Meg (known by her stage name, Lana) has grown tired of her Los Angeles lifestyle and decides to escape to Ireland for a break. She had intended to go to college in Ireland, but after deciding to to stay home with her best friend and ending up a famous television star, has often wondered how different her life would have turned out if she’d gone through with her Ireland plans. Upon her arrival in Ireland, she realizes that the town people there all know her. They know her real name. Apparently, she’s been living there for many years. They think she has some sort of amnesia.
Amy’s Review
The Other Side of Now is definitely hard to swallow. The reader must suspend reality. But the protagonist is the first one to admit that her life is suddenly like one of the many novels and movies that cover alternate realities, string theory, time travel, parallel worlds, etc. In fact, she names pretty much all of them throughout this novel. So, at least, Paige Harbison understands what a huge gulp this premise is for readers.
I stuck with it partially out of curiosity, but mostly because I really loved the characters Meg met in Ireland. They were fun and comforting and cozy. And then the last part of the novel was un-put-downable and I had to find out how Meg’s life would play out. Yes, the story was unlikely but, overall, it was a fun ride and I grew to care about Meg and her new friends.
I both read the novel and listened to the audiobook, alternating as convenient. The author narrated the audiobook herself and she was AMAZING! I mean, seriously, she could just be an audiobook narrator for a living. She had a ton of accents and voices and was a great voice actress. And I think I liked the novel more from her narrations than I might have if I’d only been reading it. I give her a very solid A!
Lynnie’s Review
I've said it before, but I love a good
multiverse story so I was immediately drawn to the idea behind The Other
Side of Now. As the book's description tells us, successful actress
Lana takes a trip to get away after a breakdown, but when she wakes up
in the quaint Irish town that she and her deceased best friend always
dreamed of visiting, everyone seems to know her by her real name - Meg -
and even more alarming, she has her presurgery face, her hair is
different... she no longer seems to be Lana at all! Well... count me in.
I admit that I was not immediately drawn into the story. I did
not like Lana; she was immature, superficial and entitled, while also
clearly running from grief and whatever happened with Aimee before
Aimee's death. Once she woke up in Avalon however, and learned more
about the life she lived as Meg there, it brought out a softer, calmer
side of her personality.
I adored the characters from Avalon -
they were charming and comforting and the kind of friends that you wish
you would wake up to if everyone thinks you might have a head injury.
They were exceedingly patient and kind with Meg, explaining her own life
to her even as they tried to understand what she was experiencing.
As
slow as I felt the start of this book was, I could not put down the
second half. I needed to find out what would happen to Meg and her two
lives.
Paige Harbison, the author narrates her own book and I'll
be honest, I generally avoid audiobooks narrated by authors. But Amy
said the narration was excellent and she was right! Harbison did an
excellent job with a variety of accents and voices and I found her
narration really brought the story to life, so I preferred listening to
reading the book.
So far, this is one of my favorite books of the year - I definitely recommend it.
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