Hannah Martin is twenty-nine and she still doesn't know what she's going to do with her life. She is going back to the only home she knows, the place where her best friend Gabby lives, in Los Angeles, where they both grew up. Hannah cruises along the highway of life, she believes in doing what pleases her at the moment, her head is in the clouds. Gabby on the other hand has always had a purpose, and her life turned out exactly how she planned it. A week before the story begins, Hannah's life began unravelling; she knows she needs to take control of her life, but where to start? When Hannah and Gabby go out at a bar, Hannah's high school boyfriend Ethan is there. This is where MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE begins: what will happen if Hannah goes home with Ethan, and what if she doesn't?

I love "what-ifs", and with MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE, Ms. Jenkins Reid has probably crafted one of the best books in the genre. The characters are exceptionally well drawn: Hannah and Gabby behave and talk like true friends; I absolutely adored Gabby, and it is her story as well as Hannah's. In MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE, there are 2 parallel stories: I would call one "the happy story": which begins with a happy event, but a feeling of impending doom hovers over it. With the other, "the sad story", which starts dramatically, I had a feeling that things would turn out alright, that happy times were ahead. Some events overlap in both stories; some turn out identically, others definitely not, but there are some variables which remain constant, because that's how the person in question really is, and nothing would change it.

I really like that MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE is not divided into chapters but rather one narrative flows into the other at the same point in time, and sometimes it takes a sentence or two before you know precisely which path you are following; I found that exciting, not confusing, the reason being that Hannah IS confused: Ms. Jenkins Reid makes us see Hannah's world through her eyes, and we experience her changes.

MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE is very well written, insightful, intelligent, and I was impressed at how both stories are meticulously crafted, seamless and convincing, and that the characters remained true to themselves. Throughout MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE, some profound thoughts are uttered, and I caught myself re-reading them over and over, stopping and thinking, and very much enjoying the process.

Ms. Jenkins Reid achieved something quite remarkable: while with most stories of that sort, you know at one point what is going to happen, it feels inevitable, but in MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE, both stories could be truly independent and still be captivating. Ms. Jenkins Reid kept me enthralled and guessing until the very end, which is not really an end in itself, but merely the consequences of one particular decision. I could almost hope for more of Hannah and Gabby; I really love those two friends.

Book Summary

From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.