lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
What a brilliant book! And an amazing way to talk about history, as it is history intertwined with a story made up by the author. Very many harsh scenes, but the story really needs to be told, we should never forget the past, because the only way we can make a better future is if we remember the past, and learn from it's mistakes.
theowldragon's review against another edition
4.0
TW: Slavery, suicide, mentions of rape, drugs and alcohol abuse
The Other Side of Dark is a powerfully emotional story. It is fictional, but contains many true facts regarding Thomas Handasyd Perkins and slavery.
I found that the book was mostly easy to read, except there were a few small, but important things at the start that were explained later. For instance, I had to wait several pages to find out who exactly Phil is to Katie.
Sarah Smith did a very good job at getting information about Perkins and the slave trade across; it was emotional and easy to understand, without understating the devastation and despair caused.
In conclusion, I thought it was a lovely, but very sad book and one I think I will remember for a long time. I think it is very much an underrated book.
The Other Side of Dark is a powerfully emotional story. It is fictional, but contains many true facts regarding Thomas Handasyd Perkins and slavery.
I found that the book was mostly easy to read, except there were a few small, but important things at the start that were explained later. For instance, I had to wait several pages to find out who exactly Phil is to Katie.
Sarah Smith did a very good job at getting information about Perkins and the slave trade across; it was emotional and easy to understand, without understating the devastation and despair caused.
In conclusion, I thought it was a lovely, but very sad book and one I think I will remember for a long time. I think it is very much an underrated book.
piperhudsburn's review against another edition
5.0
The Other Side Of Dark is a disturbing, empowering, thought provoking exploration of slavery and race. It’s a book with that special factor. It has that special ‘fire’ that captures the teenage condition, mixed paranormal elements.
Katie Mullens is no longer an ordinary girl. Ever since the unfortunate death of her mother, Katie has been insane. She sees ghosts everywhere- and she can’t help but be haunted by them. Katie is especially haunted by a ghost named George Perkins, a boy with Down Syndrome who has been put in charge of protecting a treasure paid with the blood and sweat of African Slaves. Katie can see these slaves, and the fact she is bound by them, and only the truth can set her free.
Law Walker is the son of a Harvard Professor. He is a geek, prefers to talk more about Terra-Cotta then video games and sports. He is confused about his race, having both black and white blood. He has had a crush on Katie ever since Seventh Grade- and because of his controlling parents, never got the chance to take their friendship further- ‘cause they never wanted him to date a poor white girl. Now they’re in high-school, and when Law sees her scary drawing and realizes that Katie is not insane, but she has a gift. And he will do anything to set her, his people, and himself free.
This book was a complete thrill-ride. Law and Katie struggle to make the right decisions, for their parents, themselves, and their friends. Their relationship is developed extremely well- slow, then rushed, then slowed down again. An almost sexual experience is driven by fear and results in distrust- a beyond ‘real’ scenario. Their search to free the souls of the slaves is done well, and the description- the detail and the feelings are beautiful.
One of the characters that I connected with, honestly, was George. He is alone, confused, and ignorant of the power he has in his hands. Law, just the same, is alone and confused- and throughout the book, he begins to realize where he comes from and the pain is ancestors had to endure to get him to where he is today. He questions his parents, his faith, and what he believes in, and in the end he realizes he is able to make his own decisions, and he is African-American, and being an architect isn’t going to change that. Katie faces truth, death, forgiveness, and freedom, and it completes her. She is the most powerful girl protagonist I have read about in a long time, mostly because isn’t afraid, she faces her past, who she is, and slavery, and she changes the course of the story because of it. It’s simply captivating.
Bottom Line:
OMG YOU HAVE TO READ IT! Ahem…..check it out at your local library now!
Katie Mullens is no longer an ordinary girl. Ever since the unfortunate death of her mother, Katie has been insane. She sees ghosts everywhere- and she can’t help but be haunted by them. Katie is especially haunted by a ghost named George Perkins, a boy with Down Syndrome who has been put in charge of protecting a treasure paid with the blood and sweat of African Slaves. Katie can see these slaves, and the fact she is bound by them, and only the truth can set her free.
Law Walker is the son of a Harvard Professor. He is a geek, prefers to talk more about Terra-Cotta then video games and sports. He is confused about his race, having both black and white blood. He has had a crush on Katie ever since Seventh Grade- and because of his controlling parents, never got the chance to take their friendship further- ‘cause they never wanted him to date a poor white girl. Now they’re in high-school, and when Law sees her scary drawing and realizes that Katie is not insane, but she has a gift. And he will do anything to set her, his people, and himself free.
