All This and More
A Novel
Published on 15. August 2024
Book
Hardback
512 pages
978-0-06-327897-4 (ISBN)
Description
From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Cartographers and The Book of M comes an inventive new novel about a woman who wins the chance to rewrite every mistake she's ever made... and how far she'll go to find her elusive "happily ever after." But there's a twist: the reader gets to decide what she does next to change her fate.
One woman. Endless options. Every choice has consequences.
Meek, play-it-safe Marsh has just turned forty-five, and her life is in shambles. Her career is stagnant, her marriage has imploded, and her teenage daughter grows more distant by the day. Marsh is convinced she's missed her chance at everything-romance, professional fulfillment, and adventure-and is desperate for a do-over.
She can't believe her luck when she's selected to be the star of the global sensation All This and More, a show that uses quantum technology to allow contestants the chance to revise their pasts and change their present lives. It's Marsh's only shot to seize her dreams, and she's determined to get it right this time.
But even as she rises to become a famous lawyer, gets back together with her high school sweetheart, and travels the world, she begins to worry that All This and More's promises might be too good to be true. Because while the technology is amazing, something seems a bit off....
Can Marsh really make her life everything she wants it to be? And is it worth it?
Perfect for fans of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and Kate Atkinson's Life After Life, bestselling author Peng Shepherd's All This and More is an utterly original, startlingly poignant novel that puts the reader in the driver's seat.
One woman. Endless options. Every choice has consequences.
Meek, play-it-safe Marsh has just turned forty-five, and her life is in shambles. Her career is stagnant, her marriage has imploded, and her teenage daughter grows more distant by the day. Marsh is convinced she's missed her chance at everything-romance, professional fulfillment, and adventure-and is desperate for a do-over.
She can't believe her luck when she's selected to be the star of the global sensation All This and More, a show that uses quantum technology to allow contestants the chance to revise their pasts and change their present lives. It's Marsh's only shot to seize her dreams, and she's determined to get it right this time.
But even as she rises to become a famous lawyer, gets back together with her high school sweetheart, and travels the world, she begins to worry that All This and More's promises might be too good to be true. Because while the technology is amazing, something seems a bit off....
Can Marsh really make her life everything she wants it to be? And is it worth it?
Perfect for fans of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and Kate Atkinson's Life After Life, bestselling author Peng Shepherd's All This and More is an utterly original, startlingly poignant novel that puts the reader in the driver's seat.
Reviews / Votes
"Equal parts thriller, fantasy and family drama, [with] layers upon layers of expertly told story." - New York Times on The Cartographers"In Shepherd's imaginative latest, [she] playfully mines nostalgia for Choose Your Own Adventure series ("If Ren didn't break up with Marsh last night: Turn the page"). Whichever path readers take, they'll find a tantalizing and well-knit story. Reality TV fans especially ought to take note." - Publishers Weekly on All This and More
"Peng Shepherd's The Cartographers is... an enjoyable, fast-paced (and fantastical) thriller.... [Shepherd] nails the sense of deep-seated, profound connection and love between a small group of people drawn together by shared experience and interest, creating an intense familial bond....The tragedy of the book is what happens to that bond-and why. The Cartographers is both beautiful and intellectual, and Shepherd sticks the landing in a deeply satisfying fashion.... It's brilliant." - Washington Post on The Cartographers
"The Cartographers is a memorable work of speculative fiction, filled with 'phantom settlements,' captivating flashbacks, alternate realities, ill-fated passion and enduring love. There are echoes of Borges and Bradbury, Pynchon and Finian's Rainbow, but Ms. Shepherd's exhilarating and enjoyable work casts a magical glow all its own." - Wall Street Journal on The Cartographers
"Peng Shepherd has done it again! The Cartographers is an exquisitely written, brilliantly plotted, absolutely fantastic novel. A story like this reminds us of why we all fell in love with reading to begin with. Be prepared to be swept away on an incredible journey that will stay with you long after you turn the final page." - Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Black Ice
"Reminiscent of the work of Dan Brown, Shepherd's absorbing, inventive second novel showcases the art of mapmaking as one young woman's obsession puts her in the sights of a determined killer....Shepherd toys expertly with the known unknowns, how we navigate the gloomy backroads of the heart." - Oprah Daily on The Cartographers
"The well-rounded and diverse cast of characters plus the hunt spurred on by the strange map make this an excellent literary adventure for just about anyone." - Buzzfeed on The Cartographers
"The Cartographers is wildly imaginative and totally mind-bending in the best possible way. Shepherd has crafted a juicy mystery masquerading as a grown-up scavenger hunt filled with astonishing twists and revelations. The result is a romp that's pure pleasure to read and will keep readers guessing." - Bookpage (starred review)
