On The Bright Side By Nell Carter

‘On The Bright Side’ is the debut novel by Nell Carter who also writes as Fionnuala Kearney.

There’s always time for a second chance. At least that is what people say. But what if it’s true? What if you could walk out the door and build a whole new you, a whole new life? Clare and Jack are about to find out. He’s a middle-aged barrister, living life as he ‘should’. She’s a recently divorced dance teacher and mum to a teenage daughter. Change isn’t easy for either of them. But it’s not impossible.

It’s taken a wee while for Nell’s debut to hit the shelves but boy was it worth the wait. An emotional roller coaster about grief and toxic relationships, I couldn’t put this book down until I reached the final page.

The story is seen through the narrative of Clare and Jack who are both at crossroads in their lives. Jack has never gotten over the loss of his girlfriend Alice and Clare is going through a messy divorce and unsure where to go to next. When Alice’s sister suggests that Jack does something big with his life to help him move on, he decides to travel the world like he and Alice had intended but whilst he’s away he will give the house that he’s been building to someone less fortunate. And that someone is Clare and her teenage daughter Grace who’s trying to escape her abusive ex, Tim.

The story is seen through the narrative of Jack and Clare and how they are moving trying to move forward with their lives. The pair become friends before Jack goes off on his epic travel adventure and they both become crutches for each other, when times becomes too tough.

Clare is trying to be strong and escape the clutches of Tim, who always manages to sneak back into her life with forceful and manipulative behaviour and it’s not only Tim who affected Clare but also her own mother. As an only child, Clare was forced to live with her mother’s controlling behaviour and she is determined that neither of these people will treat Grace the same way. Grace is the sunshine in this dark story, she’s kind with a bright spirit and is quick to put people in their place including her father. She’s the bond that brings Jack and Clare as they both care for the infectious teenager.

One particular topic that Nell wrote about that I found interesting was the isolation of being an only child as well as the controlling parent. There are many issues that are addressed in this book, such as grief, abuse and toxic relationships and there are some moments in the story that does make for unsettling reading.

This story is a powerful one and one that stays with the reader long after they close the book. It’s dark, it’s powerful, life-affirming and strangely it’s relatable.

Beautifully crafted with relatable characters and heartwarming moments, ‘On The Bright Side’ is a story that strikes a chord from the hard hitting first line. A story of new beginnings and second chances, this book is about the power perseverance that will have you smiling and crying throughout.

You can buy ‘On The Bright Side’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.