This book was a complete thrill-ride. Law and Katie struggle to make the right decisions, for their parents, themselves, and their friends. Their relationship is developed extremely well- slow, then rushed, then slowed down again. An almost sexual experience is driven by fear and results in distrust- a beyond ‘real’ scenario. Their search to free the souls of the slaves is done well, and the description- the detail and the feelings are beautiful.
One of the characters that I connected with, honestly, was George. He is alone, confused, and ignorant of the power he has in his hands. Law, just the same, is alone and confused- and throughout the book, he begins to realize where he comes from and the pain is ancestors had to endure to get him to where he is today. He questions his parents, his faith, and what he believes in, and in the end he realizes he is able to make his own decisions, and he is African-American, and being an architect isn’t going to change that. Katie faces truth, death, forgiveness, and freedom, and it completes her. She is the most powerful girl protagonist I have read about in a long time, mostly because isn’t afraid, she faces her past, who she is, and slavery, and she changes the course of the story because of it. It’s simply captivating.
Bottom Line:
OMG YOU HAVE TO READ IT! Ahem…..check it out at your local library now!
daanin's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
lisaluvsliterature's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It is not really historical fiction, but it goes back and does get into some history and it is a ghost type story as well. In a way it reminds me just a little bit of [b:Ghosts I Have Been|1146093|Ghosts I Have Been|Richard Peck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181394804s/1146093.jpg|1528949]one of my favorite series ever when I was younger. I like that this has the history along with the ghost story. And I also enjoyed reading from the viewpoint of a teen boy who has a black father and a white mother. It was interesting to read his take on his father's crusade to get reparations. This book also jumped between viewpoints of Law Walker, and the "crazy" girl in town, Katie Mullen. It turns out that Law had a crush on Katie when they were younger, before she became the crazy girl. But his mother didn't let him ask her to the dance because she lived on the wrong side of the town. Law's mom and dad are well to do. Katie is not. In fact she lives with her step-father, because her father died in the military, and her mother died later. But now Katie sees ghosts. She wants to believe it is just hallucinations, until she draws one of the ghosts and when Law sees the drawing, he doesn't know how she knows what those things looked like. She has to come to terms with the fact that things in her past may not be quite as she has believed. And Law must figure a way to do what he wants and not completely disappoint his father who has his own plans for Law.
I really enjoyed this book. Couldn't wait to get back to it whenever I had to put it down. It was also nice that I had some extra time when I was reading this so that I did not have to take too long to read it.
I really enjoyed this book. Couldn't wait to get back to it whenever I had to put it down. It was also nice that I had some extra time when I was reading this so that I did not have to take too long to read it.
hibatheescapeartist's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly, I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I went in with zero expectations and, if I’m being honest, I was quite doubtful after reading some GR reviews, but I am so happy to say that GR negative reviews are wrong, once again. This was one of the most unique books I have ever read. So many aspects of this story pleasantly surprised me, and I don’t mean in a “twist-you-never-saw-coming” type of way (even though it has this element) but rather the fact that every minute detail shocked me from its absolute peculiarity.
1. I just need to emphasise on the slavery aspect of this book--wow. Wow. Honestly, I have never been so immersed in African-American History more than I did while reading this book. The depth of the History in this made the story so realistic that the fine line between reality and fiction started to blur for me. I would get up to eat some biscuits and suddenly I would find myself worrying and thinking, What the hell is going on in Pinebank? or Why hasn’t CNN covered the news about Thomas Perkins? You know, the usual.
2. What genre does this book go under? Fantasy? Historical Fiction? Horror? Romance? The answer is yes, my friends. Yes. It is all of the above. I loved how intertwined the magical aspect of this book was to the factual and logical part. A girl who sees ghosts and a boy who wants to be an architectural historian. Literally the perfect mix for disaster.
3. The plot was so addictive. I finished this book in one sitting (in case you were wondering; yes, my back and butt are sore). As soon as I flipped the first page, I was hooked by these characters and their weird families and that goddamned house and all the eerie and spooky things that surrounded it.
4. Despite how much I hated Law’s Homelife and parents, I cannot help but show appreciation for the author’s clever idea of making Law’s parents an interracial couple. I could literally feel Law’s internal struggle between the two halves of himself. Will he stand up for the injustice that was caused to black people for centuries in America? Will he follow his dreams and save an architectural perfect house owned by a slaver? Will he disappoint his dad? Will he believe Katie? Will he? Will he?
5. Talk about grey areas. If you’re reading this book for a simple good-versus-evil plot, you’ve got another thing coming, let me tell you.
6.
7. WHY WAS THIS BOOK SO FUNNY? Katie and Law were sarcastic little beans. When Law said he felt whiter than Eminem I had to reread that line about three times before I fully allowed myself to laugh at it.
