I wasn’t going to read this beautiful book. The cover didn’t grab me and the blurb sounded too close for comfort, having spent some time in recent years dealing with oncology departments myself. But I decided to read the whole shortlist, so I set to it.
Wow am I ever glad I did!
Abby’s family have moved to the coast, needing a fresh start after farewelling her grandfather from cancer two years earlier. She’s made friends with Lexie and Jesse, but is still learning how to open up to them, working out what her relationship with Jesse might become. Then Abby discovers the reason behind her body’s symptoms, which brings her a whole swathe of new issues to deal with. Issues that she thought were behind her.
It’s hard to review this book without giving away too much of the plot. What I can say is that I loved the realness of this book. The emotions, the big questions, the experiences, the effects on relationships: everything rings with emotional truth. Each character hits just the right note. Rather than triggering me, reading The Other Side of Tomorrow gave me a sense of relief. Hayley Lawrence was expressing part of my shared human experience, and it helped me find the place inside where it belongs.
Written in first person from Abby’s point of view, as she tells the story of her fifteen laps around the sun, this book is also beautiful to read. There is a lyricism and poetry to the writing that juxtaposes and even transforms some of the grittiness of Abby’s experiences. The book sings. I highly recommend it.
Anna Quinlan - Author 