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hellarachel's review against another edition
4.5
wrenching portrait of violence against women portrayed poetically in Lacy Johnson's story. probably the most beautifully written memoir I've read.
lindseymoore14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
audaciaray's review against another edition
5.0
This book really blew me away. Sometimes folks ask me why I read about terrible things and trauma all the time, and this is it: because when a writer processes trauma and turns it into art, I’m in awe. Reading this book, a memoir of being kidnapped and raped by a man the writer used to live with, I was in awe of the force and directness of the writing, the sense-making process, the acceptance of her own wild rage and complicated memories. I don’t think trauma serves any higher purposes or happens for any damn reason, but I’m glad that even a tiny number of survivors can write it like this.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone who has been following my book reviews, knows that I'm a huge fan of Tin House. Lacy M. Johnson's memoir, The Other Side is a new offering from Tin House and as soon as I saw it advertised, I had to read it.
PLOT- Lacy M. Johnson fell in love with a Spanish professor who was teaching at the college that she was attending. He was charming and handsome at first, but when she moved in with him, the abuse started. After several years of putting up with his erratic behavior and both physical and mental abuse, Johnson left him. She thought that he had left the country, but instead he was waiting and plotting revenge. He kidnapped Lacy and brutally raped her, threatening to kill her. She would have been dead, if not for his mistake of leaving her alone, tied up, giving her enough time to escape. Although she escaped, she is left with scars and he fled the country, making it impossible for her to feel safe.
LIKE - Johnson's story is a powerful force that is impossible to put down. I think the style is what works best. She writes in a finessed stream of consciousness. She floats between flashbacks to her childhood, the abusive relationship, the rape and her life after the rape. She teases out the information about the rape, not divulging the full details until the very end of the story. This may sound sick, but I kept reading, wanting to know exactly what he did to her. It was horrific and upsetting. It was a strong choice to keep this at the end of the story, as it added to the tension.
I also like that we knew early on, that in the end, she was able to marry a nice guy and have kids with him. This sense of a happy ending, made the horrific portions easier to bear. Johnson is raw and honest, but never tries to make the reader pity her. This makes her a compelling protagonist worth rooting for.
DISLIKE- The only very minor negative, is that when Johnson switched between flashbacks, it sometimes took me a few moments to realize that a switch had occurred. Occasionally, the transitions were not as clear as they could be. However, this was only in a handful of sections and usually the floating between timelines worked very well.
RECOMMEND- Yes. A huge yes! The Other Side is a very powerful memoir and Johnson is brave for sharing her experience. I would especially recommend this to anyone who has or is currently in an abusive relationship. It would also be good for younger women who are starting to date, as a cautionary tale for understanding what is unacceptable behavior and where it could lead.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
PLOT- Lacy M. Johnson fell in love with a Spanish professor who was teaching at the college that she was attending. He was charming and handsome at first, but when she moved in with him, the abuse started. After several years of putting up with his erratic behavior and both physical and mental abuse, Johnson left him. She thought that he had left the country, but instead he was waiting and plotting revenge. He kidnapped Lacy and brutally raped her, threatening to kill her. She would have been dead, if not for his mistake of leaving her alone, tied up, giving her enough time to escape. Although she escaped, she is left with scars and he fled the country, making it impossible for her to feel safe.
LIKE - Johnson's story is a powerful force that is impossible to put down. I think the style is what works best. She writes in a finessed stream of consciousness. She floats between flashbacks to her childhood, the abusive relationship, the rape and her life after the rape. She teases out the information about the rape, not divulging the full details until the very end of the story. This may sound sick, but I kept reading, wanting to know exactly what he did to her. It was horrific and upsetting. It was a strong choice to keep this at the end of the story, as it added to the tension.
I also like that we knew early on, that in the end, she was able to marry a nice guy and have kids with him. This sense of a happy ending, made the horrific portions easier to bear. Johnson is raw and honest, but never tries to make the reader pity her. This makes her a compelling protagonist worth rooting for.
DISLIKE- The only very minor negative, is that when Johnson switched between flashbacks, it sometimes took me a few moments to realize that a switch had occurred. Occasionally, the transitions were not as clear as they could be. However, this was only in a handful of sections and usually the floating between timelines worked very well.
RECOMMEND- Yes. A huge yes! The Other Side is a very powerful memoir and Johnson is brave for sharing her experience. I would especially recommend this to anyone who has or is currently in an abusive relationship. It would also be good for younger women who are starting to date, as a cautionary tale for understanding what is unacceptable behavior and where it could lead.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
lizaroo71's review against another edition
4.0
I recently took a seminar at my Alma Mater, University of Houston, and Johnson gave a talk and then signed copies of this book.
Johnson chronicles the abusive relationship she had with a professor while attending university. This relationship leads to the former boyfriend kidnapping and raping Johnson for a twenty-four hour period.
What Johnson does here is try to make sense of how she ended up in such a relationship and to reconcile the life she has now with the toxic relationship from the past.
This is not graphic, but you come away with a clear understanding of Johnson's fear and trauma even after more than ten years. This book is a way of healing and telling her story so that others may find the courage to discuss their own experiences.
Johnson chronicles the abusive relationship she had with a professor while attending university. This relationship leads to the former boyfriend kidnapping and raping Johnson for a twenty-four hour period.
What Johnson does here is try to make sense of how she ended up in such a relationship and to reconcile the life she has now with the toxic relationship from the past.
This is not graphic, but you come away with a clear understanding of Johnson's fear and trauma even after more than ten years. This book is a way of healing and telling her story so that others may find the courage to discuss their own experiences.
kerrymc's review
4.0
This is a far more intimate and upsetting story than what I was prepared for when I read the book summary. The bravery of the author to put this all in writing amazes me. The hopping and skipping around in the story works for this memoir because I imagine it is much as the brain would work in recalling this whole life episode. This is such a personal story, I alsmost felt like I was snooping unwanted into someone's journals. I did not enjoy reading this but not because it was not well done, and achingly raw. There were a few stylistic things that got on my nerves...mostly the "name-that-was-not-a-name" which seemed awkward. Other than that I thought the book was well done.
youreadtoomuch's review against another edition
The setup, how she decides to share her story is so powerful. A reader wants to know the beginning and end in a linear fashion but Johnson writes at her own pace, when she's ready to share snippets of her trauma. It's as if by writing her story, she controls the narrative and understands her pain. Her numbness and felt tangible, consuming.
A beautiful piece that explores the long-lasting effects of trauma and a victim's capacity to hurt others in order to protect. Coming from Know My Name, where the long trial and governmental processes were just as damaging as the attack itself, I understood Johnson's freedom she gained in not going to trial.
A beautiful piece that explores the long-lasting effects of trauma and a victim's capacity to hurt others in order to protect. Coming from Know My Name, where the long trial and governmental processes were just as damaging as the attack itself, I understood Johnson's freedom she gained in not going to trial.
tracithomas's review against another edition
5.0
Holy cow this book is amazing. Brutal. Terrifying. Emotional and clinical. True crime memoir? Is that a thing? This is that. Lacy Johnson is a force. Brief and thorough.