The Other Side of Dark

by Sarah Smith

Hardcover, 2010

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Genres

Young Adult

Fiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Atheneum Books for Young Readers (2010), Hardcover, 320 pages

Description

Since losing both of her parents, fifteen-year-old Katie can see and talk to ghosts, which makes her a loner until fellow student Law sees her drawing of a historic house and together they seek a treasure rumored to be hidden there by illegal slave-traders.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Groovybaby

Although this book is marketed for young adults I found it an enjoyable, ghostly, historical mystery that will appeal to an audience of wide ranging ages.
It's innocently pleasing romantic story was leant some literary validity by a thought prevoking sub-plot about race, class and community

dynamics.
The supernatural flavor of the mystery at the heart of the story will keep modern audiences entertained.
An engaging book, great both for it's entertainment value, or jump starting conversations in the classrtoom and at home.

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5 more

LibraryThing member callmecayce

I utterly adored this book. It's a tiny bit historical fiction, though it's setting is modern, and a huge bit love story mixed with ghost story. But underneath all of that is an incredibly thoughtful and moving book about race and society. It's told, in alternating chapters, from the point of view

of two teens: Katie and Law. Their lives move in circles that accidentally intersect in the most improbable way. Sarah Smith's writing is infused with history, with class and with race, but also with love. Smith's story never drags and she builds the suspense and fear with strong emotions -- and even her ghosts have strong personalities. There were two slight twists -- a main plot one and a minor (though not to Katie) one, both of which were hinted at throughout the book but never outright stated until the end. I adore this book, especially because I recently read The Devil in the White City and Frederick Law Olmsted plays an important role in both books. Highly recommend to adults and teens.

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LibraryThing member sch_94

My Summary: Ever since her mom died a year ago, Katie's been seeing ghosts... and not just any ghosts either - ghosts that died violently. She sees the ghosts of people who were murdered, people who've committed suicide... all of it.

Katie thinks she's crazy - she thinks these 'hallucinations' are

all a product of the grief she's feeling, never taking them seriously. She draws every single ghost she sees, though, keeping them all in a sketchbook. Each sketch is more disturbing than the last, usually showing the way the person died. Katie knows she's crazy, but the sketches are the only way to keep the ghosts from taking over her entire life...

Until the day she meets a ghost boy in the park and bumps into Law Walker. She's surprised he wants anything to do with her, the 'crazy girl', but the two form an unlikely friendship. When Katie tells Law about the boy in the park who died in the house he's trying to save from being bulldozed, he investigates and discovers that Katie really has been seeing ghosts - and that she may be the key to saving the house and the treasure inside.

My Thoughts: I'm so glad I decided to read this book! It was just what I needed - the perfect mix of history, paranormal elements, and romance. All three components of the book wove together perfectly, making it one of those books that I just couldn't put down without finding out what happened next.

Seriously. I finished it in less than 8 hours, and it's not a very short book!

And I'd like to give props to Sarah Smith for the honest way she handled the topics of slavery and racism and the sometimes crushing pressure parents put on their kids - I felt so bad for Law, trying to deal with his father's unrealistic expectations while also trying to grow up and figure out where he belongs because of his mixed heritage.

Final Thoughts: If you've always been a bit of an American History geek like me, you'll definitely want to pick this one up! It ties together elements of history, racism, and romance beautifully, and I really enjoyed it. May not be suitable for reader under 14, though!

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LibraryThing member fromthecomfychair

An interesting read, especially for fans of American history and Boston. A combination mystery, romance (multicultural), and historical fiction, it has a little bit of a lot. And it made me want to investigate the history part of the story. It's well written, but for me, not a page-turner until I

reached the half-way point of the book. Also, although it's written for a YA audience, I don't find the YA dialogue very believable. Maybe kids from Brookline really do talk like articulate adults, unlike most of the teens I know. I'd have rated it 3.5 stars if I could have.

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LibraryThing member DrLed

Synopsis: Katie talks to people and draws them; unfortunately these people are dead. Law thinks that houses tell the history of their owners and the of the time in which they were built. Together, Law and Katie find there is a history of Pinebank and it will take information from ghosts to discover

the truth about the people who lived in the house.
Review: This is an excellent book because it gives an insights into the interaction of families, dealing with race, and how to deal with difficult people. It's also a good ghost story.

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LibraryThing member lillibrary

Since she was six, 15 yr. old Katie sees "hallucinations" that she later finds out are ghosts. Living with her stepfather, grieving the recent death of her mom, Katie is shunned by fellow students who believe she's crazy. Biracial 16 yr. old Law is drawn to her, especially after viewing her

sketches of a historic house slated for demolition. Together they uncover a mysterious treasure hidden at the house by the slaver trader owner. The story is set in contemporary Boston but evokes its pre-Civil War history vividly.

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