The Other Valley

This is a quiet gem of a novel. Scott Alexander Howard takes a unique premise and executes it beautifully – never relying too heavily on his fantastical plot device to convey young Odile's heartfelt story.

I loved the exploration of the moral and practical reasons a citizen should and should not be allowed to visit their neighboring valley to the east (20 years into their future) and to the west (20 years into their past). A more scrupulous reader might uncover some time travel plot holes here that I tried not to think too hard about – but if you suspend your disbelief and take the story at face value, you'll find a thought-provoking and wistful tale that I, for one, greatly enjoyed.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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