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The Time Traveler's Wife #2
Life Out of Order
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26Two great loves. A world in chaos. And a life that never lands in order.
Discover the highly anticipated new novel from Audrey Niffenegger, which can be read on its own or as a companion to her multi-million copy bestseller The Time Traveler's Wife.
Alba DeTamble has never lived a life in order. Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father, Henry DeTamble, Alba is an involuntary time traveler: she slips unpredictably through decades, carrying the weight of a future she can witness but cannot change. Yet she strives to maintain a normal life: as a gifted violinist, Alba finds refuge in her music, as well as her tight-knit community of artists and activists who fight to take care of each other in an increasingly unstable world.
As she dips in and out of time, Alba is haunted by secrets she must keep from those she loves most, including Zach, her safe, supportive anchor in the chaos. Her journey takes her from the riot-torn Chicago streets, to the eerie, timeless “Yellow House” – where she meets Oliver, a handsome fellow time traveler – to the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls, a virtual sanctuary of forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating the museum is Isadora, Alba’s mysterious stepsister and an increasingly unsettling presence in their family – whose fate may be intertwined with Alba’s in more dangerous ways than she knows.
At once intimate and sweeping, Life Out of Order is a kaleidoscopic tale of love, resilience, and hope amid our fractured world where time itself is the greatest adversary. With every leap through the years, Alba is forced to reckon with the choices that define her, the people she cannot bear to lose, and the question that haunts every time traveler: can you ever truly belong to the present?
Discover the highly anticipated new novel from Audrey Niffenegger, which can be read on its own or as a companion to her multi-million copy bestseller The Time Traveler's Wife.
Alba DeTamble has never lived a life in order. Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father, Henry DeTamble, Alba is an involuntary time traveler: she slips unpredictably through decades, carrying the weight of a future she can witness but cannot change. Yet she strives to maintain a normal life: as a gifted violinist, Alba finds refuge in her music, as well as her tight-knit community of artists and activists who fight to take care of each other in an increasingly unstable world.
As she dips in and out of time, Alba is haunted by secrets she must keep from those she loves most, including Zach, her safe, supportive anchor in the chaos. Her journey takes her from the riot-torn Chicago streets, to the eerie, timeless “Yellow House” – where she meets Oliver, a handsome fellow time traveler – to the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls, a virtual sanctuary of forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating the museum is Isadora, Alba’s mysterious stepsister and an increasingly unsettling presence in their family – whose fate may be intertwined with Alba’s in more dangerous ways than she knows.
At once intimate and sweeping, Life Out of Order is a kaleidoscopic tale of love, resilience, and hope amid our fractured world where time itself is the greatest adversary. With every leap through the years, Alba is forced to reckon with the choices that define her, the people she cannot bear to lose, and the question that haunts every time traveler: can you ever truly belong to the present?
560 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Audrey Niffenegger
40 books12.7k followersAudrey Niffenegger (born June 13, 1963 in South Haven, Michigan) is a writer and artist. She is also a professor in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Columbia College Chicago.
Niffenegger's debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife (2003), was a national bestseller. The Time Traveler's Wife is an unconventional love story that centers on a man with a strange genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time-travel and his wife, an artist, who has to cope with his constant absence.
Her Fearful Symmetry (2009), Niffenegger's second novel, is set in London's Highgate Cemetery where, during research for the book, Niffenegger acted as a tour guide.
Niffenegger has also published graphic and illustrated novels including: The Adventuress (2006), The Three Incestuous Sisters (2005), The Night Bookmobile (2009), and Raven Girl (2013). Raven Girl was adapted into a ballet by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and the Royal Opera House Ballet (London) in 2013.
A mid-career retrospective entitled "Awake in the Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger," was presented by the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington D.C.) in 2013. An accompanying exhibition catalogue examines several themes in Niffenegger's visual art including her explorations of life, mortality, and magic.
Niffenegger's debut novel, The Time Traveler's Wife (2003), was a national bestseller. The Time Traveler's Wife is an unconventional love story that centers on a man with a strange genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time-travel and his wife, an artist, who has to cope with his constant absence.
Her Fearful Symmetry (2009), Niffenegger's second novel, is set in London's Highgate Cemetery where, during research for the book, Niffenegger acted as a tour guide.
Niffenegger has also published graphic and illustrated novels including: The Adventuress (2006), The Three Incestuous Sisters (2005), The Night Bookmobile (2009), and Raven Girl (2013). Raven Girl was adapted into a ballet by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and the Royal Opera House Ballet (London) in 2013.
A mid-career retrospective entitled "Awake in the Dream World: The Art of Audrey Niffenegger," was presented by the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington D.C.) in 2013. An accompanying exhibition catalogue examines several themes in Niffenegger's visual art including her explorations of life, mortality, and magic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
Did Not Finish
May 14, 2026DNF
I enjoy a good time travel story occasionally and since I loved The Time Traveler’s Wife, I was excited to get an advanced copy of this sequel. I’m disappointed that this is a DNF at 38%. Too many characters, too many time frames and too much going on that wasn’t explained, two Albas from different times in the same place - all too much for me to enjoy.
I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins through Edelweiss.
I enjoy a good time travel story occasionally and since I loved The Time Traveler’s Wife, I was excited to get an advanced copy of this sequel. I’m disappointed that this is a DNF at 38%. Too many characters, too many time frames and too much going on that wasn’t explained, two Albas from different times in the same place - all too much for me to enjoy.
I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins through Edelweiss.
Did Not Finish
July 19, 2026Soft DNF @ 20% - think I’m going to revisit, but the book is making me too mad and frustrated at the moment to continue
**** This review will have ENORMOUS spoilers for The Time Traveler’s Wife. I cannot get my thoughts down without doing so. Don’t read unless you’re cool with that****
This book really was a choice, and from where I’m at right now, not a good one. I could tell before I got to the first page that it was going to be not what I was expecting. The early reviews have been extremely mixed, and there was even a cautionary foreword by Audrey Niffenegger stating that this is not a love story, and that The Time Traveler’s Wife doesn’t need to be read before this book. Odd, but ok.
I had read an excerpt six years ago in the back of a newer paperback of The Time Traveler’s Wife taken from an early draft of this book, which was when I first started anticipating a sequel. In the excerpt, Henry has gone far back into the past and purchased a house under Alba’s name in perpetuity, filled it with clothes for all age ranges and survival items. The scene opens with Clare taking young Alba to this house and telling her what Henry has done, that it’s meant to be a safe haven for her whenever she is time traveling that she can always go to. At the 20% mark I have not seen any mention of this house, and the story does not seem to be going this direction at all. It could still be coming, but it’s not similar to what I’ve read so far.
So far, it seems as though the author decided she wanted to write a dystopian, political novel and for some inexplicable reason has used this series to do so. The book starts with Alba age 21, whereas I believe TTW ended with her around 7 years old (Henry dies when she is 5, but there are of course some scenes after). Nearly everything that happens during this 14 year gap is told, not shown. Imagine my disbelief when offhandedly it is thrown out that Clare remarried and Alba has a stepsister. And then the story just glides past. Excuse me, what? Could we back up and spend some time on that? Oh, no, we’re busy talking about having nazis abducted by some unseen force and taken away in vans for Reasons.
In fact, so far Clare has had no screen time or dialogue whatsoever. But to my disbelief, Gomez is being brought around as some kind of… fatherly figure for Alba? You mean the slimy bastard that cheated on Charisse twice and took advantage of Clare while she was grieving her dead husband? Yes, that Gomez! None of that is mentioned or given any thought, because now he’s helping run some revolution, again for Reasons, and he’s kind, wearing a hot dog apron, feeding Alba and her boyfriend, taking her boyfriend in because he’s homeless! Man, what a great guy! It’s almost like the last book didn’t even happen…
The emotional beats in this book also don’t land at all. There’s nearly an identical playback in this book as what happens in TTW, where the characters find out very early into meeting that they will be married at some point in the future. For Clare and Henry, who find out separately and at different points in their lives, this is a huge moment for each character and almost like the North Star that they’re being guided by. Isn’t that why Henry keeps visiting Clare?
When the knowledge is dropped on Alba and her future husband in this book, it’s treated with all the significance of, “Oh. Ok.” Everyone in this sequel seems to be a block of wood. You’re my future husband?
