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You Again
From Edgar Award nominee Debra Jo Immergut, a taut, twisting work of suspense about a woman haunted by her younger self
Abigail Willard first spots her from the back of a New York cab: the spitting image of Abby herself at age twenty-two—right down to the silver platforms and raspberry coat she wore as a young artist with a taste for wildness. But the real Abby is now forty-six and married, with a corporate job and two kids. As the girl vanishes into a rainy night, Abby is left shaken. Was this merely a hallucinatory side effect of working-mom stress? A message of sorts, sent to remind her of passions and dreams tossed aside? Or something more dangerous?
As weeks go by, Abby continues to spot her double around her old New York haunts—and soon, despite her better instincts, Abby finds herself tailing her look-alike. She is dogged by a nagging suspicion that there is a deeper mystery to figure out, one rooted far in her past. All the while, Abby’s life starts to slip from her control: her marriage hits major turbulence, her teenage son drifts into a radical movement that portends a dark coming era. When her elusive double presents her with a dangerous proposition, Abby must decide how much she values the life she’s built, and how deeply she knows herself.
You Again is an audaciously constructed novel, an unboxing of memory, desire, and regret—and an electrifying portrait of a woman hurtling toward a key crossroads in her life, where a secret lies buried like an undetonated bomb.
Abigail Willard first spots her from the back of a New York cab: the spitting image of Abby herself at age twenty-two—right down to the silver platforms and raspberry coat she wore as a young artist with a taste for wildness. But the real Abby is now forty-six and married, with a corporate job and two kids. As the girl vanishes into a rainy night, Abby is left shaken. Was this merely a hallucinatory side effect of working-mom stress? A message of sorts, sent to remind her of passions and dreams tossed aside? Or something more dangerous?
As weeks go by, Abby continues to spot her double around her old New York haunts—and soon, despite her better instincts, Abby finds herself tailing her look-alike. She is dogged by a nagging suspicion that there is a deeper mystery to figure out, one rooted far in her past. All the while, Abby’s life starts to slip from her control: her marriage hits major turbulence, her teenage son drifts into a radical movement that portends a dark coming era. When her elusive double presents her with a dangerous proposition, Abby must decide how much she values the life she’s built, and how deeply she knows herself.
You Again is an audaciously constructed novel, an unboxing of memory, desire, and regret—and an electrifying portrait of a woman hurtling toward a key crossroads in her life, where a secret lies buried like an undetonated bomb.
10 pages, Audiobook
First published July 7, 2020
284 people are currently reading
5862 people want to read
About the author
Debra Jo Immergut
4 books109 followersDebra Jo Immergut is the author of the novel The Captives, (June 2018), and Private Property, a short-story collection. She is a MacDowell and Michener fellow and has an MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. A magazine editor and journalist, she has also taught writing in libraries, military bases, and prisons. Her work has been published in American Short Fiction, Narrative, and the Russian-language journal Foreign Literature. She lives in western Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
February 5, 2021
So sorry to admit but this book didn’t work for me! I tried so hard to connect with the protagonist, aching and caring for the situations she gets herself into. Believe me I did my best to empathize with her from the beginning to enjoy the creative plot line but eventually I gave up!
Of course this is my opinion and this could be considered as unpopular one.
The storyline is intriguing: a 46 years old woman thinks she’s being stalked in her twenties version of herself which brings out memories about her youth and the sudden changes about her character start to erupt, taking her and her family into some point of no return.
The author is truly brilliant and it can be seen she has quite impressive, witty story telling skills. Especially twisty revelations at the end of the book we’re dazzling and jaw dropping. But I had hard time to like any of the characters and pacing of the story also didn’t fit with my expectations so I pushed myself so hard to finish it.
Overall: I’m giving solid three stars for the author’s creative writing and the interesting plot line, impactful revelations. I’m still so keen to read her other works but this book is unfortunately not the cup of my tea.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers/Ecco for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest review and introducing me a brilliant author.
Of course this is my opinion and this could be considered as unpopular one.
The storyline is intriguing: a 46 years old woman thinks she’s being stalked in her twenties version of herself which brings out memories about her youth and the sudden changes about her character start to erupt, taking her and her family into some point of no return.
The author is truly brilliant and it can be seen she has quite impressive, witty story telling skills. Especially twisty revelations at the end of the book we’re dazzling and jaw dropping. But I had hard time to like any of the characters and pacing of the story also didn’t fit with my expectations so I pushed myself so hard to finish it.
Overall: I’m giving solid three stars for the author’s creative writing and the interesting plot line, impactful revelations. I’m still so keen to read her other works but this book is unfortunately not the cup of my tea.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers/Ecco for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest review and introducing me a brilliant author.
June 4, 2021
This was a simply spectacular book, the one to beat in 2020. So rare to find a book that is high concept, high-wire suspense, psychologically acute AND gloriously well-written, but You Again has it all. I loved this author’s first novel, The Captives, but this time she’s knocked it out of the park.
You Again is about a middle aged woman, a designer at a pharmaceutical company, wife, mother, and former artist, who begins to see her younger self walking around on the streets of New York City. It throws the life that she and her husband, also a former artist, were delicately balancing, which begins to come apart and recombine in startling ways. No one goes unaffected in this tight, psychological thriller.
Here is an early sighting of the younger self:
“They stood under the umbrella, very close together, talking. I glanced at the dented graffitied doorway, and sure, yes, that had been a nightclub and I had done my time in its pounding, dusky rooms, but hadn’t that place closed in the last millenium? Now he turned and saw the cab—my cab—just pulling away from the curb, and this guy, this kid, starts to run after it down the block and gives one of those piercing fingers-in-mouth whistles—a practical skill I have always appreciated—and as he runs his umbrella—I can see it’s the five-dollar street-corner type—flips inside out in a gust and shimmers under the streetlight like a wet black lily bloom and I look at her and she’s looking at him and I know that look. Or I should say, I remember that look.”
It goes nowhere you expect it to go. Art, politics, relationships, everything comes back into play. Absolutely original, piercingly beautiful. Publication date July 2020.
You Again is about a middle aged woman, a designer at a pharmaceutical company, wife, mother, and former artist, who begins to see her younger self walking around on the streets of New York City. It throws the life that she and her husband, also a former artist, were delicately balancing, which begins to come apart and recombine in startling ways. No one goes unaffected in this tight, psychological thriller.
