Another Life is a truly beautiful story. It made me feel a whole range of emotions and I felt invested in the characters (Nick, his brother Sal and Anna) right from the beginning. I adore how it was written with the narration moving between time, skipping back and forth. It is a love story but has so many extra themes that calling it a love story almost does it a disservice because it is so much more. Of all the central characters, Anna is a bit of a mystery - she has internal conflict between her desires and her beliefs and this makes things that could be easy so much more complicated. Nick is more straightforward in some senses yet when you scratch even a little below the surface there are many events in his life which have been upsetting and difficult to navigate and one in particular which is incredibly traumatic. His brother Sal made different choices as he got older and managed to put more distance between him and his childhood but at a cost. Often books I read look more into the relationship between sisters so it was nice to read so much about the two brothers and how their relationship evolved over time.

I am not at all surprised that Another Life has been selected as a BBC Between the Covers pick. I think it will be a huge hit and can easily see it being turned into a tv series or movie. I really look forward to future books by Jodie Chapman - she is clearly incredibly talented!

I so cared about Anna and Nick and desperately wanted them to find their way together. I agonised with them over the raw pain of past events which affected them so strongly, the inability of Nick to express his feelings, the pressure Anna felt being torn between the beliefs instilled in her from her upbringing and finding her own way. The tragedy of Sal bearing the scars of a terrible but innocent event in his past. A stunning and memorable read.

‘Read’ review

‘Read’: Another Life

Author: Jodie Chapman

Rating: 4 star

In three words: love, family, hope

Thank you to the publisher (penguin) and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I first started this book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it. It might be because I read this one after The Phone Box at the Edge of the World which I had found quite emotional and it was perhaps not the best choice to follow up with another quite emotional book. I almost gave up! However, I am so glad I didn’t as I would have missed out on such a beautifully woven story of unfulfilled love, hope, grief and relationships.

Another Life tells the story of Nick and Anna who spend one intense summer together as teenagers. There is, however, a wedge that drives them apart and this is Anna’s strict religion that Nick knows she cannot leave. Throughout the book, which switches between time, the characters’ stories unravel and we see Nick and Anna meeting time and again. Each time they meet up, you hope that they may express their true feelings but in that respect this book is very similar to Sally Rooney’s Normal People where the characters don’t directly tell each other how they truly feel. The story has moments of tragedy and sadness but there is a continual vein of hope throughout and when I reached the end I felt satisfied and uplifted!

This book was truly addictive and once I was into it (and had my previous read out of my head), I couldn’t put it down. It is so easy to read and very relatable. Well done Jodie Chapman for a fantastic debut novel and one I will be recommending.

Have you read it? What are your thoughts?

A thoughtful love story with an intriguing timeline, which follows the story of Nick and Anna, and the obstacles to their romance.

The book tells the story of Nick and Anna over four decades. They spent a passionate summer together while working at a local cinema. It all came to an end when Anna decided to return to the fold of the world she had grown up in, a religious community she just cannot break free from. Years later a tragedy brings them together once more.
This book broke me and infuriated me at the same time. A beautifully written story of love, loss and joy. The story is told by Nick and the timeline jumps all over the place. It is quite confusing at first but becomes easier as you settle into the rhythm of the book and by the end it all becomes clear.
I loved the writing and the way the author gradually revealed the key moments in Nick’s family life that made him like he is, particularly his apparent emotional shutdown and cool nature but I just could not take to the two central characters which is why its 4 star and not 5.
One Day by David Nicholls is one of my favourite books ever and I couldn’t help drawing the comparison with a book in which I was so heavily invested in the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy.

A wonderful story that will stay with me for a long time. I loved how the book moved between different time periods and brought the characters of Nick and Anna to life. There were several unexpected plot twists which I gasped out loud at. This is a deeply moving novel about how deeply our past can impact on our future if we let it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for a review.

So many rave reviews for this that possibly I went into reading this with too high expectations and was left a little disappointed,
I found the main character Nick Mendoza so self-indulgent and happy to lead people on with his actions and inaction, I couldn't warm to him at all. I know the back story gave a lot of context as to why he had put such barriers up, but the results on other people's lives were huge and he frustrated me. I saw someone had compared it to Sally Rooney's books, and I had similar frustration with that - so possibly just me and what I took away from it,
As for the other main character Anna, I really felt the divide that she had in her life between family commitments and first love, it was interesting to hear at the end that it had come from personal experience from the author. Perhaps if the book had been more about Anna and less about Nick I would have warmed to it more?

So its a 4/5 from me, mainly because I think the issues I have with it are my reading of it, not what the author has done

Much more than a romantic love story. This is a book about love in all its wonderous forms.

Nick and Anna are just wonderful characters. Both of them are pained and searching for meaning in their world. But Anna is scared of the love she has for Nick and he is scared to tell her he loves her. At times I wanted to shout to Nick just tell her but then I understood why he felt he couldn't and It broke my heart. There is a reveal later about his mother that made me weep.