But the politics are really what confuse me. The plot seems to basically revolve around them entirely. There’s nazis, there’s people masking up because of COVID, there’s the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, there’s some mysterious curfew that all citizens are forced to follow. Everything the characters are doing is in regards to some sort of underground revolution that has yet to be explained. I don’t understand, and I don’t want to. This for sure is not the book I signed up for. I may come back to it, because it isn’t written poorly! But it’s almost not written for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife which is just such an odd move when it’s… a sequel. Audrey Niffenegger, you can just write a book. You don’t need to abduct our beloved characters to do so.
**** This review will have ENORMOUS spoilers for The Time Traveler’s Wife. I cannot get my thoughts down without doing so. Don’t read unless you’re cool with that****
This book really was a choice, and from where I’m at right now, not a good one. I could tell before I got to the first page that it was going to be not what I was expecting. The early reviews have been extremely mixed, and there was even a cautionary foreword by Audrey Niffenegger stating that this is not a love story, and that The Time Traveler’s Wife doesn’t need to be read before this book. Odd, but ok.
I had read an excerpt six years ago in the back of a newer paperback of The Time Traveler’s Wife taken from an early draft of this book, which was when I first started anticipating a sequel. In the excerpt, Henry has gone far back into the past and purchased a house under Alba’s name in perpetuity, filled it with clothes for all age ranges and survival items. The scene opens with Clare taking young Alba to this house and telling her what Henry has done, that it’s meant to be a safe haven for her whenever she is time traveling that she can always go to. At the 20% mark I have not seen any mention of this house, and the story does not seem to be going this direction at all. It could still be coming, but it’s not similar to what I’ve read so far.
So far, it seems as though the author decided she wanted to write a dystopian, political novel and for some inexplicable reason has used this series to do so. The book starts with Alba age 21, whereas I believe TTW ended with her around 7 years old (Henry dies when she is 5, but there are of course some scenes after). Nearly everything that happens during this 14 year gap is told, not shown. Imagine my disbelief when offhandedly it is thrown out that Clare remarried and Alba has a stepsister. And then the story just glides past. Excuse me, what? Could we back up and spend some time on that? Oh, no, we’re busy talking about having nazis abducted by some unseen force and taken away in vans for Reasons.
In fact, so far Clare has had no screen time or dialogue whatsoever. But to my disbelief, Gomez is being brought around as some kind of… fatherly figure for Alba? You mean the slimy bastard that cheated on Charisse twice and took advantage of Clare while she was grieving her dead husband? Yes, that Gomez! None of that is mentioned or given any thought, because now he’s helping run some revolution, again for Reasons, and he’s kind, wearing a hot dog apron, feeding Alba and her boyfriend, taking her boyfriend in because he’s homeless! Man, what a great guy! It’s almost like the last book didn’t even happen…
The emotional beats in this book also don’t land at all. There’s nearly an identical playback in this book as what happens in TTW, where the characters find out very early into meeting that they will be married at some point in the future. For Clare and Henry, who find out separately and at different points in their lives, this is a huge moment for each character and almost like the North Star that they’re being guided by. Isn’t that why Henry keeps visiting Clare?
When the knowledge is dropped on Alba and her future husband in this book, it’s treated with all the significance of, “Oh. Ok.” Everyone in this sequel seems to be a block of wood. You’re my future husband?
But the politics are really what confuse me. The plot seems to basically revolve around them entirely. There’s nazis, there’s people masking up because of COVID, there’s the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, there’s some mysterious curfew that all citizens are forced to follow. Everything the characters are doing is in regards to some sort of underground revolution that has yet to be explained. I don’t understand, and I don’t want to. This for sure is not the book I signed up for. I may come back to it, because it isn’t written poorly! But it’s almost not written for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife which is just such an odd move when it’s… a sequel. Audrey Niffenegger, you can just write a book. You don’t need to abduct our beloved characters to do so.
July 19, 2026
I’m crying. FINALLYYYYY 😭
May 12, 2026
**am I the first person to leave a review for this!!?? absolute insanity**
I don’t quite know where to begin with writing a review that captures the depth and breadth of this 560 page epic follow up to The Time Traveler’s Wife, but alas I must. My undying gratitude to Hanover Square Press and The Hive for the eARC of one of my most anticipated reads, well ever. #hiveinfluencer
First, as a reader and admirer of The Time Traveler’s Wife (read 6x), I LOVED seeing what happened to some of our beloved characters in the future. Audrey masterfully handled each of their stories. The scenes that overlapped or that I recognized from The Time Traveler’s Wife really got to me. While the is being marketed as a sequel/companion novel, they are also saying it can be read as a standalone. But I would argue that the experience was made much richer having read and loved the first book.
She masterfully switches between multiple distinct POVs. The plot was propulsive and somehow paced perfectly throughout 560 pages that took me nearly 12 hours to read on my kindle. Audrey’s writing has a beautiful cadence and flow to it, making it just feel good to read.
THAT said. It is not the same as the Time Traveler’s Wife. Audrey does something here much more unique and sweeping. At its core, the first book was really about the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare and their love story. This book has a number of love stories, but at it’s core it its quite speculative and dystopian. It’s political. We’re talking AI. Climate change. Upheaval. Pandemics. And time travel in the midst of it all!! Audrey paints a picture of an alternate present, that feels terrifyingly possible, as well as near future that, given the advances in AI and the progression of climate change….doesn’t feel far-fetched. Which is, honestly, horrifying.
It made me think. Feel deeply. Worry. Wonder. Weep. And at times it made me feel uncomfy and unsettled. I must say, there were some parts that got a little weird for me. It felt dark. Mysterious. Haunting. Full of tension. OH! But also, it did feel hopeful. And somehow in the midst of all the loss and despair, there is this thread of uplighting art and music that made my heart sing. It begs the question, does art matter if it’s not inherently useful (if it can’t feed or clothe you)? What will last when we are far gone?
Readers of the Time Traveler’s Wife, take note - this book is not just Alba’s story. Do not expect this to be like Henry and Clare’s story. This book is so much more than a love story (although it does have it). It’s a sharp commentary on our present as well as a peek into a possible unnerving future Audrey has imagined.
CW: loss, AI, climate change, suicidal ideation and attempt, closed door-ish/SLIGHTLY fade to black with a lot of implied intimacy
I don’t quite know where to begin with writing a review that captures the depth and breadth of this 560 page epic follow up to The Time Traveler’s Wife, but alas I must. My undying gratitude to Hanover Square Press and The Hive for the eARC of one of my most anticipated reads, well ever. #hiveinfluencer
First, as a reader and admirer of The Time Traveler’s Wife (read 6x), I LOVED seeing what happened to some of our beloved characters in the future. Audrey masterfully handled each of their stories. The scenes that overlapped or that I recognized from The Time Traveler’s Wife really got to me. While the is being marketed as a sequel/companion novel, they are also saying it can be read as a standalone. But I would argue that the experience was made much richer having read and loved the first book.
She masterfully switches between multiple distinct POVs. The plot was propulsive and somehow paced perfectly throughout 560 pages that took me nearly 12 hours to read on my kindle. Audrey’s writing has a beautiful cadence and flow to it, making it just feel good to read.
THAT said. It is not the same as the Time Traveler’s Wife. Audrey does something here much more unique and sweeping. At its core, the first book was really about the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare and their love story. This book has a number of love stories, but at it’s core it its quite speculative and dystopian. It’s political. We’re talking AI. Climate change. Upheaval. Pandemics. And time travel in the midst of it all!! Audrey paints a picture of an alternate present, that feels terrifyingly possible, as well as near future that, given the advances in AI and the progression of climate change….doesn’t feel far-fetched. Which is, honestly, horrifying.
It made me think. Feel deeply. Worry. Wonder. Weep. And at times it made me feel uncomfy and unsettled. I must say, there were some parts that got a little weird for me. It felt dark. Mysterious. Haunting. Full of tension. OH! But also, it did feel hopeful. And somehow in the midst of all the loss and despair, there is this thread of uplighting art and music that made my heart sing. It begs the question, does art matter if it’s not inherently useful (if it can’t feed or clothe you)? What will last when we are far gone?
Readers of the Time Traveler’s Wife, take note - this book is not just Alba’s story. Do not expect this to be like Henry and Clare’s story. This book is so much more than a love story (although it does have it). It’s a sharp commentary on our present as well as a peek into a possible unnerving future Audrey has imagined.
