The Other Side by Justin Jay Gladstone / Nitsuj Yaj Enotsdalg
Summary: "If one thought created the universe, then who was the first to think?"
The Other Side is a mystery and fantasy novel that delves into a parallel world that almost completely reflects our own. If people reflect us, then what could we say about our emotions? Is our sadness a result of their happiness?
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ...
Leon J. Granttley is a seventeen-year-old boy who was diagnosed with a rare mental disorder known as; ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ (DID for short). To cope with this issue, he was forcibly enrolled in an institution known as the ๐ธ๐๐๐กโ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ. It is here where therapists help patients like him cope and adapt to their ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ . Despite his years of treatments...Leon's family and friends would hear his ongoing complaints about this devilish voice in his mind...
One that would ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ฒ taunt him...
One that would ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ฒ tease him...
No matter what path Leon would choose, this ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ would have a conflicting opinion to rival it. This ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐...would be so influential, that sometimes his choices would feel like they were not his own. It is this reasoning that makes the authorities in Leon's neighborhood believe that ๐๐ is the person who assaulted a kind young girl by the name of, ๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐กโ.
Leon is the ๐๐๐๐ฆ one who believes that he did not harm this girl.
The citizens of ๐ด๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฆ say otherwise.
Find the truth of Leon's innocence, on ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐.
What if you learned that you had an other? Not a twin or a doppelgรคnger, but another version of you living in an alternate dimension? Leon Granttley has been accused of sexually assaulting his best friend, Allie, and instead of facing jail time, heโs sent to the Earthshine Facility for rehabilitation. Ultimately diagnosed with DID, Leon works through the program in hopes of being discharged and conquering the malicious voice inside his head. But what he doesnโt yet realize is that the voice isnโt Leon - itโs his other, Nรฉol. When a terrifying turn of events leads to Leon and Nรฉol switching places, Leon must do everything he can to get back to Earth and make things right. What an absolute rollercoaster this book was! The story and special features (part of the limited edition volume which Iโll address in a bit) create an immersive experience which just might have you wonder if youโve ever encountered your other. Gladstone dives straight into the action from page one, weaving a high-stakes tale wrapped in mystery and mental self-exploration. Did Leon attack his friend Allie? Why didnโt he remember doing so? Is the Earthshine Facility really helping fix Leon, or does it serve some other, nefarious purpose? Finally, who is from Earth, and who is from planet Heart? The Other Side does a great job immersing the reader in the story. From detailed character descriptions to well-explained locations, the reader wonโt miss a beat as to whoโs talking or where the characters are, which is a big deal because there are several prominent locations throughout the story. Another great aspect are the interactive pieces included in the limited edition copy I received (thank you!). Gladstone incorporates character drawings, images of the Reflection Principles, and scannable QR codes that take the reader to additional material on his Tumblr page. Oh, and did I mention that youโll need a mirror to read certain parts? Move aside, choose-your-own-ending books, The Other Side was definitely the coolest reading experience Iโve had. Another thing Gladstone brings to the table is a good understanding of disorders and their affects on human mentality. As a psychology major, I really enjoyed the attention that was paid to describing Leonโs DID, the way others treated him because of the diagnosis, and the mental shift he goes through when he learns that his disassociations are actually caused by Nรฉol. Itโs dark and twisty, and altogether a great character arc for Leon. My only (minor) marks against The Other Side are with verb tense and formatting. Written primarily in present tense, there are a some spots when the action slips into past tense, and not just for flashback scenes. A few line indentations and gaps on pages make for the occasional odd layout, but none of these seriously detract from the spellbinding story that Gladstone tells. Many thanks to the author for sending me a physical copy of the book! I greatly enjoyed this first installment in his debut series, and Iโm looking forward to the mischief that Leon and Nรฉol, as well as the rest of the cast, get into. To learn more about Justin Jay Gladstone and The Other Side series, check out all his resources here: https://linktr.ee/theothersideeb.