"Other Side of Forever" Review

Date Published: January 23, 2012

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Number of Pages: 236

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

First Thoughts:

This was a book filled with deep love and supernatural abilities. I was swept away with the deep connection I had with Allie. I really enjoyed getting to learn all the rules and boundaries of this book’s world. There was plenty of action to keep the reader interested and enough down time to allow the reader to really take in each situation and get to know the story more. I really enjoyed the whole story as a whole and found it unique in its own way. This is a book that will take you on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

Plot:

So maybe not all the ideas of this book were original but they were so much fun to read. I really enjoyed seeing the supernatural abilities manifest in the characters and get to learn more about what they can do and why they can. There were some theories I came up with about the possible lineage of Allie and I can’t wait to discover if their actually true in the books to come. This was definitely a fun tale to read, there were a lot of deep lining issues that were expressed but in a way that wasn’t overwhelming to the reader. I really enjoyed the concept of the immortals and where they came from; I really can’t wait to learn more about their history and their world. You got a small peek into their world but there’s still a lot left unanswered. The beginning of the book instantly grabbed my attention which is rare for me these days…but the way she started off with the mom telling her daughter about life…really interesting and really sets the stage for what the book is going to be about. I really enjoyed the way the author incorporated a realistic situation and added in the paranormal…this author seemed to make this story realistic but in a way that would be impossible in the real world. As far as the actual plotline it seemed to hold all the characteristics of a traditional one, I didn’t really find any problems with it, the ending was conclusive enough to allow the reader to be satisfied with the book but not enough to allow it to be a stand-alone. But overall I really enjoyed the concept of this book and loved the creativity the author put into it.

Romance:

I really enjoyed this aspect of the book, the romance was so sweet and perfect that it really makes you wish it could really exist in our world. The romance kind of was part of the main conflict but it there was definitely a lot more involved besides the romance. But this book definitely has a lot of issues that deal with relationships so if you’re one to not enjoy that this book probably isn’t for you. But I really loved the chemistry between Allie and Ethan it was so fun to read and experience right alongside them. Overall I enjoyed this aspect of the story and didn’t have any issues with it.

Characters:

I connected with Allie instantly; from the very first paragraph of the book I was hooked. Allie was just created with great detail and I’m still trying to pull apart the many layers she has. And Ethan was fun getting to know, we got to know him a little at a time, he took a little more time to connect with due to his aloofness at certain points. But as for the more minor characters, they each fit perfectly into the book and they added great texture and fun to the story. And each character in this book was necessary. So overall I enjoyed getting to know each character and seeing what they had to contribute to the world.

Transformation of the Character:

I’m not sure Allie really transformed that much in this book, I saw the start of it but I still think she has a lot of potential for more transformation. And as far as the other characters I also thinks there’s still some more growing room but that’s okay because this is only the first book in the series so there should be more growing to be done. So overall I don’t think this really affected how I enjoyed the book.

Description:

The description was really good when it came to describing the landscape and the actual emotions of the characters. I really enjoyed the description of Ethan’s house, it kind of reminded me in an offhand way of the Cullen’s house from “Twilight” because it was set a mile into the woods with a winding road (how awesome is that?!) But what I really enjoyed was the way the author was able to write about how the characters were feeling; what their thoughts were. There were some really touching scenes in this book and I will admit I got a little blurry eyed when it came to them…the way the author described that certain moment just seemed so real and important; I loved it! And the dialogue seemed to really fit into the story and I didn’t really see any issues with it. So overall I found that the description was very memorizing at times and really added a special flare to this story that allowed me to really enjoy it.

Style:

This was written in first person and in one POV which allowed the book to be more focused on a small group rather than something much larger. I really enjoyed that the author chose to do this because from what I got a glimpse of there’s a lot in this world that could become overbearing if give a broader POV. Also the author’s writing was good and easy to read, I didn’t really have any issues with it, just a few grammar errors but not enough to be distracting. So overall the style was a good aspect to the book and provided a good structure for the actual story.

Quote of the Book:

““There’s always a beginning and an end…Nothing lasts forever; not life, not even love…It all fades away in the end. That perfect little world everyone always dreams about – it never happens.””

Goodreads Summary:

What if your life finally seemed to make sense? But, what if--in an instant--everything is taken away? How far would you go to get your life back?

Seventeen-year-old Allie Anderson's telekinetic powers are anything but useful--she can't bring her father back, can't stop her mother's downward spiral into alcohol, and can't keep her from falling in love with Ethan Bradley. Loving Ethan is easy, but it comes with a hefty price: Ethan is prohibited by his people from interacting with mortals--because he isn't mortal himself.

When Allie and Ethan's love is discovered, there's someone who will do anything to keep them apart. If Allie can't learn to control her powers and fight to save Ethan, this dark entity will make every attempt to stop her beating heart. And if that happens, not even the energy of an immortal can bring her back.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to YA and romance readers, this was really a great story filled with imaginative ideas and characters. I really enjoyed this world and can’t wait to continue it in her next book; bring me more Allie and Ethan! Anyways I would definitely look into any other workings of this author and encourage other readers to pick up this book; it really is something special. This book is just filled with some much depth and emotion that it really opened my mind and made me really enjoy reading.

My Rating: