#TheOtherYear#
Kate takes her daughter on a seaside vacation. Kate watches the child play in the water. Kate sees her daughter go under. Terrified she rushed to the ocean and sees her child surface giggling. Later Kate is distracted a split second. The unthinkable happens. After rescuers bring the drowned girl to her mother, Kate suffers every emotion known to man. She begins to live two lives one with her child and another wrestling with reality of her loss, and her guilt. A story you will never forget. Highly recommend. I received this book from the publisher and net galley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you publisher and NetGalley.

Thank you Harper Muse for allowing me to read and review The Other Year on NetGalley

Published: 08/15/23

Narrator: Brittany Pressley

Stars: 2.5

More enjoyable than an average book, however, I have already had to skim the synopsis i.e., forgettable. The subject matter is what aids remembering after the skim.

While on vacation Mom is on her phone texting while her 9-year-old daughter plays in the ocean and subsequently drowns. The story is written in dual timelines: before and after death. The requisite ex-husband has his self-centered role and family friend Jason is always available in both timelines. Do I sound snarky? The sexual tension between the three irked me while I was reading.
I kept most of my focus as Brittany Pressley snapped her fingers and did a couple yoo-hoo pay attentions -- Seriously, she really was amazing as a performing narrator.

As the story unravels more characters enter and having sex and potentially finding love overtakes the story of a woman texting while her 9-year-old daughter played in the ocean and drowned. This point was not addressed and it sickened me.

Without Pressley this is a creative writing paper that needed a point edit -- nonsensical texting or possibly, child dies and mom wants a male companion.

It’s hard for me to write a review of this book without potentially giving away spoilers.

This is an amazing story of a mother who loses her daughter… or did she? The dual timeline is so captivating- how characters fit into each. I became completely invested in all the characters. Navigating loss, friendship, old love, new love. My heart ached listening to this story.

Beautifully written story.

The narrator was 5 stars.

Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.

I absolutely loved the concept of two parallel timelines in this book. Each one told so uniquely. I would definitely recommend this book and read it again!

The Other Year by Rea Frey

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the free audiobook.

Blurb:
“Bringing to light the drastic polarities dire circumstances often create, The Other Year explores truths about love, loss, and the sharp turns any life can take in the blink of an eye.

✨My thoughts:
This story completely wrecked me. I actually read and listened to this book and both were so good! Rea Frey literally ripped my heart from my chest and left me with a bleeding heart. All while my two boys were cuddling me. This book is not for the faint of heart and I highly suggest checking the trigger warnings. I loved to see the two different timelines and both pulled at my heartstrings in two very different ways. This story was written so beautifully. It was also written so painfully raw that I almost forgot I was reading a work of fiction. Honestly I’m getting choked up thinking about this book again. The Other Year is a meaningful and memorable story, written with pure talent and heart, and one I’ll never forget. There is so much to take away from this story and if you can handle reading about the loss of a child, you should really pick this one up. This one will break your heart and put you back together again.

“Slowly, achingly, I am learning to live.”

Happy reading!

One of my favorite movies is Sliding Doors. It stars Gwyneth Paltrow and is about the two paths a woman’s life takes: 1. She makes it on the train just in time 2. She misses it completely.

The Other Year, is a riveting story that drew me in immediately because it’s the same type of storytelling. The heroin is Kate and one day at the beach, her daughter disappears in the waves and she begins to desperately search for her. In one year; her daughter, Olivia, resurfaces moments later. In “the other year”, she tragically drowns. The book then follows the parallel timelines in alternating chapters, describing Kate’s life after that day at the beach.

This story will make you feel everything from heartbroken to joyful. It is a reminder that everything can change in an instant. It is about the human spirit’s strength and perseverance through any kind of obstacle; whether that’s losing your child or dealing with how they pull away from you as they grow older and more independent. It is about the strength of a woman, regardless of her obstacles.

Thank you @harpermusebooks @netgalley for a copy of this book. Rea always writes books that wrecks me. This one is a sliding door story told in 2 parallel timelines. One with Kate loses her daughter at the beach and her grief and how she moves on. The other timeline, Olivia is okay and how her life is. I liked that in both story, Kate faces big decision and all the supporting characters played a big role in both dimensions. Brittany Pressley did a phenomenal job in bringing out all the emotions.

