On the Other Side - by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Title: On the Other Side

Author: Carrie Hope Fletcher

Published: 14 July 2016

Series: -

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis:
A love story like no other, this is the debut novel from Carrie Hope Fletcher, author of the Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller All I Know Now.
Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.
Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love . . .
On the Other Side will transport you to a world that is impossible to forget. Powerful, magical and utterly romantic, this is a love story like no other from everyone's favourite 'big sister', Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door
Leave the weight of the world in the world from before.
Once it is lighter, your key shall then turn
And you will be able to have what you yearn.

I listened to this as an audiobook and finished it in one sitting.

This book is a magical realism sort of book - a reality/magic cross over sort of genre. I think this is the first book (that I can think of) that I've read in that genre.

I love that Evie isn't a small, thin person - that she has big hips and thighs from bread and cheese. 

There are a few parts of this book that are my favourite. Mainly, that getting a husband isn't at the top of Evie's priority list! She shows that you can be independent and do what you want to in life without needing a man. Another is that Vincent isn't perfect but Evie still loves Vincent for exactly how he is. 

I may not normally be able to pick up on themes in books, but I definitely think I've figured this one out - the stop and smell the roses theme vibe, seeing people/things rather than just looking, and that happiness has nothing to do with money.

The bridge wrestling was also quite cute and amusing. It kinda sucked that it was insta-love, but I adored the pair other than that.

Carrie singing the song in the audiobook that Evie does to her son, August, was lovely to hear. But I may be biased on that as I love Carrie's voice in general.

In the audiobook, Sunny to me sounded a bit like Ron Weasley. I can also imagine Carrie as Evie because of how happy and bubbly etc we normally see her in her YouTube videos.

Great adventures can start small. Even as small as a sweet. Help yourself to an adventure.

Spoilers!

Foreshadowing was included in the book as by the time you reach the third secret, you remember that the tree was mentioned early on in the book with Evie's son, August.

I cried at a few places in the book. When we heard the ambulance and found out Vincent left at the same time, Jim's speech, Evie's speech to sleeping Vincent, and especially Vincent dying.

Evie, you were my single greatest adventure.

There seemed to be quite a bit of  representation of different people/things in general which was great too. Vincent being bisexual, Isla the staff member being pansexual, Eddie being gay. Curvy girls were represented by Evie, and marriage problems were even represented by August and Daphne.

I did notice that all the main surnames were to do with weather and seasons - not sure if that was on purpose or not though. Summer, Winters, Snow, Frost, and Sunny Shine.

I'm also curious about a couple of things: Who's CB and PF in the initials on the lift doors when Evie's daughter, Isla, goes to fetch the shoebox? Plus Leafy said there's ways without the wall if someone passes and you need to tell them things - what are the ways?

End Spoilers!