8. Um, the knowledge I gained about African-American history? Unmatched.
If there’s one thing I’m learning about myself, it is that I am an absolute sucker for unknown books that sweep you off your feet. The Other Side of Dark should honestly have more ratings than it does. I feel so transformed and doused in a kind of ethereal entity. My only complain about this novel would have to be the fact that the great abundance of history got slightly confusing at points, but I am willing to overlook this because of how different this story was. 5 stars!!
1. I just need to emphasise on the slavery aspect of this book--wow. Wow. Honestly, I have never been so immersed in African-American History more than I did while reading this book. The depth of the History in this made the story so realistic that the fine line between reality and fiction started to blur for me. I would get up to eat some biscuits and suddenly I would find myself worrying and thinking, What the hell is going on in Pinebank? or Why hasn’t CNN covered the news about Thomas Perkins? You know, the usual.
2. What genre does this book go under? Fantasy? Historical Fiction? Horror? Romance? The answer is yes, my friends. Yes. It is all of the above. I loved how intertwined the magical aspect of this book was to the factual and logical part. A girl who sees ghosts and a boy who wants to be an architectural historian. Literally the perfect mix for disaster.
3. The plot was so addictive. I finished this book in one sitting (in case you were wondering; yes, my back and butt are sore). As soon as I flipped the first page, I was hooked by these characters and their weird families and that goddamned house and all the eerie and spooky things that surrounded it.
4. Despite how much I hated Law’s Homelife and parents, I cannot help but show appreciation for the author’s clever idea of making Law’s parents an interracial couple. I could literally feel Law’s internal struggle between the two halves of himself. Will he stand up for the injustice that was caused to black people for centuries in America? Will he follow his dreams and save an architectural perfect house owned by a slaver? Will he disappoint his dad? Will he believe Katie? Will he? Will he?
5. Talk about grey areas. If you’re reading this book for a simple good-versus-evil plot, you’ve got another thing coming, let me tell you.
6.
Spoiler
I’m kind of sad for Katie... I was hoping her mum would visit her and she would get some closure.7. WHY WAS THIS BOOK SO FUNNY? Katie and Law were sarcastic little beans. When Law said he felt whiter than Eminem I had to reread that line about three times before I fully allowed myself to laugh at it.
8. Um, the knowledge I gained about African-American history? Unmatched.
If there’s one thing I’m learning about myself, it is that I am an absolute sucker for unknown books that sweep you off your feet. The Other Side of Dark should honestly have more ratings than it does. I feel so transformed and doused in a kind of ethereal entity. My only complain about this novel would have to be the fact that the great abundance of history got slightly confusing at points, but I am willing to overlook this because of how different this story was. 5 stars!!
readerpants's review against another edition
4.0
Ohhhhhhhh, I have a lot of big, undefined feelings about this book. It was new, complicated, dark, smart, atmospheric, multivalent... and maybe somewhat problematic. I wasn't thrilled with Smith's use of George, who has Down Syndrome, as a plot device, but it wasn't totally terrible either.
It's hard to believe that Law is a real teen, but he's a hottie regardless. Katie likes "his button-down shirts and his Buddy Holly glasses; he dresses so conservative and retro, he looks like Clark Kent. He has handsome hands." (Flutter!) Oh, he's also kind, empathetic, passionately geeky about architecture but not socially awkward, brilliant, and has great friends for whom he cares deeply. I'm a big old dyke but *I'd* date him in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, Law's dad -- a thinly disguised Henry Louis Gates Jr -- comes across as flat at best and a hypocritical, if smart and eloquent, asshole at worst. His mom isn't much better.
The really complex threads of the story are race, privilege, class, education: coming from an African-American or biracial author, I wouldn't have necessarily questioned the places that the story goes... not the descriptions of slavery, but Law's ambivalence about race and identity. On the other hand, it sure wasn't a stereotypical portrait of a young black man living in the city. Nor was it an idealized good-guy-bad-guy story of oppression and big dreams. I'm just... not sure. And for a book that relies so heavily on questions of race, privilege, and class, I'd like to feel more confident that she really did it right, and I don't feel totally confident making that call myself. I ran it through my kidlit-bloggers-of-color Google search, and didn't find any reviews at all... I wonder if there will be more.
It's hard to believe that Law is a real teen, but he's a hottie regardless. Katie likes "his button-down shirts and his Buddy Holly glasses; he dresses so conservative and retro, he looks like Clark Kent. He has handsome hands." (Flutter!) Oh, he's also kind, empathetic, passionately geeky about architecture but not socially awkward, brilliant, and has great friends for whom he cares deeply. I'm a big old dyke but *I'd* date him in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, Law's dad -- a thinly disguised Henry Louis Gates Jr -- comes across as flat at best and a hypocritical, if smart and eloquent, asshole at worst. His mom isn't much better.
