Guest Review: Other Halves by Nick Alexander (4/5)

THE HOTLY ANTICIPATED SEQUEL TO THE No.1 KINDLE BESTSELLER 'THE HALF-LIFE OF HANNAH'

Hannah and Cliff’s marriage is over. After a traumatic family holiday, Cliff’s lies have been exposed and Hannah has been reunited with her lost love, Cliff’s brother, James. But after fifteen years together, and forever bound by love for their eleven-year-old son, Luke, breaking free and starting again seems impossible.

A new life in Australia with James beckons for Hannah – but can she embark on this adventure without losing the love of her son? And can Cliff finally face up to issues he has suppressed since adolescence and find happiness in a confusing world?

Amid the turmoil of separation, and with Luke caught in the crossfire, both Hannah and Cliff face the challenge of rebuilding their lives. To make the other halves of their lives count, they need courage and determination. But perhaps it’s more than they possess . . .

Reviewed by Susannah Wheeler

Other Halves is Nick Alexander’s beautiful sequel to The Half –Life of Hannah - it picks up immediately where book one left off. After a disastrous family holiday to the South of France, Hannah has left her husband, Cliff, of 15 years for his brother James who turns up in the middle of the holiday – a complete shock to Hannah as Cliff had told her James was dead.

The story deals with family break up, the range of emotions that each individual feels – with overwhelming positive hope that there can be a happy life afterwards, and the belief that people can fall in love again.

Caught in the middle of his parents collapsing relationship, is their 11 year old son Luke. Nick Alexander takes us through each emotion, with each character in the story telling their version, chapter at a time. His skill in telling the story draws us into wanting to take a step closer and ask more questions rather than being a helpless onlooker. The story tugs at the heart strings, and brought real tears to my eyes as Hannah is faced with the dilemma of the choices in front of her. James has his farm in Australia to return to – and the question of what happens with Luke.

As well as her story, Nick throws us a curve ball - Cliff’s emotions and the question hanging over his head about his sexuality. The attention shifts to Cliff and the whole story changes focus. Nick deals with the matter sensitively and delicately, guiding us through Cliff’s thoughts and actions. The route he takes for his self discovery and the ongoing growth of a human character.

The story closes with a tidy ending with each person in the story having their own happy ending – something that completes the book and left me feeling quite satisfied that every option had been considered and the ending was totally believable.

Thanks to Susannah for the review and the publisher for providing the copy.