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A review by angieinbooks
The Other Side of Forestlands Lake by Carolyn Elizabeth
4.0
I'm a big fan of Carolyn Elizabeth's writing, so I look forward to anything the author writes. It took me a long time to getting around to this novel because I'm not drawn to the paranormal, but tis the season and all that. I was very invested in this story from the beginning and was mad when I had to set it down to work, so overall this was a win. It was creepy and while it was never really scary, there was one moment when I was deciding between reading another chapter and falling asleep that, for the sake of my sleep, I decided to put the book down in case it got too creepy for me to want to sleep. (I know I'm a wuss, which is why I don't read or watch horror). And the mystery is the strength of this novel, no question.
Where the novel loses stars for me is in the romance, which is hard for me to admit because that's honestly why I'm here. The protagonists are childhood friends who are on the verge of evolving their friendship into a romantic relationship when life and tragedy strikes. Fast-forward 25 years and they meet again for the first time since that tragic night and it's like no time has passed. And therein lies my issue. They literally pick up as if those 25 years haven't happened. And I struggle with that. A lot of growth happens between the ages of 15 and 40, even though they're bonded by memories and unspeakable tragedy. I just think the speed with which they come together doesn't make a lot of sense, and it really took away from the romance itself. I didn't get to see the longing glances and the subtle flirting or even all that Lesbian Processing™ that I really enjoy watching play out. And I should note that we do get this from them as teenagers, but I wanted it again when they were adults.
One other complaint (albeit minor) is that Elizabeth's "bad guys" tend to be obviously bad (and this isn't unique to this novel). The villains aren't twirling moustaches or anything, but they might as well be. I would like to see less obvious baddies from the author. Because the truth is evil people often live normal, unsuspecting lives.
But, overall, I really liked this. If you want something that will get you into the spirit of Halloween (even though this is set in the summer) without having to read something really scary*, then this is a great choice. And while the romance didn't fully work for me, I admit it was nice not having to stress about a will they-won't they dynamic when there's other tension at play. I can't wait to see what else Elizabeth has in store for us!
* While the story itself isn't scary, the novel is dealing with some dark themes. Thankfully these things happen away from the narrative, but they are discussed and implied.
Where the novel loses stars for me is in the romance, which is hard for me to admit because that's honestly why I'm here. The protagonists are childhood friends who are on the verge of evolving their friendship into a romantic relationship when life and tragedy strikes. Fast-forward 25 years and they meet again for the first time since that tragic night and it's like no time has passed. And therein lies my issue. They literally pick up as if those 25 years haven't happened. And I struggle with that. A lot of growth happens between the ages of 15 and 40, even though they're bonded by memories and unspeakable tragedy. I just think the speed with which they come together doesn't make a lot of sense, and it really took away from the romance itself. I didn't get to see the longing glances and the subtle flirting or even all that Lesbian Processing™ that I really enjoy watching play out. And I should note that we do get this from them as teenagers, but I wanted it again when they were adults.
One other complaint (albeit minor) is that Elizabeth's "bad guys" tend to be obviously bad (and this isn't unique to this novel). The villains aren't twirling moustaches or anything, but they might as well be. I would like to see less obvious baddies from the author. Because the truth is evil people often live normal, unsuspecting lives.
But, overall, I really liked this. If you want something that will get you into the spirit of Halloween (even though this is set in the summer) without having to read something really scary*, then this is a great choice. And while the romance didn't fully work for me, I admit it was nice not having to stress about a will they-won't they dynamic when there's other tension at play. I can't wait to see what else Elizabeth has in store for us!
* While the story itself isn't scary, the novel is dealing with some dark themes. Thankfully these things happen away from the narrative, but they are discussed and implied.