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sallyluvs2read's review against another edition
3.0
I would probably give this 3 1/2 stars. I have to admit, this Wayne my favorite book by this author, but still a good story. I learned a little bit about the Golden Bridge that I didn't know.
Katie is tasked to write a report about the bridge for its anniversary. While doing research, she finds a journal in her fathers things. Her father was a worker on the bridge and was also trained to talk jumpers off the bridge until one day he lost his life on the job. The journal is written by a Patrick O'Riley who worked on the bridge while it was being built. In this journal, Katie not only learns about Patrick and his sacrifices, but learns alot of life lessons and advice.
After a tragic accident, Dave Riley leaves his home and job, takes off on a Harley, and drives across the, country to the bridge. His grandfather said answers could be found at the bridge and that is what Dave is looking for.
I did like reading about Dave's story as well as Katie's, but I felt like there should have been more to Katie's. I did like reading how both characters found solace and peace at the bridge. But saddened to read how many people use that bridge to escape the turmoils of this life. I did find a little bit of providence for both characters, but just didn't feel like there was a lot of meat to either story. However, the story was engaging and easy to read.
Katie is tasked to write a report about the bridge for its anniversary. While doing research, she finds a journal in her fathers things. Her father was a worker on the bridge and was also trained to talk jumpers off the bridge until one day he lost his life on the job. The journal is written by a Patrick O'Riley who worked on the bridge while it was being built. In this journal, Katie not only learns about Patrick and his sacrifices, but learns alot of life lessons and advice.
After a tragic accident, Dave Riley leaves his home and job, takes off on a Harley, and drives across the, country to the bridge. His grandfather said answers could be found at the bridge and that is what Dave is looking for.
I did like reading about Dave's story as well as Katie's, but I felt like there should have been more to Katie's. I did like reading how both characters found solace and peace at the bridge. But saddened to read how many people use that bridge to escape the turmoils of this life. I did find a little bit of providence for both characters, but just didn't feel like there was a lot of meat to either story. However, the story was engaging and easy to read.
jesforeverlostinbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book especially all of the information on the Golden Gate Bridge which I didn’t know very much about.
meghanfulmer's review against another edition
3.0
Ugh. This book was disappointing.
Camron Wright is the author of The Rent Collector, which is a book I recommend to almost anyone who loves to read. I was so excited to see that Wright is coming to speak at a local bookstore, and The Other Side of the Bridge will apparently be the book of focus for that night; I immediately downloaded it and began to read, expecting great things.
This book is really about two people. The first is Katie, whose father worked on the Golden Gate Bridge (and also saved many people from jumping to their deaths there), and who has now been assigned to write about the history of the bridge. The second character of note is Dave, who experiences a devastating family tragedy and becomes fixated on driving across the Golden Gate Bridge on a motorcycle.
Parts of this book were interesting to me. I liked learning the history of the bridge, and Dave's story gripped me much more than Katie's. However, the unifying element of the bridge, and how it was supposed to hold the "answers" for the two main characters, never really seemed to come to fruition. Dave's story had a satisfying ending, but the bridge thing seemed weak and out of place. I think his story could have had the same outcome without getting the bridge involved at all. Katie's story, frankly, didn't have much closure, but there wasn't much for which to provide closure anyway because her story didn't have much to it. Besides doing her research and healing some wounds regarding her father, nothing really seemed to *happen* in her story.
I was expecting something monumental like The Rent Collector, and this book fell short of those expectations. The unifying backdrop of the bridge just didn't work for me.
Camron Wright is the author of The Rent Collector, which is a book I recommend to almost anyone who loves to read. I was so excited to see that Wright is coming to speak at a local bookstore, and The Other Side of the Bridge will apparently be the book of focus for that night; I immediately downloaded it and began to read, expecting great things.