Here is an early sighting of the younger self:
“They stood under the umbrella, very close together, talking. I glanced at the dented graffitied doorway, and sure, yes, that had been a nightclub and I had done my time in its pounding, dusky rooms, but hadn’t that place closed in the last millenium? Now he turned and saw the cab—my cab—just pulling away from the curb, and this guy, this kid, starts to run after it down the block and gives one of those piercing fingers-in-mouth whistles—a practical skill I have always appreciated—and as he runs his umbrella—I can see it’s the five-dollar street-corner type—flips inside out in a gust and shimmers under the streetlight like a wet black lily bloom and I look at her and she’s looking at him and I know that look. Or I should say, I remember that look.”
It goes nowhere you expect it to go. Art, politics, relationships, everything comes back into play. Absolutely original, piercingly beautiful. Publication date July 2020.
October 30, 2020
You're living your life and are content. You love your family, a husband and two sons. Your job is a good fit for you. Now, harken back to the hopes and dreams you had when you were just out of school. What you expected of life, and what you absolutely wanted. Did it all pan out according to your wishes?
Look to the paths we take in life, their convergence and divergence. Don't be surprised if something happens along the way which makes you take a long hard look at yourself, no mirror required. Perception is everything.
Thank you to Betsy Robinson whose intriguing review brought this book to my attention. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Look to the paths we take in life, their convergence and divergence. Don't be surprised if something happens along the way which makes you take a long hard look at yourself, no mirror required. Perception is everything.
Thank you to Betsy Robinson whose intriguing review brought this book to my attention. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
August 22, 2020
After finishing this book, I found myself pacing my apartment, exclaiming, "Oh wow. Oh wow! Oh boy, this is good!
What an absolute thrill this story, this writing, and this content are. (Hint: if you are interested in the nature of time and existence, you'll love this.) Imagine fine literary writing telling a psychologically tense and amazing tale—one that any mature person might have imagined: if only I could talk to my younger self. But only Debra Jo Immergut could write it this way.
Dive in. Don't read too much about this before leaping. Be patient—the pacing is perfect and you will understand what's going on. Everything comes out in the perfect way. Nothing is wasted in this brilliantly realized journey.
What an absolute thrill this story, this writing, and this content are. (Hint: if you are interested in the nature of time and existence, you'll love this.) Imagine fine literary writing telling a psychologically tense and amazing tale—one that any mature person might have imagined: if only I could talk to my younger self. But only Debra Jo Immergut could write it this way.
Dive in. Don't read too much about this before leaping. Be patient—the pacing is perfect and you will understand what's going on. Everything comes out in the perfect way. Nothing is wasted in this brilliantly realized journey.
July 28, 2020
Huh? Bailed at the halfway point which was more than enough time in this disjointed mess.
October 26, 2020
This is currently $1.99 for Kindle on Amazon, normally $12.99
’I saw myself last night. I drove right by myself. In a taxi, through a winter rain, coming home very late from work, on a shadowed block southwest of the Holland Tunnel. I gazed out the cab window, worn down from my day, and then suddenly she appeared, emerging from a dark doorway in silver platform sandals and a pink velvet coat.’
‘Me. The way I used to be.’
As this story begins, it is January of 2015, and as Abigail Willard sees this young girl, this doppelganger, she shouts to the cab driver to stop, and leaps out of the cab just as this girl is putting a coin into a pay phone. Abigail is now 46, and she’s heading home after work. She’s just finished another long day on the job as art director for a pharmaceutical company, and so she dismisses this, and refrains from sharing what she has seen with her family, especially her husband.
’I recall precisely how it felt to wear that coat, its chill silky lining, the shiver as you shrugged it over a slip dress. I remember how the wind and the water went right through it. On a raw night, that silky lining could make you feel colder than if you were wearing nothing at all.’
’I saw her, it was me. Me. It was most definitely none other. I was beautiful and maybe twenty-two and now I’m gone -- that was some vision, some message, and I didn’t get to understand it. The vision vanished and left me soaked and cabless.’
Several days later, she sees her again, outside one of her old favourite haunts - a library, or is she imagining what she saw, hallucinating? Is this visitation meant to remind her of her old life, more carefree - and careless - days before marriage and children changed her life? Or is there more to it than that? There are so many dreams she had planned to fulfill that changed as finances entered the picture, although she tells herself she is content in her job, working as a designer for a big pharmaceutical company. Hardly what she’d planned, but it pays the bills.
There are many roads this story takes, most of which I did not foresee, family relationships, antifa, politics, art, infidelity and more, the past...this was such a strangely unexpected, mesmerizing read.
Many thanks to Betsy, whose review prompted me to read this, please check out her review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
’I saw myself last night. I drove right by myself. In a taxi, through a winter rain, coming home very late from work, on a shadowed block southwest of the Holland Tunnel. I gazed out the cab window, worn down from my day, and then suddenly she appeared, emerging from a dark doorway in silver platform sandals and a pink velvet coat.’
‘Me. The way I used to be.’
As this story begins, it is January of 2015, and as Abigail Willard sees this young girl, this doppelganger, she shouts to the cab driver to stop, and leaps out of the cab just as this girl is putting a coin into a pay phone. Abigail is now 46, and she’s heading home after work. She’s just finished another long day on the job as art director for a pharmaceutical company, and so she dismisses this, and refrains from sharing what she has seen with her family, especially her husband.
’I recall precisely how it felt to wear that coat, its chill silky lining, the shiver as you shrugged it over a slip dress. I remember how the wind and the water went right through it. On a raw night, that silky lining could make you feel colder than if you were wearing nothing at all.’
’I saw her, it was me. Me. It was most definitely none other. I was beautiful and maybe twenty-two and now I’m gone -- that was some vision, some message, and I didn’t get to understand it. The vision vanished and left me soaked and cabless.’
Several days later, she sees her again, outside one of her old favourite haunts - a library, or is she imagining what she saw, hallucinating? Is this visitation meant to remind her of her old life, more carefree - and careless - days before marriage and children changed her life? Or is there more to it than that? There are so many dreams she had planned to fulfill that changed as finances entered the picture, although she tells herself she is content in her job, working as a designer for a big pharmaceutical company. Hardly what she’d planned, but it pays the bills.
