Maybe In Another Life

As with all the Taylor Jenkins Reid books I’ve read – Daisy Jones & The Six, Malibu Rising, Carrie Soto Is Back, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Maybe In Another Life grabs the reader and doesn’t let go. Reid is a master of dialogue and knows how to ensure that readers care about her characters. It’s unreal. She also usually focuses on impressive but flawed female characters which makes them, and her stories, extremely relatable.

The protagonist in Maybe In Another Life is Hannah Martin – a 29-year-old who seems to leave an impression on everyone she meets, is always late, can’t seem to pick a city to live in, and loves cinnamon rolls. That’s another aspect Reid excels at – the details – and Hannah is full of details. “It’s easy for me to remember details about people I have only met once. But I learned a long time ago not to reveal this. It freaks people out.”

I was ready for the Sliding Doors-type narrative because my book guru, Stephanie Peterman, told me to expect double storylines. Actually, that is what sold me on reading the book. In Sliding Doors (the movie), the life of the female protagonist is depicted in two different ways that depend on a major decision she makes and the audience sees what happens to her in each scenario. Similarly, Hannah makes a decision at the beginning of the book that informs the way her life unfolds. The two directions her life takes are different but some overlapping occurs.

Without saying too much, I will add that the people in Hannah’s orbit stay consistent but their roles vary with the exception of her childhood buddy Gabby who is the central relationship of both stories. Gabby is her person and is an excellent example of how female friendships, when both parties are direct with one another while being supportive and never judgmental, endure. “What’s important is that you have someone to listen.” In addition to Gabby, there are many more relationships (family, friends, love interests) that bob and weave throughout the two storylines that alternate each chapter. The fact that Reid can keep all those people straight is another testament to her writing abilities. That being said, while this double storyline concept is a compelling writing tactic (which I assume is why Reid lifted it) my only criticism is that there are few too many similarities to Sliding Doors.

Saying any more than that would create spoilers but I want to add that this narrative kept me turning pages at warp speed. I wanted to know what happened next – which is usually how it goes with books written by Reid. The author understands how to keep a plot moving and Maybe In Another Life does just that. The books also highlights the concept of fate, if things really do happen “the way they are supposed to,” and that people really don’t know what they are capable of until the situation is in front of their face.

Quotes:

“It’s nice to see familiar faces, to be somewhere and know that the people who knew you at fifteen still like you.”

“Maybe that’s because I don’t have to be a hurricane.”

“And then I realize that simple and easy aren’t the same thing.”

“I suppose just because something is hard to understand, that doesn’t make it any less true.”

“You deserve somebody looking out for you.”

“Sometimes I don’t realize how weighed down I am by my own worries until they are gone.”

“I can tell he understands where I’m coming from but doesn’t necessarily get where I’m heading.”

“I have no idea. But I’ll think about it with you.”

“Life is unpredictable beyond measure.”

“The smile on his face when he walked through the door rivaled the sun.”