Ok, here is the thing with The Other Side of Night - this is so utterly unlike any other book you are likely to have read. There is no way to classify this into a genre and not one single reader should even try, because by doing so you may inadvertently give away spoilers and OH MY GOD, no one,
NOT ONE PERSON, should give away ANYTHING about this book. It will ruin the entire experience.

Which brings us to the fact that this book will require a leap of faith as you are reading it. You have to go in knowing nothing, and just trust the process. Stick with the book, don’t set it down, don’t DNF it partway through, don’t get bored with it - just stay with the story. The payoff, is so so so so worth it.

That’s it. That’s what you get to know with this review. That and the fact that this is, without question, one of the best books I’ve read probably EVER, and is a storyline I am still thinking about every single day.

Please just put this on your autumn reading list and then come back here once your done because I want to know what you think.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Atria and @Simon & Schuster for the eARCs in exchange for my honest review. When I first saw this book, I was so excited - I love the cover and the name of it intrigued me. I didn't read the synopsis and saw that on NetGalley; it suggests NOT reading it as it's the best way to experience the journey that is this book.

The journey for me was not a fun one. It was slow, boring, and unbelievable. It's going to be hard to review this one as per the publisher's instructions to leave any details or spoilers about the secret and other plot points that would give too much away, but that is exactly where the book fell apart for me. I am frustrated that I was completely sucked in because of all the secrecy around this book, and I fell for the marketing tactic hard, only to be disappointed in the end. It took me a week to get through this book (I usually finish a book in 2 days) because I was not jibing with it, and I was bored.

WRITING: 1/5

This book needs an editor, STAT. Or a second one. Whoever, because it is so poorly written and very confusing for the entire book. Throughout it, there are different formats of dialogue such as a courtroom, ones from videos, audio, emails, journals, and more. I just felt it made the book messy and hard to follow as if the author couldn't just choose one, so he did them all. The writing itself felt very cheesy at points and the characters came very flat for me, so it was hard to care about them. I also felt the author cannot write a believable woman character, as a lot of the dialogue and behavior/actions were laughable and off-putting. The writing and descriptions of something specific here were ridiculous. I recall thinking, "Hmmm, would a lawyer actually say that?" and I don't think that's a good sign. I was hoping the writing would improve, but it never did.

PLOT: 1/5

Again, I can't say what I want to for reasons. But, I feel duped. Heavily. This did not work for me at all. The plot itself was so confusing once again, which is a recurring theme in this book. The author threw everything but the kitchen sink in this book and it backfired. Part one drags on, and part two goes off the rails. It's very hard to say anything without spoiling, but I will give the author credit for how it wrapped up in the end and things came together, even if I hated it. The book started out with a police procedural vibe and I was on board with that, because I love a good police/crime thriller! This also is NOT a thriller, AT ALL. I don't know why people are marketing it in their reviews. They must have never read a thriller. This is a very, very, very, slow burn mystery if I can even call it a mystery, that has no payoff in the end. The romance plot in here was written so badly and felt so out of place, it was incredibly random. Why was the main character in love with someone after 3 dates? Lol.

ENDING: 1/5

By the end I was so over the book, it just kept going, I couldn't wait to get to the last page. It felt like a massive chore. As I previously stated, I give him credit for how things tied together, as it is evident he must've planned this out in advance with all the minute details, even if I hated it. Again, I cannot say what I want to say because of the whole secrecy around the book, but it didn't work for me at all. Highly implausible, absurd, and very confusing. I was hoping to be not confused by the final page, but I was left even more perplexed. I skimmed the last 15% because I couldn't take it anymore. I basically guessed the whole secret and twist, because I was thinking of the ridiculous possibilities and ways I didn't want this book to go.

I cannot recommend this book at all as I feel completely duped by it, and well, didn't like it at all myself. If you're an avid thriller reader like me, save your time for this one.

This book was such a wild ride. 🤯

Things started off slowly for me and it ended up taking me over a week to read the first little bit. I didn’t know what this book was about, I just knew there was a big secret that’s revealed at some point (and don’t worry, I won’t say what it is!). So I thought it was going to be a very typical and predictable crime story. Boy, was I ever wrong…

Once I got more into the book, I was hooked and wanted some answers about the crimes that had been committed. I ended up finishing the remaining 75% of this book within 12 hours because I was so intrigued.

As I kept reading, I realized that this story is part mystery/crime, part romance, and part sci-fi. It was very different from anything I’ve read before (in a good way). The secret blew my freaking mind and I’m honestly still processing it all.

In other words, I really enjoyed this one! I would suggest going into it blind and just let the book take you on a very interesting journey.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my gifted copy. This review has been posted on my Goodreads and my Bookstagram!

I will admit, this was a slow start for me. It took me a bit to get into but when I did, it was good - although left me slightly confused at times.
I felt lost throughout the book but thankfully felt like it was well explained by the end.

It was definitely unique, albeit perplexing - which makes this review difficult to do. It was not a fast paced read by any means, but I had so many questions I kept reading.
Go into it with an open mind and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Atria Books for the ARC eBook of this title in exchange for my honest review.