"The Cartographers is a story about magical maps that lead to your heart's desire, the sort of people who would do anything to find them, and the joy, regret, and possibility they bring. A vastly rich experience. I loved this book." - Charles Soule, author of The Oracle Year
"Cleverly imagined.... With an elaborately realized plot, fanatic cartographers, maps with surreal powers generated by phantom settlements (intentional errors), and many-faceted suspense, Shepherd contrasts science and art, obsession and love in a bedazzling metaphysical tale of lost and found." - Booklist on The Cartographers
"Shepherd plots page-turning twists and revelations with ease and excels in her knowledge of historical maps and cartographical mysteries. The inclusion of map diagrams and detailed flashbacks carry the reader right alongside Nell as she attempts to disentangle an increasingly complex, slightly supernatural secret. In an author's note, Shepherd promises that 'something magical happens' when a person follows a map that lies, and this book will make you believe it. A highly inventive novel that pushes the boundaries of reality." - Kirkus Reviews on The Cartographers
"A shimmering delight, full of wonder, danger, and marvel. Suggest to readers of Erin Morgenstern, who has a similar ethos, and Natasha Pulley, who, like Shepherd, well knows how to end a story." - Library Journal on The Cartographers
"Shepherd's convincing blend of magic from old maps with the modern online world both delights and thrills." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Cartographers
"Shepherd merges old-fashioned maps with modern technology for a labyrinth of a plot that surprises at every turn." - Sun-Sentinel (Florida) on The Cartographers
"The Cartographers constantly astonishes readers." - Associated Press
"This is an apocalyptic thriller with heart. . . . The Book of M is devastating and inventive as Shepherd examines the value of memory, packing in imaginative twists as she goes." - USA Today
"I love a good dystopian page-turner, and Peng Shepherd's debut novel is the real deal. . . . Shepherd mixes in elements of multiple genres, like post-apocalyptic thriller and fantasy. But at its core, it's a meditation on memories and personhood, as Shepherd asks which one defines the other." - Elle on The Book of M
"Eerily magical . . . At the heart of the novel is a timeless question about the meaning of memory." - Time on The Book of M
"A beautiful and haunting story about the power of memory and the necessity of human connection, this book is a post-apocalyptic masterpiece and the one dystopian novel you really need to read this year." - Bustle on The Book of M
"She is a brilliant, brilliant new fiction writer. This is someone who you're eventually going to have on this couch-she's that good." - Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author, on the Today show on The Book of M
"[W]onderful...a fascinating cast of characters, a can't-miss idea, and a story that is absolutely spellbinding. It's one of those novels that, just when you think you've got a handle on where it's going, something forces you to rethink everything you think you knew. Shepherd's latest deserves to be a smash hit." - Booklist (starred review)
"[ALL THIS AND MORE] allows readers to select one option at the end of each episode. Each option leads to a different scenario, creating a unique story for every reader. The mechanics of following the story are almost as interesting as the story itself. Readers who relish novels of self-discovery and those who like plotting their own course through a story will enjoy this unusual book by the always-inventive Shepherd." - Library Journal
"All This and More is one of the best literary fiction beach reads of 2024 because it keeps readers pondering the potential consequences of their own choices." - BiblioLifestyle
"A powerful, thought-provoking story about the choices we wish we made." - Town & Country
"[S]tunningly inventive..." - theSkimm
"Extremely well-thought-out and captivating, to say the least." - New York Post
"Shepherd's ambitious new novel [is]... a surreal and twisty journey."
- The Atlantic
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Product notice
Rough front
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
598 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-327897-4 (9780063278974)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York, and Mexico City.
She is the nationally bestselling, award-winning author of All This and More, The Cartographers, and The Book of M. Her novels have been acclaimed as a "Best Book of the Year" by the Washington Post, a "Best Book of the Summer" by the Today Show and NPR, and featured in the New York Times, the LA Times, The Atlantic, and on Good Morning America, as well as a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Her work also has been translated into more than ten languages, and optioned for TV and film.
She is the nationally bestselling, award-winning author of All This and More, The Cartographers, and The Book of M. Her novels have been acclaimed as a "Best Book of the Year" by the Washington Post, a "Best Book of the Summer" by the Today Show and NPR, and featured in the New York Times, the LA Times, The Atlantic, and on Good Morning America, as well as a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Her work also has been translated into more than ten languages, and optioned for TV and film.