In Five Years
A Novel
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4.2 • 344 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Good Morning America, FabFitFun, and Marie Claire Book Club Pick
“In Five Years is as clever as it is moving, the rare read-in-one-sitting novel you won’t forget.” —Chloe Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists
Perfect for fans of Me Before You and One Day—a modern classic and powerful love story following an ambitious lawyer who experiences an astonishing vision that could change her life forever.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Dannie Kohan lives her life by the numbers.
She is nothing like her lifelong best friend—the wild, whimsical, believes-in-fate Bella. Her meticulous planning seems to have paid off after she nails the most important job interview of her career and accepts her boyfriend’s marriage proposal in one fell swoop, falling asleep completely content.
But when she awakens, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. Dannie spends one hour exactly five years in the future before she wakes again in her own home on the brink of midnight—but it is one hour she cannot shake. In Five Years is an unforgettable love story, but it is not the one you’re expecting.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
If you had the chance to see five years into your own future, would it change all of your current plans and dreams? Rebecca Serle’s whimsical novel explores this premise in a way that’s both hilarious and surprisingly emotional. Dannie is a type A lawyer who’s scheduled her future down to the last detail, but a vivid dream about her life five years into the future (in 2025) throws all her plans into question—from her dream relationship with her fiancé, David, to her closest friendships. We loved Serle’s dry wit, as illustrated by Dannie’s reaction when David drags his heels proposing during a fancy dinner: “Perhaps I should spell it out with cherry tomatoes.” Serle, whose teen romance Famous in Love has been adapted into a TV series, succeeds in folding real and stirring emotion into her tart little confection, exploring the pain and regret that come with Dannie’s fantastical revelation. Existential angst may not always fit perfectly into a charming rom-com, but it’s the unexpected depth of In Five Years that makes it so special.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Serle's bewitching story of love and friendship (after The Dinner List) centers on a young woman who plans her life down to the minute until fate gets in the way. At 28, Dannie Kohan lives happily with her boyfriend, David, in a Manhattan apartment and is poised to land her dream job as a lawyer at a top firm. Dannie expects to get married by the time she's 30; right on track, David proposes, giving Dannie a ring picked out by her best friend Bella. After accepting the proposal, Dannie slips into a deep sleep and dreams of an alternate future, where everything is off-kilter. In her dream, it's the year 2025 and she lives with a man named Aaron Gregory. Upon waking, Dannie begins to second-guess her regimented course, and as the years pass, she puts off the marriage. On a rainy day in June 2025, she meets up with Bella, now a successful art dealer, and is stunned to find her accompanied by Aaron, the man from her dream. She senses a mutual recognition, and, after Bella receives devastating news, Dannie and Aaron grow closer. While the plot hinges on well-worn tropes, the deadpan prose highlights the author's keen sense of irony. Serle's whimsical tale is book club catnip. This review has been updated to remove a spoiler.
Customer Reviews
A beautiful story of friendship
I really enjoyed this book, it was thoughtful and beautiful and the story unfolded in a way I hadn’t expected.
Surprising twist
I loved this book, it made me cry. Wonderfully written, interesting twist at the end. ❤️
Not at all what I was expecting!
This book was not what I was expecting! People that know me know I like to plan life like a 5 year plan like the main character of the book Dannie. I ‘m a numbers girl. But life is not like that as we all know. This book was refreshing! It is about the importance and significance of friendships. We often take for granted our friends in our lives. This book reminds us of what is really important. Great book for an easy read!