REVIEW: The Other Side by Kim Holden

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Title: The Other Side

Author: Kim Holden

Release Date: Coming Soon!

Genre: Young Adult, Coming of Age

Goodreads #TBR ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45310112-the-other-side?ac=1&from_search=true

OUR REVIEW:

We fell in love with Kim Holden after reading Bright Side--a novel that, for me, will always be associated with a time when I experienced some significant loss and needed that book to remind me of some things. We reunited with Holden's characters in Gus and now we're here with her latest, a novel that will, like her others, remind you of the important things in life.

The Other Side is an emotional, character driven novel that focuses on Toby and his incredibly hard life. The more you read and get to know him, the more you want to hug him, shelter him, and help him. You also want to throttle almost every adult who has spent any significant time with him because HOW DARE THEY?! Ugh. 

This novel isn't an easy read, y'all. It's filled with some really hard scenes--scenes that'll make you dislike the human race at times, scenes that will make you feel with a depth and intensity that will bring tears to your eyes. That being noted, this novel is also filled with hope; hope that is seen only sparingly at first and then gaining more page time as the novel progresses. It's this sense of hope that not only Toby needed, but we did too. 

While this novel does have romance, it's Toby's journey through the last half of his senior year of high school (and the things that led up to that year) that is the focus of this novel. I'd say it's more general fiction, at least for the majority of it, with a very strong subplot that features the love story of Toby and Alice. Not sure if that matters to anyone but I thought it was something to note. 

At some point, I'd like to add more about this novel to our review...or maybe just discuss it more on social media? I think there are some very important aspects of this novel that need to be shared and discussed, but I also think I'd spoil too much if I talked about it here. Just know that I'm so glad that Kim Holden decided to share these characters with the world and I hope lots of people read it and discuss it and for those who are unfamiliar with the plight of Toby, I hope they'll consider it a point of reference, something to think about, and to maybe use Alice's as a possible example (in the likely event that one is needed).


Synopsis:
Denver, Colorado
1987

There are two sides to every story.
The surface reality that’s presented to the world.
And then there’s the other side.
The real one.
The one that matters.

Seventeen-year-old, self-proclaimed asshole, Toby Page, is alone.
No friends.
No family.
He trades maintenance work in exchange for room and board.
Every day he fights demons no one else can see.
Every day he wants to give up.
But he can’t.
Not yet.

When Alice Eliot moves in downstairs, she offers Toby some light in his dark world.
At a crossroads and barely hanging on, it’s hard to have perspective.
It’s difficult to see your own worth when you’re the villain in your story.
Luckily for Toby, Alice brings things out in him that no one else ever has.

As the two sides of Toby’s story are revealed, and the full reality comes into view, truth is gained.
Improbable alliances prove that kindness is fundamentally human.
Unlikely heroes emerge.

The question is, Will it all be enough to save him?

About the Author:

Some of my favorite things: reading, writing, the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (my husband built it for me), Facebook (I'm fairly certain it's an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut), and music (LOVE Sunset Sons, the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Balance and Composure, Teenage Bottlerocket, and 30 Seconds to Mars). I also love dreaming, which brings me to my next point. I have one bit of advice for anyone reading this ... follow your dreams. It's never too late. Get started today ... heck get started RIGHT NOW! I wanted to write a book 20 years ago. Instead I waited. And waited. I should've been writing. But I didn't. I don't do regrets, because the past is just that, the past. But let me tell you there's nothing in the world like achieving something you've dreamt about for years and years. So, get started. Make your dreams reality. 

I love to hear from other readers. Send me a message or find me on Facebook (https://facebook.com/kimholdenauthor) and tell me what's up in your reading world.

Review: Franco by Kim Holden

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Our Review

Shel: Maybe after Bright Side and Gus, Kim Holden must've known we needed something different, something lighter. Franco delivers on that; while there are some definite moments that caused me a little worry, I laughed and smiled more than anything. If Bright Side and Gus were soul searching, Franco was soul healing. Court: I think you're right, Shel. After the first two...we had no idea what this member of the band would bring us. I was really, really, really ready to cry is about all i do know. Franco is such a great guy, and he is an absolute delight to read, so I don't know why I was so worried! 

