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michellefleming33's review against another edition
3.0
it was just alright. will pick up the next in the series though to see what happens.
rlguieb's review against another edition
4.0
I bought this book by accident and didn't realize it was a teen fiction. I thought it was just fiction, however I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. I look forward to reading the second book There. The only down side is it is too sci-fi for my taste but none the less good. Any adult would enjoy this book and great read for any teen or young adult. Love the author, smart and creative!
chllybrd's review against another edition
3.0
HERE was an interesting read. I wasn't sure where it was going in the beginning but by about 1/2 way through it makes sense. Julia and her best friend Monica were in a car accident and Julia is the only one who survived. She is racked with survivors guilt and has given up on everyone and everything in her life. When Evan starts paying attention to her she has no idea what to think and has no idea why she suddenly feels connected to him.
Julia was extremely depressed and depressing to watch for a good chunk of the book but she did come out of that and started to become interested in life again. She was a likable character and I had no troubles connecting to her and her feelings. Evan was extremely mysterious. For half of the book you are in total darkness to what is going on but once it hits the halfway point things start to be revealed at a nice pace. The love triangle was a bit weird but I think book 2 will give us a better play out of that.
I cant say some of the things I want to without spoiling the main reveal in the storyline but I felt the first half was well paced and explained in a nice paced fashion. The second half felt rushed and didnt feel as well developed.
Overall the idea behind HERE kept me interested as the story progressed but the ending fell short for me. HERE really ended up being one of those books that is interesting enough that you have to know what the outcome of things are and you don't really get that at the end so you want to read the next book so you have a bit of closure. I'm not sure that I would go out of my way to get the information from book 2 but if I get a chance to review it I will probably do that.
Julia was extremely depressed and depressing to watch for a good chunk of the book but she did come out of that and started to become interested in life again. She was a likable character and I had no troubles connecting to her and her feelings. Evan was extremely mysterious. For half of the book you are in total darkness to what is going on but once it hits the halfway point things start to be revealed at a nice pace. The love triangle was a bit weird but I think book 2 will give us a better play out of that.
I cant say some of the things I want to without spoiling the main reveal in the storyline but I felt the first half was well paced and explained in a nice paced fashion. The second half felt rushed and didnt feel as well developed.
Overall the idea behind HERE kept me interested as the story progressed but the ending fell short for me. HERE really ended up being one of those books that is interesting enough that you have to know what the outcome of things are and you don't really get that at the end so you want to read the next book so you have a bit of closure. I'm not sure that I would go out of my way to get the information from book 2 but if I get a chance to review it I will probably do that.
kimberleysbookmark's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the premise but....didn't care for the ending at all.
musings_of_a_middleaged_mum's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
On The Other Side is a two book series by Denise Grover Swank, called Here and There.
Julia is a 16yo school kid who hates her life. Six months ago she was in a car crash with her late best friend, and now she just wants to be left alone. School is doing nothing for her, she's failing all her classes because she cannot see the point anymore, so she is given an ultimatum - have a tutor and catch up or leave for remedial school.
Evan is the most popular boy at school, and he volunteers to tutor Julia. As they become close, it appears that they were destined to be together after some unexplained coincidences. However, all is not as it seems. As the police start to chase Evan, he wants to know if Julia will trust him and come home with him.
I read both these books in a couple of days, so it makes sense for me to review them together.
As always, these are really well written by Swank. I've read a fair few of her books now, and I always look forward to reading them as I get totally immersed into the new worlds. This book isn't as hard hitting as some YA that I've read - there's no sex, no swearing and mild violence - but that doesn't make it less enjoyable. As I was reading through, I kept wanting to discover what was next for our heroes.
The ending of the second book allows for scope for future books, though I think the author has done well to leave it there. If you enjoy sci fi, and enjoy these books, you may also enjoy the classic 90s TV series, Sliders.
Julia is a 16yo school kid who hates her life. Six months ago she was in a car crash with her late best friend, and now she just wants to be left alone. School is doing nothing for her, she's failing all her classes because she cannot see the point anymore, so she is given an ultimatum - have a tutor and catch up or leave for remedial school.
Evan is the most popular boy at school, and he volunteers to tutor Julia. As they become close, it appears that they were destined to be together after some unexplained coincidences. However, all is not as it seems. As the police start to chase Evan, he wants to know if Julia will trust him and come home with him.
I read both these books in a couple of days, so it makes sense for me to review them together.
As always, these are really well written by Swank. I've read a fair few of her books now, and I always look forward to reading them as I get totally immersed into the new worlds. This book isn't as hard hitting as some YA that I've read - there's no sex, no swearing and mild violence - but that doesn't make it less enjoyable. As I was reading through, I kept wanting to discover what was next for our heroes.
The ending of the second book allows for scope for future books, though I think the author has done well to leave it there. If you enjoy sci fi, and enjoy these books, you may also enjoy the classic 90s TV series, Sliders.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Car accident
taylorjo24's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
I couldn’t put down the book!
It’s the perfect amount of sci-fi, romance, and suspense.
I usually don’t like books that end with a cliffhanger, but I’m excited to see what book 2 brings.
It’s the perfect amount of sci-fi, romance, and suspense.
I usually don’t like books that end with a cliffhanger, but I’m excited to see what book 2 brings.
sweetcreature89's review against another edition
3.0
This book caught my attention when I saw it in the Kindle store. The synopsis for it sounded really intriguing and the cover was just downright creepy, which always makes me want to read a book more.
I do have to say, however, that I feel the cover and the summary are a bit misleading. The book is made out to seem very paranormal in the way of spirits and creep-factor when it's actually more scientific and sci-fi than anything.
Overall, this book was not what I was expecting by a long shot, but it was still really good and I enjoyed it. I'm eager to read book two.
I do have to say, however, that I feel the cover and the summary are a bit misleading. The book is made out to seem very paranormal in the way of spirits and creep-factor when it's actually more scientific and sci-fi than anything.
Overall, this book was not what I was expecting by a long shot, but it was still really good and I enjoyed it. I'm eager to read book two.
angelastl's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing YA book. The story line is a little different than what I'm used to, but one of my favorite books!!!
knallen's review against another edition
4.0
This started out a little slow and I was absolutely confused about what was going on, but in a good way. I was trying to figure out the story and who was what and how things were going to go. I didn't get it right. When the story picked up, it really picked up and it was unexpected and original. Thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm interested to see where she takes it.