There are many roads this story takes, most of which I did not foresee, family relationships, antifa, politics, art, infidelity and more, the past...this was such a strangely unexpected, mesmerizing read.
Many thanks to Betsy, whose review prompted me to read this, please check out her review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 4, 2020
Immergut's novel is a deeply meditative journey, on the nature of self, the obligations of motherhood, the effect of trauma on identity, and the nature of consciousness. I read it in a day, and I felt exhilarated at the end--a combination of "what did I just read?" and "wow."
The novel is full of strangeness and unexplained connections, but it's grounded in humanity. The central character is trying to understand herself, and to lead a good life, but what she's learning along the way is how little control she has over anything. It's a challenging book in some ways because the protagonist is never quite sure, herself, of what's going on, as she suffers from memory loss. The novel requires the reader to move forward through the story with more incomplete information than is typical when reading a novel. There is a bit of haze at the edges of each scene, where you can't quite be sure what to believe or what's going on. It reminded me of another novel I adored, Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin for the way the novel requires you to yield to what can almost be defined as a lack of coherence, and to allow yourself to feel as lost as the protagonist. It also reminded me of Golden State by Ben Winters and I think readers who were okay with the ambiguities and strangeness of that novel will also enjoy You Again.
This is a book that I'm likely to re-read very soon, just to understand how it's constructed and why it had such a strong effect on me.
The novel is full of strangeness and unexplained connections, but it's grounded in humanity. The central character is trying to understand herself, and to lead a good life, but what she's learning along the way is how little control she has over anything. It's a challenging book in some ways because the protagonist is never quite sure, herself, of what's going on, as she suffers from memory loss. The novel requires the reader to move forward through the story with more incomplete information than is typical when reading a novel. There is a bit of haze at the edges of each scene, where you can't quite be sure what to believe or what's going on. It reminded me of another novel I adored, Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin for the way the novel requires you to yield to what can almost be defined as a lack of coherence, and to allow yourself to feel as lost as the protagonist. It also reminded me of Golden State by Ben Winters and I think readers who were okay with the ambiguities and strangeness of that novel will also enjoy You Again.
This is a book that I'm likely to re-read very soon, just to understand how it's constructed and why it had such a strong effect on me.
July 3, 2020
This is such a unique and quirky little book. And probably one of the most challenging to review due to the plot! First of all, the writing throughout is gorgeous, introspective and intense. It touches on so many deep and interesting ideas in a completely unique way. The basic plot of the book is that 46-year-old Abby has started seeing her younger 23-year old self around town, in some kind of wormhole to the past. She sees her younger self in her old favorite places, with an equally young version of her former lover.
The best parts of this book were unquestionably when Abby confronts her younger self. I loved these without exception and as someone who also lived in New York at that young age, I saw so much of myself in both the younger Abby of before and the older married one of today. This is such a genius idea for a book and these parts were really well done and lovely. I also really liked the parts where she examined her marriage.
The structure of the book was non-linear (which I realize is by design) but at times I found it difficult to navigate. It is perhaps a little ironic that at times this book seemed to be having an identity crisis about which version of itself it wanted to be - a thriller? A family drama? With many characters, some seemingly unrelated at first, popping in and out, and with two versions of the protagonist it could sometimes be confusing and hard to keep the timelines straight. Some of the subplots worked better than others. I liked the subplots relating to her present-day marriage, not so much the subplot with her son’s involvement in Antifa. The book is also broken up with doctor’s notes which, while an interesting idea, interrupted the flow for me. A lot of these characters are not fully explained until the end, where they are explained very well. But it still makes for a somewhat disjointed reading experience up to that point (which, you realize at the end, is fully intentional and has a reason).
Much of the confusion comes together at the ending, which is wonderful. I think upon a second read, knowing the ending, this book will be even better. Knowing the ending I marvel a bit at the different writing styles in different places vs. the end, and the reason that is ultimately revealed for that.
Overall this was a totally unique, if at times confusing, reading experience with so many interesting things to say about time, memories, love and the mind. If you can get through some of the disjointed parts you will be rewarded with a really neat ending that explains it. This book is fully quirky and definitely not for everyone and at times I was utterly confused but ultimately I found it to be a really unique and interesting reading experience. Talented author who does many neat things with language in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Debra Jo Immergut for the ARC of this interesting book.
The best parts of this book were unquestionably when Abby confronts her younger self. I loved these without exception and as someone who also lived in New York at that young age, I saw so much of myself in both the younger Abby of before and the older married one of today. This is such a genius idea for a book and these parts were really well done and lovely. I also really liked the parts where she examined her marriage.
The structure of the book was non-linear (which I realize is by design) but at times I found it difficult to navigate. It is perhaps a little ironic that at times this book seemed to be having an identity crisis about which version of itself it wanted to be - a thriller? A family drama? With many characters, some seemingly unrelated at first, popping in and out, and with two versions of the protagonist it could sometimes be confusing and hard to keep the timelines straight. Some of the subplots worked better than others. I liked the subplots relating to her present-day marriage, not so much the subplot with her son’s involvement in Antifa. The book is also broken up with doctor’s notes which, while an interesting idea, interrupted the flow for me. A lot of these characters are not fully explained until the end, where they are explained very well. But it still makes for a somewhat disjointed reading experience up to that point (which, you realize at the end, is fully intentional and has a reason).
Much of the confusion comes together at the ending, which is wonderful. I think upon a second read, knowing the ending, this book will be even better. Knowing the ending I marvel a bit at the different writing styles in different places vs. the end, and the reason that is ultimately revealed for that.
Overall this was a totally unique, if at times confusing, reading experience with so many interesting things to say about time, memories, love and the mind. If you can get through some of the disjointed parts you will be rewarded with a really neat ending that explains it. This book is fully quirky and definitely not for everyone and at times I was utterly confused but ultimately I found it to be a really unique and interesting reading experience. Talented author who does many neat things with language in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Debra Jo Immergut for the ARC of this interesting book.
August 25, 2020
I decided to read this novel despite mixed reviews because it was set in NYC and because it involved psychological issues, both major draws for me. Unfortunately what I found myself in was a slog of a book which felt like a "thriller," a genre which I tend to avoid. This book is not billed as a thriller, but it had the feel of one with incursions of new characters suggesting potentially frightening things going on behind the scenes in our main character's life. I hung in there to the end hoping that these pieces and all the other disjointed pieces would come together and make for a terrific ending. But the ending was no more that what I had figured out already and I didn't feel that all the tangents were pulled together and explained well enough. I thought the big build up was going to lead to something much more interesting.