This book is really about two people. The first is Katie, whose father worked on the Golden Gate Bridge (and also saved many people from jumping to their deaths there), and who has now been assigned to write about the history of the bridge. The second character of note is Dave, who experiences a devastating family tragedy and becomes fixated on driving across the Golden Gate Bridge on a motorcycle.
Parts of this book were interesting to me. I liked learning the history of the bridge, and Dave's story gripped me much more than Katie's. However, the unifying element of the bridge, and how it was supposed to hold the "answers" for the two main characters, never really seemed to come to fruition. Dave's story had a satisfying ending, but the bridge thing seemed weak and out of place. I think his story could have had the same outcome without getting the bridge involved at all. Katie's story, frankly, didn't have much closure, but there wasn't much for which to provide closure anyway because her story didn't have much to it. Besides doing her research and healing some wounds regarding her father, nothing really seemed to *happen* in her story.
I was expecting something monumental like The Rent Collector, and this book fell short of those expectations. The unifying backdrop of the bridge just didn't work for me.
ghumpherys's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting premise for a story - two characters living on opposites coasts who are eventually connected through The Golden Gate Bridge. The story didn't end up like I expected it to, but that was surprising in a good way. Enjoyed listening to this one!
bookboss85's review against another edition
5.0
Original copy of this post can be found at: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-review-the-other-side-of-the-bridge-by-camron-wright/
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
When my editor was approached by the publisher with this book she knew that I was something that I would read. I had previously read, reviewed and adored his book The Orphan Keeper.
The book revolves around just two characters. Katie a twenty-something woman who lives in San Francisco and sticks with things that she knows and makes her comfortable. She admits she is socially awkward and scares men away. The other character is David Riley. David is approaching 40. He loves his wife and three kids but feels trapped in his job sometimes. He starts to question everything. All of this is shattered when driving along a road with his family. A boulder falls into the road and before he can do anything the rock slams into the wheel of their van and pushes it over the embankment. When David finally wakes up out of a coma his best friend from work tells him that he is the only survivor. He falls into a deep depression. Katie is working doing her grad work for another degree. She is tasked with researching the Golden Gate Bridge, She is very familiar with it. Her father was an ironworker on the bridge and would volunteer his time to talk people off the ledge from committing suicide. One night he wasn’t lucky. A man he was saving slipped and pulled him with him. Since then Katie has problems with it. When she is extra down she goes and talks to her father as she walks to the bridge alone. However, she decides to take the research project anyway. Back with Dave, he still is having trouble coming to grips with his families untimely death. When he finally goes back to work, people are shocked by his appearance. His hair is shaggy, he has stubble, and his clothes just look sloppy. He hasn’t cut his hair and the only person who ever did it was his wife. Things eventually turn around when a job comes across his desk for a motorcycle rebrand. He desperately wants it. Maybe this will finally help him pull himself out of his deep hole. Katie is deep in her research. She really doesn’t have far to go since her father has shelves and shelves of bridge history. Her interest is piqued when she finds a journal filled with drawings and notes about the bridge written by an Irish immigrant named Partick O’Riley. She sees notes in the margin from her father trying to locate the family. Katie makes it her goal to find them. Will Dave pull himself out of the depression he has sunken into and find happiness and purpose again? Will Katie let this journal take over every waking moment? Will she find the rightful owner of the journal?
This book consumed me. It made me sob when the family dies. It has made me think about how we deal with grief. I think it hit maybe a little too close too home. My sister died a few years ago and I guess I grieved but maybe there is that slight cloud hanging over me. This book helped me to realize some of that. The authors note at the end states that this story is based on true events but he embellished them slightly. The author wrote about two very different characters dealing with their grief. One of them has a fresh raw grief factor as his family just died. The other has been harboring her grief, coming to terms with it but not really wanting to do anything with it. The book is deep and heartfelt. I did finally figure the mystery out about 3/4 of the way through and I giggled with delight when I found out I was right. While it is probably not the typical tool to help with grief and the death of family but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I will be reading any book I can find by this author.