This was two stories in one essentially and done really well. I thought it was interesting how one event could impact someone in such very drastic ways. The author did a fantastic job with capturing all of the emotions and looking into the future with these two avenues.

🌀Synopsis
Kate finally takes her daughter on a vacation and when she disappears beneath the waves the story diverges onto two paths- in one path she doesn’t come back up and in another path she does.
The story goes on to show the future in both of these paths, emphasizing just how critical one moment can be. In the story where she doesn’t come up, she dies and Kate has to force herself to reckon with the grief. In another path she deals with the difficulties of raising her daughter as a divorced parent.

Many thanks for the complimentary ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the author/publisher.

This is the ultimate “what if” scenario between a child living and dying. No doubt this will not be for all readers/listeners. One storyline is happy; the other a painful, heart-rending, and raw emotional journey. As other reviewers caution - trigger warning - loss of a child.

The idea for this book is certainly unique, and is contemplative of how quickly our lives can change in a few seconds. The roller coaster of emotions - grief, happiness, regret, hope, guilt, fear, failure - drives the intensity in the dual timeline. It accurately portrays how our view of someone lost in a tragedy tends to be remembered better than in reality with the opposing storyline to put this into perspective.

WOW! This story was A LOT! Trigger alert: Children death and grief. Also spoilers!

This book was everything. Funny, silly, sad, witty, charming, interesting, and so thoughtful. 2 different versions of what happens on a day when Olivia is in the ocean and she goes under. 2 different stories wonderfully intertwined. I listened to this book and as always the narrator Brittany Pressley was amazing (I didnt know she was the narrator until I started and it made me even more excited to listen!). 5 stars!

Thank you for the advanced reader NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was the first book I have read/listened to by Rea Frey. I enjoyed this book. With that being said some of the early timeline 2 chapters were difficult to get through (in my personal opinion), however, I liked the Timeline 1 early chapters enough to keep reading. I did not find the story to be 100% predictable. This was a good thing.

The reason I decided to request this book was partially because Brittany Pressley is one of my favorite narrators. She did not disappoint in narrating this book. I think she helped me enjoy this story, and I am not sure if I would've requested it if she hadn't narrated it. And then I would've missed out on a great book.

I am very glad I found this gem of a book and I will look for other books by Rea Frey in the future.

–

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The book begins with our protagonist, Kate being on a vacation with her daughter, Olivia. Olivia is an young kid and she dips into the ocean for fun. It set backs Kate's heart but within few next few moments Olivia comes to the surface.
What if the alternative had happened, if Olivia had not come to the surface? What would had happen with Kate? Could she bear such a loss being a mother?
The author has beautiful penned down two parallel timelines depicting the grieve and sadness of a mother loosing her daughter and also not. The factor of "what if" used as a plotline was something new to me and I am reading this author's work for the first so, I was quite impressed by such an unique plotline.
After finishing the book, I understood the meaning of this book cover and indeed, I am quite impressed by this piece. Definitely looking forward to more of this author's work.

I listened to this book while on break at the beach. The theme of the story occurs at the beach, so immediately I felt connected. The concept involves one traumatic incident, but two very distinct results, called Timeline One and Timeline Two. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, does such an excellent job conveying the emotion of each unique path. This is one reason I preferred to listen to the audiobook instead of reading it myself. Her tone alone helped delineate each set of circumstances. It's written well; thoughtful and thought provoking. I would highly recommend this book, but to make it even better, get the audiobook.
Thanks so much to Harper Muse for an audio copy in return for my honest review. The publishing date was August 15, 2023.

The premise here is interesting - - a look at a life as it was and as it could be. Don't we all have things that we think 'what if?'. In this case, though, one of the lives is heartbreaking. The narrator captured the anguish and agony in Kate's voice after Olivia dies. It was so realistic, it had me sobbing.

This is a book that will really stick with the reader.

