I loved this book. Picking up a book by a new author, particularly when the book is the author’s first publication, can be a exciting but risky endeavour. I saw The Other Valley on a list of new publications and that it was being compared to books by Emily St. John Mandel and Kazuo Ishiguro, two authors I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I wasn’t disappointed.
Odile is a sixteen-year-old girl, bright but awkward and a loner at school. Her father died when she was young and she and her mother share a stilted relationship. Odile lives in a quiet town in a valley, unremarkable except for the fact that to the east and to the west lie identical towns in identical valleys. The town to the west is 20 years time behind Odile’s town while the town to the east is 20 years ahead. Visits between the valleys are rare and strictly regulated by the valleys’ local Conseils. Occasional “mourning tours” are allowed and visitors come for a glimpse of lost loved ones.
At sixteen, Odile and her classmates are entering apprenticeships to determine their future careers. Odile is competing for one of only a few spots on the conseil. But when she spots visitors from another valley on a mourning tour and recognizes who they are, everything changes.
This is a story that simply unfolds so elegantly. Odile is entirely believable as a teenage girl uncomfortable in her own skin and unsure of her place in the world, either present or future. (And how did this male author know the awkwardness of teenage girlhood so intimately??) From her relationship with her mother to the growing friendships she begins to develop at school, the story felt honest and every turn or revelation felt true to the world and characters that Howard had created.
The second half of the book moves forward in time and we learn more about this world and what it might be to live in such a place where there is always a heightened awareness of how the smallest actions can change everything. The ending is beautiful and open-ended in just the right way. A deeply satisfying read.
Karissa Reads Books 
I haven’t heard a premise quite like this before! I did read a sci-fi/fantasy book about a land of people who were backwards and another that was pro-progress, so it felt like two different times, but was not.
I do love how comfy you and Winnie The Dog look in that photo!
Winnie really knows how to spread out on the couch!
I didn’t mention in my review but the author has a philosophy degree and I think it really shows in how thoughtful the story is. The way he approaches the way such an existence would impact people and society makes it feel all the more real.
That is something I love about the horror author Brian Evenson. Yes, he writes horror, but he has a strong philosophy background, so a lot of the scary parts of his work are more about the human mind, losing your mind, not knowing who you are and does that even matter, etc. He was also a leader in the Mormon church, so there’s loads about religion, too.
It can make a huge difference, even if it’s just the way the author approaches characterization. I met this author’s mother-in-law and as soon as she mentioned his background I thought, “Of course.”
Ooh exciting! I’ve recently picked up a copy of this one as well but haven’t had a chance to dive in yet; even more eager to check it out now seeing that it lived up to expectations for you!
I love how unique of a premise this is – something that actually has never been done before! At least not that I know of, which is good enough haha
It really is! I kept thinking it reminded me of The Giver but for adults. But the plot isn’t really that similar, there’s just some of the setting that felt a bit reminiscent.