CW: loss, AI, climate change, suicidal ideation and attempt, closed door-ish/SLIGHTLY fade to black with a lot of implied intimacy
Did Not Finish
July 29, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I recently re-read The Time Traveler’s Wife so I could read this one with some clarity. In the past I had rated the first book a 4 star, this go around I updated my rating to 1 star. The book was too long, the writing mediocre, and the main character is beyond problematic. The book made me feel gross.
So, having already requested this one… I was not excited going in. Hopeful, yes, having had 13 years between the two books, maybe some writing growth was to be had.
Long story short, I wasn’t going to put myself through another aggravating book. This was a DNF.
This book is overwhelming to a point I thought I might time travel from stress. Too many characters, too many Albas in one place, too much left unexplained yet still so many words used. Where is the editing?!
I get the sense that Audrey Niffenegger finished book one and immediately began working on this, it just took 13 years to get it to… this.
Not for me, but neither was book one.
I recently re-read The Time Traveler’s Wife so I could read this one with some clarity. In the past I had rated the first book a 4 star, this go around I updated my rating to 1 star. The book was too long, the writing mediocre, and the main character is beyond problematic. The book made me feel gross.
So, having already requested this one… I was not excited going in. Hopeful, yes, having had 13 years between the two books, maybe some writing growth was to be had.
Long story short, I wasn’t going to put myself through another aggravating book. This was a DNF.
This book is overwhelming to a point I thought I might time travel from stress. Too many characters, too many Albas in one place, too much left unexplained yet still so many words used. Where is the editing?!
I get the sense that Audrey Niffenegger finished book one and immediately began working on this, it just took 13 years to get it to… this.
Not for me, but neither was book one.
Want to Read
February 16, 2026A sequel - book 2 - to The Time Traveler's Wife??
their child - and it's set in a Dystopian world?! WHAT!? I'm in!
Pub Date: 10/2026
their child - and it's set in a Dystopian world?! WHAT!? I'm in!
Pub Date: 10/2026
Want to Read
January 30, 2026Let's goooooooo, Alba!
May 26, 2026
Haven't stopped thinking about this book since I read it. It's beautiful, brilliant, entertaining. I will never get enough of the DeTambles.
June 3, 2026
I got an advanced copy of this book from Edelweiss.
Let me start by saying that The Time Traveler’s Wife is my second favourite book of all-time after Harry Potter.
Life Out of Order is the most anticipated book I’ve had in almost two decades. I’ve been following it since the excerpt almost ten years ago and when it was originally called The Other Husband.
With that out of the way, I loved it. It’s not without some flaws but I’m willing to overlook most of them because where they lead is truly interesting and satisfactory.
The Yellow House is one of my favourite concepts in any time travel novel. I absolutely loved what Audrey did with it. I’m actually obsessed with it.
The biggest departure for this book is that, unlike the first one, this book follows Alba who lives well into a future that we don’t have a record of. In The Time Traveler’s Wife it lives in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early aughts. So it’s bound by existing history.
This story takes place in an unwritten future so Audrey has to make it up. That means it leans into speculative fiction quite heavily, based on current trends in politics, climate, technology, and especially AI.
The part of the book where people will probably get frustrated is with the character Beck. I think she is just one of those characters people won’t want to accept just by the nature of her role. Her plot involves technology and I didn’t care for it until it became really cool and interesting. Which was a huge relief.
I loved the way the book played with secrets and layered reveals. It has strong messages about love and fate. Love is way more fluid in this book which is a nice message but sometimes feels very random and I wish was explored a little more internally.
Returning characters are giving truly wonderful moments. It ties up every question you might have about the characters we loved from the first and goes very far into the future.
The novel did make me cry several times.
There’s a lot to say but unfortunately it’s packed with spoilers. I can’t wait to see people react to this and hope for the best for Audrey.
Let me start by saying that The Time Traveler’s Wife is my second favourite book of all-time after Harry Potter.
Life Out of Order is the most anticipated book I’ve had in almost two decades. I’ve been following it since the excerpt almost ten years ago and when it was originally called The Other Husband.
With that out of the way, I loved it. It’s not without some flaws but I’m willing to overlook most of them because where they lead is truly interesting and satisfactory.
The Yellow House is one of my favourite concepts in any time travel novel. I absolutely loved what Audrey did with it. I’m actually obsessed with it.
The biggest departure for this book is that, unlike the first one, this book follows Alba who lives well into a future that we don’t have a record of. In The Time Traveler’s Wife it lives in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early aughts. So it’s bound by existing history.
This story takes place in an unwritten future so Audrey has to make it up. That means it leans into speculative fiction quite heavily, based on current trends in politics, climate, technology, and especially AI.
The part of the book where people will probably get frustrated is with the character Beck. I think she is just one of those characters people won’t want to accept just by the nature of her role. Her plot involves technology and I didn’t care for it until it became really cool and interesting. Which was a huge relief.
I loved the way the book played with secrets and layered reveals. It has strong messages about love and fate. Love is way more fluid in this book which is a nice message but sometimes feels very random and I wish was explored a little more internally.
Returning characters are giving truly wonderful moments. It ties up every question you might have about the characters we loved from the first and goes very far into the future.
The novel did make me cry several times.
There’s a lot to say but unfortunately it’s packed with spoilers. I can’t wait to see people react to this and hope for the best for Audrey.
June 25, 2026
An incredible sequel to The Time Travelers Wife. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was surprised, delighted, and brought to tears by some things that happened, which to be honest I was secretly hoping for and didn’t think we’d get. It was a great service to lovers of The Time Travelers Wife and I highly recommend rereading that book before diving into this one. This book goes way deeper into a not so dystopian future that was scary at times but ultimately we’re left with hope in a way that brings to mind Emily St. John Mandel especially for fans of Station Eleven.
July 30, 2026
I have never read The Time Traveler’s Wife, so wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Life Out of Order. However, I find time traveling quite interesting. I definitely got confused on which Alba was where and had what knowledge at times, but overall I think I was able to follow. It definitely helped having her ages (as well as others) listed at the beginning of the chapters. There was a lot packed into this book. But, it jumped around a lot and I do struggle to keep up at times.
This book touched on many topics including, and perhaps most prominently was family and marriage. Whilst I don’t know what I would do if I or my spouse was a time traveler, I the integration of Alba relationships odd, but still emotional and complex. All of Niffenegger’s characters were very well rounded and complex. In particular, I enjoyed Madeline and Beck, perhaps because both were artists and felt deeply. I also loved Henry. Where I got lost a little was the Nadia/Nick story and Isadora/Lucinda. I had a hard time grasping the concepts around these characters.
I definitely found myself thinking over many life events. I was amazed at the wide many political and societal issues were touched upon. I can’t imagine knowing some of the things coming like these time travelers. I did find the technology interesting, and I also appreciated the integration of music. I was intrigued by The Museum of Lost Souls, and could have been interested in even more on that.
Overall, I think jumped a bit around too much for me and a bit too many characters. I appreciated the writing and the complexity of the time traveling concept.
A big thanks to NetGalley and Hanover for the ARC!
This book touched on many topics including, and perhaps most prominently was family and marriage. Whilst I don’t know what I would do if I or my spouse was a time traveler, I the integration of Alba relationships odd, but still emotional and complex. All of Niffenegger’s characters were very well rounded and complex. In particular, I enjoyed Madeline and Beck, perhaps because both were artists and felt deeply. I also loved Henry. Where I got lost a little was the Nadia/Nick story and Isadora/Lucinda. I had a hard time grasping the concepts around these characters.
I definitely found myself thinking over many life events. I was amazed at the wide many political and societal issues were touched upon. I can’t imagine knowing some of the things coming like these time travelers. I did find the technology interesting, and I also appreciated the integration of music. I was intrigued by The Museum of Lost Souls, and could have been interested in even more on that.
Overall, I think jumped a bit around too much for me and a bit too many characters. I appreciated the writing and the complexity of the time traveling concept.
A big thanks to NetGalley and Hanover for the ARC!
July 27, 2026
The Time Traveler’s Wife is my favorite book of all time. And when my brother was dating his now wife, she and I bonded over this and now we are sisters and best friends. And my childhood best friend also loved it, and she and I excitedly saw the movie together in the theaters which, wow, so long ago.
Needless to say we were all extremely excited to learn about Life Out of Order. I feel incredibly lucky to have this ARC because I don’t know how I possibly could have waited. And wow, this far exceeded any expectations. Audrey Niffenegger created a masterpiece, and I don’t say that lightly. I picture her office like that meme of Charlie from Always Sunny when he was “smart,” tracking timelines and encounters and connecting them together. I truly can’t comprehend how one human’s brain created this.
