Taylor Jenkins Reid in Fate, Love, and Things Beyond Our Control

Good books keep you thinking. 

Great books change the way you think. 

Maybe In Another Life, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, is a great book. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Reid is an American author from Maryland who specializes in fiction books, specially surrounding women and their friendships and relationships. Many of the themes in her books revolve around love, but she incorporates heavy themes throughout her stories and plays with the idea of fate. 

Her novel, Maybe In Another Life, especially plays with this idea of fate.

The story follows the main character, Hannah Martin, and shows two different versions of her life based on a singular choice she makes one night. Throughout the story, we see parallel events happen in both storylines and watch different events unfold based on this one decision she made on one particular night. 

I truly enjoyed this book, I finished it in one night. The idea behind this book seems complicated to execute, but Reid does it flawlessly. The book make sense as it switched between lives, which seemed like a difficult task to challenge since the point of the book is about how different Hannah's life is based on her small choice. 

Reid intertwines parallels between the two lives but has the parallels have different meanings based on where Hannah is in her life. It's extremely interesting and carefully done, showing Reid's talent for writing. The book is fast-paced and packed with details and events, which I prefer, especially when reading for leisure. 

Besides the tactful writing and precise skill of the author, I loved how this book challenged me to think about my beliefs. I always believed in fate and "everything happens for a reason" and while this book shows that perspective, it also shows the other side of the coin, that theres another life with all the choices you didn't make. 

Thinking like that can be overwhelming, since we see both of Hannah's lives and we are faced with deciding if she's happier in one life than the other. Is it even possible to decide, for Hannah or for ourselves, since we can't see the happiness in our other lives, so what is there to compare? 

Reid's works show this sense of choices impacting our lives but Maybe In Another Life, truly shows how the little things we do can create a major impact on our lives. It leaves the reader wondering about the choices they have made themselves, and wondering about Hannah. Are there other lives Hannah lives, besides the two we see? 

If this review left you thinking, just imagine how the book will impact you.