The really complex threads of the story are race, privilege, class, education: coming from an African-American or biracial author, I wouldn't have necessarily questioned the places that the story goes... not the descriptions of slavery, but Law's ambivalence about race and identity. On the other hand, it sure wasn't a stereotypical portrait of a young black man living in the city. Nor was it an idealized good-guy-bad-guy story of oppression and big dreams. I'm just... not sure. And for a book that relies so heavily on questions of race, privilege, and class, I'd like to feel more confident that she really did it right, and I don't feel totally confident making that call myself. I ran it through my kidlit-bloggers-of-color Google search, and didn't find any reviews at all... I wonder if there will be more.
bellatora's review against another edition
3.0
There were some hard-hitting issues brought up about race and guilt and mental illness but for some reason I couldn't connect with the book.
Law Walker has a black father and a white mother and has issues trying to reconcile who (and what) he wants to be with who and what he thinks he's supposed to be. It's especially hard given his father is an arrogant, hypocritical man.
Katie has decided she's insane because she can see ghosts, which I find weird. She doesn't consider that she might actually be seeing ghosts which is kind of awesome and not a sign of insanity?
I don't know why I couldn't love this book. Law and Katie were fine characters and the complex issues brought up in the story plus the mystery of the Perkins Bequest should've kept me hooked. This book just wasn't for me.
P.S. Law, your friends are judgy and mean. Why are you friends with them again?
Law Walker has a black father and a white mother and has issues trying to reconcile who (and what) he wants to be with who and what he thinks he's supposed to be. It's especially hard given his father is an arrogant, hypocritical man.
Katie has decided she's insane because she can see ghosts, which I find weird. She doesn't consider that she might actually be seeing ghosts which is kind of awesome and not a sign of insanity?
I don't know why I couldn't love this book. Law and Katie were fine characters and the complex issues brought up in the story plus the mystery of the Perkins Bequest should've kept me hooked. This book just wasn't for me.
P.S. Law, your friends are judgy and mean. Why are you friends with them again?
bitchburgerbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book, but it didn't start picking up until half way through. The ending was great! :-)
lenni's review against another edition
1.0
How fictional does a book have to be to be classed as fiction? This book mentions, and sometimes maligns, quite a few real people and organizations. Mayor Menino, Hugh Mattison, Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Friends of Jamaica Pond, John Wathne, "plump" Margaret Dyson, and of course Thomas Perkins are all REAL. The fight to maintain Pinebank was real and was only fictionalized with the injection of the main character's involvement in the story.
It also seemed oddly dated and too in the Boston Context: How long ago was Whiskey Point a bad neighborhood? How the heck is a random teenager going to know what the Athenaeum or Brattle Street or a Boston Brahmin is? Why would anyone use the verb "keyboarding"? How many teens know how to use a scanner?
And this out-of-touchness is probably the reason for what I saw as surprisingly tone-deaf language regarding race, *especially* given that the context is a teen struggling with his identity as the son of a black Harvard-educated reparations scholar and advocate dad and white landscape architect mom. But the book includes choice phrases like "race-man balls" "no-ass cracker" "Knee-grow" (cute.) "folks on Blue Hill Ave. Superfly. Badass. Homies with the wide pants and the do-rags. I'd end up talking street and playing pickup basketball while my grades went south." And the white heroine thinks at one point that if she warns these two black thieves about something that they'll rape her and murder her. I flinched several times.
The only positive was that it did get me researching the Perkins family and Jamaica Plain history....since I live here and all.
It also seemed oddly dated and too in the Boston Context: How long ago was Whiskey Point a bad neighborhood? How the heck is a random teenager going to know what the Athenaeum or Brattle Street or a Boston Brahmin is? Why would anyone use the verb "keyboarding"? How many teens know how to use a scanner?
And this out-of-touchness is probably the reason for what I saw as surprisingly tone-deaf language regarding race, *especially* given that the context is a teen struggling with his identity as the son of a black Harvard-educated reparations scholar and advocate dad and white landscape architect mom. But the book includes choice phrases like "race-man balls" "no-ass cracker" "Knee-grow" (cute.) "folks on Blue Hill Ave. Superfly. Badass. Homies with the wide pants and the do-rags. I'd end up talking street and playing pickup basketball while my grades went south." And the white heroine thinks at one point that if she warns these two black thieves about something that they'll rape her and murder her. I flinched several times.
The only positive was that it did get me researching the Perkins family and Jamaica Plain history....since I live here and all.