Once I started reading I texted both friends to let them know I wish I reread the original first because I didn’t clearly remember the side characters and their connections to each other. I did look them up in the original to refresh myself though, which helped. But I actually think it would be fascinating to go back to the original after this one, to find little moments referenced that I didn’t notice. Niffenegger’s attention to detail is really incredible, and everything is done carefully and with respect to the original.
As for the story — just wow. We follow Alba, Henry and Clare’s daughter, through her own time traveling life and learn how she shapes the lives of everyone around her as a result. We get POVs from many of the side characters as well. The story spans decades, many in a dark future that feels wholly possible and is completely terrifying. You have to be patient, here. Some things are alluded to and others don’t make sense, but it eventually comes together in the most satisfying way. Your patience will be rewarded.
I read some reviews from people who DNF this, which is totally valid — I sometimes DNF books that others adore. But what those reviews have in common is that the information they treat as fact are blatantly wrong in their reviews, and the reason is that they didn’t stick around long enough to learn the actual facts. I say this not to attack the validity of the reviews, just to let you know that all is not what it might seem. And oh how I delighted when different pieces came together or different truths were revealed.
I will be thinking about this story and these characters for a very, very long time. I didn’t love every element in it (honestly, one part in particular toward the end felt forced and slightly cringe) but as a whole this was pretty close to perfection. My mind is blown. I will absolutely be coming back to this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
Needless to say we were all extremely excited to learn about Life Out of Order. I feel incredibly lucky to have this ARC because I don’t know how I possibly could have waited. And wow, this far exceeded any expectations. Audrey Niffenegger created a masterpiece, and I don’t say that lightly. I picture her office like that meme of Charlie from Always Sunny when he was “smart,” tracking timelines and encounters and connecting them together. I truly can’t comprehend how one human’s brain created this.
Once I started reading I texted both friends to let them know I wish I reread the original first because I didn’t clearly remember the side characters and their connections to each other. I did look them up in the original to refresh myself though, which helped. But I actually think it would be fascinating to go back to the original after this one, to find little moments referenced that I didn’t notice. Niffenegger’s attention to detail is really incredible, and everything is done carefully and with respect to the original.
As for the story — just wow. We follow Alba, Henry and Clare’s daughter, through her own time traveling life and learn how she shapes the lives of everyone around her as a result. We get POVs from many of the side characters as well. The story spans decades, many in a dark future that feels wholly possible and is completely terrifying. You have to be patient, here. Some things are alluded to and others don’t make sense, but it eventually comes together in the most satisfying way. Your patience will be rewarded.
I read some reviews from people who DNF this, which is totally valid — I sometimes DNF books that others adore. But what those reviews have in common is that the information they treat as fact are blatantly wrong in their reviews, and the reason is that they didn’t stick around long enough to learn the actual facts. I say this not to attack the validity of the reviews, just to let you know that all is not what it might seem. And oh how I delighted when different pieces came together or different truths were revealed.
I will be thinking about this story and these characters for a very, very long time. I didn’t love every element in it (honestly, one part in particular toward the end felt forced and slightly cringe) but as a whole this was pretty close to perfection. My mind is blown. I will absolutely be coming back to this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 16, 2026
Well… my brain just got back from a very confusing vacation through time and I’m not sure it packed the right luggage. This is the kind of book that makes you stop, stare at the page and whisper, “Okay… I need you to explain yourself” before turning the next chapter.
This was my first time reading Audrey Niffenegger and I honestly had no idea what kind of journey I was signing up for. This book follows Alba, the daughter of Henry and Clare, as she experiences life in a way that is anything but ordinary. She is a chronologically displaced person, meaning time doesn’t exactly behave normally for her and watching her navigate that strange reality was such an interesting experience.
I’m not going to lie… the beginning had me working overtime. There are so many characters, different points in time and pieces of information being introduced that I felt like I needed a timeline, a notebook and maybe someone standing beside me saying “Don’t worry, it will make sense.” My brain was doing mental gymnastics and it was definitely earning a gold medal.
But slowly, the pieces started falling into place. Once I understood Alba more, I became much more invested in her story. She is such a fascinating character because she carries a lot of knowledge but also a lot of uncertainty. She’s trying to understand herself, protect the people she loves and figure out what it means to live a life that doesn’t follow the usual rules.
One thing I really enjoyed was how much personality music and art brought into the story. Those moments felt like little breaths of fresh air in a book that explores some heavier ideas. The author blends emotional relationships with bigger conversations about technology, society, the future and where humanity might be heading.
I also really appreciated that this wasn’t just a simple story about time travel. Underneath all the complicated timelines is a story about family, choices, love and the impact we have on each other. There’s something beautiful about watching characters try to find hope and connection even when the world around them feels uncertain.
What I Liked ❤️
✨ Alba’s character and her unique way of seeing the world
✨ The creativity behind the time travel concept
✨ The emotional connections between the characters
✨ The beautiful use of music and creativity throughout the story
✨ The deeper themes about humanity, the future and the choices we make
What Didn’t Fully Work For Me 🤔
The beginning was definitely a slow climb. I struggled to connect right away because there was so much happening at once and I felt like I was constantly trying to catch up. It took some patience before I fully clicked with the story. I also think this is a book you have to read when you’re in the mood for something different. If you’re looking for a quick, simple romance, this probably isn’t that. It asks you to slow down, think and let the story unfold at its own pace.
Final Thoughts 🧐
Life Out of Order was a very unique reading experience.
Did it confuse me at times? Absolutely.
Did I question if my brain needed a customer support hotline? Also yes.
But once I settled into the rhythm of the story, I could appreciate how creative and ambitious it was. I may have gotten a little lost along the way, but I’m glad I kept going. Alba’s journey is messy, complicated and completely unforgettable.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger. I’m grateful to have been given the chance to experience this story before its official release on October 6, 2026.
This was my first time reading Audrey Niffenegger and I honestly had no idea what kind of journey I was signing up for. This book follows Alba, the daughter of Henry and Clare, as she experiences life in a way that is anything but ordinary. She is a chronologically displaced person, meaning time doesn’t exactly behave normally for her and watching her navigate that strange reality was such an interesting experience.
I’m not going to lie… the beginning had me working overtime. There are so many characters, different points in time and pieces of information being introduced that I felt like I needed a timeline, a notebook and maybe someone standing beside me saying “Don’t worry, it will make sense.” My brain was doing mental gymnastics and it was definitely earning a gold medal.
But slowly, the pieces started falling into place. Once I understood Alba more, I became much more invested in her story. She is such a fascinating character because she carries a lot of knowledge but also a lot of uncertainty. She’s trying to understand herself, protect the people she loves and figure out what it means to live a life that doesn’t follow the usual rules.
One thing I really enjoyed was how much personality music and art brought into the story. Those moments felt like little breaths of fresh air in a book that explores some heavier ideas. The author blends emotional relationships with bigger conversations about technology, society, the future and where humanity might be heading.
I also really appreciated that this wasn’t just a simple story about time travel. Underneath all the complicated timelines is a story about family, choices, love and the impact we have on each other. There’s something beautiful about watching characters try to find hope and connection even when the world around them feels uncertain.
What I Liked ❤️
✨ Alba’s character and her unique way of seeing the world
✨ The creativity behind the time travel concept
✨ The emotional connections between the characters
✨ The beautiful use of music and creativity throughout the story
✨ The deeper themes about humanity, the future and the choices we make
What Didn’t Fully Work For Me 🤔
The beginning was definitely a slow climb. I struggled to connect right away because there was so much happening at once and I felt like I was constantly trying to catch up. It took some patience before I fully clicked with the story. I also think this is a book you have to read when you’re in the mood for something different. If you’re looking for a quick, simple romance, this probably isn’t that. It asks you to slow down, think and let the story unfold at its own pace.
Final Thoughts 🧐
Life Out of Order was a very unique reading experience.
Did it confuse me at times? Absolutely.
Did I question if my brain needed a customer support hotline? Also yes.
But once I settled into the rhythm of the story, I could appreciate how creative and ambitious it was. I may have gotten a little lost along the way, but I’m glad I kept going. Alba’s journey is messy, complicated and completely unforgettable.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger. I’m grateful to have been given the chance to experience this story before its official release on October 6, 2026.