R E A L T A L K: So I won’t say too much about “The Other Side of Night” by Adam Hamdy because I don’t want to give anything away! But what I WILL say is that this book is an incredible crime/sci-fi/romance story with a unique twist and a plot that is like no other🌪

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

David Asha tells us the story of his biggest regret in life: his separation from his son Elliot. The complex plot involves an 11 year old boy, an author, a police officer and a mystery man. HOW are they connected you ask? Well .. you will have to expect the unexpected with this one 👀

Perplexing, mysterious and out of the ordinary all wrapped up together! Definitely worth a read 🙌🏻. I will be thinking about this book for a long time!

Thank you kindly to @atriabooks @netgalley @adamhamdyauthor for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review🖤. You can get your hands on this book on September 27, 2022!

The Other Side of Night was an interesting read. It was presented uniquely, and really grabbed my attention from the beginning. There really isn't too much I should be describing, you will just have to read :) Enjoy this one, you may not read another like it this year!

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Atria books for this book of outstanding speculative fiction. It combines and addresses a philosophy of love and life, poetry, mystery, grief, regrets, loss, family and sacrifice with elements of science fiction. Is it possible for love to endure through time, place and misunderstandings?

I won't attempt to summarize the plot, even if I could. It is best to go into the book without preconceived notions of the characters or story. I was perplexed, baffled and bewildered throughout. Much of the speculative science was way beyond my understanding, but I was completely enthralled by the wild ride, its suspense and its outcome.

Near the beginning, you get background stories of the main characters, but much seems ambiguous and omitted. or misleading. I would not call them unreliable witnesses, as few have complete knowledge of what is happening in their lives, which is also unclear to the reader. Connections and relationships are filled in as the plot progresses. The author deliberately keeps the reader missing clarity as more revelations and mind-blowing twists enter the story. This was a topsy-turvy ride that I completely enjoyed but left my head spinning and my brain wobbly.

Recommended for readers who want something different and this strange, astounding, imaginative story will find much to enjoy.

The Other Side of Night is a book that intrigued me from the very beginning because it sounded different, and I love different.
.
Then this little bit from the preface had me hooked “What would you sacrifice for love? As I look back on my life. I’m haunted by the question. Perhaps what troubles me most is that I never got to choose. The pain I suffer, the loss I feel, the regret that clouds every single day-I never chose my sacrifice.”
.
We have David writing a story about his biggest regret, his separation from his son Elliot. Harriet, a disgraced police officer, who finds a book with a strange inscription which leads her to a couple who are now both deceased. And Ben, Harriet’s former love who abruptly ended things and is now the custodian of the deceased couples son. Ben might also be a murderer.
.
That’s all fine and dandy but trust me, this book is kind of hard to describe and summarize. In a good way. It’s a little bit mystery, thriller/crime, tragic love story and sci-fi. It’s a mixed bag of a beautifully written book that is unique, odd and clever. I honestly had no idea where this was going but I loved the entire ride. Definitely worth a read especially if you’re looking for something different.

I will call this story strange, but not strange in a sense that it was bad, rather strange in that at times I was a little confused and in a little over my head, but needed to keep turning the page for answers.

This is not your typical crime novel. What started off as a creepy murder mystery had me wandering a little out of my comfort zone with some science fiction elements but ended as a touching story of the limits of time as we know it.

This book does not fit into a thriller/mystery type of story, it is that at times, but it is so much more than that, there was romance and science fiction and takes you places you would not expect. I would recommend reading if you have the chance. The story is told mostly through Harri (short for Harriet) who at the start of the book has been fired from her job as a policewoman and in her spare time decides to put herself on a dating website to finally find someone to love her as much as she wants to love someone. And she lucks out and connects with Ben, someone who seems to tick all her boxes, and after two dates she's ready to take it further when Ben, on their third date, tells her he has to break up with her and she's devastated. She decides to do some investigating and finds that Ben is the guardian of a child, Elliot, his parents had both passed away and left Ben in charge. Harri thinks Ben has something to do with the passing of the parents, the body of the mom was lost by the hospital after she passed from cancer, and the dad jumped off a cliff overcome with grief by his wife's death (or so it was thought). There are excerpts from a book being written by Elliot's father, and from a court trial and videos from other people. Saying much more would really spoil the plot, so I would recommend reading you'll like it! Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atria Books for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

This one is difficult for me to rate, and it's hard to do a proper review without giving too much of the plot away. I loved Part 1 of the novel, but in Part 2, it goes off in a direction that you would never expect and it didn't really work for me. I wasn't expecting a sci-fi, and when you find out what really happened, it's a thriller anymore.

I liked the way the story was written with the preface from David Asha, and the way court documents and articles are used to help tell the story.

This one will keep you guessing, and you won't ever figure out where it's going. This is both a good and bad thing as I was disappointed by how out there the resolution was. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is something else and something special. It stars off as a mystery, turns into science fiction but also has a tad of romance. Sounds crazy, right? Trust me this book is brilliant. How can a mystery be magical and romantic? You'll have to read it to find out. I refuse to talk about what is mentioned in the blurb or plot because the less you know going in the better. Let me just say that the writing is phenomenal, the story is enthralling, the twists are surprising and this book will stay with you long after you finished reading it. It is the type of book you want to read again after finding out "the secret". All. The. Stars.