Another Life: The stunning love story and BBC2 Between the Covers pick
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- Create Date：2021-06-02 00:52:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jodie Chapman
- ISBN：0241456916
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Summary
THE STUNNING AND DEVASTATING BBC2 BETWEEN THE COVERS PICK ABOUT LOVE， HOPE， SACRIFICE AND THE TIES THAT FOREVER BIND US
'An astounding debut about sibling grief， religion and sliding doors love' PANDORA SYKES
'A modern day Atonement meets David Nicholls。 Beautifully written - I couldn't put it down' EMMA GANNON
'This beautiful tale of love， loss and sacrifice will break your heart 。 。 。 Perfectly captures the agony of falling in love' DAILY MAIL
'Prepare for all the feels in this heart-breaking must-read' FABULOUS MAGAZINE
_______
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。
_______
'Like if One Day had been written by Sally Rooney' 5***** READER REVIEW
'An intricate story of love 。 。 。 A beautiful piece of writing' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'I was devastated to finish this book。 It broke my heart， and if you're a fan of Sally Rooney， Another Life is something you'll want。 The characters are real， the themes of grief， family and loss are so raw。 Chapman is a master' Daily Record
'Fans of David Nicholls will adore this complex love story' Prima
'The Romeo and Juliet of our generation' Gillian McAllister
'This book broke me in the best way。 A heart wrenching portrait 。 。 。 It feels a bit like if One Day had been written by Sally Rooney' 5***** READER REVIEW
'This beautiful tale of love， loss and sacrifice will break your heart 。 。 。 Perfectly captures the agony of falling in love' Daily Mail
'Stunning。 Written with such poignancy， full of nostalgia， unspoken longing and the agony of wrong turns' BETH MORREY
'A complex， beautiful， multilayered debut exploring love in all its forms' WOMAN'S WEEKLY
'I have a feeling that this will be one of my favourite books of 2021！ I could not put it down， it's so， so good' 5***** READER REVIEW
'An astounding debut about sibling grief， religion and sliding doors love' PANDORA SYKES
'A modern day Atonement meets David Nicholls。 Beautifully written - I couldn't put it down' EMMA GANNON
'This beautiful tale of love， loss and sacrifice will break your heart 。 。 。 Perfectly captures the agony of falling in love' DAILY MAIL
'Prepare for all the feels in this heart-breaking must-read' FABULOUS MAGAZINE
_______
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。
_______
'Like if One Day had been written by Sally Rooney' 5***** READER REVIEW
'An intricate story of love 。 。 。 A beautiful piece of writing' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'I was devastated to finish this book。 It broke my heart， and if you're a fan of Sally Rooney， Another Life is something you'll want。 The characters are real， the themes of grief， family and loss are so raw。 Chapman is a master' Daily Record
'Fans of David Nicholls will adore this complex love story' Prima
'The Romeo and Juliet of our generation' Gillian McAllister
'This book broke me in the best way。 A heart wrenching portrait 。 。 。 It feels a bit like if One Day had been written by Sally Rooney' 5***** READER REVIEW
'This beautiful tale of love， loss and sacrifice will break your heart 。 。 。 Perfectly captures the agony of falling in love' Daily Mail
'Stunning。 Written with such poignancy， full of nostalgia， unspoken longing and the agony of wrong turns' BETH MORREY
'A complex， beautiful， multilayered debut exploring love in all its forms' WOMAN'S WEEKLY
'I have a feeling that this will be one of my favourite books of 2021！ I could not put it down， it's so， so good' 5***** READER REVIEW
Reviews
Katinka Steyn
，
This poignant love story was both too long， and too short。 It tells the story of a summer romance between Anna and Nick， and how their stolen moments ended up shaping their futures。Anna is part of a religious cult that doesn't allow her to marry outside of the group， so her flirtation with the world as we know it， seems almost desperate。。。like she is trying to fill up her supplies for the years to come。Nick is a typical older brother， trying to survive through enormous trauma that has befell his This poignant love story was both too long， and too short。 It tells the story of a summer romance between Anna and Nick， and how their stolen moments ended up shaping their futures。Anna is part of a religious cult that doesn't allow her to marry outside of the group， so her flirtation with the world as we know it， seems almost desperate。。。like she is trying to fill up her supplies for the years to come。Nick is a typical older brother， trying to survive through enormous trauma that has befell his family。 He is forever strong staunch， correct。。。but at what cost。 The author uses the most beautiful language - emotive， poignant。。。 "。。。and what really do we ever possess of another human being but a sense of them？ They're a smudge at the end of a sentence。 A foggy mirror through which we try to make sense of ourselves。" "Maybe you need to sing your own song。""These footprints we leave stamped on the next generation， the pieces of best china on the floor for someone else to pick up。"There is so much to love about this book， and one I will definitely read again。 Definitely 5 stars from me！ 。。。more