July 7, 2026
I decided to reread The Time Traveller’s wife ahead of starting this book and (unsurprisingly as it’s been 20 years) I didn’t feel it had aged especially well. Almost as if she recognises this, Audrey has brought Life Out of Order smack bang up to date and beyond, with new characters and relationships noticeably more diverse in gender, sexuality and ethnicity, and political and ethical themes that are oh so current.
This book picks up in the aftermath of TTTW but a lot has changed, there are multiple time travellers for example, it’s not exactly a secret anymore, but still isn’t widely talked about.
Life Out of Order isn’t really even the same genre as The Time Traveller’s Wife. It’s not a love story, it’s a cautionary dystopian warning to us all, the rise of AI and the very real threat of climate change disaster being major, alarmingly believable plot points.
It was great to be back with some familiar characters and I remain fascinated by all things time travel/ causal loop related. I could just about keep up with the time jumps and the multiple Alba’s in the same scenes, but I did have to really concentrate to not get lost.
Some bits are achingly beautiful, some bits are quite weird, especially at the end. It’s also really, really long, and I’m not convinced it needed to be.
This book picks up in the aftermath of TTTW but a lot has changed, there are multiple time travellers for example, it’s not exactly a secret anymore, but still isn’t widely talked about.
Life Out of Order isn’t really even the same genre as The Time Traveller’s Wife. It’s not a love story, it’s a cautionary dystopian warning to us all, the rise of AI and the very real threat of climate change disaster being major, alarmingly believable plot points.
It was great to be back with some familiar characters and I remain fascinated by all things time travel/ causal loop related. I could just about keep up with the time jumps and the multiple Alba’s in the same scenes, but I did have to really concentrate to not get lost.
Some bits are achingly beautiful, some bits are quite weird, especially at the end. It’s also really, really long, and I’m not convinced it needed to be.
July 17, 2026
Wow. What an evolution. (Like a Pokémon, as we’ve been saying in our family lately.) The growth in this sequel is so satisfying and relevant. I want to sit down with the author and hear how she made it here. Also, there are so many beautiful moments in this book. They dance. The Time Traveler’s Wife was a favorite of mine, and it’s pretty cool how much Life Out of Order speaks to me so many years later.
Alternate Review: One Battle After Another
eArc from NetGalley
Alternate Review: One Battle After Another
eArc from NetGalley
June 25, 2026
With thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for a free early Kindle copy of this book.
When I read The Time Traveler’s Wife in 2003, I wasn’t expecting a sequel, and if it had been suggested, I would probably have said it didn’t need one. After reading the follow-up, Life Out of Order, I am not sure my opinion would be any different. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the book; I did. But they could both easily be read as standalones.
Life Out of Order picks up Alba’s story, daughter of Henry and Claire and also a time-traveller, or what is now described as a “chronologically displaced person”. She sees it as less of an encumbrance than Henry and functions as a soothsayer of sorts. She is adaptive and uses a more confident awareness to guide friends and family towards a more ideal future. We see Alba at all stages of her life, with several other regular characters throughout, including her mother, Claire.
This book is a work of climate fiction, so while there are love stories contained within it, it has a very different feel to the first book. Life Out of Order strongly confronts the fact that our world is changing at a fast rate and not for the better. There are references to governments and their inability or unwillingness to tackle climate change, so there is a definite political edge.
It is also very politically conscious, which, whilst not an issue for me, was a little too obvious in the tokenisation of characters from the start; it felt like a tick-box exercise rather than something organic. It is possible to show diversity in characters without making it feel so overt.
Overall though, it is a long but enjoyable read, with characters I was invested in and was cheering on in the hope of positive outcomes. Alba is a very different type of time traveller to Henry. She describes what she does as “timeslipping”, and it has become a condition that the public is familiar with, which makes the whole situation somewhat more believable.
If you loved The Time Traveler’s Wife, then you will want to read this, but do bear in mind that it is very different in tone and setting from the original story, and a much deeper and heavier read.
When I read The Time Traveler’s Wife in 2003, I wasn’t expecting a sequel, and if it had been suggested, I would probably have said it didn’t need one. After reading the follow-up, Life Out of Order, I am not sure my opinion would be any different. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the book; I did. But they could both easily be read as standalones.
Life Out of Order picks up Alba’s story, daughter of Henry and Claire and also a time-traveller, or what is now described as a “chronologically displaced person”. She sees it as less of an encumbrance than Henry and functions as a soothsayer of sorts. She is adaptive and uses a more confident awareness to guide friends and family towards a more ideal future. We see Alba at all stages of her life, with several other regular characters throughout, including her mother, Claire.
This book is a work of climate fiction, so while there are love stories contained within it, it has a very different feel to the first book. Life Out of Order strongly confronts the fact that our world is changing at a fast rate and not for the better. There are references to governments and their inability or unwillingness to tackle climate change, so there is a definite political edge.
It is also very politically conscious, which, whilst not an issue for me, was a little too obvious in the tokenisation of characters from the start; it felt like a tick-box exercise rather than something organic. It is possible to show diversity in characters without making it feel so overt.
Overall though, it is a long but enjoyable read, with characters I was invested in and was cheering on in the hope of positive outcomes. Alba is a very different type of time traveller to Henry. She describes what she does as “timeslipping”, and it has become a condition that the public is familiar with, which makes the whole situation somewhat more believable.
If you loved The Time Traveler’s Wife, then you will want to read this, but do bear in mind that it is very different in tone and setting from the original story, and a much deeper and heavier read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Just finished and have a lot of thoughts on this one, but not sure how I felt about it....review to come
Update to finally get my thoughts out:
Like almost everyone else, I adored The Time Traveler’s Wife, so when I received an ARC of Life Out of Order, I immediately moved it to the very top of my (long) TBR.
After finishing it…this is a surprisingly difficult review to write.
There were moments I enjoyed and others that had me either thinking, “Huh?” or rolling my eyes. My feelings seemed to change chapter by chapter, and even now I’m still trying to untangle how I actually felt about this, but I will try.
The story jumps constantly in this book ( Life Out of Order indeed! ) weaving together multiple timelines, characters, and POVs. I actually enjoyed this aspect, but at times it did make things confusing and I had to go back and forth (so I can see how some readers would be annoyed). That said, I am such a time traveler trope sucker, that I enjoyed piecing everything together like a fun puzzle. Niffenegger has a remarkable ability to make every time period feel vivid and lived in. Each setting is immersive enough that you feel like you’re experiencing it alongside the characters.
Alba was an interesting main protagonist, she made really idiotic (not to mention damaging) choices, and irritated me to no end. However that said, I did find myself rooting for her overall (which honestly I don't know why, because again, she annoyed me for about 90% of the novel).
A lot of my qualms come from how the book evolved and plot points, and as I don't want to spoil, the below might be a bit vague.
To start, I struggled with the worldbuilding. I was never entirely sure whether this was meant to be our present day, an alternate version of it, or something approaching dystopian fiction (still not sure why it opens with such a strict curfew in Chicago Winter 2022)?
There's also this whole AI aspect of this story that is just......strange and disconnected. I couldn’t quite work out what it was trying to say (is it pro or anti?), and despite the amount of page time it received, it was probably the aspect I was least invested in.
The romantic relationships also left me conflicted. I liked the love interests as individual characters, but how the romantic relationships evolved, particularly towards the end, made me go "huh??? This is the resolution??" (if you read the book you will know what I am talking about). There’s also one particular scene involving Alba and one of the romances that made me genuinely stop and think, “what the hell did I just read?” and I suspect will be one of the book’s more divisive moments once it’s released.
Similarly, the novel introduces several political themes that I found interesting in theory, but never felt fully developed. I quite enjoy books that weave politics into the story when it meaningfully deepens the narrative, but here those ideas felt surface level.
However, despite all of my many issues, I never wanted to stop reading. For a novel of nearly 600 pages, it moved surprisingly quickly, and I was consistently invested in seeing how everything would come together. Even when I questioned the direction the story was taking, I still wanted answers. It’s an ambitious, imaginative novel, and Niffenegger’s talent as a writer is undeniable.
I feel like this review is extremely contradictory and a bit all over the place, but truly, that's how my thoughts are on this book. So if you made it this far in the review, bless you, and I am still conflicted on my feelings Ultimately, I would give it a 3.5 rounded down because of certain issues noted above, however I don't regret my reading of this at all. I'm also very excited for this to be released and others read it so I can fully discuss.