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
When my editor was approached by the publisher with this book she knew that I was something that I would read. I had previously read, reviewed and adored his book The Orphan Keeper.
The book revolves around just two characters. Katie a twenty-something woman who lives in San Francisco and sticks with things that she knows and makes her comfortable. She admits she is socially awkward and scares men away. The other character is David Riley. David is approaching 40. He loves his wife and three kids but feels trapped in his job sometimes. He starts to question everything. All of this is shattered when driving along a road with his family. A boulder falls into the road and before he can do anything the rock slams into the wheel of their van and pushes it over the embankment. When David finally wakes up out of a coma his best friend from work tells him that he is the only survivor. He falls into a deep depression. Katie is working doing her grad work for another degree. She is tasked with researching the Golden Gate Bridge, She is very familiar with it. Her father was an ironworker on the bridge and would volunteer his time to talk people off the ledge from committing suicide. One night he wasn’t lucky. A man he was saving slipped and pulled him with him. Since then Katie has problems with it. When she is extra down she goes and talks to her father as she walks to the bridge alone. However, she decides to take the research project anyway. Back with Dave, he still is having trouble coming to grips with his families untimely death. When he finally goes back to work, people are shocked by his appearance. His hair is shaggy, he has stubble, and his clothes just look sloppy. He hasn’t cut his hair and the only person who ever did it was his wife. Things eventually turn around when a job comes across his desk for a motorcycle rebrand. He desperately wants it. Maybe this will finally help him pull himself out of his deep hole. Katie is deep in her research. She really doesn’t have far to go since her father has shelves and shelves of bridge history. Her interest is piqued when she finds a journal filled with drawings and notes about the bridge written by an Irish immigrant named Partick O’Riley. She sees notes in the margin from her father trying to locate the family. Katie makes it her goal to find them. Will Dave pull himself out of the depression he has sunken into and find happiness and purpose again? Will Katie let this journal take over every waking moment? Will she find the rightful owner of the journal?
This book consumed me. It made me sob when the family dies. It has made me think about how we deal with grief. I think it hit maybe a little too close too home. My sister died a few years ago and I guess I grieved but maybe there is that slight cloud hanging over me. This book helped me to realize some of that. The authors note at the end states that this story is based on true events but he embellished them slightly. The author wrote about two very different characters dealing with their grief. One of them has a fresh raw grief factor as his family just died. The other has been harboring her grief, coming to terms with it but not really wanting to do anything with it. The book is deep and heartfelt. I did finally figure the mystery out about 3/4 of the way through and I giggled with delight when I found out I was right. While it is probably not the typical tool to help with grief and the death of family but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I will be reading any book I can find by this author.
marciesteinicke's review against another edition
4.0
I pretty much love everything Camron Wright writes! His characters have depth, his historical references are interesting and the storyline is engaging.
carly_springer's review against another edition
4.0
This was a slow book for me and took me a few weeks to get through. It wasn’t my favorite Camron Wright book, but it is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and it left me feeling better off for having read it. It’s a story that will stick with me.
ashly524's review against another edition
4.0
It took a few chapters to get into this book, but I ended up enjoying it! Both of the main characters are trying to find their way after tragedy strikes. I enjoyed learning about the Golden Gate Bridge from the perspective of those who worked on it. I loved how words from the past apply so well today.
melkelsey's review against another edition
2.0
As a female and feminist, this book sometimes bothered me. I HATED when the author wrote that the character was "a woman with high emotions" (not a direct quote). If it had been a man, he would have simply written that his emotions were high. Also, it was annoying how the mother character in the book was so happy to be "nurturing" children in this time of her life, while the father character missed his freedom. Stereotypical gender roles/emotions....GRRRRR!!!! While reading the book, I could never forget that I was reading a male author, and I dislike when the author's voice never slips from my consciousness, allowing the story and characters to dominate.