Well this was certainly an interesting idea. I enjoyed reading this and loved the writing, but admit I struggled a little with keeping each of the lives straight since the characters overlapped so much.

The Names by Florence Knapp is a powerful, thoughtful, thought provoking, and realistic look at the ripple effects of domestic abuse and violence. A strong caution for those who may be triggered by that topic. Despite warning potential readers, I must also say this is one of the best books I've ever read. It totally blew me away! I'd like to see it win numerous literary awards and be considered an instant classic. I would rate it twenty stars if I could. That's how unique and special this book is.

What's in a name? Quite possibly your future, as well as the futures of those connected to you. Readers follow the Atkin family (Gordon, the father, a doctor; Cora, the mother; Maia, the nine-year-old daughter; and the son Bear/Julian/Gordon, a new-born infant). The author tells the story via point in time descriptions of the life of each family member given every seven years for thirty-five years, beginning in 1987 and ending in 2022. Knapp also provides three alternatives of the family's path based on the name Cora chooses to give her son.

I was drawn to the book by the unusual and original story line. Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop, becoming quickly absorbed by the vividness of the characters, the skill displayed in capturing their emotions, and the admirable execution of the complex story line. There is so much depth to this novel, so many layers beautifully woven together! I enjoyed how some characters in one alternative would appear in a different way in one or both of the other alternatives, almost as if they were destined to intersect with this family even if they played a different role.

When I learned this is Knapp's debut novel, I was stunned. This is a debut novel?!? OMG, how is that possible? The talent and skill displayed within these pages makes this author one I want to follow. I'm already looking forward to her next book!

My thanks to Pamela Dorman Books for permitting me to access a DRC of the novel via NetGalley. Publication is 5/6/2025. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Hard hitting, emotional and ingeniously plotted it might seem a little confusing at the beginning until you realize how the story unfolds. How could a given name influence the life of a child? Outstanding and I wouldn’t be surprised if it will be nominated for a literary prize.

My first pre-pub read, thank you NetGalley. This clever and thought-provoking debut was a beautiful read. With multiple sliding door stories, it was sometimes hard to follow, but I eventually found my footing during each path. The endings brought satisfying closure and I know these characters will stay with me for a long time.

The Names is for fans of books like The Measure etc that take a concept, apply it to multiple scenarios, and the reader watches it all unfold. In The Names, we follow a family of four in three different scenarios. The one through line in all is the INSERT father. What changes in each scenario is what the mother, Cora, names her son. In one reality, he is Bear, named for his cute and cuddly softness and his strength. In another reality, he is Julian, meaning sky father. In the third, he is named after this terrible man, Gordon. 

All three story lines hooked me and made me think and feel so many things. This was beautifully done.

The synopsis is what reeled me in. I wanted to read this book so bad but I think I had extremely high expectations for this book.

The storyline was brilliant but the execution was not so much. This story is about a name...really.

There are three different scenarios, one baby, one child, one wife, and one husband. Each of these scenarios are different and what if's.

I can say that I am not a fan of the husband....

What's in a name? How can it shape your life? One family--a story told three different ways. Cora, the mom is a constant, as is Gordon, the dad. The children: son is Bear=Julian=Gordon. Maia, the daughter, nicknamed Bees. Spanning thirty-five years and three generations [grandmother, Silbhe, a favorite character], the novel explores family ties in different timelines with different characters save the nuclear family.

A story of domestic abuse, healing, choices, mistakes, fresh starts, accidents, toxicity, struggles, successes--the whole gamut!

I admit I was confused at first [because the story jumps around in 7-year increments--always Bear, Julian, Gordon], but then the storylines gelled.

In the distinct minority here. The writing was fine. However, I was not really engaged and found the persistent thread of domestic abuse -- and the trauma following -- disturbing.

Points for originality, but... just not for me.

Names are powerful, but are they so powerful that they can completely change the course of your life? Your fate? Your relationships?

Cora’s husband, Gordon, is a respected doctor in town and expects his son to be named after himself. It’s a family tradition that has been followed for generations. But as Cora walks to the registrar shortly after the child’s birth, she is motivated to break the generational cycles present in her husband. She wonders if changing her son’s name - and breaking with the family’s naming tradition - will help her son grow up to be a better man than his father is.

From there, the book fractures into three different timelines and possibilities. Through these characters, the reader sees how each life would have played out given a different name. Bear, is strong and brave and kind. Julian is creative and ambitious. Gordon is dark and shaped by tradition.

This book has such a unique premise and I was quickly immersed in each of these characters’ lives. We see each timeline play out and through all the ups and downs, triumphs and tribulations, I really came to care about all of these stories and characters, regardless of what perspective I was in. Knapp played a little with the timeline structure as well because we would jump forward seven years in each section. While it would take a few minutes to find my bearings each time we made a jump, the stories are unique to each character so that really helped me get oriented quickly.