Update to finally get my thoughts out:
Like almost everyone else, I adored The Time Traveler’s Wife, so when I received an ARC of Life Out of Order, I immediately moved it to the very top of my (long) TBR.
After finishing it…this is a surprisingly difficult review to write.
There were moments I enjoyed and others that had me either thinking, “Huh?” or rolling my eyes. My feelings seemed to change chapter by chapter, and even now I’m still trying to untangle how I actually felt about this, but I will try.
The story jumps constantly in this book ( Life Out of Order indeed! ) weaving together multiple timelines, characters, and POVs. I actually enjoyed this aspect, but at times it did make things confusing and I had to go back and forth (so I can see how some readers would be annoyed). That said, I am such a time traveler trope sucker, that I enjoyed piecing everything together like a fun puzzle. Niffenegger has a remarkable ability to make every time period feel vivid and lived in. Each setting is immersive enough that you feel like you’re experiencing it alongside the characters.
Alba was an interesting main protagonist, she made really idiotic (not to mention damaging) choices, and irritated me to no end. However that said, I did find myself rooting for her overall (which honestly I don't know why, because again, she annoyed me for about 90% of the novel).
A lot of my qualms come from how the book evolved and plot points, and as I don't want to spoil, the below might be a bit vague.
To start, I struggled with the worldbuilding. I was never entirely sure whether this was meant to be our present day, an alternate version of it, or something approaching dystopian fiction (still not sure why it opens with such a strict curfew in Chicago Winter 2022)?
There's also this whole AI aspect of this story that is just......strange and disconnected. I couldn’t quite work out what it was trying to say (is it pro or anti?), and despite the amount of page time it received, it was probably the aspect I was least invested in.
The romantic relationships also left me conflicted. I liked the love interests as individual characters, but how the romantic relationships evolved, particularly towards the end, made me go "huh??? This is the resolution??" (if you read the book you will know what I am talking about). There’s also one particular scene involving Alba and one of the romances that made me genuinely stop and think, “what the hell did I just read?” and I suspect will be one of the book’s more divisive moments once it’s released.
Similarly, the novel introduces several political themes that I found interesting in theory, but never felt fully developed. I quite enjoy books that weave politics into the story when it meaningfully deepens the narrative, but here those ideas felt surface level.
However, despite all of my many issues, I never wanted to stop reading. For a novel of nearly 600 pages, it moved surprisingly quickly, and I was consistently invested in seeing how everything would come together. Even when I questioned the direction the story was taking, I still wanted answers. It’s an ambitious, imaginative novel, and Niffenegger’s talent as a writer is undeniable.
I feel like this review is extremely contradictory and a bit all over the place, but truly, that's how my thoughts are on this book. So if you made it this far in the review, bless you, and I am still conflicted on my feelings Ultimately, I would give it a 3.5 rounded down because of certain issues noted above, however I don't regret my reading of this at all. I'm also very excited for this to be released and others read it so I can fully discuss.
Did Not Finish
July 18, 2026Total different vibe than "The Time Traveler's Wife", more serious. The first book was charming, sometimes downright funny (the wedding, for example), and the extended romance was nice. This second book starts 'in medias res' with the reader knowing nothing about what's going on or who the characters are. And the romance happens BANG!, right away, love at first sight.
Anytime future Alba tells her younger self what's in store in the future (we, the readers, do not read those interactions) there's always some vague doom and gloom about it, and it seems to be related to global warming (it's called something else in the book). I can't tell you how sick and tired I am of reading fiction about what ifs related to global warming, like the glaciers melt and all the coastlines are changed and all those cities are now under water. It's just not my thing.
I received an advance copy e-book through Netgalley. That had no influence in my opinion.
And keep politics out of fiction! Not saying I don't agree with her politics, and not saying I do. I just don't like to read an obvious political slant that the characters have, and usually all the characters agree which is ridiculous unless you only hang out with people who agree with everything you believe. There are people who hang out with people with varying beliefs, and they get along. Shocker! But the stupid thing about having blatant politics in your fiction is that you are potentially alienating half of your audience (in America, that is, people in other countries might not care about American politics as much). I mean think about it. Half the country votes for candidate A in an election and a little more or less than half vote for candidate B. If you write your characters all outraged about election results, and I'm talking about real election results not made-up ones, then half your readers who were not outraged by the election results are potentially going to be upset and not want to read your writings anymore.
Those are the major reasons I quit reading about halfway through. I just didn't care anymore. I was disappointed.
Anytime future Alba tells her younger self what's in store in the future (we, the readers, do not read those interactions) there's always some vague doom and gloom about it, and it seems to be related to global warming (it's called something else in the book). I can't tell you how sick and tired I am of reading fiction about what ifs related to global warming, like the glaciers melt and all the coastlines are changed and all those cities are now under water. It's just not my thing.
I received an advance copy e-book through Netgalley. That had no influence in my opinion.
And keep politics out of fiction! Not saying I don't agree with her politics, and not saying I do. I just don't like to read an obvious political slant that the characters have, and usually all the characters agree which is ridiculous unless you only hang out with people who agree with everything you believe. There are people who hang out with people with varying beliefs, and they get along. Shocker! But the stupid thing about having blatant politics in your fiction is that you are potentially alienating half of your audience (in America, that is, people in other countries might not care about American politics as much). I mean think about it. Half the country votes for candidate A in an election and a little more or less than half vote for candidate B. If you write your characters all outraged about election results, and I'm talking about real election results not made-up ones, then half your readers who were not outraged by the election results are potentially going to be upset and not want to read your writings anymore.
Those are the major reasons I quit reading about halfway through. I just didn't care anymore. I was disappointed.
July 14, 2026
4.5⭐️
Expectations were through the roof as I sat down to read this one; especially after adoring the prequel which I read just over 20 years ago…
Initially, I wondered what on earth I was reading - it was just so different to what I’d expected. I remember The Time Traveller’s Wife being one of the greatest, and most tragic, love stories I’d ever read, and I was just so emotionally invested in it.
This book begins about 16 years after the first book ended, and follows Alba - Henry and Clare’s daughter - who also time travels. At the start, I was immediately thrown into a world I didn’t recognise - and there seemed to be so many different characters.
Chapters are mainly short and they whisk you from one time and place to another. I had a real inner battle with myself to keep reading on: I didn’t feel any connection with the characters, and it was all so confusing.
It took about a third of the way through until I started to appreciate the writing, and what I thought the author was trying to do here. The initial bewilderment I felt at starting each chapter in a new time and place, mimics Alba’s confusion as she finds herself time travelling to different times and places.
The author has also used the 23 year gap, between these two books being published, to highlight the differences in the world between then and now. This book is speculative fiction, with elements of science fiction, and shows a world brought to its knees by the way it’s been treated by humans.
I did like the music and arts theme running throughout the story, and the idea that these can bring joy when the world is bad…but it wasn’t until the final third that the book really came into its own for me, and that emotional connection I was looking for all along finally appeared.
Looking back and reflecting on this book, I do feel as though it’s another literary masterpiece - although it won’t quite have the same place in my heart as The Time Traveller’s Wife has done for all these years.
I received this proof copy in my Women’s Prize event goodie bag.
Expectations were through the roof as I sat down to read this one; especially after adoring the prequel which I read just over 20 years ago…
Initially, I wondered what on earth I was reading - it was just so different to what I’d expected. I remember The Time Traveller’s Wife being one of the greatest, and most tragic, love stories I’d ever read, and I was just so emotionally invested in it.
This book begins about 16 years after the first book ended, and follows Alba - Henry and Clare’s daughter - who also time travels. At the start, I was immediately thrown into a world I didn’t recognise - and there seemed to be so many different characters.
Chapters are mainly short and they whisk you from one time and place to another. I had a real inner battle with myself to keep reading on: I didn’t feel any connection with the characters, and it was all so confusing.
It took about a third of the way through until I started to appreciate the writing, and what I thought the author was trying to do here. The initial bewilderment I felt at starting each chapter in a new time and place, mimics Alba’s confusion as she finds herself time travelling to different times and places.
The author has also used the 23 year gap, between these two books being published, to highlight the differences in the world between then and now. This book is speculative fiction, with elements of science fiction, and shows a world brought to its knees by the way it’s been treated by humans.