Nina Fouche
，
Had me in the first half not going to lie。
Miss N O'Shea
，
A story of life and a kinds of loveThe story of brothers， of a fractured family， of their friends and partners with a strong seemingly impossible love story running through it。 Unique characters and multiple streaming plots。 A joy to read。 Unmissable。
Kara Williams
，
Good readI enjoyed this book but I think possibly not for me。 It was very much based around a love story and whilst I like those， I couldn't get into it until over half way through。 Good readI enjoyed this book but I think possibly not for me。 It was very much based around a love story and whilst I like those， I couldn't get into it until over half way through。 。。。more
Edith Ang
，
4。5 stars - beautifully-written， but the frequent time jumps between the different periods gave me whiplash a few chapters in。 anna's poems were absolutely exquisite， and my favourite one was 'red'。 4。5 stars - beautifully-written， but the frequent time jumps between the different periods gave me whiplash a few chapters in。 anna's poems were absolutely exquisite， and my favourite one was 'red'。 。。。more
Michelle
，
It's not often a book will have me crying my eyes out， but only several pages in that's exactly what this book did。Following the lives of Nick， his young love Anna， and his brother Sal， the story takes us between their early lives in the 1980's and their current lives。This is a story of life， lost love， and family。It's a beautifully written story that pulls you along on a roller coaster or emotions and what ifs。The author pulls on her experience of being a jehova witness when after a summer of f It's not often a book will have me crying my eyes out， but only several pages in that's exactly what this book did。Following the lives of Nick， his young love Anna， and his brother Sal， the story takes us between their early lives in the 1980's and their current lives。This is a story of life， lost love， and family。It's a beautifully written story that pulls you along on a roller coaster or emotions and what ifs。The author pulls on her experience of being a jehova witness when after a summer of falling in love Anna has to walk away from Nick， giving up on their love to follow the life that was set out for her。For Nick she was always the one that got away。So when a tragedy brings her back in to his life we wonder if they will be able to finish what they started all those years ago。This is a story that will live with you long after you've put the book down for the last time。 。。。more
Carolyn
，
An absolutely beautiful debut novel。 Can definitely understand the comparisons to David Nicholls， but this is much more than another 'One Day' （though I would personally compare it more to Sweet Sorrow）。 It's not just another love story - a boy and girl meet and fall in love - but a story about love itself， there's a difference。 With lovely prose， forensically tender， and short chapters that will have you turning the pages to the point where you've suddenly found you've finished。 An absolutely beautiful debut novel。 Can definitely understand the comparisons to David Nicholls， but this is much more than another 'One Day' （though I would personally compare it more to Sweet Sorrow）。 It's not just another love story - a boy and girl meet and fall in love - but a story about love itself， there's a difference。 With lovely prose， forensically tender， and short chapters that will have you turning the pages to the point where you've suddenly found you've finished。 。。。more
Jen
，
2。5
Emma
，
"Life has a way of giving you the answer。"I was looking forward to reading this， but it wasn't what I was expecting。 It is a bittersweet read。 There are captivating， intricate characters who feel totally real。。。 but it is also full of grief and longing and heart-wrenching mistakes。 It is beautifully written with lots of poignant lines that make you pause and think。 However I feel guilty recommending this kind of book because it's not a happy， light-hearted read。 It is raw， gritty and real。 It's "Life has a way of giving you the answer。"I was looking forward to reading this， but it wasn't what I was expecting。 It is a bittersweet read。 There are captivating， intricate characters who feel totally real。。。 but it is also full of grief and longing and heart-wrenching mistakes。 It is beautifully written with lots of poignant lines that make you pause and think。 However I feel guilty recommending this kind of book because it's not a happy， light-hearted read。 It is raw， gritty and real。 It's like a grey， rainy day， but when you're safe indoors。 Ultimately， it's a story of two characters from very different worlds， stumbling through life and its challenges。 They're always on the cusp of a relationship， but repeatedly pushed apart because of their choices， beliefs and obstacles。 But there's always something。 It's similar to Sally Rooney or David Nicholls - better than Sally Rooney though， in my opinion。For me， it's a strong 5 stars but not to be compared with the themes/style of other books I've rated 5 stars。 This is one of those 'acquired taste' novels。 Rich， deep， intricate but not a happy holiday read！ If you know， you know。 。。。more
