On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher was released just over a week ago. As soon as I picked up my preordered copy, I went in to the nearest coffee shop and started reading. I’m a huge fan of Carrie’s and whereas I wasn’t massively keen on All I Know Now (I’m just the wrong age I think) I wanted to give her fiction work a try. I cannot praise it enough.

Title: On The Other Side

Author: Carrie Hope Fletcher

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Publication date: 14th July 2016

Publisher: Sphere

Pages: 352

Summary: Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door,
Leave the weight of the world in the world from before

Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It’s the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she’s become her twenty seven- year-old self and the door won’t open. Evie’s soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it’s too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love…

Evie Snow is stuck in a dilemma when her mother forces her in to a marriage she doesn’t want to be in and she can’t get a job. Evie is made to live a life that she doesn’t want to lead, without the man she loves. But in the end, love always finds magical ways to make things work.

I’ve been aware of this book release for about a year now and it was one of my most anticipated releases of 2016. I’ve watched Carrie on YouTube and in her stage career for years, so her writing career has inspired me to no end. I decided to go in to On The Other Side completely blind, I wanted to know very little of the story or the characters and let myself be taken away by Carrie’s imagination. I don’t regret it at all.

The writing itself of this novel is nothing short of perfect (not something i say lightly). As a young woman releasing her first fiction novel, the writing is outstanding. The story is told in detail with passion without it being dull or dragging on too long. You stay with the characters and connected with everyone and every situation because of how it is told. It’s nothing short of genius and I cannot find a fault.

The characters are incredibly thought out with their own personalities and opinions. You really do connect with Evie and Jim and Vincent. I find it difficult often to remember characters and their relation to the main character, this time it felt so easy. Also, Carrie included a range of sexualities in to her novel. Not often are sexualities discussed so casually that it truly makes the characters and friendships seem real, but she achieved that.

One thing that I wasn’t expecting during this novel was the magical elements. Carrie introduced magic and the supernatural in ways that I wasn’t expecting her to do. It made the story that much more interesting and inviting to read. It also created a world in which you can imagine these ‘out there’ characters live. On The Other Side seemed to play with your deception of reality and I loved that.

There a very few books I struggle to find fault in, I will always be realistic and express my dislike for the smallest things if they have bothered me, but I cannot find one in On The Other Side.

There are so many deeper meanings involved in this novel, it makes you think for hours after you put it down. About life and love, there are so many messages and lessons to learn. For a first novel, it has hooked me. By far On The Other Side is my favourite book of the year so far, and I cannot wait to see what Carrie has to offer in the future.