I did like the music and arts theme running throughout the story, and the idea that these can bring joy when the world is bad…but it wasn’t until the final third that the book really came into its own for me, and that emotional connection I was looking for all along finally appeared.
Looking back and reflecting on this book, I do feel as though it’s another literary masterpiece - although it won’t quite have the same place in my heart as The Time Traveller’s Wife has done for all these years.
I received this proof copy in my Women’s Prize event goodie bag.
Want to Read
July 1, 2026OH MY GOD NO WAY. and she's a VIOLINIST. say no more. take my money and my tears.
Want to Read
April 25, 2026marked as to-read...but do I? seeing that this exists has stopped my heart
July 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I loved it! I was so excited when I heard that a sequel to The Time Traveler's Wife was coming out this year and even more exited that I was able to read it in advance.
I will start out by saying that my book club chose The Time Traveler's Wife recently and I reread it for probably the 7th time. People had some concerns with reading it such as the grooming aspect and the potentially racist way of Kimy and the housekeeper's speech patterns. It does seem that Ms. Niffenegger changed the latter concern in this new book. I don't see the first book as grooming, but more as they say a causal loop. Which is the whole discussion point of the book. Anyway on to Life Out of Order.
This book starts out confusing, it just does. You don't know who is who, what is happening, it seems dangerous, but what is it. There is a political aspect, but it's never explained, it's 2022, but not the 2022 in Real Life? I just kept reading because I know that the first book was confusing with the time jumps so I was hopeful it would work itself all out. And I was right, by the middle of Part One things start connecting and are much more interesting in my opinion.
I will say that there are things in the beginning of the book that don't ever get resolved really. At the party they see an older Alba run though naked and I don't think we ever find out what older Alba was doing. I could be wrong and missed it though, and I don't think it has true bearing on the story as a whole. And I still don't know exactly why the boys were pulled out of the party, who they were affiliated with and what side was Alba on. That's all brushed over and it moved on to more of her personal life. Which I enjoyed more anyway.
I love how it was a different story than the first book, there was so much more of the world while we still got information and closure on a lot of the original characters. Alba's story was interesting and while I know it already was a long book, it could have been longer and I would have read it.
The parts about our near and far future, while are of course fiction, you can still see how that is a complete possibility. All the climate change they experience and the new technology and biowear. It's not that far fetched as we currently experience new extreme climate each year and technology is continuing to grow exponentially. These parts in the book are both fascinating and scary!
Honestly, I just loved living in this world for a little bit longer. If Ms. Niffenegger would like to write a 3rd book, I'll be first in line for that. In the meantime, I hope to reread this one again and again as I have the first, to really soak in all that information I may have missed and to get a greater understanding of this world.
I loved it! I was so excited when I heard that a sequel to The Time Traveler's Wife was coming out this year and even more exited that I was able to read it in advance.
I will start out by saying that my book club chose The Time Traveler's Wife recently and I reread it for probably the 7th time. People had some concerns with reading it such as the grooming aspect and the potentially racist way of Kimy and the housekeeper's speech patterns. It does seem that Ms. Niffenegger changed the latter concern in this new book. I don't see the first book as grooming, but more as they say a causal loop. Which is the whole discussion point of the book. Anyway on to Life Out of Order.
This book starts out confusing, it just does. You don't know who is who, what is happening, it seems dangerous, but what is it. There is a political aspect, but it's never explained, it's 2022, but not the 2022 in Real Life? I just kept reading because I know that the first book was confusing with the time jumps so I was hopeful it would work itself all out. And I was right, by the middle of Part One things start connecting and are much more interesting in my opinion.
I will say that there are things in the beginning of the book that don't ever get resolved really. At the party they see an older Alba run though naked and I don't think we ever find out what older Alba was doing. I could be wrong and missed it though, and I don't think it has true bearing on the story as a whole. And I still don't know exactly why the boys were pulled out of the party, who they were affiliated with and what side was Alba on. That's all brushed over and it moved on to more of her personal life. Which I enjoyed more anyway.
I love how it was a different story than the first book, there was so much more of the world while we still got information and closure on a lot of the original characters. Alba's story was interesting and while I know it already was a long book, it could have been longer and I would have read it.
The parts about our near and far future, while are of course fiction, you can still see how that is a complete possibility. All the climate change they experience and the new technology and biowear. It's not that far fetched as we currently experience new extreme climate each year and technology is continuing to grow exponentially. These parts in the book are both fascinating and scary!
Honestly, I just loved living in this world for a little bit longer. If Ms. Niffenegger would like to write a 3rd book, I'll be first in line for that. In the meantime, I hope to reread this one again and again as I have the first, to really soak in all that information I may have missed and to get a greater understanding of this world.
July 31, 2026
ARC received through NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
The time traveller’s wife changed my life as a reader. I remember finishing the book and being so astonished that someone could come up with such an original idea and write such a beautiful story and to this day it is my favourite book of all time (that isn’t a classic). So I was incredibly grateful and excited to read this book ahead of its release.
The first thing I will say is that this book is NOT like The Time Traveller’s Wife; a book mainly about love. A love that is meant to be, so much so it defies time and space. A story that introduces us to the concept of time travel (chrono displacement) but deglamorises it with the harsh reality of what Henry goes through when he travels and the life and people he leaves behind. Knowing that something is going to happen but that there’s nothing you can do about it. The futility of it all.
This second book is about love and time travel too, but it is also a cautionary tale. It’s not an easy read and not because it is written badly (the opposite in fact!), but because of its heavy subject matter; it’s very political and dystopian but feels almost like a very accurate (and scary) prediction given current events.
The story is split into four parts, though even that split is out of order. The first part is about Alba’s present (and a bit of her future too) and everything that’s going on in the world at that time. This is where Alba meets Zach, her future husband.
The second part is about Alba’s childhood and teenage years and everything that lead to the present we read about in part one. We get more insights into Clare’s life and how she met Becks. We see Richard and his relationship with Alba; we occasionally see Henry too. In this half we also meet Oliver and learn about the yellow house.
The third part is the future and focuses on Oliver’s backstory. How he came to be in London from Shanghai and how he ends up meeting all our main characters, including Zach & Isadora.
The 4th part is all about the future and Audrey flawlessly ties up all the storylines one by one with a nice, neat bow. It was very touching and a little heartbreaking but ends on a hopeful note.
The book is like a huge patchwork quilt; all the people and timelines can get confusing at times but they’re eventually knitted skilfully into an amazing story that spans across 70 years and that will probably stay with me for just as long.
The time traveller’s wife changed my life as a reader. I remember finishing the book and being so astonished that someone could come up with such an original idea and write such a beautiful story and to this day it is my favourite book of all time (that isn’t a classic). So I was incredibly grateful and excited to read this book ahead of its release.
The first thing I will say is that this book is NOT like The Time Traveller’s Wife; a book mainly about love. A love that is meant to be, so much so it defies time and space. A story that introduces us to the concept of time travel (chrono displacement) but deglamorises it with the harsh reality of what Henry goes through when he travels and the life and people he leaves behind. Knowing that something is going to happen but that there’s nothing you can do about it. The futility of it all.
This second book is about love and time travel too, but it is also a cautionary tale. It’s not an easy read and not because it is written badly (the opposite in fact!), but because of its heavy subject matter; it’s very political and dystopian but feels almost like a very accurate (and scary) prediction given current events.
The story is split into four parts, though even that split is out of order. The first part is about Alba’s present (and a bit of her future too) and everything that’s going on in the world at that time. This is where Alba meets Zach, her future husband.
The second part is about Alba’s childhood and teenage years and everything that lead to the present we read about in part one. We get more insights into Clare’s life and how she met Becks. We see Richard and his relationship with Alba; we occasionally see Henry too. In this half we also meet Oliver and learn about the yellow house.
The third part is the future and focuses on Oliver’s backstory. How he came to be in London from Shanghai and how he ends up meeting all our main characters, including Zach & Isadora.
The 4th part is all about the future and Audrey flawlessly ties up all the storylines one by one with a nice, neat bow. It was very touching and a little heartbreaking but ends on a hopeful note.
The book is like a huge patchwork quilt; all the people and timelines can get confusing at times but they’re eventually knitted skilfully into an amazing story that spans across 70 years and that will probably stay with me for just as long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2026
This is part of Camp NetGalley! I read The Time Traveler's Wife back when it first came out (23 years ago!), and I immediately knew this was going to be my pick when I saw it on the list. Looking forward to diving in.