Jennifer Li
，
This is a beautifully written story that is etched with so much feeling and unspoken words between the characters。 This is definitely an emotional read - feelings of sadness， frustration， compassion， anger were bubbling up at different points of the book。The communication challenges between Nick and Anna were so infuriating to read at times！！ I was willing Nick to be able to say everything he couldn’t due to his child trauma and inability to be open and vulnerable。 But the passion between these This is a beautifully written story that is etched with so much feeling and unspoken words between the characters。 This is definitely an emotional read - feelings of sadness， frustration， compassion， anger were bubbling up at different points of the book。The communication challenges between Nick and Anna were so infuriating to read at times！！ I was willing Nick to be able to say everything he couldn’t due to his child trauma and inability to be open and vulnerable。 But the passion between these characters was electric on the pages， and I loved the poetic and creative elements that came from Anna。 The relationship between Sal and Nick was so wonderful to read。 Chapman encapsulates a tender insight into this sibling relationship， and Sal himself is such a lovable and devastating character。 I definitely gasped in the first few chapters of the book and was left heartbroken。I absolutely loved reading this book！ I definitely get vibes of Normal People in this story。 Others have described this as a modern day Atonement meets David Nicholls， as well as being a Romeo and Juliet of our generation。 I can see hints of those voices here but this feels wholly original and refreshing in and of itself when I read this book。 Stunning is definitely an adjective I would use！I highly recommend reading this emotionally charged book， which will take your breath away。 A box of tissues might come in handy too！ 。。。more
Gemma
，
📖: Anna has been taught that the world will end but she will live on， alongside those of her faith。 Nick is not a man of faith and， due to his own past， finds it difficult to express emotions and rejects the idea of marriage。 With their complicated differences， the pair begin a summer romance knowing it must have a short expiry date。 💭: Can you ever truly forget about the one that got away？ Is there really such a thing as just bad timing？ How many people are forced to settle for something less？ 📖: Anna has been taught that the world will end but she will live on， alongside those of her faith。 Nick is not a man of faith and， due to his own past， finds it difficult to express emotions and rejects the idea of marriage。 With their complicated differences， the pair begin a summer romance knowing it must have a short expiry date。 💭: Can you ever truly forget about the one that got away？ Is there really such a thing as just bad timing？ How many people are forced to settle for something less？ This is not just a complicated story about romantic love and life's ups and downs， but one about family， grief and religion。 Written from Nick's point of view but containing snippets of Anna's poetry and unsent emails。 The non linear time line was confusing at first， but the characters are extremely well developed。 I don't often pick up romance novels， but this one has more depth than a stereotypical love story。 💬: "Loves， lifetimes， ghosts of what come have been。 We should mark in bold the important things"。 。。。more
Roxanne Henson
，
A really glorious book。 An unconventional romantic love story between two people but also a story of the complexities involved in family love。 The surprise at the end and the parallels between the narrator’s life and the life of a father who appeared difficult but was actually bearing his own unknown pain was clever。 I loved the structure with the flitting about between time periods and the snapshots into memories of the past as well as the present。 It made me cry three times so has to be 5 star A really glorious book。 An unconventional romantic love story between two people but also a story of the complexities involved in family love。 The surprise at the end and the parallels between the narrator’s life and the life of a father who appeared difficult but was actually bearing his own unknown pain was clever。 I loved the structure with the flitting about between time periods and the snapshots into memories of the past as well as the present。 It made me cry three times so has to be 5 stars。 。。。more
Rachel Bridgeman
，