Shel: I enjoyed everything about the character of Franco--his general outlook on life, his care and humor, and how attuned he was to his friends. I also loved how he was with Gemma and how respectful he was of her feelings and her career and the circumstances they found themselves in. Court: He is an ultimate book boyfriend because of how awesome he was with her wasn't he! I absolutely enjoyed their "one night to friends to maybe more"journey, and was nervous every time they were apart. I mean...California to England is a BIG long distance relationship, so I never really knew how the book would turn out. And I liked that. I liked how much a role Gus played in the book, because sometimes when we have best friends the books block them out a little bit for the story development between the lovers, and I loved how much he was there with Franco and they truly were best friends. That was almost as great for me as Franco and Gemma getting to know each other! (What can I say...I'm a lead singer girl, and Gus is ah-mazing)

Shel: All in all, a really great "feel good" novel that just made me fall even more in love with this series and the members of the band. Court: YES! I am excited to see if the other two get their books, because they really could go in just about ANY direction because tbh, we don't really know a whole lot about what these two get up to in the books. A whole new world awaits us if we get them though, and I can't wait! 

About the Book 

Franco Genovese is the drummer for world renowned American rock band, Rook. He’s got it all. A killer smile. Tattoos. Talent. Razor sharp wit and humor. And a heart as big, and generous, as they come.
Life is good. Steady. Uncomplicated. Just the way he likes things.
Until one night at an unassuming L.A. bar changes everything.
Enter Gemma Hendricks.
She’s a successful young architect from Northern England with an adorable smile, sarcasm for days, and an unparalleled trusting heart.
The attraction is instant. 
So is their friendship.
It’s also temporary because they’ll both be heading home, thousands of miles apart from each other, in a few days.
Or is it?
There’s something Gemma wants more than anything else.
And when Franco propositions her to provide what she’s looking for, everything changes.
Will it transform friendship into love, or will it be their ruin?


(Note from the author: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is recommended for mature audiences.)

REVIEW: Gus by Kim Holden

The journey that began in top-rated, best-selling Bright Side, continues ...

This is the story of Gus.

Losing himself.

Finding himself.

And healing along the way.

“ … but the honest-to-God truth is I don’t even know how to function anymore. Bright Side wasn’t only my best friend; she was like my other half ... the other half of my brain, the other half of my conscience, the other half of my sense of humor, the other half of my creativity, the other half of my heart. How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?”

BUY IT: Amazon

Shel: This book has been on my radar for months now; Bright Side came to me at a special time in my life--a time when I was losing someone special and I needed that book--even if I didn't ever realize it at the time. Having the companion, Gus, available to read just as I was finishing school for the year also came at the perfect time; one chapter of my life is transitioning into a new chapter--how interesting that it felt like the same thing was happening to Gus. Court: Which is why I am a sissy and avoided these books like the plague. I knew the writing was brilliant. I knew that the story would be beautiful and captivating...but I also wasn't ready emotionally. Going through the same things in real life sometimes either is a good or bad thing to also have it in my books...but now I was finally ready, and it was a beautiful companion like Shel said to the first book - and really gave a new look to this man and his friends, but also a closure that was unexpected. 

Shel: I'll admit I was a little hesitant because of the emotional toil I was anticipating but I cannot imagine that any Bright Side fan will be anything but in love with Gus and his journey from utter sadness to complete joy. Court: I think that it is easy to love him because he was a great character initially...but now we get to know him so much better. He has an amazing life, and really struggles to cope with everything that happened with Kate. It was so real, and realism in this story is completely and 100% necessary.

Shel: The first part of this novel felt emotionally empty and distant and numb--which I think is what Holden was aiming for? I think it mimicked how Gus was feeling--the only way he could cope with the raw pain of losing Kate was to shove it down and distance himself from feeling everything. After some really epically poor choices while on tour, Gus makes one fantastically brilliant move concerning Scout (aka Impatient) and as he begins to finally accept and settle in to life after Bright Side, we get to see the Gus we saw glimpses of before..and this is where the novel just lights up from this bleak world, to one of living and vivid color. It doesn't happen in the span of one page but slowly over time and the pacing of his transformation felt right. Court: It is a beautiful thing. The journey is not always easy, but I like how the writing style really allowed us to follow the first year "after". That word is such a scary thing, and Gus' world was really different to what he'd known his entire life. Scout really, really surprised me. She had this whole other thing happening in her life, and these two you will come to find will just blow your mind.

