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Alternate Lives
Sometimes and without warning we return to our past. Not fleeting remembrances, but something much deeper, re-living every embarrassing moment, the sounds, the smells, the love and the pain. Supposing you could take those experiences, and allow your imagination, to run wild and free. How would it turn out? For the better, perhaps. For the worse, probably. What would it actually feel like to be Shakespeare on a bad day. What would have happened, had the teenage you, spoken to that girl instead of standing there tongue-tied and awkward.' Alternate Lives' is an exploration of the, "if only’s" and "what might have been’s" of the author’s life. There are no earth-shattering events or making of history. He was never there when those things happened. Instead, he shares eighteen everyday experiences and dreams exploring how things could have been different. While a few tales are complete flights of fancy, no he never was Santa, but wanted to be, most have within them some smidgens of truth. One story, however, is completely true, albeit incomplete. Which one, well that is for him to know and for you to guess.
224 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 21, 2025
A delightful collection of short stories of ‘what might have been’ if different choices had been made, are different life/timeline had been lived. The stories cover subjects from love to fantasy, so any reader is sure to find at least one they connect with – for me it was THE LETTER.
March 22, 2025
This is a short story (anthology, really) compiled of eighteen small snippets of alternate lives... for the author. Like snapshots within his life that he took and rewrote, exploring what if and could be moments. He purported within the preface that they all essentially hold a modicum, however wide or narrow, of truth, but one in particular, that was not finished, contained a whole truth.
They kind of remind me of essays or musings, since reading from one story to another, there is no cohesiveness, no coherence... purely randomness. You have to take each as a standalone, however short or long they may be, and with a grain of salt.
I really liked the concept, the idea of being able to rework a piece of your life... make a different choice, be a different person or gender, exact revenge, change certain elements or perspectives, or have events unfurl in a completely different manner. A couple of these stories left me confused, and I had to reread them and still felt lost. Others had a bit of mystery, suspense, thriller, a small bit of love, a good handful of paranormal, dash of whimsy, child's POV, and a mix-in of dystopian. A couple were on the umm-ok-then, head-scratch side. But, the one that gave me goosepumps was my fave. So little bits of everything.
And it was fun trying to guess which story was one that was true.
3.25🌟 eARC NetGalley review.
They kind of remind me of essays or musings, since reading from one story to another, there is no cohesiveness, no coherence... purely randomness. You have to take each as a standalone, however short or long they may be, and with a grain of salt.
I really liked the concept, the idea of being able to rework a piece of your life... make a different choice, be a different person or gender, exact revenge, change certain elements or perspectives, or have events unfurl in a completely different manner. A couple of these stories left me confused, and I had to reread them and still felt lost. Others had a bit of mystery, suspense, thriller, a small bit of love, a good handful of paranormal, dash of whimsy, child's POV, and a mix-in of dystopian. A couple were on the umm-ok-then, head-scratch side. But, the one that gave me goosepumps was my fave. So little bits of everything.
And it was fun trying to guess which story was one that was true.
3.25🌟 eARC NetGalley review.
March 17, 2025
Okay, so this book had such a fun and exciting concept, but the execution? Makes it hard to understand. I totally got the individual stories, but every time a chapter changed, I was just lost. Like… when is this happening? Where are we now? The timeline jumped around in a way that made it hard to follow, and I kept having to stop and reorient myself.
That said, I did enjoy the stories themselves! Once I got past the confusion, they were engaging and interesting. I just wish the structure was a bit clearer because I feel like I spent too much time figuring out what was going on instead of fully enjoying the book. If you don’t mind a bit of timeline chaos, you might love this—but for me, it was a bit of a struggle.
Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC🤩🐇💬
That said, I did enjoy the stories themselves! Once I got past the confusion, they were engaging and interesting. I just wish the structure was a bit clearer because I feel like I spent too much time figuring out what was going on instead of fully enjoying the book. If you don’t mind a bit of timeline chaos, you might love this—but for me, it was a bit of a struggle.
Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC🤩🐇💬
April 9, 2025
Alternate Lives is a fast-paced, thought-provoking sci-fi read that explores the concept of living out different versions of yourself across parallel timelines. If you’re into multiverse stories or fascinated by the “what ifs” of your own life, this one delivers. The writing is sharp, the concept is compelling, and the twists keep you engaged from start to finish.
A solid, imaginative ride—quick to read and well worth it.
A solid, imaginative ride—quick to read and well worth it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews