In Any Lifetime, by Marc Guggenheim – A Book Review

Welcome to the second month of the Nerd Initiative book club. If you want to read along, make sure to follow our socials. At the beginning of each month I’ll drop a reel letting everyone know what book reviews to expect in the coming month. For April, one of the books I chose was In Any Lifetime by Marc Guggenheim. If that author sounds familiar it may be because he’s also known for many comic books, and a little something referred to as The Arrowverse.

Check out a review for a recent comic book by Marc Guggenheim,  Star Wars: Jedi Knights #2.

The Overall Story of the Book ‘In Any Lifetime‘

Dr. Jonas Cullen is a man who just won an award for his work on studying the multiverse. Shortly thereafter he tragically loses the love of his life. The only logical response to such a tragedy, is clearly to find her in another universe. Traveling through different universes to find another version of your dead wife should be damn near impossible. However, doing so while literally being hunted adds a whole other obstacle to tackle. Both literally and metaphorically. While your mind may instantly go to time wraiths or the Time Variance Authority (“TVA”), Dr. Cullen’s hunter is a bit more personal.

Science, equations, tattoos, bullets, car crashes and more, all play a huge part in Jonas’ pursuit of true love and happiness. However, as he tackles how to find another Amanda, his biggest hurdle is even more giant than his worst enemy. In questioning whether he should pursue this multiverse impossibility, the universe may be trying to influence that answer.

Check out the first book review for the Nerd Initiative Book Club, Star Wars: Ahsoka.

Overall Grade: 8.75/10

While this story initially sounds like a love story (and it is), it’s so much more as well. In full disclosure, I am not a fan of love stories, but absolutely loved this book. In Any Lifetime to me was just as much a story of grief and denial as it was love. However, if I had to pick one genre it would be an action sci-fi. While attempting to pursue his happily ever after, Jonas spends quite a bit of time in some of these different universes. The way each one was described, and what led it that change from what we know, I found incredibly fun and interesting. From simple things as different architectural designs in different countries, to a few changes in the early 1900s thereby creating an America I hope to never see. As well as creating new obstacles for Jonas to navigate.

Furthermore, I loved the “science” behind it all. At one point I even thought of Cisco in an episode of The Flash explaining something that is impossible, but sounds absolutely scientifically plausible. In addition to the action, grief, love, and science, this book also makes you think. Would finding your lost loved one’s doppelganger truly heal the loss you experienced? Also, to what extremes would you go to bring back someone you love?

All in all, this was a fantastic read. It had an overarching story that was beautifully told, and filled with some intense action scenes, and thought provoking plots. While it traveled the multiverse, it was also incredibly down to Earth, and had some intense real moments. In Any Lifetime sucked me right in, and didn’t let go until the very end.

For more book reviews that you can expect this month, check out the latest book club reel:

Check out the interview below with Marc Guggenheim on the podcast ‘Hops GEEK News’ with Lauren and her podcast host, Matt.

About ‘In Any Lifetime’

In Any Lifetime was released in August 2024 by Lake Union Publishing. It can be purchased at Barnes and Noble, and many other book retailers. E-book options are also available through kindle and audible. For more purchase options, click here.

If you read along, let us know what you thought in the comments below. Got a book you’d like reviewed before you read it? Let us know that too!