The Other Side of Now: love and lives are never truly lost

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison is a story of how love and lives are never truly lost. Meg Bryan, as Lana Lord, has the leading role on a hit TV show and is living the life of a Hollywood star and appears to have all she ever wanted. However, underneath the layers of her onscreen persona, she feels empty. After a meltdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she takes a trip to Ireland, a place she and her best friend, Aimee, dreamed of going until a tragic accident claimed Aimee’s life. When Meg arrives, the townspeople are so nice and treat her as a friend. Confused and blaming jetlag, she looks into the mirror and sees her old face and on her phone, there are pictures depicting a life completely opposite of the one she has been living. Not sure how or why it has happened, Meg recognizes her chance to reconnect and repair what she broke. 

This story is the first book by Paige Harbison that I’ve read. Tagged as a “hilarious and heartfelt novel,” I was looking forward to a second chance story to lead a different life. The prologue was great and set the scene of Meg and her friendship with Aimee and adds a sense of mystery as it ends. Unfortunately, the story fell flat and I was bored and confused. I didn’t care for Meg. The constant name dropping as if Meg needs to remind us that she’s famous was annoying. I liked how grief was discussed and weaved throughout the story. However, the story is way too long and just bogged down. Overall, I didn’t like this story and I felt it wasn’t as hilarious and heartfelt as I expected. However, if you are a fan of the film Sliding Doors (1998) or stories with magical realism and a what if aspect, you may enjoy The Other Side of Now. 

The Other Side of Now is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook