praise for If, Then
An Indiebound Indie Next pick. Named one of the most anticipated books of 2019 by Bustle, The Rumpus, and The Millions.
“[T]he perfect mix of inventiveness and good old-fashioned storytelling.”
“ A masterpiece of a character-driven book.”
“If, Then has the narrative propulsion of a television show . . . [It’s] a whirlwind of a story.”
“If, Then is one of the most addictive, propulsive page-turners I’ve ever read. It’s also a gorgeous literary novel that asks us to imagine all the possible versions of ourselves that might exist. My desire to race to the finish was at all times competing with my urge to savor every line. A must read.”
New York Times bestselling author of Saints for All Occasions
“Vivid, thought-provoking, and meticulous—Kate Hope Day gives us an illuminating novel that asks us to consider the many paths a single life can offer. Spanning multiple universes, full of exquisite prose and insights that delve into the deepest corners of her characters’ minds, If, Then is a shimmering spectacle, a literary page-turner that satisfies and delights.”
author of Girl in Snow
“Day has a lot of sly, stealthy fun with time-bending and parallel universes, but she also has serious things to say on urban paranoia, climate change and the atomized nature of modern life.”
“A suburban drama built to leap from page to screen.”
“[If, Then] depict[s] the universalising depth of daily human experience.”
“If, Then is a mind-bending reflection on the nature of free choice and time. What if, just for a moment, we could see the other paths we might have taken? If we collided with alternate versions of ourselves, would we, could we, change our own destinies? Kate Hope Day writes with a tender and vivid attention to the extraordinary details of ordinary lives. A fascinating and moving debut novel.”
New York Times bestselling author of The Snow Child
“I love this book. If, Then is a page-turning, thought-provoking story told in beautiful, lucid prose. I was fully invested in the residents of Clearing, Oregon, and fascinated by the twists and turns of their intersecting paths. In her deeply insightful and unputdownable debut, Kate Hope Day makes us fall in love with her characters, keeps us guessing until the end, and most of all, inspires us to envision the infinite possibilities for our own lives.”
author of The Most Dangerous Place on Earth
“Effortlessly meshing the dreamlike and the realistic, Day’s well-crafted mix of literary and speculative fiction is an enthralling meditation on the interconnectedness of all things.”
(starred review)
“Day’s complex debut explores the mind-bending idea that for every decision made, alternate choices lead to different lives”
“In If, Then, Kate Hope Day negotiates the delicate balance between razor-sharp smarts and pure page-turning entertainment as well as any novel I’ve read—ever. Nothing escapes Day’s prehensile intellect, from the intricacies of surgery to the real estate business to the effects of climate change—and of course the magic of alternate realities. If, Then brings to mind Tom Perrotta’s The Leftovers, the best of Ursula K. Leguin, Karen Russell, Kelly Link, and maybe even a splash of Steven King. I suspect everyone you know will be reading this book, for years to come.”
author of Boomer1