Painted in subtle shades throughout， with a quiet strength and maturity which belies 'Another Life''s debut status， here is a book of nuance and lives lived， remembered and imagined。 The 'what if' moment which we all have， bounces back and forth between the now and the then of Nick and Anna's lives。I have to admit to putting down the book， walking away and then coming back to it because it had me bursting completely unexpectedly into tears。 It taps into a rich vein of emotion where you can compl Painted in subtle shades throughout， with a quiet strength and maturity which belies 'Another Life''s debut status， here is a book of nuance and lives lived， remembered and imagined。 The 'what if' moment which we all have， bounces back and forth between the now and the then of Nick and Anna's lives。I have to admit to putting down the book， walking away and then coming back to it because it had me bursting completely unexpectedly into tears。 It taps into a rich vein of emotion where you can completely relate to both Anna， and Nick， for their very different lifestyles， one who lives in the boundaries of a religious community， and the other who lacks certainty and support。The fact that they meet in their jobs at the cinema is such a lovely concept， as a background to their relationship， they have a backdrop of idealised， perfect， Hollywood endings and yet， as we all know， life is never that simple which is why we look to the escapism of the movies in the first place。As a reader， you surrender yourself to this impeccably created narrative and give yourself to the feelings in a way that I have not felt in way too long。I felt humbled at the way this novel created such an escape， at this particular time in my life， and grateful for the opportunity to read it。 Huge thanks to Ella Watkins for my gifted review copy and huger apologies for my delayed review。 Unfortunately， life is becoming increasingly difficult these days to be able to push aside and dive into a book。 I am endlessly grateful to anyone who takes the chance on me to review their books and never take it for granted。 Thank you and again， apologies to Jodie， Ella and Michael J Books。 。。。more
Nandini
，
Tell you what - I am so tired of people turning "horny teenagers with legit issues" into a genre。 Please stop。 That one terrible Sally Rooney book was enough。 More importantly， how the hell did they compare this to Atonement OR David Nicholls？ I expected so much out of this one because it's been SO LONG since I've read a good love story but nope， this was a draaaaaaag。 Not everything needs to be so complicated， you know？？？？？ *eye-roll* Tell you what - I am so tired of people turning "horny teenagers with legit issues" into a genre。 Please stop。 That one terrible Sally Rooney book was enough。 More importantly， how the hell did they compare this to Atonement OR David Nicholls？ I expected so much out of this one because it's been SO LONG since I've read a good love story but nope， this was a draaaaaaag。 Not everything needs to be so complicated， you know？？？？？ *eye-roll* 。。。more
Jacqueline sharp
，
I have seen so many people raving about this debut novel on Twitter and other social media sites。 I had been looking forward to picking it up and reading it。 It is a beautifully well written book。 About love。 But not just as in the romantic kind of love we all crave。 But the kind of love that can shape us， it can make us who we are， love given by our parents， or in some cases the lack of love given。 Love between siblings， and then the romantic love if you are lucky enough to meet that one person I have seen so many people raving about this debut novel on Twitter and other social media sites。 I had been looking forward to picking it up and reading it。 It is a beautifully well written book。 About love。 But not just as in the romantic kind of love we all crave。 But the kind of love that can shape us， it can make us who we are， love given by our parents， or in some cases the lack of love given。 Love between siblings， and then the romantic love if you are lucky enough to meet that one person。 The characters in the story are a mixture。 There’s no real romance， or is there？ there’s everyday complications， fear of commitment， grief of a lost loved one。 Most of the story is narrated by Nick one of the main protagonists， except occasionally we see emails written by Anna to Nick although I don’t believe she ever sent any of them， as well as some poetry by Anna。 Later there are also a couple of letters from Nick’s mum Eve。 The timeline for the initial chapter is 2018， and it is heartbreaking。 But after that the timeline goes all over the place summer 2003， the mid eighties， early nineties， 2001， 1991and ending in 2020。 I have to admit for me personally I found it at times confusing because something will have happened in a timeline then we jump forward but then the time goes back again before the event。 So throughout the book the timeline changes back and forth， it’s not written in any sort of order。 I don’t mind jumping back and forth between a couple of timelines but I just didn’t like how it would tell you of something that happened then jump forward but then go back before that thing had happened。 But this is just my personal opinion。 Nick and Anna met in the summer of 2003， Anna was 19 and Nick 22， they are both working in the local cinema。 They had nothing in common， different backgrounds， different taste in music， life。 