Another issue I have is that I don't see why this book had to be set up so disjointedly to tell it's story. Perhaps in part to mimic the frame of mind of the main character? If that's the case, it didn't work and would have served the topic better to have a straight narrative. I am not being clear about "the topic" because I do not want to spoil the book, specifically the ending, for future readers.
Another big problem was that I did not feel engaged by the main character. Whether this was because of her being so disengaged from herself and/or the disjointed narrative, I am not sure, but it is impossible for me to enjoy a novel if I do not feel engaged with the main character and the plot is purposefully disjointed.
I hate to be so critical about a book, but I was really disappointed and frustrated with it from start to finish.
Another issue I have is that I don't see why this book had to be set up so disjointedly to tell it's story. Perhaps in part to mimic the frame of mind of the main character? If that's the case, it didn't work and would have served the topic better to have a straight narrative. I am not being clear about "the topic" because I do not want to spoil the book, specifically the ending, for future readers.
Another big problem was that I did not feel engaged by the main character. Whether this was because of her being so disengaged from herself and/or the disjointed narrative, I am not sure, but it is impossible for me to enjoy a novel if I do not feel engaged with the main character and the plot is purposefully disjointed.
I hate to be so critical about a book, but I was really disappointed and frustrated with it from start to finish.
March 4, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
You Again.
I was excited when my request was approved because the premise sounds interesting.
Also, the author's name sounded vaguely familiar and I couldn't pinpoint why.
It wasn't until after I started reading and the writing didn't draw me in did I check up on the author's name.
Uh-oh, now I know why her name sounded familiar.
Because I loathed her previous book, Captives. That was an abomination.
No surprise that You Again was disappointing.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
A woman in her late forties sees a version of her younger self back when she was a promising young artist and hadn't sold out to the corporate world.
Interesting Twilight Zone-y idea, (which is what I was hoping), but the author lacked a cohesive narrative.
In short, it was a mess.
What is the story really about?
Abby's mental fragility and imbalance as she struggles with a demanding career, her sons and their issues, and her thoughts about sacrificing an artistic career for one of motherhood, stability, and in some ways, mediocrity?
The narrative was bogged down with poor structure and formatting; segues into her son's radicalization, Abby's pursuit of her art, wordy prose about color and how she sees color and how good she is at color, random breakaways to medical diagnosis that disturbed the flow of the story, already disjointed with so many loose threads that it was hard to follow.
I didn't like any of the characters, nor did I dislike them.
I just wished I had liked Abby.
I liked the explanation for why Abby was seeing a younger version of herself, but You Again needed the narrative to be focus on Abby and her younger self, not her son, and an organized, tighter format and structure to add mystery and suspense.
There were too many rambling segues, distracting filler, random subplots that took away from the story and what was happening (not much actually), that you forgot what you were reading in the first place.
This time, I won't forget the author's name, and not in a good way. Two strikes.
I was excited when my request was approved because the premise sounds interesting.
Also, the author's name sounded vaguely familiar and I couldn't pinpoint why.
It wasn't until after I started reading and the writing didn't draw me in did I check up on the author's name.
Uh-oh, now I know why her name sounded familiar.
Because I loathed her previous book, Captives. That was an abomination.
No surprise that You Again was disappointing.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
A woman in her late forties sees a version of her younger self back when she was a promising young artist and hadn't sold out to the corporate world.
Interesting Twilight Zone-y idea, (which is what I was hoping), but the author lacked a cohesive narrative.
In short, it was a mess.
What is the story really about?
Abby's mental fragility and imbalance as she struggles with a demanding career, her sons and their issues, and her thoughts about sacrificing an artistic career for one of motherhood, stability, and in some ways, mediocrity?
The narrative was bogged down with poor structure and formatting; segues into her son's radicalization, Abby's pursuit of her art, wordy prose about color and how she sees color and how good she is at color, random breakaways to medical diagnosis that disturbed the flow of the story, already disjointed with so many loose threads that it was hard to follow.
I didn't like any of the characters, nor did I dislike them.
I just wished I had liked Abby.
I liked the explanation for why Abby was seeing a younger version of herself, but You Again needed the narrative to be focus on Abby and her younger self, not her son, and an organized, tighter format and structure to add mystery and suspense.
There were too many rambling segues, distracting filler, random subplots that took away from the story and what was happening (not much actually), that you forgot what you were reading in the first place.
This time, I won't forget the author's name, and not in a good way. Two strikes.
September 9, 2020
You Again is quirky. It also has some beautiful writing and an odd, disjointed feel to it that added to the overall strangeness of the story.
Abby see's her past self in a girl she spots one day, so begins an obsessive and atmospheric journey where perception and memory are explored in a riveting way. As Abby views her current life through a glass darkly, she takes the reader on a twisted and compelling trip through her past and present, all coloured by her artistic persona and focusing over and over on one event that defined her.
It is a mystery and the eventual resolution is cleverly absorbing, leaving you with a lot to think about. This is not a thriller in the traditional sense of the word, yet it has thriller aspects, it isnt exactly a psychological thriller but the feeling of it captures that genre. Overall I loved this for its differences- it is nice to read a novel that is in no way straightforward. For that reason it wont be for everyone but it was for me and I highly recommend it.
Abby see's her past self in a girl she spots one day, so begins an obsessive and atmospheric journey where perception and memory are explored in a riveting way. As Abby views her current life through a glass darkly, she takes the reader on a twisted and compelling trip through her past and present, all coloured by her artistic persona and focusing over and over on one event that defined her.
It is a mystery and the eventual resolution is cleverly absorbing, leaving you with a lot to think about. This is not a thriller in the traditional sense of the word, yet it has thriller aspects, it isnt exactly a psychological thriller but the feeling of it captures that genre. Overall I loved this for its differences- it is nice to read a novel that is in no way straightforward. For that reason it wont be for everyone but it was for me and I highly recommend it.
September 13, 2020
This was an interesting book but I had absolutely no idea what was happening.
It was well written but I just couldn't follow the story and as a result I became disinterested in the plot of the book.
I just couldn't follow what was happening. It was a very confusing book to read
I did read this book pretty quickly but its pretty forgettable as I didn't understand what was happening
I didn't really care for any of the characters either.
