Into The Other - Livian Grey

Josie is in a bad situation.  In fact this is such a situation from which she knows that she'll probably never get out. Maybe she'll have to spent rest of her life behind the bars. But unexpectedly a stranger offers her a solution. Calder was a devil disguised in Angel's robes. He offered to help her out but at a terrible price. She would need to give him her baby. Josie, though immature at that time was still a mother, she protested but he clearly told her that he would take her baby under every circumstances.
Josie , unable to do anything against his inhuman powers relents.

Now desperate to save her baby she leaves the city behind, hiding in a small town which does not even have a population of thousand. She is running yet in her heart she knows that it is futile. Calder would come and take her baby, no matter what.
When the baby is born as promised Calder takes her away, leaving in her place a baby boy. Josie is now forced to raise him.

Years pass...
Seth grows up. He is now 16. On the other hand Ralla also grows up with Calder. Calder wants to keep her with him but Ralla is drawn to the human world. When Ralla finds her chance to escape,she does so immediately.

Now Ralla is back to where she belong. Can Josie keep her daughter safe this time? Or will she again lose her to Calder?
Or maybe this time...to death.

A fascinating tale of mystery, suspense, supernatural and growing up. It is sure to keep the readers engrossed!

What I liked the most about it is that , this story vividly describes the lives of the people who are economically backward. Their hardships, hopes for future, day to day living etc. The dark reality of bullying in school and abuse is also well captured here.
The fact that Ralla turned from a weak, frail and insecure girl to the confident,smart and strong character is very pleasurable.
The exploration of the relationship between Nick and Josie at the end is also very interesting.

To be very honest, At first I did not like Josie. Nope, not even a bit. She was selfish, self-centred and annoying(according to me). It also irritated me a lot that she treats Seth as some distant relative.
However at the end of the story Josie gradually matures into an adult and accepts both Seth and Ralla as her own children. Even though she never realised that or accepted that before.

"Josie remembered the woman she was the night Ralla was taken. She remembered her being selfish and egotistical, and most of all, deplorable. Everything Calder ever called her, she now believed. But she wouldn’t give Seth up for anything. If his mother somehow miraculously recovered her stolen memory and demanded him back, Josie would fight her tooth and nail, only relinquishing when the law, or Seth, decided where he really belonged. And she had all the patience in the world to wait for Ralla to trust her. Josie knew she couldn’t force it; she’d expected Ralla would need time to adjust to everything. Ralla hadn’t yet found her home; she wasn’t at peace with her new life, or the people in it. Josie was prepared to do whatever it took to bring her that peace, and she couldn’t hold Ralla back from anything; even if it pained her to see her leave home..."

I also liked the fact that Seth and Josie at the end developed a mother - child bonding which was sorely lacking in the first part.
The ending scene of Seth forgiving Josie is very emotional and sweet.
And the realisation that Josie at last had makes a great ending. I feel that it is the perfect ending for this story. I also happen to like Nick a lot. The way he stuck by Josie through thick and thin is admirable. The dynamics of their relation is also very intriguing.
Over all it's a good book to read over holidays.

Author Bio: 

Livian Grey is a long-term writer of various genres, including drama and horror. Left to with very little to do growing up in the small coastal town of Australind, she began writing at eleven, scribbling many stories and sneakily writing in the back of her notebooks in school. The works of Clive Barker and Anne Rice kept her enthralled and keen to emulate their styles in the search for her own voice. Admonished by her teachers for daydreaming in class, she vowed to prove this would one day pay off by becoming a published author.

Purchase link:

https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/item/into-the-other

I hope you all enjoy this! Feel free to share your thoughts and feelings regarding this book in the comments below!