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mitskacir's review against another edition
2.0
Reading other reviews, I saw many people thought this book mainly consisted of “overwrought handwringing”, which is very accurate. Many also said the ending made the beginning worth it, and while the last hour or so (I listened to the audiobook) was vastly better than the first 5 hours, it by no means made it worth the read. I think this story had a lot of potential and the sci-fi bit at the end was done very well - it might have justified itself if the tedious section was at least half as long.
justinkhchen's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars
Criminally engaging, trippy, and emotional, The Other Side of Night is one of those titles that fall a bit under the radar (mildly interesting-looking but not in a rush to pick up), but turned out to be an incredible gem more readers should experience. This is for you if you want something a little genre-bending, off-kilter, but still tugs at the heartstrings.
It's hard to provide a thorough review because I want to preserve the experience for everyone as much as possible; I went into it expecting 1 thing (what the synopsis conveyed), but it sneakily branched out into another very welcoming territory. Even calling out other books / movies it reminds me of is bit of a spoiler. (I also didn't look at its Goodreads genres tag too closely, which I recommend not to).
But I can say this is one of the moodiest novels I've read, particularly in the first half, where it was seeped in melancholy with characters behaving like they've all been shell-shocked (which reasonably so as the plot revealed itself)—this strange tone had me immediately intrigued. Lastly I have to give props to the depiction of a pivotal character, possibly the creepiest, non-horror character I've read in awhile.
Criminally engaging, trippy, and emotional, The Other Side of Night is one of those titles that fall a bit under the radar (mildly interesting-looking but not in a rush to pick up), but turned out to be an incredible gem more readers should experience. This is for you if you want something a little genre-bending, off-kilter, but still tugs at the heartstrings.
It's hard to provide a thorough review because I want to preserve the experience for everyone as much as possible; I went into it expecting 1 thing (what the synopsis conveyed), but it sneakily branched out into another very welcoming territory. Even calling out other books / movies it reminds me of is bit of a spoiler. (I also didn't look at its Goodreads genres tag too closely, which I recommend not to).
But I can say this is one of the moodiest novels I've read, particularly in the first half, where it was seeped in melancholy with characters behaving like they've all been shell-shocked (which reasonably so as the plot revealed itself)—this strange tone had me immediately intrigued. Lastly I have to give props to the depiction of a pivotal character, possibly the creepiest, non-horror character I've read in awhile.
solnit_and_sebastian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
muddywatersbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
amyjayexo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mxmaxreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book went in a completely different direction than I expected. Without spoiling anything, it ended up being a blend of genres that made for an engaging and mind-boggling plot that had me doing a lot of fun mental jumping jacks (but in a good way). I would have liked to have spent more time learning about the main characters’ backgrounds; however, this was a wild time that was worthwhile!
jillie's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
“We are bound by the chains of causation that allow time to hold back chaos, and each link is essential to ensure we never escape our destiny. Every moment of suffering, every stab of pain, every shed tear, is simply the price of order. We each long to be exempt from such tight bonds, to have one link unfastened to undo a moment, to alter the chain that constrains us, but such dreams are futile. We are stuck, bound to stories that have already been written.”
Right off the bat, I was taken in by the prose & storytelling. I loved many of the sentences that were written.
It became slow & difficult to find motivation to continue through a lot of the book, especially because I disliked one of the main characters. The twist got me as it did so many others and really changed my feeling towards the entire story. That being said, I almost wish I hadn’t read it because the emotions the twist evoked were a bit too raw for me (but hey, another sign of good writing!).
So yeah. Wasn’t entirely sure what to rate it but this feels right.
May 2024
Right off the bat, I was taken in by the prose & storytelling. I loved many of the sentences that were written.
It became slow & difficult to find motivation to continue through a lot of the book, especially because I disliked one of the main characters. The twist got me as it did so many others and really changed my feeling towards the entire story. That being said, I almost wish I hadn’t read it because the emotions the twist evoked were a bit too raw for me (but hey, another sign of good writing!).
So yeah. Wasn’t entirely sure what to rate it but this feels right.
May 2024