Also the ending left me even more confused than I was at the start.
Overall, I can't deny this book was well written but I did not understand what on earth was happening and for that reason I will probably not remember anything from this book in a few days.
It was well written but I just couldn't follow the story and as a result I became disinterested in the plot of the book.
I just couldn't follow what was happening. It was a very confusing book to read
I did read this book pretty quickly but its pretty forgettable as I didn't understand what was happening
I didn't really care for any of the characters either.
Also the ending left me even more confused than I was at the start.
Overall, I can't deny this book was well written but I did not understand what on earth was happening and for that reason I will probably not remember anything from this book in a few days.
April 17, 2020
Abigail is on her way home from work one evening when she sees a young woman on the sidewalk. She's wearing the same pink thrift store coat that Abigail wore in her early twenties and when Abigail gets out of her taxi for a closer look, she realizes that she's seeing herself, twenty years younger. This glimpse of her past sends her into a closer look at her current life - then she was preparing to go to art school with the intention of living solely for her art, but now she's the art designer for a pharmaceutical company, deciding on the exact shade of lavender to use in the packaging for a new drug, or working on the precise shades of pink to use for a brochure illustration of the digestive system. As her sightings of her former self become more frequent and she begins to interact with her, her life begins to spin out of control, the carefully constructed security she's built become less satisfying. At the same time, one of her sons is becoming involved in an antifa group, putting Abigail's values into question and putting her in the path of a seemingly nice police detective.
I'm not sure what exactly was going on for much of this and the possible explanations trotted out at the end of the novel weren't convincing to me. But there's no question that the author had me reading as fast as I could, trying to keep up with the twists and the rapid pace of events. And despite my finding some of the central events utterly unbelievable, this didn't stop me from enjoying the wild ride this novel took me on, which is to say that Immergut has constructed a clever bunch of inter-connected plots and kept them all from falling apart, resulting in a novel that is more entertaining than most.
I'm not sure what exactly was going on for much of this and the possible explanations trotted out at the end of the novel weren't convincing to me. But there's no question that the author had me reading as fast as I could, trying to keep up with the twists and the rapid pace of events. And despite my finding some of the central events utterly unbelievable, this didn't stop me from enjoying the wild ride this novel took me on, which is to say that Immergut has constructed a clever bunch of inter-connected plots and kept them all from falling apart, resulting in a novel that is more entertaining than most.
July 18, 2023
An engaging and complex read
August 1, 2020
The first thing that struck me about Debra Jo Immergut's newest novel was the gorgeous writing and her ability to nail the telling details of a character and scene. But then--wow--the story kicked into high gear and I could not put it down. This is a book of razor sharp psychological suspense coupled with literary insights and extraordinary prose.
September 27, 2020
This is possibly the worst book i have ever managed to finish. What an utter load of crap. 0.00000000.1/5. There was nothing even remotely interesting or clever about it and i am disappointed in myself for not giving up at the half way point when I realised it wasn’t improving. It gets the very tiny rating for teaching me a valuable lesson to cut my losses, life is too short to read boring books.
September 30, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.
I've seen this book categorized as a thriller or mystery, but I don't think I'd categorize it that way. It's lit fic with a bit of science fiction and mystery around the edges, maybe.
The premise of the book was irresistible to me. I mourn my younger self a bit. She was so thin! She was so passionate! She could eat whatever she wanted! She had such confidence in herself! None of those things feel as true for me in middle age anymore. I know that middle- aged women are supposed to know themselves and not care what anyone thinks of them and be bad-ass give-no-fucks kicking-ass-and-taking-names goddesses, but I still feel like I couldn't describe myself to a stranger and sadly I still do care what people think of me, which means that middle-aged metabolism is a constant annoyance.
The first scene, where Abby sees herself- what would I have seen if I saw my 90's self from afar? Well, I was probably wearing an ankh necklace and lots of silver finger rings. My hair was darker, and possibly a lot shorter, depending on when in the 90's it was. Boot cut jeans and lacy tight shirts, 100 pounds soaking wet. Throwing myself into exciting and unhealthy relationships, just asking to get hurt. I think it might break my heart to see that youth all over again, and it certainly threw Abby for a loop.
I wanted the book to hold onto that feeling. Abby is a commercial artist who has gone respectable although she once was ready to take the world by storm with her art. Abby now has two teenage sons and a husband. She doesn't want to see her younger idealistic self- young Abby is all possibility and current Abby is settled, in every way.
I kept waiting, but young and older Abby never really had a good conversation. Neither of them really wanted to be around the other one- young Abbey couldn't stand the middle aged bourgeoisie that was her future and older Abbey couldn't stand the mistakes that her younger self was about to make. It was constantly frustrating.
And there was a lot of other stuff in the book that felt like it diminished the central idea. Abby's older son is involved with antifa somehow; Abby starts getting involved too. There's a detective, an affair or two, a head injury? The end of the book ends up losing focus on what I wanted to see and kind of went all over the place. I ended up skimming to find the parts I wanted, which didn't help in the end.
The author actually tried to provide an explanation of Abby's ability to peer through time, and it lessened the whole idea, I thought. While the writing itself was enjoyable, the book felt a lot like some old relationships of mine- there was potential there, but ultimately that potential never materialized.
I've seen this book categorized as a thriller or mystery, but I don't think I'd categorize it that way. It's lit fic with a bit of science fiction and mystery around the edges, maybe.
The premise of the book was irresistible to me. I mourn my younger self a bit. She was so thin! She was so passionate! She could eat whatever she wanted! She had such confidence in herself! None of those things feel as true for me in middle age anymore. I know that middle- aged women are supposed to know themselves and not care what anyone thinks of them and be bad-ass give-no-fucks kicking-ass-and-taking-names goddesses, but I still feel like I couldn't describe myself to a stranger and sadly I still do care what people think of me, which means that middle-aged metabolism is a constant annoyance.
The first scene, where Abby sees herself- what would I have seen if I saw my 90's self from afar? Well, I was probably wearing an ankh necklace and lots of silver finger rings. My hair was darker, and possibly a lot shorter, depending on when in the 90's it was. Boot cut jeans and lacy tight shirts, 100 pounds soaking wet. Throwing myself into exciting and unhealthy relationships, just asking to get hurt. I think it might break my heart to see that youth all over again, and it certainly threw Abby for a loop.