This is an incredibly emotional story about what it means to be a mother, how impactful that role is on an individual, and the fear of losing a child.

In this captivating novel, Rea Frey weaves together parallel timelines, exploring the profound impact of a single moment on a mother’s life. Kate Baker, a working mom, takes her nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, on a much-needed beach vacation. But during a seemingly ordinary swim, Olivia vanishes among the waves, plunging Kate into a heart-dropping incident that threatens to uproot her entire reality.
In one reality, Olivia resurfaces joyously, and Kate grapples with the fear of losing her daughter. In the other, Olivia doesn’t come back up, and Kate faces every mother’s worst nightmare—grief, rage, and the search for purpose after such profound loss. As Kate navigates these divergent paths, she discovers breathtaking fragility and resilience in both her lives.

The novel delves into universal themes of love, family, parenthood, forgiveness, grief, and second chances. Frey’s writing breathes life into these emotions, creating a tear-jerker with heart. The line between joy and loss becomes thinner with each passing day, and readers will find themselves immersed in Kate’s emotional journey.

“The Other Year” is a thought-provoking exploration of the sharp turns life can take in the blink of an eye. Whether Olivia resurfaces or not, Kate’s story resonates with anyone who has faced life-altering moments. Love your people, cherish your moments, and hold onto hope—it’s a message that lingers long after you turn the last page.
If you’re drawn to women’s fiction that combines magical realism with raw emotion, “The Other Year” is a must-read. Rea Frey’s storytelling prowess shines through, leaving readers contemplating the delicate balance between love and loss.

Told in two similar but distinct timelines The Other Year tells the story of how it would be to lose a child to drowning and then in a parallel timeline how life could go on without this tragic loss of a child. This is a deeply emotional book that certainly tugged at my heart in both timelines. It explores grief, joy, emotional healing, love, loss and so much more. The author writes beautifully and really tied the story up perfectly. I am quite impressed with how she managed to merge these two timelines in the end. I highly recommend this novel. It really is something quite unique and special. Five stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Muse for the ARC copy of this audio book, it was excellent.

As a parent of a child the same age as Olivia, this story has me racked with sobs multiple times. It was impossible to not put myself in Kate’s shoes and I reacted viscerally, which is a testament to the power of the author’s writing and the raw emotions she was able to elicit. The shifting timelines were incredibly effective in this story, providing the reader both small breaks from the crushing grief and the imagined interactions natural in the grieving process. Overall, an intensely thought provoking story of trauma, grief, and healing.

4.5 stars rounded up for Brittany Pressley and Waffles. I think this really beautifully captured the grief after an unimaginable loss, the complications that come with every day life and, of course, the fun of love triangles. It felt like Frey was squeezing my heart for a lot of it, but she did offer some relief, which I was grateful for.

Also, as usual, Brittany Pressley was amazing. She somehow had distinct characterizations for the two timelines so that the character was the same but different.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

The Other Year
Rea Frey
Narrated by Brittany Pressley
Harper Muse
Format: Audio book
4 stars

This is a real ‘sliding doors’ story that opens as our main character Kate and her daughter stop to take a swim on the way to a holiday getaway. In the first traumatic take, Kate’s loses sight of her daughter Olivia in the waves, and she drowns. In the second parallel story, she bobs back up form under a wave, and they continue to meet their friends at the holiday house.

In the first tragic version Kate negotiates the trauma, raw grief, guilt, blame and trying to just keep moving. Both realities see Kate reassess her life, her ex-husband, and questioning whether her long-time best friend could potentially become more. As well as wanting to get back to the earth and move away from her professional career.

Despite flicking back and forwards between alternative chapter realities this did seem a little long. With the majority of the subplots centered mostly around romantic connections, and will-they/won’t-they/should-they being common across both stories. The narration of the sadder story felt slightly too much – with the voice sounding constantly on the verge of tears. But the cast of characters were portrayed well – from the wilfully independent daughter to the close males in Kate’s life.

This unusual format was well executed and explored some interesting and traumatic concepts and leaves you looking at life's twists and turns form quite different angles.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse and Rea Frey for an advance audio edition of this book in exchange for an honest review.