Book review: Twice by Mitch Albom

Twice by Mitch Albom is a story within a story. It opens with a man (Alfie) being questioned by casino security having done the unthinkable and won at the roulette table three times in a row. His interviewer (Vincent) assumes Alfie’s colluded with a casino employee or used magnets or similar, but Alfie continues to maintain his innocence… only requesting that Vincent read a journal he’s brought along with him. And thus begins the story of Alfie’s life, starting with the tragic death of his mother when he was just eight years old.

When he is eight years old, Alfie Logan discovers the magical ability to get a second chance at everything. He can undo any moment and live it again. The one catch: he must accept the consequences of his second try - for better or worse.

He grows up correcting his mistakes and saving himself from adolescent embarrassments. He even takes foolishly dangerous risks, just to see what it's like to come close to death, before tapping back to safety. Eventually, Alfie turns his gift to his love life, studying his crushes and going back to make himself more appealing. In time, he falls deeply in love with Gianna, the woman he believes is the one. He seems to find contentment.

But as the years pass, Alfie's eye begins to wander. Which is when he learns a lone caveat to his power: once he undoes a love, that person can never fall in love with him again. Knowing if he gives into to temptation, he will risk losing what he has with Gianna, Alfie makes a choice that changes his life forever.

The book begins many years later, after an ailing Alfie is arrested for allegedly cheating and winning millions at a casino roulette wheel. As a curious detective interrogates him, he slowly uncovers Alfie's incredible story, and its most unlikely conclusion.

This book is a bit of a mindf*ck. The blurb above ostensibly tells us what Alfie’s capable of and I certainly enjoyed the complex (but not convoluted) journey we travel with him (and love-of-his-life Gianna) through his life to date. Obviously the book is meant to be fantastical (which is something I usually struggle with) but I was more than happy to suspend disbelief here as Alfie shares his story through his journal, written for his boss…

I’m more of a duplicator, really, a reshaper of my own existence. If you interacted with me, then I can change that experience, and you’ll have no recollection of our previous encounter. But I will. That’s the price I pay. (9% through book)

I won’t say too much about where things end up, but the Alfie we meet in the present is dying and we learn that he’s lived more lives than most. Of course his ‘gift’ comes with drawbacks – not being able to ‘redo’ something more than once. Not to mention unintended consequences of do-overs. I’m reminded of a TV show I watched a decade or so ago (and wrote here about do-overs) and of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library.

Albom’s writing is again lovely and like The Stranger in the Lifeboat (which was also a bit of a mindf*ck) there’s a weightiness here, the need to ponder some of moral or ethical ambiguity to consider how we feel about the decisions Alfie makes and action he takes. It’d be a great bookclub read with an opportunity to consider what ‘we’ might do in the same situation.

“It would be like taking a stitch our of a tapestry. The whole thing could unravel…

I figure every little thing that happens is part of life or fate or God or whatever leading to where I’m supposed to be….

Who am I to undo that? It’s not finished yet.” (49% through book)

Twice by Mitch Albom will be published by Little, Brown Book Group in early October 2025.

I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.