Publish Date: 14 July 2016
Genre: Magical realism, romance
Audience: Young adult (and above)
I have been excited for this novel ever since Carrie announced it on her channel in July last year. Just the design of the book is stunning, and once I had my hands on it I couldn't wait to start this magical adventure.
At first, I found Carrie's simplistic writing style hard to acclimatise to, but it soon became familar and easy to read. This was helped by some very powerful quotes throughout, some of which I simply had to re-read in pure awe! In addition, the dialogue is extremely realistic, ranging from irresistably romantic encounters to angst-ridden heartbreaking scenes, and adding a unique contrast to the magical setting.
Another feature I loved about this book was its omniscient nature; it allows the reader to obtain a well-rounded idea of each character, regardless of their status. I did think that a few characters seemed fairly ALL good or ALL bad seeing as it is a magical realism novel, however the characters that I did love completely made up for this, and there are plenty of minor characters to fall in love with. Futhermore, I adored seeing the perspective of Evie's children and Vincent when reacting to her secrets; the situations felt intensely personal and real, despite their magical and unimaginable nature.
The elements of magic themselves were breathtakingly beautiful, with situations that were so extraordinary yet felt so right to the story. My only critism with this was that I felt the magic needed a little bit more explaining; I still haven't really been able to figure out how a couple of the situations happened, but I think that this may just be me needing more experience with the world of magical fiction! Regardless, I absolutely adored the plot as a whole, and thought it an outstanding idea for a debut fiction novel.
In conclusion, I really loved 'On The Other Side', as it offered a unique and emotional adventure from the start. Magic is not a genre that I would usually pick up, but thanks to this magnificent read it is one that I will seriously consider again! Whilst it did have its flaws, it was a novel which had me grinning from ear to ear throughout.
Next read: 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky
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