*I received a ebook copy of this novel for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, wow, wow! I don't know how to put into words how much I loved this novel. Alyson has an amazing writing style that really grips you and pulls you into the plot. My favourite thing about this novel was how multifaceted it was, for the most part owing to the books theme of transitioning between lives after death. This lead to a wide mixture of story-lines that simply would not be possible within many novels, therefore constantly providing the reader with something new, something to make you think or feel, or just something to enjoy. 

The plot was well paced, each section well calculated, telling you just enough but keeping you wondering what would come next, what was really happening to Lauren Pailing? I also liked the mixture of characters, lots of which were explored in depth, giving the reader a sense of who they are, making them far more than just a passing minor role in the web of this intricate novel. 

Overall this was a fantastic novel, easily one of my favourites this year. I cannot wait to read more works by this author, and what a showstopper of a debut novel this was! I would recommend this to fans of adult fiction full of twists, readers who like to be kept on their toes, and for those looking for something with real raw emotion.

The idea for the book was definitely original, however i found it slow going in many places, and a little confusing...it wasn't for me I'm afraid, but I'm sure it will be a lot of people's choice of read.

The First Time Lauren Pailing Died by Alyson Rudd
This novel by Alyson Rudd is an interesting exploration of the concept of other worlds existing in parallel. The story opens with Lauren a young girl of the 1960’s who is troubled by strange metal beams through which she glimpses other possible lives. She understands that these beams contain other people who have the same names as those she is familiar with but who have developed in slightly different ways.
As we follow Lauren’s life she dies at the age of 14 but we are then given windows into other lives where she did not die. Other people who she comes into contact with develop in marginally different ways but one theme appears in every life that of a missing neighbour. The author gives an insight into how society has changed and developed but the idea of the world where cats do not exist and people talk instead about Schrodinger’s Rabbit was stretching an idea a little far for me. I did however like the idea of a Britain which had never experienced a female Prime Minister!
Relationships were explored sensitively as was the terrible loss which people feel upon the death of a child.
Many thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this novel in return for an honest review.

I liked the look of this book straight away as it stood as being different and I love the idea of having multiple life’s.

As a child Lauren is different from her peers, she sees sunbeams where she can glimpse scenarios of herself and her family but they are different from her real life!!

When Lauren dies aged 13 she finds herself living with her parents but other things around her have changed.

The story follows what life is like for her family with and without her. This may sound confusing but it is a wonderful book and when you get to know the main characters it is easy to follow.

Definitely worth reading. I was delighted with this quirky book that had me 100% gripped. It definitely catches you’re imagination and would make a great film!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

What a refreshing change to read a book and have no idea how it’s going to end.
The novel took me back to the seventies and eighties with descriptions which evoked childhood memories of the smell of loose biscuits and Tweed perfume.
Lauren leads a relatively straightforward life in the 1970’s. She lives with her parents in a cul de sac in Cheshire, opposite her best friend Debbie. The only unusual thing is that she “sees” metal sunbeams though which she can view visions of the future.
When Lauren has an accident, the lives of the people near to her change course forever.
An engrossing read and one which leads onto great discussions

The First Time Lauren Pailing Died by Alyson Rudd is a fantastic novel about love and loss, friendship and families. It is set in the 1970’s and moves forwards in time.
The novel has a unique storyline with the theme of parallel lives. It is all very cleverly constructed. The characters all revolve around Lauren Pailing, reacting to the events in her lives. They change subtly each time she dies. There is one unifying element that never changes, running at a constant throughout.
There are different points of view given as the reader becomes acquainted with the characters. Their reactions to loss are varied but one thing is sure – loss hurts and keeps on hurting.
There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to grieve. One must do what one can to travel through it. Others come alongside to help us on our journey through grief.
Guilt may accompany loss. We may feel guilty because of what we did or didn’t do. “One day you will understand that it is not your fault, and one day you will be able to smile again.” We will always wonder if death could have been prevented but the ‘what if’s’ will not do us any good. We should not feel guilty for beginning to live again.
Love runs throughout. Love propels us forwards even when we do not realise it.
The First Time Lauren Pailing Died was a compulsive read. It was something different that captured my attention and imagination. I think it would make a fabulous movie. I found the whole novel engrossing and read it in just two sittings.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I really liked the original concept of this book and was looking forward to reading it. However I found it quite confusing and rather slow going. I'm sure though that lots of people will enjoy it but it wasn't for me.

Lauren is much loved in all of her lives and the people she leaves behind are affected in different ways each time she dies.

Lauren is also affected, her memories get jumbled, and confuse her and the people around her.

There is one constant in all of her lives, Peter Stanning, he disappears with no trace or explanation.

It's engaging to read this book and it's a really good concept. The story switches between different characters in the different timelines. This sounds complicated, but it is actually handled very well.

The blurb of this book sounded intriguing.
A girl who keeps on dying, yet finds herself alive in different versions of her life.
It took me a while to get into the story, but I was intrigued to find out what was happening, and why.
Not my favourite read, but not the worst.
Many thanks to NetGalley, and HQ Publishing for an ARC of this book.

I usually like stories that time travel and alternate reality so I was really looking forward to reading this story.
It started OK up to the first time Lauren died. Then it just un ravelled for me. I found it hard to keep track of all the characters and which reality they were in. In the end, regrettably, I just gave up.
Thanks #Netgalley for the advance copy for an honest review. Sadly I couldn't be more positive

An interesting read about a person dying in one life, then waking up in another, as the same person, but with a different life. All the different threads, with the different people, made it confusing to follow at times, however it made for an interesting read

I was drawn to this novel because it's about parallel lives and I love the simple but evocative cover which just screams 1970s Britain to me (even though I never lived in this era, I love books that evoke past eras and this one definitely does). But if you go into this expecting some weird and wonderful sci-fi, you may be disappointed. This is actually a simple but effective character study about a British girl called Lauren and her family, and a few of the lives she may have lead. This book didn't suck me in at the first page; it's not an in-your-face, punchy story - it's a slow, subtle and thought-provoking relationship drama. It took me a little while to warm to, but after a while I was hooked.