This is an impressive debut that I’m sure will be a #bookstagramdarling when it publishes on May 6th. Since finishing it, I have reflected on the themes of generational trauma, family bonds, and destiny quite a bit. Despite its intense and dark nature (check trigger warnings!), I felt compassion, hope, and love towards these characters.

I see this book going on "Best of 2025" lists and would be surprised if it is not snatched up quickly for a screen adaptation.

Knapp's prose is precise and beautiful. I could not believe this is her debut novel.
She takes an interesting approach to the trope of alternate lives, connecting each to a child's name, or rather, to his mother's decision to follow an expectation placed on her or give in to her instincts and desire for a different life for her kids.

I liked the connectedness of everything and how, in each version, people around the boy had their lives adjusted and changed as well. It is hard to tell which life was ultimately better for everyone involved, as each had its tragedies and triumphs.

Ultimately, each life, no matter the name of the main character, was deeply affected by the cruelty and abuse that Cora and her kids, to an extent, endured. Knapp has an amazing talent for creating a claustrophobic environment and describing truly horrific abuse in a few words that cut deep.

I really enjoyed the subtle connections between the lives - such as Cian/Julian making a ring for Lily, Felix the Vet's role, a nod to Silbhe's daily runs and better health.

This novel felt almost like book magic to me, as I am expecting and contemplating names for the baby boy. One of the names I am considering is one of the three names in the book, so when I picked it up, it felt like a premonition. (No, not Gordon)

Thank you, NetGalley, Viking Penguin, and the author, for sharing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. The novel is out on May 6.

The Names is a very cleverly written story and it is very difficult to review without spoiling just how clever it is. I don’t think I’ve read a book written in this way before and it’s definitely thought provoking.

One of the most important things a parent will do is give a name to their child. A name carries meaning, history, and a sense of identity. The author clearly took great care in deciding on names for her characters. The names are used as labels, yes, but also as symbols hinting at family history and personal struggle.

The story is an examination of domestic abuse and its effects on the victims. The author addresses trauma, psychological effects, and potential inherited behaviour. I’m not going to lie, there are some very disturbing scenes, but they are portrayed in a way that is not sensationalized.

This is the third book featuring domestic abuse I’ve read recently and this one is the most uniquely written of them. Overall, it’s a very impactful and important read. What a debut! 4.25 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC.

Not a happy book, but so powerful and so well done! While the device of a "what if" storyline is not new, Knapp takes this concept and develops it so beautifully and creatively that it is very shocking to find that this is her debut novel. I am actually one that does often daydream about the What If's in life - and so I am definitely drawn to this type of storyline. Even so, it did take me a bit to sink into The Names, probably because of one character is so terribly awful but once I did, holy moly - this felt like a literary marvel. The main plot point of the book (a terribly abusive father) is such difficult content but if you can get through that, your empathy for this family will soar and the creative skill in which Knapp develops each storyline kept me deeply invested and turning the pages until the end. While the premise seems to be the different trajectories a name can place upon a life, the deeper storyline is the effects of a woman trapped in a very abusive marriage and the effects on her children and those around her. Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review. The Names will be available on 5/6/25.

This book was one of my most anticipated new releases of the year, and it did not disappoint. Although it deals with a heavy and depressing topic throughout the entire novel, the writing is so beautiful and captivating that I could not put it down. The alternating story lines was such a unique concept, and it is a thought-provoking experience for the reader. The author takes us on a 35-year journey full of tears, laughter, sorrow, and hope. It is devastating and uplifting all at once. Easily has earned a spot as one of the top books I will recommend to everyone this year.

This book was amazing. I absolutely tore through it and I loved the fact that it was 3 different timelines and it was so cohesive and amazing. This is definetley going to be one of my top reads of the year.

Cora and her nine year old daughter weather a stormy day to register the name of her newborn son. Her husband, a respected doctor in the community, and a monster at home, has demanded that his son be named Gordon after the men in his family. The story diverges into three possible pathways based on the name Cora gives her son.

When I first read the synopsis of The Names I loved the premise. It felt original and was open to so many possible themes. The obvious ones of family, intimate partner violence, and fate were there but so were love, heartbreak, determination, art, perseverance, identity and strength.

The alternating chapters based on the names and following Cora and her children kept the story moving. Illustrations at the beginning of each POV helped remind me of the previous storyline attached to that name. The story moved forward in segments of seven years giving the reader enough to follow the lives of the characters without it being bogged down. In this way I was able to see how the characters progressed over a time period of over 30 years.