I am not a fan of Anna at all especially at the beginning， I warm to her slightly later， she has been raised within a very religious family， almost cult like， this means she is expected to marry someone of the same belief， if she strays she will lose her family。 She is feisty， abrupt and prickly。 But she likes Nick， she wants Nick but he is forbidden。 Nick also wants Anna， but he doesn’t ever want marriage， he has seen his parents marriage， he doesn’t believe that piece of paper will make a difference。 He doesn’t know how to communicate， but they are so young when they meet。 Their relationship is very short lived during that summer but it is quite intense。 Anna never holds back she always says what she thinks。 Over the years Anna and Nick do bump into each other at different stages。 As the years pass and the characters grow， and mature。 To some extent they change from their young selves and begin to realise things about life。 There is sadness within the story， enlightenment。 Is there one person out there that is truly just for you？I really wish I could have liked the characters more， I find this makes my reading experience so much better。 But so many of these characters have different flaws， which I know makes them human， because we all have some flaws in us。 The two people I liked were Sal and his mother Eve。 I found myself at times getting cross with Anna and with Nick。 But maybe that’s a good thing， that they evoked such strong responses。 A well crafted debut novel， that will make you think。 It tackles love， grief， families。 Expectations that can’t always be met。 There were times I struggled with getting into parts of the story， but the short chapters kept me turning the pages and reading until the end。I give this book 4⭐️ out of 5。 Definitely a book worth reading。 I look forward to see what the writer comes up with next。 。。。more
Tasha
，
Review coming soon！
Jennifer Hill
，
Nick meets Anna at work one day and what soon begins is a series of events between the two。 Anna and Nick seem like they have a long lasting love as they both share a love for music and poetry。 However， they both come from completely different backgrounds。 Anna is a Jehovah’s Witness and finds herself struggling with certain aspects of her religion。 But Nick is the complete opposite。 Torn between religion and the love of her life， Nick feels he has no choice and finds himself letting her go。 Yea Nick meets Anna at work one day and what soon begins is a series of events between the two。 Anna and Nick seem like they have a long lasting love as they both share a love for music and poetry。 However， they both come from completely different backgrounds。 Anna is a Jehovah’s Witness and finds herself struggling with certain aspects of her religion。 But Nick is the complete opposite。 Torn between religion and the love of her life， Nick feels he has no choice and finds himself letting her go。 Years later when a tragic accident occurs， Anna finds herself back in Nick’s life’ once more。 It’s a touching and poignant story about love， loss and relationships。 It’s a very realistic view point of relationships in the world today where people are torn apart from their loved ones by differences and circumstances that threat them。It’s brilliantly written and I felt drawn into Nick and Anna’s lives。 I couldn’t help but root for the two of them as they weaved back into each other’s lives。 The book flitters back and forth as we learn about the circumstances that subsequently bring them back together。 I loved the supporting characters too， you got a real feel for the relationship between Nick， his brother and his father。 The author goes into quite some detail about each characters and does a fine job of creating them。Unfortunately I can’t say too much without spoiling it but if you liked ‘One Day’， you’ll love this。 。。。more
Hannah Lundgaard
，
It’s Normal People meets Educated。 Thoroughly enjoyable， sessionable read
Lucille
，
Anna and Nick meet one summer but their path of true love isn't destined to run smoothly。 Anna feels she has to follow her family's religious lifestyle and eventually marries into it while Nick is reluctant to commit at all。 But this is a story not just of a couple's thwarted love but also of families， which makes it an emotional read。I felt Another Life was in many ways better than One Day， with which it is inevitably compared。 Moving easily between past and present it is beautifully written an Anna and Nick meet one summer but their path of true love isn't destined to run smoothly。 Anna feels she has to follow her family's religious lifestyle and eventually marries into it while Nick is reluctant to commit at all。 But this is a story not just of a couple's thwarted love but also of families， which makes it an emotional read。I felt Another Life was in many ways better than One Day， with which it is inevitably compared。 Moving easily between past and present it is beautifully written and perfect for the romantics among us。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Ellie Hawkes
，
