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A review by megelizabeth
The Other Side of Night by Adam Hamdy
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
"A step, a breath, a heartbeat - such transient, insignificant things were all that stood between life and death, separating light from endless night."
This was one of those reading experiences where for the longest time I had no real idea what was going on or where the story could possibly be ending, but then everything came together in the most brilliant and earth-shattering way and it became a book that I don't think I will ever stop thinking about. The concept is absolutely fascinating and utterly unique (at least in terms of anything I've ever personally read), and how trippy and disconcerting it is for the most part ends up being so, so worth the payoff. The narrative style is so interesting too and everything just builds so incredibly and makes such perfect, heartbreaking sense by the end. I was also surprised by how attached I ended up becoming to characters who for a long time I didn't overly warm to or even particularly like.
This is definitely a 'big thinking' type of book and I was still left with some questions, but not in a way that felt unsatisfying. It was more like there was just so much that went into pulling off a story both so complex and layered but equally so pure and simple at its heart, which meant there was a lot to comprehend when the reveals finally started to come. It's therefore one that I'm sure would benefit from a reread and one I'd likely love even more and get even more out of a second time around.
If you're even slightly intrigued by the basic premise of this, I would honestly recommend it SO highly. It's so much more than it appears at first glance and I am just in awe of what it managed to pull off and of the emotional response it elicited in me.
This was one of those reading experiences where for the longest time I had no real idea what was going on or where the story could possibly be ending, but then everything came together in the most brilliant and earth-shattering way and it became a book that I don't think I will ever stop thinking about. The concept is absolutely fascinating and utterly unique (at least in terms of anything I've ever personally read), and how trippy and disconcerting it is for the most part ends up being so, so worth the payoff. The narrative style is so interesting too and everything just builds so incredibly and makes such perfect, heartbreaking sense by the end. I was also surprised by how attached I ended up becoming to characters who for a long time I didn't overly warm to or even particularly like.
This is definitely a 'big thinking' type of book and I was still left with some questions, but not in a way that felt unsatisfying. It was more like there was just so much that went into pulling off a story both so complex and layered but equally so pure and simple at its heart, which meant there was a lot to comprehend when the reveals finally started to come. It's therefore one that I'm sure would benefit from a reread and one I'd likely love even more and get even more out of a second time around.
If you're even slightly intrigued by the basic premise of this, I would honestly recommend it SO highly. It's so much more than it appears at first glance and I am just in awe of what it managed to pull off and of the emotional response it elicited in me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Mental illness and Suicide