Without giving anything away, I so appreciated the way intimate partner violence was handled. It happens behind closed doors, even family doesn’t always know the extent of the harms being committed, it can be physical and psychological, dangers are ever-present but highest when a person decides to leave the person harming them and immediately after and it is not uncommon for a woman (in most cases, it is women) to return to the relationship before ever leaving for good.

Thank you to @netgalley and @pameladormanbooks for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinions and to @florenceknapp for writing such an incredible debut novel. I will be seeking out more of your work in the future. The Names publishes May 6, 2025.

Also, check out the meanings of the characters’ names in the back of the book and the Instagram pages that inspired the artists within the story. These are featured in the acknowledgments.

I couldn't resist the premise of Florence Knapp's debut novel, The Names. Cora has a cruel, controlling husband who insists that their baby boy be named Gordon, after himself and generations of men in his family. But Cora has always loved the name Julian, and her 9-year-old daughter Maia wants to call her brother Bear. And when Cora impulsively decides to register their son as Bear, she knows that Maia will be delighted but that there will be consequences at home.The rest of the book reveals, in alternating chapters and in 7-year intervals for a total of 35 years, how the family would be different if the son were named each of the three names.

I have to say that reading about the domestic abuse is difficult and depressing. But, oh, the rest of the book is well worth it. In luminous, expressive prose, Knapp captures love, challenge, and redemption so beautifully that you can't help feeling and sharing the emotions of the characters. Sometimes it's a bit difficult to keep track of which of the three families you are reading about, but it's thrilling to see how some of the same supporting characters can be featured in more than one of the stories, with quite different results.

It's almost impossible to articulately capture what I loved about this book, but I recommend it highly to those who are not triggered by the hard subjects. Besides the author's writing style, I so appreciated the fact that the characters are deeply examined, including the supporting characters, the action takes place in both England and Ireland, and it is a story that will remain with me for a long time.

My sincere thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Viking/Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

What an amazing story with such a unique plot device. Hard to read but impossible to turn away. It is both challenging and emotionally resonant, with so many heart tugging characters. Bravo.

A quarter of the way in and one scene made me put the book down . I’ve had enough of the spousal abuse . Just can’t finish it . Three scenarios with naming the new baby three different names . An interesting premise , a different kind of read , I thought . I couldn’t help but want to know how the stories of this family would be different with different names . They were except for the spousal abuse that remains constant and is difficult to read about no matter how the stories varied . Done with it even though I thought the writing was good.

I received a copy of this book Penguin Group Viking through NetGalley.

If I could rate this book 10 stars, I would.

This book is absolutely brilliant and scintillating. I had to sit for several hours before I wrote my review, finding myself revising it several times (and probably will some more); I feel I’ve failed to fully capture the words that properly seize the phenomenal work of pure artistry and inventiveness this book possesses; I absolutely loved it.

Character development is spot-on, as the author unveils the many facets of each of the beloved players as well as the villains. I found myself to be utterly captivated by its writing style and unique storytelling, often revealing visceral emotions within in me.

It both Affected me and Effected me—and few stories do.

The premise/plot of the book is a compelling concept—how one’s name can affect and create one’s path in life.

It’s told over a 35-year timeframe, where a child is named differently in each of its interconnected vignettes—a “what if” said child had a different name? What would he be like? Who would he become?

It is a book that is heart-wrenching and alarming yet hopeful and jubilant, and it has the most vivid and pictorial imagery. I often found myself gasping out loud while the story unfolded, as well as often shedding tears. Debut author, Florence Knapp, really knocks it out of the park. I’m so thrilled she wrote it and thankful—even more—to Penguin Group/Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books for publishing it. It is available for all to purchase on May 6th, 2025.

Thank you to author, Florence Knapp, publisher Penguin Group/Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books, and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

I did not know what to expect when starting this book, and I am so happy that I read it. The Names is an incredible story of one person and their life outcome depending on what their given birth name is.
I have recommended this book to my friends with one suggestion, take notes. If I put the book down for an extended period of time, I found my self getting a little confused remembering the storylines. I am considering rereading the book again with a notepad to jot down notes to remember each life story more clearly.
Overall great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for choosing me for an early read of this book.

This book employed an interesting trope where an abused wife named Cora is walking with her baby boy and 9-year-old daughter Maia to register the son's birth. She doesn't want to register the newborn's name as being Gordon, her husband's name, fearing the legacy of its abusive connotations. Her daughter would like to name him Bear and Cora would like to name him Julian. From this point the story shoots off into dueling chapters where these same people's lives played out differently depending on what Cora named the boy. I was struck off kilter each time the chapter changed into some other scenario, mostly because of the changing characters that became lovers and/or spouses to Cora's children as they grew older. The writing style was very good, but because of the horrific domestic abuse and the mental disruption caused by the varying storylines, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to the publisher PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin / Pamela Dorman Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.