is simply a matter of geography. There are multiple valleys, each separated by lakes and mountains, and guarded by elaborate fences, towers, and armed guards. Our protagonist, who we follow over the decades, lives in her present time in one such valley. If she traveled east, she would reach the same town twenty years in the future and to her west, twenty years in the past, and so on. Given the potentially catastrophic consequences of interfering with the timelines, travel must be granted by the ruling Conseil.

Pay close attention while reading. The story is complex, intricately plotted, and compelling. Personal, moral, and ethical issues abound and make "The Other Valley" a perfect choice for book clubs or buddy reads. My rating is 3.5* rounded up to 4.

I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is one of the most unique premises I've read in a long time. The first third of this book was absolutely perfect. After the time jump, I was a little disappointed with how parts of the story played out, but I understand why these decisions were made and ultimately I liked how it all came together in the end.

I really loved all the characters, especially when they were young. It was thought provoking and seeing Odile grow up was done well.


SPOILERS? - I really loved the school setting with Odile and felt that part of the story was over so fast. I understand why she left but I wish we spent more time in that setting. I also was disappointed that her friend from the classes (now I'm blanking on her name) disappeared after she was released. I would have loved to have more of her in the story too.

When I first read the incredibly interesting premise of this dystopian story, I immediately dove in...and that is where the excitement unfortunately peaked for me. This felt like one of those novels in which nothing really happens, but you keep waiting for it get better and it just never does. Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

What an intriguing concept! This book really reminded me of a childhood favorite, The Giver. Concept and execution really diverged for me, however. I found the pacing to be off and I often wondered what the author was trying to say with this novel. Am I glad I read it? Yes. Would I recommend it? To the right person.

I devoured this book in one setting it was so good.
The Other Valley follows a girl named Odile in a town that is bordered by two other identical towns... except one is 20 years in the future and the other is 20 years in the past. In part 1, teenage Odile inadvertently discovers something about the future and is grappling with how to handle that knowledge. Does she interfere to prevent harm to someone she knows, or does she preserve the timeline and essentially become complicit in that harm? In part 2, we are with Odile 20 years in the future, where she is now a grown woman dealing with the ramifications of her choices as a teenager. If she could change her choices would she? Can she still?
This book was beautifully written. It took a unique, yet simple, concept and made it incredibly poignant and raw. It's almost like a coming of age story mixed in with speculative, philosophical fiction. Truly fantastic, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
The only issue I had was the author not using quotation marks. It got a little difficult at times to know if something had been said out loud or if it was just a thought, which was frustrating. BUT I listened to part of the audiobook on my drive to work and I think that would be a GREAT option for people who might also struggle without quotations!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ebook copy of The Other Valley!

Comparisons of this novel to "Never Let Me Go" by Ishiguro are accurate. You can see Ishiguro's influences, and you can also see how Howard chose to make different elements of his story unique. The concept of the different valleys and the conceilliers is well developed, and Howard does not leave you with questions about the motivations of his characters. You are left wondering with your own thoughts about which valley you may visit, and why, and if you would interfere. Howard's novel sits in your brain for a long time.

The concept behind this story was really interesting and explored pretty thoroughly throughout the story of Odile’s coming of age and throughout her early adulthood. I really appreciated the deep ethical insights into the implications of the different valleys’ existences and how a society might seek to deal with them. This was a great and unique read.