Description:
Odile lives in a valley surrounded by other, identical valleys: one side is twenty years in the past, the other twenty years in the future. There are strict rules on travel between the valleys to prevent changing the past and/or future, but in special, mostly tragic, circumstances, some visits are permitted. When Odile sees a school friend's parents visiting from the future, she knows something bad is going to happen.

Liked:
The plotting is superb - well-paced and intriguing throughout, with a flow that drags you along. The protagonist is a slightly strange one; I was sympathetic without necessarily liking her very much. The surrounding characters, by contrast, often shone: Alain and Edme are adorable at times, and Jo and Justine feel like very realistic teenage girls. The prose of this one isn't eye-catching, it mostly gets out of the way, which suits the story well, although there were a few phrases I thought were particularly eloquent.

Disliked:
It's hard to find things I didn't like about this one. I think the only thing I can say is that I was so worried about the ending managing to be satisfying, that even though it WAS, it lost some of the emotion it might have had.

Would absolutely recommend. One of my favourites of the year so far.

Anything Else:
It’s weird: I’ve read two books about girls growing up in secluded valleys with strange rules in past 3 weeks or so - this and Elsewhere. Both very good and both quite different!

A slow but wistful novel exploring the ramifications of time travel. Our protagonist Odile explores her own feelings of love and loss throughout. The reader explores their feelings of whether we should be able to influence our past and our future. An interesting concept.

The concept of this novel is intriguing enough on its own. There’s a town nestled in a valley. To the west is the same town but twenty years in the past; to the east twenty years in the future, presumably continuing into infinity. The town’s government allows rare visits to the east or west, to see a deceased relative or a future descendant. Every request goes through intense scrutiny and the few visits that are granted are carried out with utmost secrecy.
Our protagonist is Odile Ozanne, a quiet 16 year old outcast. One day she sees two visitors from the eastern valley outside her school and recognises them as the parents of her classmate. Odile is also in vetting to become a conseiller, one of the people in charge of approving or disapproving visits to other valleys. She quickly finds herself caught between her future ambitions and a budding romance with her doomed classmate.
The first half of this felt very reminiscent of Never Let Me Go, which is a compliment. Even though Howard’s novel has such a science fiction concept, the story itself is more concerned about the characters and their lives, and I found it to be a genuinely moving coming of age story with likeable characters and really believable interactions. The latter half has quite a different tone— it’s more detached and quite miserable and claustrophobic in places, but it’s worth it for the phenomenal pay-off of the ending.
If you’re looking for an action-packed science fiction time travel adventure this might not be the one for you. The reader knows as much about the valleys as Odile does, and nothing more. This was something I really loved but can imagine being divisive, as that initial concept is just so rich!
The Other Valley is a great speculative fiction story about memory, the past, and what (if any) power we have to change our own lives. Reflective and superbly written.

A super interesting premise and really well executed! While I personally can't get away with the lack of speech marks (I am far too easily confused), I thought this was great, and can definitely see people really getting behind it. It had just the right amount of encroaching, unsettling, disturbing mixed with a premise that really makes you think. Great work!

Odile lives in an unnamed valley close to a lake. East of the valley is the exact same valley, just 20 years in the future. West of the lake is 20 years in the past. Citizens can petition to visit the valley to the East or West under special circumstances and after consideration and under strict security conditions by the Conceil.
Odile notices such visitors one day after school and identifies who they are, and by that that her friend from school will die.

Speculative Fiction about time's progress and whether we should or even can interfere with it.

What made me put this down over and over again was that there are no punctuation marks or indentations that indicate dialogue. I know this is a current trend, but it's annoying when you have to track back half a paragraph because you did not notice there was dialogue until the end of it.

I do like a good time travel story, even thought you can end up tying yourself in knots trying to work out the mechanics of it. It’s even better when it’s a new concept-here people live in identical valleys, each set twenty years apart in time. Travel between the valleys is strictly controlled, in order to protect the timeline, but under very special circumstances people can petition to visit the east or west ( offset by 20 years future or past).
Don’t expect a how, or even a why, this exists. It’s not that kind of sci Fi. Indeed the level of technology is mid twentieth century.
Told as a first person narrative by Odile, it’s more about the moral and philosophical implications of being able to move about in time- and the temptation to try and change the past/future.
It’s a story in two halves- young Odile, on the brink of adulthood, witnesses an event which greatly affects her. In the second half, Odile is twenty years older. Will she travel to the other valley and change things? Should she?
I liked this book a lot, good characterisation, thoughtful writing.
Being someone who likes the technicalities of sci Fi explained, I did get a bit sidetracked by things like where they grew tobacco, for example, or what there was to the north or south of ‘the Valley’. But that’s just me.
I also dislike writing with no speech punctuation. Never sure what the author is trying to achieve, but if it’s irritation then they succeed with me. Re-reading passages to try and work out who said what makes the story hiccup rather than flow.
But a captivating story, nonetheless.

'The Other Valley' is a brilliant and original idea that is well executed - so rarely do the two things come together it's always a joy to find. It's set in a world where a series of identical towns exist across a mountain range. Each town is the same, but 20 years ahead of its neighbour to the west. So it is possible to travel 20 years into your past or future just by taking a hike across a mountain pass.

