Reviewed by: Chiara, Year 8, 2.5.2019.
Title: The Other Side of Summer
Author: Emily Gale
Genre: Realistic teen fiction; Australian fiction.
Intended audience: Teenagers, however it is suitable for older age groups too.
Setting: London and Melbourne.
Main characters: Summer, Gabe, Floyd, Wren, her parents, her dog Bee, her Nan and her best friend Malinda.
Review: I was impressed with the well thought out plot and storyline of this novel as well as the relationship between the characters and their individual journeys. The way the author tied in all the characters’ points of view and emotions not only made the novel captivating, but as if there truly wasn’t one main character.
It was an incredible novel which makes you laugh, cry and experience the character of Summer in great depth, without it becoming forced. It was a very hopeful story. At times, I found myself wishing for a better life for Summer after all that she had been through in her life.
Towards the end of the novel, the author, Emily Gale, started to introduce elements of magic realism and mystery, which made this the most compelling part of the story. It was an epic page turner as Summer turns from a damaged young girl to a curious independent one with a love for discovering more about her cousin Gabe, who is introduced around the middle of the book.
When I reached the end of the novel, however, I was a little confused and let down that Gabe and Summer weren’t in a friendship that grows into a possible relationship. The front cover and when these two characters met made that impression on me as a reader. I believe that adding a bit of romance to the novel would have made it even more captivating!
Overall, this was a stunning and heart-wrenching novel which blends together young adult and children’s fiction brilliantly.
Overall opinion: It was a brilliant page turner which incorporated multiple genres as well as possessing a stable storyline. I loved how the author incorporated all of the characters’ struggles and how they overcame them.
Select a few words to describe the story: colourful, heart-wrenching, hopeful.
Recommendation and rating (out of 5): I recommend this novel to ages 10-14. I give it a 4/5.