Shel: While this is truly Gus' journey to reclaim his happiness, it would be completely crazy to overlook the contribution Scout had to his story. She frustrated him and distracted him. She made him laugh. There was a since of mystery about her story and who she was. She was honest and real and good; all things that Gus needed. So while this story was his, it was also hers. We got to know Scout and discover her story and love her for all that she was and all that she gave to Gus and his mom. Speaking of Gus' mom, I loved how Kim Holden included all of the secondary characters from Bright Side (and a few new ones!) and allowed us to know them more and to see how they were doing. (And I can't help but hope that a few more characters from this series get books...I can think of THREE right now that I'd love to know more about). Court: I am not sad that Franco is already out and I just bought it, so that I can jump right into that! BUT, yes. There is so much room to expand on this series, and still hold on to Kate's legacy in their lives - but also see a new and really beautiful side to Kim's writing... She can go literally anywhere with these characters and there is so much potential. I am in awe of her. 

Shel: I'm so glad I found this writer and this series--I've somehow managed to find them at the exact time I needed to read them. The wisdom and hope and thoughtfulness that is woven with such care is what will push me to read and recommend them again and again. Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kim Holden; I wish I could adequately find words to convey my appreciation and gratitude for what you've given me in these reads but since I can't...I'll just try to embrace the philosophy and do epic. <3 Court: Do epic. Yes. let's do that. And I may've went with the old adage "this too shall pass, like a kidney stone, but it shall pass" when I thought of sitting down and actually reading this but now that I've done it I realize I had no reason to be scared. Shel number one doesn't steer me wrong, and Kim Holden has our back as well. Read this, and live it. Beautiful boy, and beautiful book. In awe. Still. 

ALL OF IT BY KIM HOLDEN

Title: All of It
Author: Kim Holden
Release Date: Nov 24, 2013
Find on Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old VERONICA SMITH has it all: a loving family, a funky car named Jezebel, and a plan to go to college after graduation.
On the first day of senior year, she meets DIMITRI GLENN–a mysterious transfer student with gray eyes and a mischievous smile who seems determined to win her heart. But there’s something odd about Dimitri, leading Veronica to wonder if there’s more to him than meets the eye.
Before long she finds herself in a whirlwind romance that seems too good to be true–until a series of devastating events leaves her questioning everything.
It’s not until she chooses to think with her heart instead of her mind that she can rise from the ashes to learn the truth of their connection.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Dimitri’s face is peaceful and angelic as he rises to help me put my coat on. “Thanks for coming over tonight, Ronnie. You don’t know what it meant to me. I feel like this is the first time I’ve been able to breathe in months.” He lifts his hand, but hesitantly stops just short of brushing my cheek. He smiles and lowers it. “Can I walk you to your car?”
My heart is soaring and my palms are sweaty. “I’d like that.”
We walk slowly down the long driveway, our bodies so close that our arms brush against each other. I think back to the first day of school and smile; personal space is so overrated.
He opens the driver side door and stands behind it at a safe distance so as not to make the situation awkward. I throw my bag through onto the passenger seat and stand with one hand on the door and the other on the steering wheel. When I look up at him he’s staring down at me. His eyes glitter in the streetlight.
It’s at that moment that my life comes into focus, like flipping a switch. The entire world tilts back onto its axis. Call it an epiphany; the rare type of realization that changes your life absolutely. I need this man in my life. I need him like I need air and water. He is part of me—my past and my future. Since the day we met I’ve given my heart to him ... piece by piece. And it’s at this exact moment that I realize he has all of it. My heart is no longer mine; it belongs to him and always will.
I can’t help but smile.
He returns the smile—his beautiful smile. “What?” he asks softly.
“Thank you for being you, Dimitri.”
Not much escapes him and I know from the look in his eyes that he understands. He nods humbly. “You’re welcome.”
I duck down into the driver’s seat and look back up at him. “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.” I don’t know if it’s a question or a declaration, but it’s hopeful.
He winks. “You can count on it.”
Slowly he shuts the door and moves to the sidewalk. I wave and pull away, watching him in my rearview mirror as he begins to fade into the distance. He stands there glowing under the streetlight like an angelic statue. When I turn the corner, he’s gone.
Life is sometimes … an epiphany.

Some of my favorite things: reading, writing, the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (my husband built it for me), Facebook (I'm fairly certain it's an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut), and music (LOVE the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Haim, Manchester Orchestra, Teenage Bottlerocket, and 30 Seconds to Mars).  I also love dreaming. Big. Writing a few years ago was an elusive dream until I grabbed ahold of it with both hands and refused to let go. Keep following YOUR dreams. Be brave and do epic!