The story is narrated through three different timelines. And it is gorgeous and nostalgic. You can feel the heat of the long idyllic summers and wander with them through the streets of the town. I was swept away wanting to know what happened to his Mum but equally so I was entranced with their romance and why Sal was so damaged.

There are so many layers of relationships in this book, so many turns that are filled with raw emotions. The story of Nick and Sal as brothers is beautiful and very moving but then too is the relationship between his Dad and his Mum. It is funny how our memories aren't always as exact as we feel they are. How we can be such different people when we are with someone else. I wonder how much we miss about those around us?

An intelligent book about love, grief and loss. But hope is it's most powerful message.

‘𝕄𝕒𝕪𝕓𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕔. 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤𝕟‘𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤.‘

This story unfolds from Nick’s POV over the course of four decades. The story starts in 2018 and then travels back and forth in time from 1980 to 2020. The story starts with a tragedy and then travels back in time to a twenty two year old Nick who meets 19 year old Anna whilst working at his local cinema in Ashford. The two immediately strike up a connection and become joined at the hips over the summer. However their relationship has an expiry date from its beginning but their paths cross through the decades.

This is a novel of more than just an exploration of one relationship. It is an exploration of growing older, priorities, responsibilities, and families.

I found it difficult to get into the novel but the shift between timelines kept me wanting to read on. I became invested in Nick, Sal and Anna through Nick’s emotionally stunted commentary. This was a heavy read covering thought provoking topics and even including ‘deep’ conversations between the characters.

A thoughtful novel tackling love and grief and family and boundaries.

Another Life by Jodie Chapman "is not just a love story, but a story about love."

Arresting and hauntingly mesmeric. Imbued with bittersweet nostalgia and peppered with heart-rending twists. At times desolate with an underlying poetry and reminiscent of Sally Rooney. Hard to believe this is not a first hand account of a true story. I could not put this book down. Highly recommended.

Much more than your typical love story. This book really got to me, I was emotionally invested from the start due to the likeable but somewhat flawed characters. Far from predictable; I audibly gasped at one of the major twists in this story it was so unexpected to me. There are many different subjects raised in this book, all written beautifully from family dynamics, culture and religion, grief and of course love. It is unique, unexpected and undeniably addictive, this is a book people are going to talk about....lots!

I was drawn to this book from the comparison to Sally Rooney (an author I have my issues with but whose work I find magnetic, un-putdownable.) The opening is very sad and as the story goes on, grief feels ever present. The avoidance of naming Anna’s religion was... frustrating but overall I found the characters endearing and enjoyed the story.

I wasn’t keen on the cover- I feel like in a store this would be overlooked, it doesn’t really tell you much about the actual storyline.

Blurb

She could be the girl dancing on tables one night, and the next she’d be hiding in the shadows.

Just when I thought I understood her, she would melt away and become a completely new person, and I’d have to start all over again.

That’s how it was with Anna.
_______

Nick and Anna work the same summer job at their local cinema. Anna is mysterious, beautiful, and from a very different world to Nick.

She’s grown up preparing for the End of Days, in a tightly-controlled existence where Christmas, getting drunk and sex before marriage are all off-limits.

So when Nick comes into her life, Anna falls passionately in love. Their shared world burns with poetry and music, cigarettes and conversation – hints of the people they hope to become.

But Anna, on the cusp of adulthood, is afraid to give up everything she’s ever believed in, and everyone she’s ever loved. She walks away, and Nick doesn’t stop her.

Years later, a tragedy draws Anna back into Nick’s life.

But rekindling their relationship leaves Anna and Nick facing a terrible choice between a love that’s endured decades, and the promises they’ve made to others along the way.

My Thoughts

As seems to be customary with me, I judged this one based on the cover and – like they always say – you shouldn’t. I assumed this one would be a lighthearted love story with just a dash of tragedy mixed in. It was a love story of course but oh my god I was not expecting this one.

The story takes the reader from the 1980s right through to the present, as Nick Mendoza meets Anna at his job at his local cinema. This is so much more than a typical boy-meets-girl story as Chapman explores a relationship that transcends physical attraction but can’t go further due to Anna’s strict religious beliefs. I’m not particularly religious myself and, due to my Catholic school education, my knowledge of other religions is pretty lacking, so it was interesting to read about different religious practices and customs – which Chapman is well informed in having been brought up in a similar way.

I’m so used to reading fluffy romances that this one threw me off, I found myself at times thinking surely now they can be together?! Chapman creates two characters you can’t help but feel for, and root for, and the fact that there are so many hardships for these two just tugs on the heartstrings. I read this when I craved a light read, not knowing what this book was about in full, and this wasn’t it. It was moving, heart-shattering and difficult at times.

I think Nick was hard to warm to at first. I automatically gravitated to Anna first, as I found her narrative more interesting, however – as I read on and discovered more – I realised there was so much more to Nick than I thought.