Given the chaos that unrestricted time travelling would cause, the towns are all bounded by high fences guarded by brutal gendarmes and various anti-escape/incursion measures. A small number of visits to either the past or future are permitted in very specific circumstances, usually to view a deceased loved one or sometimes an ancestor the viewer won't live to meet. These visits are assessed and approved (or declined) by the town's ruling conseil (the town appears to be French speaking, with the names and naming conventions French although the novel is in English throughout).

The narrator is Odile, aged sixteen at the start of the book and at a turning point in her life. Shortly she will leave school, along with all her classmates, and enter into an apprenticeship. Her ambitious mother wants her to try for the highly competitive process to become a conseil member. At the same time, she has found a small group of friends for the first time since early childhood, including a boy who seems to like her. But things take a turn for the worse when she witnesses some visitors from the future who seem to be watching her friend - which can only mean one thing. He will die in the near future. Years later, the adult Odile has a chance to go against every social creed and attempt to change the past - but changing the past wipes out the present, including the person who makes the change.

Odile is a likeable character it's a very readable book that immediately draws you in. It's one of those stories where you aren't sure what is going to happen (even with the time travelling element!) so keeps you guessing - and reading late into the night. It doesn't pay to think too much about the concept, as even without the time-travel element (something that is always mind boggling), there are plenty of things that don't add up if you think too hard about it. Like where were they getting the petrol for their cars from? But most readers hopefully don't have a mind like mine that insists on throwing up these annoying things and let's them get on with enjoying the book.

The story is moving and has a clever ending - one of those books I wished could have gone on longer, but was probably better for stopping when it did all the same. It would make a good book group choice as there's lots of scope for conversations about whether you would choose to go back or forwards if such a thing existed, and the wisdom of doing so. For anyone who enjoys fantasy or science fiction, or original and unconventional stories in general, this is a must-read. It's one of the most original and well crafted time stories I've read this year and I'll certainly be keen to read any further novels by the author.

This book has an incredible concept, and thankfully it’s very well executed too.
I was really impressed by how Howard’s writing feels so delicate and quietly profound, but he manages to balance that softness with a gripping and well paced plot. A really great speculative novel.

The thought behind "The Other Valley" is high-concept, yet so brilliantly simple that it's astonishing no one has explored it in literature until now. In a valley, there exists a unique community flanked by duplicate valleys—one set two decades in the past and the other two decades in the future. Movement between these valleys is arduous and tightly controlled, subject to approval or denial by a special council known as the Conseil (which, more often than not, denies requests).

Our protagonist and narrator, Odile Ozanne, a 16-year-old schoolgirl aspiring to join the Conseil, inadvertently witnesses a visit from residents of the future valley while participating in the competitive vetting process for an apprenticeship. Recognizing them as the parents of her classmate Edme, Odile grasps the implication: Edme will meet an untimely death in the near future. As Odile befriends Edme, their connection deepens, and she finds herself falling in love. The second half of the narrative explores Odile as an adult, revealing the impact of her youthful experiences on her life.

The book is beautifully written, and one of its remarkable aspects is the clear distinction between its two parts. The first half captures the valley's wistful, nostalgic, and magical ambiance, with elegant prose and evocative settings. The sense of potential surrounding Odile's future career and her budding relationship with Edme creates a familiar yet otherworldly atmosphere. In the second half, this idyllic facade is stripped away, exposing the grim reality that sustains the fortunate few in this world. It's a compelling way to illustrate different facets of a fictional world.

Despite initial concerns about the story revolving around a brief youthful infatuation dominating someone's entire life—a common and disliked plot point—the author, Howard, skillfully navigates this potential cliche. The narrative strikes a good balance between the fantastical world (where time travel and regret correction are possible) and Odile's acknowledgment that she barely knew Edme. It's a refreshingly unsentimental take on the trope, allowing for pathos and emotional depth.

"The Other Valley" stands out as a favorite kind of speculative fiction, seamlessly blending a compelling genre hook with stunning writing. Its intriguing concept, accomplished execution, and intelligent ideas make it a debut that doesn't immediately strike you as such. If I could, I'd eagerly explore all the author's other books.

Thank you for my e-arc.

I really enjoyed this novel, particularly the first part which tells the story of Odile's bid to be a member of the conseil. The conseil have the power to grant petitioners permission to cross the border into a parallel valley with a different timezone, (future is west, past is east, in 10 year leaps). They want to become a time tourist, to visit a family member in the past who has died, or to see how someone has fared in the future. although they can only view and not interact with them. There are many ethical considerations the conseil have to consider before granting these passes. There are also people who try to cross illegally, so there are border guards to prevent this. The guards also escort the tourists. I admit to being a little confused by the details of this interesting world, and would have liked more explanation about how it came about, how the rules work, etc. The second part concerns Odile's fate after a tragedy happens. This is a truly original concept and one which could spark a number of spin-off stories. I was engrossed by it and felt that the characters were well-rounded and the story well-written. This was a truly unique experience to read.

In a valley bordered by identical valleys, populated by the same people but at 20-year intervals, there are few more influential positions than that of Conseil, The Conseil get to decide who can travel between valleys to their past or future.

Sixteen-year-old Odile Ozanne, shy and dutiful to her mother's ambition. applies for this coveted position. But when she witnesses a mourning tour from the future come to view her friend Edme, a boy for whom she is developing stronger feelings, she is devastated to realise he will soon die.

This striking philosophical debut explores regret, memory, love and ethics.

While often bleak, it is beautifully written and well worth seeing through to the end.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the ARC.