In Some Other World, Maybe - Hardcover

Goldhagen, Shari

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250047994 ISBN 13: 9781250047991

Publisher: St Martin's Press, 2015

Synopsis

In November 1992, three groups of teenagers in three separate cities head to the movie theatre to see the film version of the famed Eons & Empires comic books. For Adam, it's a last ditch effort to connect with something (actually, someone, the girl he's had a crush on for years) in his sleepy Florida town before he leaves for good. Passionate fan Sharon, on the other hand, skips school so she can fully appreciate the flick without interruption from her vapid friends (well, the friends of her only friend)-a seemingly silly indiscretion with shockingly dark consequences. And in suburban Chicago, Phoebe and Ollie just want to have a nice first-date (and maybe fool around in the dark) - if their friends and family could just stop getting in the way. Over the next two decades, this unforgettable cast of characters moves through Hollywood, New York, and the greener spaces between as they become interwined by friendship, love, sex, ambition, and tragedy.

About this title

Review:

A fully self-possessed novelist, in command of large figurations, shrewd intelligence and wit, and a fine eye for the world and the American sentence. Richard Ford

In Some Other World, Maybe beguiled me so much during recent flights that I forgot I was in the air! Engaging, entertaining, saucy, and poignant, this ingenious six-degrees-of-separation novel is one you'll be so happy you read. So much fun. Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers

In Some Other World, Maybe is a beautiful, haunting, insightful novel woven masterfully together. Goldhagen writes about the struggles of growing up, of relationships, of fame, celebrity and the merging of the inner and outer worlds in a narrative so bullet-train fast, it's nearly impossible to put down. And her characters are real and complex and subtly defined. How does Goldhagen juggle these many elements, while still managing to make the book as funny as she does? You'll just have to read it to find out. Because In Some Other World, Maybe is funny as hell--and deeply profound.. Nic Sheff, New York Times bestselling author of Tweak and We All Fall Down

Makes the glamorous seem strikingly familiar and the mundane sparkle with new possibility. Goldhagen spins a lyrical saga that finds an unusual balance between hip and wise, with unforgettable and utterly human characters at its heart. I will not soon shake this book. Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls and Pretty

This is a wonderfully rich story of what might be and what might have been. Goldhagen writes with authority about show business and popular culture as she tells this ageless and all too human tale of the mistakes and the compromises that we all make for the sake of love. This book will entertain you, perhaps even titillate you, but above all it will touch your heart. Lee Martin, author of The Bright Forever and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

Shari Goldhagen writes with a special, effortless kind of magic--her characters (even when they're movie stars) feel real: maddening and beguiling, funny and heartbreaking. This novel is a story about coincidence and connection, about lives spinning in and out of control over decades and across the globe, but it's also about people who seem like friends, people we desperately want--no matter how badly they screw up--to turn out all right. Christopher Coake, author of You Came Back and We're in Trouble

A sprawling novel about growing up and setting off on your own, about going to Hollywood but remembering your beginnings. Goldhagen has given us memorable and appealing characters, and their stories all moved me. By the last page, I felt like we had become friends. I already miss them. Christine Sneed, author of Little Known Facts

Shari Goldhagen brilliantly weaves together the lives of her characters into a tapestry that feels expertly crafted, and, at the same time, satisfyingly human and real. This is a gem of a book, the kind that I will savor long after reading. Cristina Alger, author of The Darlings

In Some Other World, Maybe is funny and deft and moving and sweet. It's tender then explosive, sexy then raw. Shari Goldhagen is a writer of force and intelligence, humor and warmth, heart and heartbreak, darkness and light, and this novel has it all. Bill Roorbach, author of Life Among Giants

In Some Other World, Maybe is nothing less than an exploration of our hearts, the surprising places they lead us, the ways they break and the infinite ways they can heal. And it is an absolute delight of a novel, spilling over with questions of fate and choice, and characters so richly drawn and sympathetic, that the loves and struggles of an interconnected group of men and women felt as real and as essential to me as my own. In Some Other World, Maybe hijacked my life and vaulted me completely into Shari Goldhagen's world. Lauren Fox, author of Still Life with Husband and Friends Like Us

