 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? 5 Heart Review by Ashley Kim Holden manages to punch me right in the chest. Every. Single. Time. Her writing is straight forward, simple almost, but so dang powerful. All facets of Toby's story were deep and compelling and, while at hard times to stomach, were so real that I couldn't look away. My heart bled for this boy who had such a good heart. Who had seen too much in his short life. Who tried so hard for everyone but himself. Who hid his pain and fear behind good deeds and brood. Who stood up for those who needed it, even when it wouldn't do him any favors. He was so loved and just couldn't see it. But Alice saw it. She knew he was worth fighting for even when the voices in his head said he wasn't. The Other Side was a very real, heart wrenching look at depression. How it affects not just the one suffering but all those around you. Toby had no clue how big his wake was. The positive impact he had on everyone in his life. He was a natural caretaker, but no one took care of him and what he needed. Until it was almost too late. Toby's story was devastatingly beautiful. There was more than one jaw dropping, heart stopping moment. It wrecked my heart but when I was done reading it, I had the biggest smile on my face, and a touch of peace in my soul. That is the Kim Holden magic. I don't know how she does it and I don't really care. She doesn't write romance novels, she writes life books. Books that challenge what you think and believe. That make you want to be better, grasp your potential. Be enough. Just be. And when Toby broke out on the other side of all that pain, it was everything. 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.
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