I don’t read that many love stories， mostly because I enjoy having absolutely no idea what is going to happen in a novel， but as the tagline for this book says， this is not just another love story。 The characters in Another Life are complicated and frustrating and very， very real。 The relationship at the heart of the book has echoes of the couple in Caleb Azumah Nelson’s Open Water， two young people who have found each other before they have really found themselves。 Anna is such an interesting c I don’t read that many love stories， mostly because I enjoy having absolutely no idea what is going to happen in a novel， but as the tagline for this book says， this is not just another love story。 The characters in Another Life are complicated and frustrating and very， very real。 The relationship at the heart of the book has echoes of the couple in Caleb Azumah Nelson’s Open Water， two young people who have found each other before they have really found themselves。 Anna is such an interesting character， brought up in a religion that sees non-believers， or ‘worldly’ people， as distinctly ‘other’ and not to be trusted， and while she has her rebellious side， it is clear that she is still firmly rooted in the traditions she’s been raised with。 I think Chapman， who draws on her own experiences here， does a wonderful job of showing just how agonising and difficult it can be to go against the only life you know – the way that Anna keeps getting pulled back to her roots is completely understandable。Nick， too， is a fascinating character， and his family history is heart-breaking。 I won’t give anything away here， but by the end of Part One， I was crying my eyes out。 As we follow Nick into his future， we can see how he， too， has forces holding him back， in a different way to Anna， but no less powerful。 Their interactions in later years are so poignant and realistic – there is no simple answer to overcoming the obstacles that keep them apart。 The only character in the whole book I wasn’t totally convinced by was Laura， whose storyline seemed a little too convenient for me personally， but the other secondary characters， particularly Sal， more than made up for this。 I loved Sal A LOT。This novel is complex， beautifully written， utterly absorbing， and very hard to tear yourself away from once you’ve started reading。 I really liked the way that Another Life doesn’t dismiss the feelings of young people as simply naive or foolish – there is an intensity to emotions experienced in your late teens and early twenties that is captured brilliantly here， without judgement or dismissiveness， and it made me ache for the time when I felt things so deeply。 This is a nostalgic， intelligent， fascinating book – a love story， yes， but so much more besides。 。。。more
Emandherbooks
，
I really enjoyed following Nick and Anna on their journeys both separately and together。 The ultimate love story with many twists and turns in the road along the way。 This is not just a love story， it is so much more。 It’s friendship， it’s family， it’s pain and it’s love。 It’s written seamlessly from multiple points in time and from Nicks point of view。 It had a great pace and kept me hooked from the beginning。 The language and narrative was comfortable and relatable。
Jessica Townley
，
I’ll be honest， after reading the synopsis I was expecting your usual love story of ‘will they， won’t they’ but this is so so much more than that。 Another Life is a beautifully woven story about life， religion， love， tragedy， grief and loss – it’s stunning and will break you emotionally from the very first chapter。The author developed these characters amazingly well that both Nick and Sal felt like my very own brothers。 Whilst the book is centered around Nick and Anna I think the stand out chara I’ll be honest， after reading the synopsis I was expecting your usual love story of ‘will they， won’t they’ but this is so so much more than that。 Another Life is a beautifully woven story about life， religion， love， tragedy， grief and loss – it’s stunning and will break you emotionally from the very first chapter。The author developed these characters amazingly well that both Nick and Sal felt like my very own brothers。 Whilst the book is centered around Nick and Anna I think the stand out character to me is Sal。 My heart broke for him and I wanted nothing more than for him to find a way to be happy。The story is broken down into six parts and is told from different periods in Nick’s life。 The timeline isn’t linear but surprisingly I found it really easy to keep up with。 Each chapter reveals something else about Nick and what has happened in his life。 Each part was needed and just helped to create this character that I think we can all relate to at points。 Nick is raw， he’s not your typical character in a romance novel， he’s real， he’s how most people would act when it comes to declaring their feelings。 At times I just wanted to shake him but even despite all this I loved his character。Religion is mentioned as the reason why Anna can’t be with Nick but it’s not overly heavy on the religious message and just gives small hints as to what she can and can’t do which I thought was done really well。 You get a strong idea as to what religion she belongs to and it was fascinating to see how she dealt with the turmoil of wanting to stick to her religion but also being madly in love with Nick。Another Life is an exceptional debut novel that will take you on an emotional roller coaster which you won’t want to get off！ 。。。more