Shari Goldhagen is one of those remarkable writers whose work simultaneously captivates the mind and captures the heart, and it's hard to know what to admire more in this beautifully written novel: the craftsmanship of the story--intricate and deliberate and finely formed as a well-made watch--or the messy, yearning, and wholly compelling characters who inhabit it. This is a book filled with people so flawed and funny and heart-achingly familiar that, upon finishing, I felt that I was parting ways with a group of close and precious friends--I loved this novel. Aryn Kyle, international bestselling author of The God of Animals

Witty and heartfelt Publishers Weekly

Engaging story of four young people whose lives intersect at pivotal moments . . . How the four characters cross paths is one of the high points of this six-degrees-of-separation novel. A highly relatable cast is another hook as the four face down difficulties with humor and a good deal of heart. Booklist

Funny and honest and reflects well the oddities of modern America . . . Suburban kids who matured in the 1990s and 2000s will find much to identify with, and fans of Rainbow Rowell's adult novels will appreciate the realistic love stories. An original novel about how to let go of adolescent fantasies and make it to adulthood. Kirkus

With one heck of a fine eye for the world, Goldhagen puts forth an engagingly original novel with real and complex characters that are flawed, funny and heart-achingly familiar. Gulf Coast Times

Get hooked as this trio's degree-of-separation drama puts your own post-grad ordeals to shame. Cosmopolitan

Starting with three sets of teens - in Chicago, Cincinnati, and a town in Florida - watching the same movie on the same day in 1992, Goldhagen orchestrates the intricate interweaving of their comings-of-age in the spirit of six degrees of separation. Watching them collectively stumble toward the present via a series of careers and partners movingly evokes the bittersweet truth that most of us don't end up where, or with whom, we were convinced we would. Elle, Lettres 2015 Readers' Prize

Pitch-perfect narrative . . . From New York to Macau, these braided histories are imparted via witty, engaging prose peppered with almost unbearable poignancy. Sure to resonate with fans of non-linear storytelling in the vein of Jennifer Egan's A Visit to the Goon Squad and Zadie Smith's NW, this title deserves a place on every library shelf. Superb. Library Journal, starred review

A compelling tale that leaves readers pondering what is and, had life taken another direction, what could have been. BookPage

If you're a reader who likes ensemble Hollywood films, then get ready . . . Hollywood beckons with its sparkly promises of fame and fortune.
Bella NYC

Darkly funny, Shari Goldhagen's novel In Some Other World, Maybe spans two decades, exploring stories of love, friendship, fame, and growing up among a diverse cast of characters. Pop Sugar

One for the books: Four teens' lives intersect over 20 years in the coming-of-age comedy penned by former Us staffer. Us Weekly

Bittersweet and sharply funny. In Touch

Romantic, humorous, and heartbreaking. Entertainment Weekly

These unexpected connections between the characters make in In Some Other World, Maybe makes it a jigsaw puzzle of a novel, and it's great fun to discover who will fit in where. Yet the pain that so easily follows joy in the characters' lives also makes Goldhagen's story something that will stick with the reader long after 'Eons & Empires' finally goes off the air. New York Daily News

A smart commentary on a generation that grew up groomed for success and how they deal when forced to settle for less. Red Eye Chicago

So enjoyable to read Metro

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About the Author:

After serious pursuits of literature at Northwestern (BSJ) and Ohio State (MFA), SHARI GOLDHAGEN discovered she had a knack for sifting through celebrity trash and worked as a gossip writer for publications including The National Enquirer, Us Weekly, and Life & Style Weekly. And her articles on pop culture, travel and relationships have appeared everywhere from Cosmopolitan to Penthouse. She has received fellowships from Yaddo and MacDowell and is the author of the widely-praised novel FAMILY AND OTHER ACCIDENTS. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

About this edition

• Publisher: St Martin's Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1250047994
• ISBN 13: 9781250047991
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272