“Love doesn’t require a future” (Serle 230).
In Five Years is a short, beautiful novel written as a glimpse into the life of Dannie Kohan, a young,
successful lawyer living in the heart of Manhattan with her long-term love, David. The night after their
engagement, she falls asleep and ends up in some type of alternate reality five years in the future. Here,
she finds herself sleeping in an unfamiliar apartment with an unfamiliar man. When she awakes, she’s
shakened, but begins to face that even if it was some form of “premonition,” she will try and do
everything in her power to stop it from coming true. It isn’t until four-and-a-half years later, when her life
is on the same track she had always planned for, that she meets her best friend, Bella’s, new boyfriend
and realizes he’s the one she saw in her vision. As the story unveils, it follows Dannie as she navigates the
uncontrolled and begins to understand that life cannot be planned.
This book was well-written and reflective, inciting the reader to not only resonate with the main
characters, but also connect the plot back to their own life. While I know some don’t love when books
are written in a poetic and philosophical format, I think anyone who enjoys the “Coming of Age'' genre
could get into this. The themes of female friendship and found family are apparent throughout, making
this book more about the bonds we share with those we love rather than a traditional romance novel. I
also recommend it towards an older age group, as while those in their young teens might still find this
interesting, they might not connect to it in the same way. This book deserves 5 stars, because not only
did it leave my mind reeling, but it ended in an unpredictable, and frankly more thoughtful, way than I
had expected.