Kerri
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Another Life is the story of Anna， Nick and Sal。 Told from Nick’s point of view， he takes us back and forth in time as we gradually learn more about his childhood， his relationship with Anna， and more recently his life as he reaches his thirties。Anna and Nick meet when they both start working at the local cinema and spend a passionate and turbulent summer together in secret。 Anna is contradictory and fiery and comes from a devoutly religious family， who I assumed to be Jehovah’s Witnesses， altho Another Life is the story of Anna， Nick and Sal。 Told from Nick’s point of view， he takes us back and forth in time as we gradually learn more about his childhood， his relationship with Anna， and more recently his life as he reaches his thirties。Anna and Nick meet when they both start working at the local cinema and spend a passionate and turbulent summer together in secret。 Anna is contradictory and fiery and comes from a devoutly religious family， who I assumed to be Jehovah’s Witnesses， although this is never expressly stated。 They frown upon relationships outside of their religion， and sex before marriage is forbidden。 Nick does not believe in marriage and， due to childhood trauma， finds it impossible to show his true emotions and say what he really feels， and so they have no choice but to part ways at the end of the summer。 As we see their paths cross over the years， they still struggle with the same frustrating barriers。The author gives a really interesting insight into Anna’s religious beliefs and way of life， and although this is something I will never understand， it was debated intelligently and sensitively between Nick and Anna and was a fascinating theme。As Nick takes us back to his childhood one of my favourite elements of the book is his relationship with his brother Sal - poor lovely Sal 😭 His characterisation is fantastic and you could almost feel this kind of golden aura that surrounds him， his story being all the more poignant following the tragedy that takes place in their childhood and the shocking opening chapter。I can’t tell you how brilliant Jodie Chapman’s writing is， it is so natural and assured， you’d think this was her tenth book not her first。 It’s delicate， raw， brilliantly observed and all consuming and I loved it。 It was so refreshing to read a story about love narrated by a man， and not just love for Anna but for his brother and his wonderful mother， and the way he handled so much pain 😭 I just loved how human this story was。 No one is perfect， life is never simple and people don’t always behave the way we want them to。 It was simply beautiful！ 。。。more
Lisa
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This book has been likened to a number of other works。 I didn’t agree with the ones on the front cover but here are the books that I do think it’s similar to:Black Swan Green by David Mitchell - being a child in the 1980s。Normal People by Sally Rooney - Nick really reminded me of Connor， with his inability to communicate his emotions or really make choices。The Children’s Act by Ian MacEwan- Anna’s story revolves around the problems of being raised as a Jehovah witness， whilst also being drawn ou This book has been likened to a number of other works。 I didn’t agree with the ones on the front cover but here are the books that I do think it’s similar to:Black Swan Green by David Mitchell - being a child in the 1980s。Normal People by Sally Rooney - Nick really reminded me of Connor， with his inability to communicate his emotions or really make choices。The Children’s Act by Ian MacEwan- Anna’s story revolves around the problems of being raised as a Jehovah witness， whilst also being drawn outside of the faith and hard decisions that anyone of faith has to make。At first I felt uncomfortable with this use of that faith being used as a plot device。 At school I’d had a good friend that was raised as a Witness。 My feelings around this changed once I learnt that the author had been raised as a Witness and had now lost access to family members when she decided to leave the faith。It was a very quick read as you get drawn in and want to find out how it resolves itself。 Yes， the driving force of this book is the love story but it’s so much more than that。 It’s about how we make choices， and how we choose to live our life， and how we communicate our emotions。 The very last line brought a tear to my eye but also wanting to shout out ‘Yes， that’s exactly it！’Thank you to @tandemcollectiveuk for gifting me this book and letting me be part of my first readalong。 TW: suicide， death of a parent。 。。。more
Sian Powell
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3。5 out of 5
Christopher Hooley
