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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Annie in Retrospect by Kristina Voegele is a sharp and heartfelt women's fiction novel that takes a time-twisting dive into regret, identity, and the many versions of ourselves we carry. In 2008, twenty-five-year-old Annie Young is floundering in San Francisco, lost between youthful idealism and the looming pressures of adulthood. But when a magical prayer sends her hurtling into the body of her forty-year-old self in 2023, she’s forced to confront the future she thought she wanted. Simultaneously, her older self wakes up in her younger body in 2008, given a second chance at the choices that shaped her life. As past and future collide, both Annies must reconcile the dreams they chased and the realities they created, questioning whether they truly knew what they wanted or what they gave up. It’s a witty and emotional meditation on love, ambition, and the strange grace of hindsight.
Author Kristina Voegele has a smooth confidence when controlling the unique perspective of this novel, and she knows how to keep readers seamlessly on course in a believable blend of magical realism and emotional insight. It’s a story that walks the balance between whimsical and wise with effortless prose, delivering amusingly warm narration as we get to know both Annies at their different life stages, but also never shying away from difficult moments and hard truths that she (and we) have to face. The plot and pacing are well-thought-out to give us time to ponder, but never so much in one place that we get bored. This dual-timeline structure is handled with finesse for a clever and engaging exploration of self-discovery that gives equal weight to the hopefulness of youth and the wistful nostalgia of being older. It’s an ideal read for anyone who’s ever wondered ‘what if’, but it also tells us the home truths we probably already know in a way that’s cathartic and relatable to hear. Overall, Annie in Retrospect is a highly recommended read that offers a rare, compassionate look at how we evolve through love, mistakes, and second chances.
