The Other Side

The Other Side

by Sarah Hocut

Sadie had it all planned out. She has graduated high school with her boyfriend of three years and they are going to the same college in the fall. She has her job at the best ice cream stand in the world. And she has her best friend by her side for one final, fun-filled summer.

Until her boyfriend breaks up with her and starts a new relationship less than two hours later. 

Then the empty building across from the ice cream stand suddenly has a sign announcing a new store for a national ice cream chain is coming soon.

And now she meets a boy who is the complete opposite of her ex-boyfriend, who just happens to be the son of the guy who bought the storefront and will be installing her stand's competition. 

Summer plans are now up in smoke. 

Sadie's got some new plans to make, some thinking to do, and a future that must be decided. 

Final thoughts: This is cotton candy and has some good points to it. Sadie's constant internal battles and imagined confrontations are very realistic and kind of fun to watch from the outside. However, there is a perfect ending point about 75% in that could have been it and then Hocut keeps going. Granted, she does seal up some plot points that could have been holes if they had been left alone, but it just feels out of order. That perfect ending should be at the end, not the three-quarter mark. It's not horrible, but it does come off a little odd when you think you're done and then find out the final act hasn't even started yet.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.