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The hype is real。 This is better than the books it's compared to （One Day and Atonement） as it's a complete look at what love is holistically。 The time-loop narrative style adopted by Chapman really does keep you hooked and turning the page。 Moving from past to present isn't an easy style to get right but it totally works here。 I love Nick's character and could relate to him alot， although I was less keen on Anna。 I love the premise that one event can change the course of somebody's life and Ano The hype is real。 This is better than the books it's compared to （One Day and Atonement） as it's a complete look at what love is holistically。 The time-loop narrative style adopted by Chapman really does keep you hooked and turning the page。 Moving from past to present isn't an easy style to get right but it totally works here。 I love Nick's character and could relate to him alot， although I was less keen on Anna。 I love the premise that one event can change the course of somebody's life and Another life really does push your emotions to the limit。 It's such a 'real' portrayal of life and love and for me that's why it stands alone in its genre。Jodie Chapman will be a household name sooner rather than later and I can't wait to read her next book。 。。。more
Pam Robertson
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Jodie Chapman certainly has created a distinctive story which spans four decades and which centres on Nick Mendoza， his family and friends。 It is a complicated tale which moves backwards and forwards through the years， filling in parts of the picture， detail by detail。 Anna seems like an elusive character， torn as she is by her upbringing in a strict religious movement and her desire to mix outside it。 There are some shocks along the way and as Nick's and Anna's feelings seem to fluctuate， other Jodie Chapman certainly has created a distinctive story which spans four decades and which centres on Nick Mendoza， his family and friends。 It is a complicated tale which moves backwards and forwards through the years， filling in parts of the picture， detail by detail。 Anna seems like an elusive character， torn as she is by her upbringing in a strict religious movement and her desire to mix outside it。 There are some shocks along the way and as Nick's and Anna's feelings seem to fluctuate， other people's expectations seem to get in the way。 As you read the novel， you feel as though you are taking a deep dive into Nick and Anna's feelings and throughout you are not sure what will be the outcome。 There are family secrets to be uncovered。 Nick shies away from commitment but you also see others' points of view as they long for it。 There is also a fine balance between settling for what life seems to have mapped out for you and taking a risk to reach one's potential。 Grief and loss run through the story from Nick's childhood and at times， you feel that you are seeing a whole range of emotions from jealousy， longing to despair。 Above all， this is thoughtful writing which requires the reader to fully engage with the poetic style。 In short: an epic story of love and despairThanks to the publisher for a copy of the book 。。。more
Laura
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Book reviews on www。snazzybooks。com Another Life is a gorgeous， captivating read。 The main character Nick starts seeing a local girl， Anna， who is from an ultra-religious background。 Nick has his own problems and that， combined with a secret relationship with Anna， means things end between them perhaps prematurely。The book focuses on Nick the present day and also the story of his relationship with Anna ‘back then’， so we see multiple timeframes which explains much more about Nick’s personality a Book reviews on www。snazzybooks。com Another Life is a gorgeous， captivating read。 The main character Nick starts seeing a local girl， Anna， who is from an ultra-religious background。 Nick has his own problems and that， combined with a secret relationship with Anna， means things end between them perhaps prematurely。The book focuses on Nick the present day and also the story of his relationship with Anna ‘back then’， so we see multiple timeframes which explains much more about Nick’s personality and background， and perhaps why he behaves the way he does – he is often told， by others， that he lacks emotion， is very calm-headed and without real passion。 However， we know that this is simply not the case – Nick is a complex character having to deal with so much， not least the awful situation with his little brother which is heartbreaking to read。This book really is an emotional rollercoaster。 I couldn’t put it down and loved every minute。 It’s written beautifully， the characters feel convincing and well-rounded， and it’s certainly not ‘just’ a love story – for me， it’s SO much more than that。 It’s about family， responsibility， regrets， societal expectations， religion and， of course， also about love in its many forms。 It completely absorbed me and I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll just say， read this – even if it’s not something you’d usually pick up。 It’s a brilliant read。 。。。more
Amy Miles
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