By Carly Smith
Liam, a preteen hooked on soccer, is at his grandfather’s house on the lake when he finds a dead body nearby. As he tries to move on from this unexpected discovery, he can’t help but think more and more about what he saw. Whose body was it? Was it an accident? What was this person like when she was alive?
With limited evidence, and with the help of friends and family, Liam works to piece together this young woman’s death while continuing with his everyday life. As he delves deeper into his detective work, he learns more about his grandfather’s past and how it may be connected to the death. However, his intense focus on solving the mystery proves difficult to successfully maintain his role on the soccer team, an activity which he has always loved and excelled at. Can Liam and his crew get to the bottom of this death, and if so, how will it change Liam’s life?
Each character in The Other Side brings a unique dynamic to the plot. Camlot thoughtfully develops the characters’ personalities and idiosyncrasies, making it easy to visualize the book’s events, create a voice for each person, and really immerse oneself in the storyline. Liam, the protagonist, is clever, observant, and diligent. As his character is developed, it is clear that he is also caring, focused, and curious. We see this in his passion for soccer, his concern for his grandfather, and his interest in the suspicious death. His sister, Elvy, is a cheerful girl who brings a light-hearted air to the scene whenever she is present. She loves her brother dearly and is keen to be his sidekick in this exciting investigation. Opa, Liam and Elvy’s grandfather, is a man with much history; he is from Germany and is a veteran of World War II. He has been exposed to a lot in his lifetime and wishes for a delicate balance for Liam—that he knows the tragedies his grandfather lived through, but also that he is still able to carry on, not overly immersed in Opa’s past so much that it interferes with his own life.
The Other Side was a quick read, but not so quick that readers can pay half-attention to the book’s events. Camlot revealed clues through dialogue and narrative, and I found myself enjoying this young adult murder mystery as much as any adult murder mystery I have read. Several times I felt it necessary to reread parts, not because something was poorly written but because some clues were so subtle that I second guessed myself, which is always a sign of a compelling book. I truly enjoyed how The Other Side was not strictly about a murder, but also woven within it was a historical fiction component. Overall, Camlot smoothly ties together the various parts of a young man’s life to create an engaging read for both young and not-so-young adults alike.