This was a wonderful book! Choices. Life is all about choices. And given 3, a story is written about the outcome of each. Heartbreaking and hopeful, this was beautifully and sensitively written. Bravo!!!

I requested this book from NetGalley as the subject of the influence of a name on a child's future is of great interest to me. However, this novel fell short of my expectation and seemed to me simply a new way to utilize current hot topics to sell a book.

I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Needless to say, all views are my own.

Can a name change the course of a life?
Thank you, Pamela Dorman Books,  for the gifted copy of The Names {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  5.6.2025
Pages: 336
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

The Names is one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish it, for days, even weeks. The author weaves a profoundly heartbreaking tale while still creating moments of unexpected beauty. It made me pause and reflect on how the good and the bad seem to collide in our lives daily.

Told in three parallel stories—each chapter set 7 years later—the book follows the same character (Bear, Julian, and Gordon). While the focus is on these three, the other characters that appear along the way leave just as much of an impact. Spending so much time with each character made me feel like I truly got to know them on a deeper level. I couldn’t help but root for them to find their own happiness, even through their struggles.

While I usually don’t delve into content warnings, it’s important to mention that The Names does contain domestic violence throughout the story. There are moments in the book that have stayed with me long after I finished it, ones that bring tears to my eyes just thinking about what some people endure. Please tread carefully if you decide to pick this one up.

Read if you enjoy:
👏🏼 Debut Novels
🚪 Sliding Door Trope
🔀 Parallel Timelines
📖 Literary Fiction

I highly recommend adding The Names to your 2025 reading list. It’s one of those books that will stay with you for a long time.

The Names explores the effect a name can have on an individual and his family; how one choice has the potential to lead to three different results. There are three scenarios (one for each of three names) presented, each following the boy, his older sister, his mother, his abusive father , and his grandmother. As he and his sister enter adulthood, the novel also explores how the name affects finding one’s significant other and its impact on social relationships. I found it interesting to discover that there are some topics that seem to repeat in alternative ways for each version of Bear/Julian/Gordon (for example, Lily.)

The Names offers a fascinating premise that is well developed in this debut novel. Highly recommended!

What’s in a name? Juliet didn’t think it defined a person. However, in this book, it means a lot. This is a complicated, heartbreaking story that delves into a family torn apart by the anger of a man yet held together by the love of a woman.

Spanning several decades with alternate versions of what the future could be a wife fears her husband’s all-encompassing wrath. She endures emotional and physical pain in the confined space he keeps her in, with the hope of protecting her children, but when she boldly disobeys him over a name life takes a turn. The various names she chooses for her son become symbols of who she imagines he will grow up to be. Through trauma, newfound love, can a family put itself back together. The significance of a name holds great meaning in this hauntingly beautiful look at the once hurt who find the care necessary to heal, windows open for the once unloved letting in a warmth they’ve never previously known, familial bonds once fragile are strengthened, and room is made for new love where, before, space didn’t permit it.

Through adversity come strength and transformation. You’ll wince and shudder at what the characters endure, then rejoice at their profound resilience and the love that seeps through the ugly cracks.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a wonderful book. Exquisitely written, interesting literary device using the same basic story but providing different outcomes and experiences based on the selection of a child’s name -showing that the smallest type of defiance can change one’s outcome in life. Interesting character development. Sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes providing you with hope.

What's in a name? Knapp answers that question in the most beautiful way, portraying three different outcomes of life, dependent on the name given to a child. Each path is grounded in the beginning, by a domestic abuse situation but after the newborn is named, each journey shows that life is about the choices that were made as inspired by each name. The author takes us on gorgeously written sliding doors situation of what ifs. I loved the symbolism of each name and each different story told that somehow all wove together into one. 5 stars!

Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books and Florence Knapp for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the premise and writing style of this book. The introduction of the three versions of this character hooked me immediately, but I found that as time went on I became confused with each timeline, and found myself wishing that I was able to spend more time with the characters before time jumped another 7 years. I became less interested in the plot throughout the book as a result of this. That being said, this was such a unique and intriguing premise and I am looking forward to see what this author writes in the future.

I loved The Names. This novel holds an interesting premise - the different trajectories a life might take with a different choice of names. The story grapples with tough topics such as domestic abuse, deftly handled by the sensitivity of the author. You'll cheer for Cora and her children every step of their journey, as they navigate the flaws of family and move towards healing. The writing is beautiful, deep, and unforgettable. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this wonderful eArc. 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A pair of siblings and their battered mother's stories are told through the possibilities of three different names for the boy that coincide with three different life paths for them all.

