THE OTHER SIDE
by Kim Holden
Publication Date: June 6, 2019
Published by Do Epic, LLC
Pages: 364
Source: WordSmith Publicity
Synopsis
Denver, Colorado
1987
There are two sides to every story.
The surface reality that’s presented to the world.
And then there’s the other side.
The real one.
The one that matters.
Seventeen-year-old, self-proclaimed asshole, Toby Page, is alone.
No friends.
No family.
He trades maintenance work in exchange for room and board.
Every day he fights demons no one else can see.
Every day he wants to give up.
But he can’t.
Not yet.
When Alice Eliot moves in downstairs, she offers Toby some light in his dark world.
At a crossroads and barely hanging on, it’s hard to have perspective.
It’s difficult to see your own worth when you’re the villain in your story.
Luckily for Toby, Alice brings things out in him that no one else ever has.
As the two sides of Toby’s story are revealed, and the full reality comes into view, truth is gained.
Improbable alliances prove that kindness is fundamentally human.
Unlikely heroes emerge.
The question is, Will it all be enough to save him?
My Thoughts
Deciding to read The Other Side was like deciding to take the risk of breaking my own heart. It’s worth the risk.
There were many moments while reading that my eyes were brimming with tears. I felt an intense connection to the characters, their emotions, their doubts. Every character is facing their own challenge often coupled with uncertainty, sadness, or depression showing that we ALL are dealing with some struggle, some more obvious than others. And there is an emphasis to take care with other people.
Books like The Other Side can help us hear ourselves, to understand ourselves, to heal ourselves and to know - it's not always easy and there is never one perfect solution. But to recognize that we're not alone and knowing that we don't have to be alone, it can make all of the difference.
One of my favorite lines of the book:
“Just promise me that someday, when it doesn’t hurt so much to talk about, you’ll tell me the story. I want to hear it, Toby. I want to hear all of your stories.”
I’ve commented about the books that I'll hold in my heart forever, or books that will leave me forever changed, or there are books that have permanent place on my shelf because of how profound they are and the effect they have on me. The Other Side is one of those books.
Thank you Kim Holden for giving this reader such a gift.
Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from WordSmith Publicity for review consideration. I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. I've purchased a finished copy for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the Author:
Some of my favorite things: reading, writing, the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (my husband built it for me), Facebook (I'm fairly certain it's an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut), and music (LOVE Sunset Sons, the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Balance and Composure, Teenage Bottlerocket, and 30 Seconds to Mars). I also love dreaming, which brings me to my next point. I have one bit of advice for anyone reading this ... follow your dreams. It's never too late. Get started today ... heck get started RIGHT NOW! I wanted to write a book 20 years ago. Instead I waited. And waited. I should've been writing. But I didn't. I don't do regrets, because the past is just that, the past. But let me tell you there's nothing in the world like achieving something you've dreamt about for years and years. So, get started. Make your dreams reality.
I love to hear from other readers. Send me a message or find me on Facebook (https://facebook.com/kimholdenauthor) and tell me what's up in your reading world.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by my blog and taking the time to comment!