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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Very well written story with a big twist but took awhile before I felt connected to the characters. I really enjoyed the second half.
I don't usually read science fiction, and you won't know it is science fiction until near the end. And, that's all I'm going to say, other than, stick with it. It really is a good book!
Exquisite genre-bending novel that packs a ginormous emotional punch!
WOW! It’s virtually impossible to review this book without revealing too much about the wonderful narrative. It’s a beautiful story that seamlessly blends multiple genres to create a completely compelling and unique read. At the outset, I thought I was reading a brilliantly plotted and well constructed crime thriller, with the investigation of a cold case by a disgraced former police officer. Honestly, The Other Side of Night would have been a riveting read if this had been the entirety of the plot, but there’s a huge, extraordinary and mind-blowing twist at the centre of this book that shifts the narrative into a whole new sphere. It’s fascinating, heart-breaking, redemptive and utterly affecting. I was enveloped in this story, which was equal parts suspenseful mystery and thought-provoking masterpiece. Hamdy is a beautiful writer and I was in awe with his ability to shift between lyricism and grit. This novel stretches your thoughts and has a profound impact: I will be digesting it for a very long time.
I urge you to read this novel yourself to discover exactly what it’s about, but to give you a little flavour, it’s a story that tackles our perceptions of life, sacrifice, the interconnection between past, present and future, it’s also a sweeping love story, a complex and engrossing mystery, a heart-wrenching tale of family, and ultimately a tale of the power of love. It’s simultaneously complex and full of big, blue sky ideas, but also entirely captivating and easy to read. The pages practically turn themselves in the pursuit of truth, meaning and exactly how David, Ben, Elliot and Harri’s lives are entwined. Be prepared to traverse a journey you’re not expecting, be mesmerised, be moved and indulge in this magnificent novel!
WOW! It’s virtually impossible to review this book without revealing too much about the wonderful narrative. It’s a beautiful story that seamlessly blends multiple genres to create a completely compelling and unique read. At the outset, I thought I was reading a brilliantly plotted and well constructed crime thriller, with the investigation of a cold case by a disgraced former police officer. Honestly, The Other Side of Night would have been a riveting read if this had been the entirety of the plot, but there’s a huge, extraordinary and mind-blowing twist at the centre of this book that shifts the narrative into a whole new sphere. It’s fascinating, heart-breaking, redemptive and utterly affecting. I was enveloped in this story, which was equal parts suspenseful mystery and thought-provoking masterpiece. Hamdy is a beautiful writer and I was in awe with his ability to shift between lyricism and grit. This novel stretches your thoughts and has a profound impact: I will be digesting it for a very long time.
I urge you to read this novel yourself to discover exactly what it’s about, but to give you a little flavour, it’s a story that tackles our perceptions of life, sacrifice, the interconnection between past, present and future, it’s also a sweeping love story, a complex and engrossing mystery, a heart-wrenching tale of family, and ultimately a tale of the power of love. It’s simultaneously complex and full of big, blue sky ideas, but also entirely captivating and easy to read. The pages practically turn themselves in the pursuit of truth, meaning and exactly how David, Ben, Elliot and Harri’s lives are entwined. Be prepared to traverse a journey you’re not expecting, be mesmerised, be moved and indulge in this magnificent novel!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took a realllly long time to get into this novel. Once I was in it—and the audiobook does no favors here—read it in paper if you can, I did like it. It’s not a new genre of mystery, to me, or crime.
cannot emphasise how much I hated this book. holy shit what a waste of time.
This book was sooo slow and unbelievable, and that was before I got to the end. The woman at the center felt stiff and unlikely, as did the way the characters related. I didn't appreciate the way Harri talked about herself. She certainly pined over someone who she had no discernable chemistry or history with. The heavy suspicion only made the ending all the more creepy. Like some sort of tragic figure that was really a lot of hot air. It probably doesn't help that I'm not into poetry.
And as for the mystery that had no logic to it at all and compelled me to finish the book that I otherwise would have quit? Well, the deus ex machina in the very last 10% made it feel like the author might as well have said "it was all just a dream the end!"
Boo.
And as for the mystery that had no logic to it at all and compelled me to finish the book that I otherwise would have quit? Well, the deus ex machina in the very last 10% made it feel like the author might as well have said "it was all just a dream the end!"
Boo.
Not even time travel and nano particles could save this story.