The Names follows a family in three different alternate realities, differing based on the matriarch's (Cora's) decision of what to name her newborn son. Each reality skips forward seven years at a time, so we follow Cora and her children as they grow. While stories that jump around can be confusing to read for me, I found this pretty easy to follow. I thought the notes/definitions of the names at the end tied things together beautifully. Definitely a TW for domestic abuse; some of the details were very hard to read. If you're looking for a wistful and deep family saga with a creative twist, this a good one for you. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is the best book I’ve read in a long time. Not because it’s a warm and fuzzy story. It is NOT. It deals with abuse and for some readers this could be very troubling. But the reason to read it is because it’s a story told of how a decision on what a child’s name is can change the trajectory of many people’s lives. It shows that names are powerful, even if we don’t realize it.

The story is told well by the author and I hope that it gets the attention it deserves.

I really wanted to love this so much, Life After Life is a good comp and one of my favorites, but I've found as I age (I'm 40), I cannot stand to read about spousal abuse, especially when it's described so vividly. Clever concept, loved the boy, but hated that reading all of the physical & mental abuse. Clearly an example of "it's not you, it's me!"

Wow. I wasn't quite sure how a book with this premise would read, but man, Knapp did a wonderful job. The exploration of timelines revolving around a boy and his life and those he loves all based on name choice. This novel dealt with domestic abuse but in a thoughtful and touching way. I really loved reading this one.

This book absolutely blew me away -- rarely does a book come along that is so wholly original, so thought-provoking, and so beautifully rendered that I want to recommend it to everyone I know. THE NAMES shows how something as intangible yet powerful as a name can alter the trajectory of a life -- and all the other lives it touches. To say too much about this achingly moving story would spoil it, but it's hands-down one of my favorite reads of the past year. Don't miss it.

Great book club discussion book! The premise is how small decisions - in this case, the name chosen for a child - affect the trajectory of the child's life and others. Will the child fulfill the legacy of a name or the aspirations associated with a name? The author tackles domestic abuse and violence, personal agency, and how different characters navigate healthy and unhealthy family dynamics over time. Well-written and thoughtful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. I was so captivated by this debut's hook: can a name change the course of a life? I loved the structure and the prose, and the premise felt particularly fresh. Really loved this one!

3.5 ⭐️The three versions of the future span multiple decades in this Sliding Doors-type novel. Uplifting at times and heartbreaking at others, it explores how the name a couple chooses for their son could shape the course of their lives, told through alternating timelines. TW: Domestic abuse.

Florence Knapp’s debut novel, The Names, absolutely lives up to the hype as one of the most anticipated fiction releases of the year. With its thought-provoking and highly creative speculative premise, this novel explores how a single name can define a person’s fate, shaping their relationships and leading them down vastly different life paths.

I devoured this book in one sitting, completely captivated by the unique and emotionally rich journeys of Bear (strong, brave, and warm-hearted), Julian (inspired by the sky, limitless and ambitious), and Gordon (immovable, looming, shaped by tradition). Their lives unfold in three separate timelines, each revealing the profound impact of a single decision—one name.

The story begins on a pivotal day for Cora, a mother of two, as she walks to the registration office to officially name her newborn son. Her husband, Gordon—a respected doctor—insists the child be named after him to continue their family legacy. But Cora hesitates. She fears history will repeat itself, that her son will become a mirror image of his father—a man who, like his own controlling father, hides his toxic nature behind a mask of prestige. Trapped in a marriage where she endures suffering to protect her children, she realizes this is her one chance to change the course of her son’s life. By choosing a different name—perhaps "Bear" to make him strong and kind, or "Julian" to give him the boundless potential of the sky—she hopes to set him free from the cycle of the past.

This single decision splinters into three possible futures, following Cora, her daughter Maia, her mother Silbhe, and her son—who in different realities lives as Bear, Julian, or Gordon—across 35 years. Through their joys, losses, struggles, and triumphs, the novel masterfully examines how identity, fate, and personal choices intertwine. Each timeline invites deep reflection on the paths we take in life and the power a name holds in shaping destiny.

Without giving too much away, I can say that by the time I reached the final chapter, I was overwhelmed with emotion. The Names is filled with poignant moments, deeply relatable characters, and a message that lingers long after the last page. It’s one of those rare books that nestles into your heart and continues to resonate for years to come.

Final thoughts: This is hands down one of the best books of 2025—a must-read that deserves a spot on your TBR list immediately! If you love alternative-universe stories, Sliding Doors-style "what if" scenarios, or emotionally gripping narratives with unexpected twists, The Names is calling for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP VIKING/Pamela Dorman Books for providing this fantastic debut’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Florence Knapp’s debut novel, ‘The Names,’ explores three distinct plots stemming from Cora’s decision to name her son. The concept of alternate paths based on names is captivating. Each timeline is compelling, yet their intertwining creates a unique read.