Though the big thing of this book is the relationship between Nick and Anna, I think the relationship between Nick and his younger brother, Sal, moved me more. The relationship was written so beautifully, and there were so many tender moments amongst the truly gut-punching, I couldn’t help but feel captivated. I think Chapman is brilliant at showcasing human relationships, in a way that is raw, tender and full of nuance – I feel as though people reaching for this book on release will find themselves comparing this one to Sally Rooney’s books, and I can see why!

I think the time jump can be a little confusing at times, and I did find myself having to take a moment to digest or to re-read bits I didn’t take in fully, but I will always enjoy reading books that weave through time and Chapman does this brilliantly – showing how family and romance shape Anna and Nick’s life over time.

Another Life was not the sweet, lighthearted read I anticipated. It was hard, heavy and sometimes it hurt but I think that’s a great feat for a debut author – to move a reader so much with a book. It might not be a book for everyone, but it’s definitely a book that’ll be on your mind for a long time.

Another Life is a love story with a difference. Nick and Anna meet at their local cinema where they both work.
They fall in love, however their relationship isn't that easy. Anna is from a very religious background and struggles to reconcile her faith with her relationship with "worldly" Nick-forbidden in her religion. They spend all their time together but knowing that it can't last makes their relationship even more intense.
A beautiful novel with some unexpected tragic events. Life affirming and hopeful in the end.
Thank you to #netgalley and #michaeljbooks for allowing me to review this ARC

I really enjoyed this. I love the way it’s written, I honestly thought I was ready a true story. I loved getting t to know the characters and feel emotionally attached to them. I felt so sad for them and their different stories and situations.

This book was so much more than I expected it to be! The perfect balance between a character driven story and excellent plot. There were so many twists and turns, it was devastating but so beautiful to read. A story of real love and real life. Having recently read Normal People and been a little bit disappointed, I just felt that this story was everything that I had expected from that book.
I don't want to give anything away about the plot but both Anna and Nick are likable and relatable but deeply frustrating characters. Jodie Chapman is able to not only bring the two of them to life for the reader, but is skilled enough to give depth and understanding to the secondary characters too. Every character is there for a reason even if you don't know it until later in the story.
Ultimately this is a story of just how deeply your childhood experiences influence your view of the world, the choices and mistakes you go on to make and impacts every relationship you have. Going back and forth throughout their lives, you learn more and more about why they are who they are and what each decision costs them in the end.
I have to say there were plot twists in this that I just did not see coming, I haven't read a book that surprised me this much in a very long time. Nominated for the Between the Covers award, I think it'll be one of the most talked about Adult Fiction books of 2021!

Pure beauty!

I have loved following Nick and Anna's love story and it has made me go through all kinds of emotions... heartbreak, happiness, excitement! Jodie's writing is beautiful and transports you with the characters into their lives. With their joys, mistakes, tragedies, they're so well rounded and so endearing. A true success!

I enjoyed this book and thanks to net galley & the publishers for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review

Another Life tells the story of Nick and Anna, a pair of star-crossed lovers, who meet when they are young working in the local cinema. They have an intense summer romance, and fall deeply in love. But life gets in the way, and years later tragedy brings Anna back into Nick’s life.

This is a tale of grief, loss, and trauma, yet also one of hope and love. I couldn’t put this book down once I started it, and I love the way Jodie Chapman manages to make the story so heartbreakingly relatable in her writing and dialogue. This did remind me a lot of Sally Rooney’s books, in the way that the characters don’t directly tell each other how they’re truly feeling. This is reminiscent of probably every modern romantic pursuit and I empathised painfully with both characters.

The story was beautifully emotive, the characters had depth and complex backstories, and the structure of the book was unique yet easy to follow. Overall, I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it to all my friends!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review, I’ve really enjoyed reading it.

Anna is a beautiful mix of contradictions - dancing in nightclubs, fiercely intelligent and well-read but forbidden to mix with others who are 'Wordly'. She is expected to marry a young man from her religion that does not permit sex before marriage and believes the End of Days is coming imminently. Nick is a quiet, thoughtful and desperately repressed young man so becomes completely captivated by her and falls head over heels in love during one hot summer in the late 90s but this is not a neat and tidy love story. This story is told from Nick's point of view, flipping between the narrative of what happens to his mother in the late 1980s (which affects all his relationships later in life), falling in love with Anna and attempting to work out how to make their relationship work in 2003, to the later 2000s, when Nick is in his early 40s but not necessarily any the wiser on matters of the heart. This is a story about different kinds of love - between Nick and his mother, his brother Sal and his father; Nick's relationship after Anna and that with his Aunt Stella, who helps to bring love and comfort to a tense and difficult home life.

The story drew me in quickly and I enjoyed reading about a love story from a male point of view, although there were several moments where I wished I could reach into the pages and give Nick a good shake! He was quite frustrating at times in the actions (or lack of them!) that he took, but I could really understand his motives and that made me feel sympathetic towards him overall, he is a good man trying to do his best but feels unable to say what he really thinks. Anna was a beautifully vibrant character and I really enjoyed reading the chapters that she featured in - she is bright and sparky, beautiful and real. She felt like someone that I might know, or have met once at University and I think Chapman captured her really well.