I wanted the book to hold onto that feeling. Abby is a commercial artist who has gone respectable although she once was ready to take the world by storm with her art. Abby now has two teenage sons and a husband. She doesn't want to see her younger idealistic self- young Abby is all possibility and current Abby is settled, in every way.
I kept waiting, but young and older Abby never really had a good conversation. Neither of them really wanted to be around the other one- young Abbey couldn't stand the middle aged bourgeoisie that was her future and older Abbey couldn't stand the mistakes that her younger self was about to make. It was constantly frustrating.
And there was a lot of other stuff in the book that felt like it diminished the central idea. Abby's older son is involved with antifa somehow; Abby starts getting involved too. There's a detective, an affair or two, a head injury? The end of the book ends up losing focus on what I wanted to see and kind of went all over the place. I ended up skimming to find the parts I wanted, which didn't help in the end.
The author actually tried to provide an explanation of Abby's ability to peer through time, and it lessened the whole idea, I thought. While the writing itself was enjoyable, the book felt a lot like some old relationships of mine- there was potential there, but ultimately that potential never materialized.
July 9, 2020
I just put YOU AGAIN down reluctantly after gulping down this beautiful novel in a day and a half. I didn't want it to come to an end, but that's what happens to all great things. I connected with protagonist Abby WIllard from the get-go and now I don't want to let go.
An Editor's Choice in last Sunday's NYT Book review, this "eerie thriller of midlife regret" (from the review) caught my attention and the novel took my breath away. I'm haunted by how memory and regret weave together as if taking passage through dreamlike wormholes. It's how I'm feeling anyway these COVID days - with time feeling fluid and my youth and my future as present to me as today. YOU AGAIN is a literary feat as original, fresh, and surprising as two of my favorite films - Chris Marker's "La Jetée" and Todd Haynes' "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story".
As a personal side bonus, YOU AGAIN leaves me sitting here wanting to prioritize my own creative endeavours and maybe tell my younger self to CHILL about the superficial aspects of daily life, dive into the primordial muck that matters and make things I want to make in between my paycheck work (which I'm grateful to have right now.)
An Editor's Choice in last Sunday's NYT Book review, this "eerie thriller of midlife regret" (from the review) caught my attention and the novel took my breath away. I'm haunted by how memory and regret weave together as if taking passage through dreamlike wormholes. It's how I'm feeling anyway these COVID days - with time feeling fluid and my youth and my future as present to me as today. YOU AGAIN is a literary feat as original, fresh, and surprising as two of my favorite films - Chris Marker's "La Jetée" and Todd Haynes' "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story".
As a personal side bonus, YOU AGAIN leaves me sitting here wanting to prioritize my own creative endeavours and maybe tell my younger self to CHILL about the superficial aspects of daily life, dive into the primordial muck that matters and make things I want to make in between my paycheck work (which I'm grateful to have right now.)
Read
September 10, 2021No rating, got only about one-fourth of the way in.
OMGoodness I tried to read this! I really did! Several times. What a great premise - a woman who keeps seeing herself in places, but at a younger age. I mean, what the heck is going on with that? However, I was put off by...
The density of the writing! Often writers are cautioned to cut back on the adverbs, and usually that means the 'ly' ones. But this author has never seen an adjective she did not like. So many words, so many commas. So much endless description. Almost as if the writer's showing off with how much 'stuff' she can cram into a space. It leaves one breathless - and not in a 'wind blowing my hair back caressingly' kind of way; more like a 'where's my inhaler' way.
I just couldn't keep up with it. Too many words spoil the story-broth, IMO. Not to say I wouldn't try another book by Ms. Immergut. She does have a way with ideas, creativity - and of course, words.
Except here, there's just too many of them.
No rating.
OMGoodness I tried to read this! I really did! Several times. What a great premise - a woman who keeps seeing herself in places, but at a younger age. I mean, what the heck is going on with that? However, I was put off by...
The density of the writing! Often writers are cautioned to cut back on the adverbs, and usually that means the 'ly' ones. But this author has never seen an adjective she did not like. So many words, so many commas. So much endless description. Almost as if the writer's showing off with how much 'stuff' she can cram into a space. It leaves one breathless - and not in a 'wind blowing my hair back caressingly' kind of way; more like a 'where's my inhaler' way.
I just couldn't keep up with it. Too many words spoil the story-broth, IMO. Not to say I wouldn't try another book by Ms. Immergut. She does have a way with ideas, creativity - and of course, words.
Except here, there's just too many of them.
No rating.
July 7, 2020
This book took me out. I went into this thinking this would be a light read of a woman in flux, seeing her younger self and realizing that life is fine as it is. What I got is a extremely high concept, suspenseful and scientifically confusing wonderful book.
Abby is the head of visual design at a pharma company - far from her dreams of being an artist. Then, she sees a skinny pair of legs in silver platforms and a pink coat and everything changes - because those legs are hers, from 20+ years prior.
What follows is a story of a woman searching for something, herself, happiness, the truth. This is an exploration in how brains work, how memories stay with us forever and how the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This is a terribly written review of a wonderful book. There are not enough words to talk about how wonderful and surprising this book from Debra Jo Immergut.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Abby is the head of visual design at a pharma company - far from her dreams of being an artist. Then, she sees a skinny pair of legs in silver platforms and a pink coat and everything changes - because those legs are hers, from 20+ years prior.
What follows is a story of a woman searching for something, herself, happiness, the truth. This is an exploration in how brains work, how memories stay with us forever and how the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This is a terribly written review of a wonderful book. There are not enough words to talk about how wonderful and surprising this book from Debra Jo Immergut.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 6, 2020
At sentence level I found this enjoyable, but I found it hard to follow the wider concept of this novel with things moving so quickly and with the high concept/Inception style theme. This might just be me and my preference for a more straightforward narrative, so if this sounds like your kind of thing I'd suggest giving it a go.
Don’t go into this expecting a traditional fast paced mystery/thriller; while there's a lot going on and many threads to piece together this is much more ~literary, and it’s more of slow burn in terms of the mystery presented coming together in a multilayered and disjointed way. One I’d probably get more out of on a re-read.
Don’t go into this expecting a traditional fast paced mystery/thriller; while there's a lot going on and many threads to piece together this is much more ~literary, and it’s more of slow burn in terms of the mystery presented coming together in a multilayered and disjointed way. One I’d probably get more out of on a re-read.
