Where do you see yourself in five years? It is a question we often ask or ask ourselves that can be answered in a number of ways, many of which can be summarized by what our hopes and dreams are and where we would like to be by then. While we may come up with an ideal future we want to come to fruition, we tend to forget in all our planning the one most important factor that can change or alter everything: life. In her latest novel, In Five Years, Rebecca Serle explores this heavy question with a story that is sure to stay with you and, to quote the author, "continue moving toward that which is moving toward you."
Dannie Kohan has always had a plan for her life and so far everything has gone well accordingly. She's newly engaged to her devoted boyfriend, David, and she has just attained her dream job working as a corporate lawyer. In five years from now, she hopes to be married and living in Gramercy Park while working as a senior associate at her law firm. It was all perfect and she went to sleep believing that everything was going in the direction she had set. The moment she wakes up however, Dannie is surprised to find herself five years in the future living in Brooklyn, still a lawyer, but she is now with another man. Although she wakes up back in her present, this short glimpse into what her life will be has thrown her off course. It is made even more complicated when her best friend, Bella, introduces her new boyfriend, Aaron, who happens to be the man Dannie ends up with in the future. As much as Dannie tries to fight against what will happen, it soon becomes clear that nothing can really prepare her for what life brings in the present.
Going into this, I initially thought it was going to be another romance novel with close similarities to The Two Lives of Lydia Bird and One Day in December. What transpires is a story so completely unexpected that I was left feeling contemplative about life. There is a quote by Audrey Hepburn, in which she said,
“Pick the day. Enjoy it – to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come… The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present – and I don’t want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.”
I think what she says is the best way I can describe how I felt once I finished reading In Five Years. We so often plan and fret about the future that we forget about the present and what the day may bring, good or bad. It was interesting seeing how Dannie's life basically unraveled because she always thought about what her future will be, and honestly I cannot blame her. Knowing what is in store would bother me too. The twist in this is that she was only given one hour into her future without knowing all the details of how she got there, making the entire situation all the more compelling to read. Yet again, we are thrown for a loop because while I was focused on how Dannie gets to where she will be, there is something that happens in her life that becomes more important and related to what lies ahead. It's funny how a book can do that you; throwing you its themes and letting you experience that same affect it's bringing on its character as you read it.
One of the things that surprised me the most was that the heart of this story was not Dannie and her relationship with David or Aaron, but her friendship with Bella. It's probably a partial spoiler to say but this book reminded me a lot of the movie
Miss You Already with elements of David Nicholls's novel and film adaptation,
One Day. Dannie and Bella's tight knit bond since they were seven years old that has remained constant as the years pass is the real love story. It also reminded me a little bit of Sabrina and Jessica from Rebecca Serle's previous novel,
The Dinner List. To be honest, I did not like
The Dinner List as much as I wanted to back then, and while I prefer
In Five Years over
The Dinner List, I do like how both books have these deep thought-provoking meanings and emotions behind its story.
There are a number things I am still processing and want to say about this book, especially its ending, but overall I liked it and how it made me feel. To say it surprised me a lot is the best adjective I can use without spoiling too much both in terms of its message and what happens to the characters. It may not have been what I expected but I believe the best books are the ones that leave you with some sentiment that ties with the story and goes beyond what it gives you.
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New York City Locations Mentioned in In Five Years
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