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REVIEW: BRIGHT SIDE BY KIM HOLDEN

Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you ...
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

Paperback
Published July 4th 2014 by Do Epic LLC

Source: Purchased

Purchase: Goodreads | Amazon

-Our review- 

I've been sitting here with this page opened for at least 30 minutes. I have no idea what to write. I want to tell you ALL about this book but I don't want to spoil it and it would be very easy to spoil it. But god, I want to sit on my back deck, look at my new pool, and talk about it with you. Lots of "..and when this happened, did you..?" and "...I about died when..." and "..wasn't so __ when __ ..." BUT I CANNOT DO IT. I refuse to spoil this sweet and wonderful story for you. 

(The previous thing Shelley wrote might be one of my favorite paragraphs she has ever written. Isn't it adorable;cute;wonderful? I love her. And she is so right!) 

Instead I'll talk to you like I talked to my neighbor. As we sat on my deck and looked at my new pool (it's super cool that I have a pool, y'all), I convinced her to look it up on her phone and purchase it. How? Like this:

1. You're going to love it. 
2. It's emotional...so be prepared and don't read it on a bad week ..unless you need a cry.
3. Yes. You'll probably cry. I didn't but I'm a robot. Everyone else cries.
4. The protagonist, Kate, is fucking awesome. I basically want to be her. 
5. ..and not only is Kate such a wonderful character but the secondary characters are so well drawn; I can't seem to get them out of my head. (And I saw that Gus is getting a book and I may just die. I need to read that book).
6. Because the protagonist is awesome I can't help but think the writer is amazing and I bet I'd like her a whole helluva lot.
7. The story is ...ugh..it's so hard to talk about without telling you what I want to tell you. UGH. The story is sweet and wonderful and Kate is inspiring and funny. It's poignant and happy tears and sad tears and, for some, ugly crying.
8. The story covers a short span of time and all you want to do is draw it out as long as you can, especially once you hit a certain point. But maybe that's why I like it. It's the perfect amount of story for these characters.
9. The voice of Kate was distinct and I found myself wanting to say "dude"..haha. The writing of this story may not have been Chekhov or Hemingway but I found the story so engaging that any spots that might have bothered me in any other book was quickly overlooked or forgotten. 

Awww. Okay. THAT list might be my favorite thing she has written. She is right. I had some issues with the beginning of the story, and the main reason is that I felt like I didn't know Kate well enough to have to know every single thing she thought about every issue in the world. That might not make sense, but it is as clear as I can be at this moment in time. However, I began to "get to know" the characters, and as I began to fall in love with them, I began to enjoy the book so much more. Wanna know why? The music. I can connect to ANYTHING through intellectual, thoughtful conversation, quotes, and music. There is plenty of it here, and it made this story very rich. Another thing I recommend...reading the story like Kate's point of view is literally her journal. That idea formed about 35-40% probably, and again made my experience better. 

I don't know if I'm convincing YOU but I hope you'll give it a shot. I know I won't forget about this novel for a long time. Kate was simply unforgettable. She was flawed, but really?, mostly perfect.. she came to me during a week when I felt pretty hopeless. Actually, this book came into my life at a time when I didn't even know I needed it and I did. I needed it a lot. I'm so grateful to Kim Holden for writing it and I'm so happy that I read it. 

I am happy too. It was a compelling story, with characters that I loved. I loved the time in their life that we got a peek at, as it is an interesting one when you're 18-23-ish, and how you form lasting relationships with people. It takes a in depth look at best friends, and that was beautiful....Kate and Gus were my favorites of the story, and I absolutely cannot wait to read more about Gus next year (hopefully sooner...hint*hint)

Shelley: 4 stars
Courtney: 4 stars

About Kim Holden--
Some of my favorite things: reading, writing, the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (my husband built it for me), Facebook (I'm fairly certain it's an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut), and music (LOVE the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Haim, Teenage Bottlerocket, and 30 Seconds to Mars). I also love dreaming, which brings me to my next point. I have one bit of advice for anyone reading this ... follow your dreams. It's never too late. Get started today ... heck get started RIGHT NOW! I wanted to write a book 20 years ago. Instead I waited. And waited. I should've been writing. But I didn't. I don't do regrets, because the past is just that, the past. But let me tell you there's nothing in the world like achieving something you've dreamt about for years and years. So, get started. Make your dreams reality. 

I love to hear from other readers. Send me a message or find me on Facebook (https://facebook.com/kimholdenauthor) and tell what's up in your reading world.