April 22, 2020
I found this to be a completely engrossing read, exactly what I needed at this pandemic time.
Sure there are problems with the story but perfect books are few and far between. This book definitely gave me weird dreams. The story felt fresh and new, not just the same old regurgitated plots.
What would I do in Abby’s situation? Possibly run like hell instead of following my younger self. Just thinking about it is terrifying really.
My copy was provided by NetGalley for review all opinions are my own.
Sure there are problems with the story but perfect books are few and far between. This book definitely gave me weird dreams. The story felt fresh and new, not just the same old regurgitated plots.
What would I do in Abby’s situation? Possibly run like hell instead of following my younger self. Just thinking about it is terrifying really.
My copy was provided by NetGalley for review all opinions are my own.
November 12, 2020
An intriguing, psychological novel bending time and brain waves. TBC
October 2, 2020
What a smart and timely novel! If you don't think so on the first page, you certainly will when a frustrated housewife joins an anarchistgroup's protest, and finds herself hammering the window of a bank branch -- and reveling when it shatters.
In early 2015, Abby sees herself. Literally, her younger self walking down the street, the person Abby before a great love that left her broken and stalled in her promising career as a painter. The young woman doesn't just look like her; she IS her. The woman Abby was in the 1990s.
Now Abby designs graphics for a pharmaceutical company, and keeps a household functioning despite her unfaithful husband, one son who is immersed in his girlfriend, and another son who has fallen in with sometimes violent political radicals.
There's a mouthful of a sentence, and the book contains that kind of density of ideas: a deceptive detective, a brain scientist trying to understand what actually happened to Abby all those years ago, and a cast of colorful characters not one of whom is entirely what he or she seems.
Meanwhile the prose is beautiful, New York City is conjured in vivid detail (down to the sprinkles on the cookies at one specific bakery), and the plot races along.
Is the young woman a memory? A ghost? If she isn't an actual person, then who set Abby's house on fire?
In early 2015, Abby sees herself. Literally, her younger self walking down the street, the person Abby before a great love that left her broken and stalled in her promising career as a painter. The young woman doesn't just look like her; she IS her. The woman Abby was in the 1990s.
Now Abby designs graphics for a pharmaceutical company, and keeps a household functioning despite her unfaithful husband, one son who is immersed in his girlfriend, and another son who has fallen in with sometimes violent political radicals.
There's a mouthful of a sentence, and the book contains that kind of density of ideas: a deceptive detective, a brain scientist trying to understand what actually happened to Abby all those years ago, and a cast of colorful characters not one of whom is entirely what he or she seems.
Meanwhile the prose is beautiful, New York City is conjured in vivid detail (down to the sprinkles on the cookies at one specific bakery), and the plot races along.
Is the young woman a memory? A ghost? If she isn't an actual person, then who set Abby's house on fire?
July 3, 2020
Firstly, thank you #NetGalley and Debra Jo Immergut for the opportunity to read an ARC of #YouAgain!
Secondly, wow... Where do I begin?? I loved You Again! It was a beautifully crafted and written story about trauma, motherhood, dreams, regrets, and duty and how all of those things affect how we perceive and receive our present, past, and future. The story line is exciting, thrilling, and just the right bit of confusing to keep you reeled in. The main character, Abigail, was amazingly flawed, honest, and dynamic. I loved her because she was messy, brave, and bold. While Abigail is a sympathetic character even if she wasn’t, I would still love her and how she was written because amazingly written, dynamically flawed women characters are more than a little hard to come by!
However, while the prose is amazing, the story line beautiful, and the characters vivid, I did take quite awhile to fully get into the book. The first cluster of chapters, I think, are a bit slow and the sudden and unexplained convergence of the split-narrative(s) threw me off for a bit until I realized what was going on and went back to reread to fully absorb the story. I also think that the prose reaches its height the closer you get to the middle of the novel. The first third of the novel seems like a bit of a ‘warm-up’ compared to the following two-thirds.
But all in all, I had to give this novel a straight 5-stars. What it lacked in initial first impressions, it made up for with lovely characters, beautiful storyline with amazing lessons, and thoughtful questions and musings on female adulthood and what it means to pursue dreams after one is well past their ‘peak.’
I highly recommend You Again! It’s one of the best novels I’ve read so far in 2020.
Secondly, wow... Where do I begin?? I loved You Again! It was a beautifully crafted and written story about trauma, motherhood, dreams, regrets, and duty and how all of those things affect how we perceive and receive our present, past, and future. The story line is exciting, thrilling, and just the right bit of confusing to keep you reeled in. The main character, Abigail, was amazingly flawed, honest, and dynamic. I loved her because she was messy, brave, and bold. While Abigail is a sympathetic character even if she wasn’t, I would still love her and how she was written because amazingly written, dynamically flawed women characters are more than a little hard to come by!
However, while the prose is amazing, the story line beautiful, and the characters vivid, I did take quite awhile to fully get into the book. The first cluster of chapters, I think, are a bit slow and the sudden and unexplained convergence of the split-narrative(s) threw me off for a bit until I realized what was going on and went back to reread to fully absorb the story. I also think that the prose reaches its height the closer you get to the middle of the novel. The first third of the novel seems like a bit of a ‘warm-up’ compared to the following two-thirds.
But all in all, I had to give this novel a straight 5-stars. What it lacked in initial first impressions, it made up for with lovely characters, beautiful storyline with amazing lessons, and thoughtful questions and musings on female adulthood and what it means to pursue dreams after one is well past their ‘peak.’
I highly recommend You Again! It’s one of the best novels I’ve read so far in 2020.
July 8, 2020
In my personal rating system, no book earns five stars unless I'm *certain* that I will want to read it again. For You Again, make that NEED to read it again. The language is beautiful -- not showy, but with a casual depth. The premise is, well, "unique" seems too bland a word to convey its originality.
Abigail is a middle-aged wife and mother, who was an extravagantly gifted artist in her youth. She now designs marketing materials for a pharmaceutical company. These days, by way of affirmation, what she gets is a throwaway compliment from a coworker: "Color is your competency, Abby."
Early on in the story, Abigail is visited by -- what? hallucinations? apparitions? She sees a walking, talking version of herself from 20 years earlier, a period she can only dimly recall. And why is that?