Essentially, Lauren Pailing leads a pretty average life. She has a happy childhood, she grows up (in some lives), studies, works, falls in love, marries and starts a family. The beauty in this story is in the ordinary. It shimmers with the emotions of the every day; a mother's love for her child; a husband's love for his wife. In some of Lauren's lives she dies young, and we follow the grief of those left behind. In some she lives on, but the tone feels more and more fragmented as her other lives begin to catch up with her.

This book was in some ways more and some ways less than I expected. The concept of past/parallel lives isn't explored as much as I'd hoped - there's actually a lot less lives than I'd expected - but there are some interesting takes on it in the final third when Lauren begins to attempt to confront her past. I felt for small characters in this story more than I'd expected, while my feelings for Lauren remained fairly neutral - I didn't dislike her, but I didn't love her either. There's a feeling of displacement throughout the novel and her changing lives which maybe stopped me associating with her as much, but overall it works - I was sucked into the subtle drama of the lives of Lauren and those around her. The author effortlessly captures life, love and loss in a relatively short, quiet novel. It didn't quite tick all my boxes but there's something quite beautiful about this debut novel - I'll be looking out for more from this author.

I was sent a copy of The First Time Lauren Pailing Died by Alyson Rudd to read and review by NetGalley.
I mainly enjoyed this novel, the premise and some of the new ideas in this style of ‘parallel life’ story, however I didn’t really enjoy the way it was written. The author’s style just seemed to be a bit detached and matter of fact and I do like to get really involved in a story and its characters. That said, I would still recommend it as a thought provoking read, just don’t expect to get blown away by it!

Intriguing, 'Sliding Doors' type book - well drawn out characters, who you feel invested in. Not a book to dip in and out, one to finish over a weekend. Look forward to more from this author

The First Time Lauren Pailing Died is an exceptionally moving novel that, once I got past the first few chapters, I could not put down. Alyson Rudd has managed to capture the beauty of human existence by creating a story with life's most beautiful and most harrowing moments, resulting in a powerful narrative that packs an emotional punch.

Growing up, Lauren Pailing has an inkling of other lives running parallel to hers. However it's not until later in life that she truly comes to learn the devastating fact that she may have been living in two maybe three dimensions at once. Each of these lives has its similarities but also many differences which make it such an enthralling read.

A book that haunts you during and after reading and will leave you wondering about the many paths life can take.

This is a tale of a young girls and her first death aged 13 as well as her subsequent lives and the impact on those around her. The only constant is the disappearance of her father's employer Peter and her desire to understand what happened to him. This is an intriguing read, I really enjoyed the concept and the way it was set out made it easy to read. I particularly enjoyed the way that the parallel stories interlinked but I have to admit to getting lost in parts and had to reread sections to clarify the stories.
The comparison to sliding doors is appropriate but I think that there is just too much going on.
It is definitely an interesting story and if you like the idea of parallel existences definitely worth a read.

I found this to be a very intriguing book but with all the 'alternate' lives I'd definitely recommend reading it in large chunks, it's not really a book to be dipping in and out of as you may lose where you are.

Lauren is the main character and it starts off with her as a child, but then when she reaches 13 things change. In one life she dies, but then sort of time-slips to an alternate universe where she's alive and things are nearly the same, but not quite. Her current day family continue on without her (sort of), but her 'new' family isn't quite like they were before even though they were exactly the same people, and events were slightly different. And this goes on throughout the book as Lauren gets older, she has a few different lives and deaths with the same cast of characters but in different sorts of places. A bit like the film 'Sliding Doors'.

The only thread throughout it was Peter Stanning, her Father's boss, who went missing. I kept waiting for something to happen with him, and whilst it did eventually it wasn't quite what I was expecting, a bit disappointing in the end.

It was one of those books that I had to keep reading to find out what happened, and once you got into it you managed to keep in your head which life we were in for each character, and it wasn't as confusing as I thought it may initially be. But it did sort of lose a bit of momentum as it went on, and the ending was a bit... anti-climatic I suppose. I thought, oh is that it?

But having said that the concept was great and I did enjoy it, but it just needed a bit more happening in the second half and a more satisfying ending.

This is an absorbing book - very cleverly written.
Laura is thirteen when she first dies. Every time she dies the people who are closest to her start a new life as well.
The one constant is a man called Peter Stanning who has disappeared in each of her lives and Laura sets out to find him. Each time she dies she gets closer to him but will she find him and what will happen when she does?

I am sorry but the more I read the more confused I became. It was hard trying to remember how each bit of the story connected and in the end I gave up wanting to know what the ending would be.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a brilliant book and should not be missed. I've always been fascinated by the 'Sliding Doors' concept of how a life could change by an event that does or does not happen. Having said that I was disappointed with the film! This book takes the concept a couple of stages further and chapters show alternative visions of what might happen to Lauren and family if this or that does happen/not happen. Often with books you are desperate to get to the end as you have to know how everything turns out. With this book I simply did not want it to end and of several occasions I had to stop reading to take stock of what just apparently happened.
I guess the problem with a subject like this is how do you end the book so the reader can say - yes (or no!) I loved that end and it makes sense. I didn't quite get that feeling although the mystery of the central theme of a missing man is resolved.
A book not to be missed