—
Clare says to Alba: “Art isn’t something you owe to anyone.”
I don’t think anyone expected a sequel to The Time Traveler's Wife over two decades later. But certainly, once they knew, I’m sure people (myself included) went in with excitement and expectations, and as such, I don’t think I can blanket recommend this for diehard fans of the first book.
I might be in a pretty niche position: I loved the first book, but I didn’t love it for the romance. The romance was ancillary to the story of Henry and Clare and how they coped with time travel. That’s true here too; this is not romance. This is really about people and how they handle the world falling apart and what it means to hope. There are some great sci-fi apocalyptic concepts that are skimmed but never delved deeply into: I won’t say more for fear of spoilers.
If you’re going to read this, go in with a clean slate. Don’t expect anything because this book will not be what you expect, I promise.
We were not owed this sequel, and we certainly weren’t owed a specific type of book. I thought this was good, but I didn’t adequately check my expectations to be able to love it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press!
—
Clare says to Alba: “Art isn’t something you owe to anyone.”
I don’t think anyone expected a sequel to The Time Traveler's Wife over two decades later. But certainly, once they knew, I’m sure people (myself included) went in with excitement and expectations, and as such, I don’t think I can blanket recommend this for diehard fans of the first book.
I might be in a pretty niche position: I loved the first book, but I didn’t love it for the romance. The romance was ancillary to the story of Henry and Clare and how they coped with time travel. That’s true here too; this is not romance. This is really about people and how they handle the world falling apart and what it means to hope. There are some great sci-fi apocalyptic concepts that are skimmed but never delved deeply into: I won’t say more for fear of spoilers.
If you’re going to read this, go in with a clean slate. Don’t expect anything because this book will not be what you expect, I promise.
We were not owed this sequel, and we certainly weren’t owed a specific type of book. I thought this was good, but I didn’t adequately check my expectations to be able to love it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press!
Did Not Finish
July 20, 2026Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at 47%.
I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
This is my first book by Audrey Niffenegger, and I haven’t read The Time Traveler’s Wife. While this is meant to stand on its own, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing context, especially with some of the returning characters.
My biggest issue was that I never connected with the story or the characters. There are multiple timelines, multiple POVs, and a very large cast. Add in different versions of Alba appearing throughout the story, and I found myself spending more time trying to figure out what was happening than actually becoming invested.
It also felt like the book was trying to do too much. Between the dystopian elements, politics, climate change, protests, revolution, and everything else going on, nothing ever had the chance to really breathe. Instead of coming together into one cohesive story, it felt like too many ideas competing for my attention.
I also struggled with the characterization. There was a lot of representation, but much of it felt like it was there to check boxes rather than develop the characters in a meaningful way. Because of that, I never became emotionally invested in anyone’s journey.
At 560 pages, I needed to be hooked much earlier than I was. I kept waiting for the story to click, but by 47% I was still feeling confused more often than captivated.
DNF at 47%.
I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
This is my first book by Audrey Niffenegger, and I haven’t read The Time Traveler’s Wife. While this is meant to stand on its own, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing context, especially with some of the returning characters.
My biggest issue was that I never connected with the story or the characters. There are multiple timelines, multiple POVs, and a very large cast. Add in different versions of Alba appearing throughout the story, and I found myself spending more time trying to figure out what was happening than actually becoming invested.
It also felt like the book was trying to do too much. Between the dystopian elements, politics, climate change, protests, revolution, and everything else going on, nothing ever had the chance to really breathe. Instead of coming together into one cohesive story, it felt like too many ideas competing for my attention.
I also struggled with the characterization. There was a lot of representation, but much of it felt like it was there to check boxes rather than develop the characters in a meaningful way. Because of that, I never became emotionally invested in anyone’s journey.
At 560 pages, I needed to be hooked much earlier than I was. I kept waiting for the story to click, but by 47% I was still feeling confused more often than captivated.
July 30, 2026
As someone who genuinely enjoyed “The Time Traveler’s Wife” when I read it more than a decade ago, I went into this book with my fingers crossed and excitement to see how Henry & Clare’s daughter’s life turned out. I was left feeling like I might have my life out of order too because I frequently found myself questioning what was happening and rereading sections because it felt choppy. (I know time travel is inherently jarring and disjointed, but this was more than that.) Various side characters and dystopian futuristic tech elements were thrown in leaving me feeling disconnected. I felt like I was going through the motions and being dragged along while feeling mildly disoriented more often than not because too many things were going on pulling me in different directions. Because of all of these factors, the story felt a lot longer than its (hefty) 560 pages.
This book will be released on October 6, 2026 and although it was not my cup of tea, it very well could be yours. Thank you to Audrey Niffenegger and Harlequin Trade Publishing (Hanover Square Press) for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book will be released on October 6, 2026 and although it was not my cup of tea, it very well could be yours. Thank you to Audrey Niffenegger and Harlequin Trade Publishing (Hanover Square Press) for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2026
3.7 ⭐
I was curious about this sequel to the Time Travellers Wife and was lucky to get a pre-release copy from a kind friend (thanks Mandy).
Overall, I found the story inventive - the author has tried to create something different. The themes of AI, virtual reality and worldwide disasters bring the story into a modern and futuristic timeline. The start nearly put me off, so many characters are introduced and I had a hard time keeping track.
At times, I was a bit lost with the timeline (trying to read the dates that start each chapter was irritating, and the story is told from EVERY characters voice), and multiple characters can travel through time (both forwards and backwards). There is also a chapter that TOTALLY threw me and felt really out of character for everyone - a real “wtf is the author doing?!” Let me know if you can guess which part (didn’t want to put a spoiler here)
If you liked the original, you might enjoy revisiting the characters. I’m glad I read through to the end.
I was curious about this sequel to the Time Travellers Wife and was lucky to get a pre-release copy from a kind friend (thanks Mandy).
Overall, I found the story inventive - the author has tried to create something different. The themes of AI, virtual reality and worldwide disasters bring the story into a modern and futuristic timeline. The start nearly put me off, so many characters are introduced and I had a hard time keeping track.
At times, I was a bit lost with the timeline (trying to read the dates that start each chapter was irritating, and the story is told from EVERY characters voice), and multiple characters can travel through time (both forwards and backwards). There is also a chapter that TOTALLY threw me and felt really out of character for everyone - a real “wtf is the author doing?!” Let me know if you can guess which part (didn’t want to put a spoiler here)
If you liked the original, you might enjoy revisiting the characters. I’m glad I read through to the end.
July 25, 2026
Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger
⭐️⭐️
I was really looking forward to reading this novel. I was shocked to see that a follow-up had been written to The Time Travelers Wife and even more excited that the story would be centering around Alba, Henry & Clare’s daughter.. Unfortunately I really didn’t enjoy this book. I found this book underwhelming and confusing. I didn’t like the cast of characters or the plot of the story either. The only part that I enjoyed was Alba’s relationship and how it both mirrored and had differences to Henry and Clare.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this advance readers copy of the story. I never enjoy giving a negative review but know how important it is to be honest with my feedback.
⭐️⭐️
I was really looking forward to reading this novel. I was shocked to see that a follow-up had been written to The Time Travelers Wife and even more excited that the story would be centering around Alba, Henry & Clare’s daughter.. Unfortunately I really didn’t enjoy this book. I found this book underwhelming and confusing. I didn’t like the cast of characters or the plot of the story either. The only part that I enjoyed was Alba’s relationship and how it both mirrored and had differences to Henry and Clare.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this advance readers copy of the story. I never enjoy giving a negative review but know how important it is to be honest with my feedback.
May 25, 2026
I was so excited to get an ARC of this book because I love Time Travelers Wife. It was nice to be back in this chaotic world of time travel with Henry’s daughter Alba and her mom Claire.
It offered a scary look at our present and future. Niffenager creates a world that feels like it could be real. I do feel sad for so many of the characters though as this world doesn’t feel hopeful for most of the time but there are so many moments of true connection even still.
The book could have been a little shorter but I still enjoyed my time traveling with Alba, Oliver and even a little bit of Henry
It offered a scary look at our present and future. Niffenager creates a world that feels like it could be real. I do feel sad for so many of the characters though as this world doesn’t feel hopeful for most of the time but there are so many moments of true connection even still.
The book could have been a little shorter but I still enjoyed my time traveling with Alba, Oliver and even a little bit of Henry
Read
July 16, 2026???!?!!??!??!??
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