Some other reviewers grumbled about the intrusion into the narrative of a psychiatrist's notes and snippets of an ongoing email conversation between a detective and a physicist. I loved these bits -- for me, they served as highway markers for what might come next, for the questions I should be asking myself along the road.
Everything was so informed, so intelligent: from the theory and production of art to the flirtations with the time-space continuum.
As to why I need to read this book again, I want to suss out the lingering mystery of You Again, to seek out clues I may have missed. What happened to Abigail, was it physical or metaphysical?
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advance readers copy.
Abigail is a middle-aged wife and mother, who was an extravagantly gifted artist in her youth. She now designs marketing materials for a pharmaceutical company. These days, by way of affirmation, what she gets is a throwaway compliment from a coworker: "Color is your competency, Abby."
Early on in the story, Abigail is visited by -- what? hallucinations? apparitions? She sees a walking, talking version of herself from 20 years earlier, a period she can only dimly recall. And why is that?
Some other reviewers grumbled about the intrusion into the narrative of a psychiatrist's notes and snippets of an ongoing email conversation between a detective and a physicist. I loved these bits -- for me, they served as highway markers for what might come next, for the questions I should be asking myself along the road.
Everything was so informed, so intelligent: from the theory and production of art to the flirtations with the time-space continuum.
As to why I need to read this book again, I want to suss out the lingering mystery of You Again, to seek out clues I may have missed. What happened to Abigail, was it physical or metaphysical?
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advance readers copy.
August 1, 2020
The premise of “You Again”, by Debra Jo Immergut, intrigued me; a woman is visited by her younger self. I wondered how a writer could successfully sustain a plot and structure so ambitious. I know this type of time-bending can be done well: I’m a HUGE Kate Atkinson fan particularly of the Todd Family novels.
Does she pull it off? Yes she does. And who hasn’t fantasized about going back to “warn” your younger self about something?
Immergut wastes no time in this fast-paced novel. Immediately we meet Abby, a 46 year old career woman and artist, married to Dennis, mother of two teen-aged sons, Pete and Benjamin. In a taxi on a rainy evening, on her way home to Brooklyn from work in Manhattan, Abby suddenly sees herself at 22. She stops the cab and rushes out to watch her younger self get in that taxi with a tall young man that 46 year old Abby recalls, unlocking a buried but fuzzy memory.
Along with Abby’s first person accounting, there are psychotherapy notes from the past, and emails regarding an investigation taking place in the future referring to “bizarre and deadly events”. Thus Immergut builds the story and the suspense; I couldn’t put it down.
There is a sub-plot that is perhaps TOO timely; Abby becomes caught up in an Antifa group. This is an essential part of the plot, but at the moment, violent protests aren’t too palatable. (If it weren’t for 2020, I would have had to look up Antifa.)
Does she pull it off? Yes she does. And who hasn’t fantasized about going back to “warn” your younger self about something?
Immergut wastes no time in this fast-paced novel. Immediately we meet Abby, a 46 year old career woman and artist, married to Dennis, mother of two teen-aged sons, Pete and Benjamin. In a taxi on a rainy evening, on her way home to Brooklyn from work in Manhattan, Abby suddenly sees herself at 22. She stops the cab and rushes out to watch her younger self get in that taxi with a tall young man that 46 year old Abby recalls, unlocking a buried but fuzzy memory.
Along with Abby’s first person accounting, there are psychotherapy notes from the past, and emails regarding an investigation taking place in the future referring to “bizarre and deadly events”. Thus Immergut builds the story and the suspense; I couldn’t put it down.
There is a sub-plot that is perhaps TOO timely; Abby becomes caught up in an Antifa group. This is an essential part of the plot, but at the moment, violent protests aren’t too palatable. (If it weren’t for 2020, I would have had to look up Antifa.)
January 8, 2021
Debra Jo Immergut -- WHAT HAPPENED?????
"The Captives" was a 5-star read for me but "You Again" earns 2-stars, rounded up.
Sooooo disappointed. I was thrilled when I discovered that another book by Debra Jo Immergut had just been released. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect a 2-star read.
Although this book's premise of a woman seeing versions of her former self on the street was mildly intriguing, the book was disjointed and just all over the place. The shifting POVs in the book were difficult to follow and the characters were unlikeable and not very engaging.
Also, there were therapist notes scattered throughout the book and I felt like the author was trying to replicate "The Captives". The therapist notes in "The Captives" worked --- but these notes did not work here.
I listened to this book's audio version and the narrators were superb. Even skilled narrators could not help this book, though.
"The Captives" was a 5-star read for me but "You Again" earns 2-stars, rounded up.
Sooooo disappointed. I was thrilled when I discovered that another book by Debra Jo Immergut had just been released. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect a 2-star read.
Although this book's premise of a woman seeing versions of her former self on the street was mildly intriguing, the book was disjointed and just all over the place. The shifting POVs in the book were difficult to follow and the characters were unlikeable and not very engaging.
Also, there were therapist notes scattered throughout the book and I felt like the author was trying to replicate "The Captives". The therapist notes in "The Captives" worked --- but these notes did not work here.
I listened to this book's audio version and the narrators were superb. Even skilled narrators could not help this book, though.
December 20, 2019
The premise of this story immediately piqued my interest. A woman in her 40’s living in NYC suddenly starts seeing the 22 year old version of herself all around Manhattan. She becomes obsessed with her all while her own life with a husband and 2 kids begins to unravel. It’s a little hard to follow, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the side story with her son was weird and uninteresting. But there is something about it that makes you push on and NEED to know what is happening with Abigial and her younger self known as, A. Had this been a little more psychological thriller and a little less about her boring family, I’d be obsessed.
November 7, 2022
While the voice and the premise of this novel about a middle aged woman who begins seeing a younger version of herself around New York City are intruiging, I was leaning towards 3 stars for my review because I found Abby's unexplained failure to remember certain critical moments of her past jarringly unrealistic.
The ending clarifys the author's reasoning behind Abby's hazy memory in a way that is unexpected and satisfying enough that I could accept why it wasn't explained previously, so I enjoyed it more after I understood this.
The ending clarifys the author's reasoning behind Abby's hazy memory in a way that is unexpected and satisfying enough that I could accept why it wasn't explained previously, so I enjoyed it more after I understood this.
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