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There are currently 24 member reviews
for Afterwards
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Kristen H. (Lowell, MA)
Wow!
"Afterwards" was captivating from the beginning with lots of suspense. I loved this book because it never once gave away who did it and it told another story within that story of just how far a mother is willing to go to save her daughter.
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Mary Ellen B. (Hebron, CT)
Out of Body Experience
Shocking and suspenseful, this book is about the tangled relationships of parents, children and staff at a private school in England. When an arson fire badly injures a teaching assistant and her mother, it is the unconscious victims who reveal the trail to uncover who is guilty. The author accomplishes this by the clever convention of allowing them to leave their bodies. There are many twists and turns involving a solution to a hate crime as well as the disclosure of financial problems at the school. Many twists and turns keep the reader engaged.
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Lauren C. (Los Angeles, CA)
Like "The Lovely Bones" but in a good way
It is hard to read this book without thinking of "The Lovely Bones", but I thought that this book worked very well even though some elements are similar.
In this book a mother and her daughter are hurt in a fire at a school, and while their bodies are in the hospital the mother follows her friends and relatives around to figure out what happened to them. While this is an unusual way to solve a mystery (although it has some common elements with "The Lovely Bones"), I found it to a compelling read. I very much enjoyed the solving of the mystery and by the end of the book I thought that the emotional twists also worked well without getting maudlin or sappy.
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Lydia M. (Lakeview, Oregon)
Afterwards
Moving at the speed of a runaway train, "Afterwards" propels the reader through an otherworld and a very real, painful reality brought about by an unthinkable act of destruction. Pulled by the emotional and physical thread invoked in her debut novel "Sister", Lupton brings home the truth that there are some bonds which can never be broken. Outstanding work....can be felt on a visceral level.
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Patricia S. (Menlo Park, CA)
Ordinary events turn sinister!
"I couldn't move, not even a little finger, or a flicker of an eye."
With this riveting opening sentence the journey begins on a wild ride of suspense, incredible plot twists, and convincing characters. This British author is sure to amass many fans in the U.S. This is a thriller based on everyday events. Superb!
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Vicky R. (Cumming, GA)
Afterwards
This is a well written thriller that takes you through the gamet of emotions of a family touched by tragedy. Although it has shades of The Lonely Bones, I actually found it more captivating. The strength of the mother keeps the story together but the ending has a surprising twist...I found this book to be engrossing and entertaining.
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Kathrin C. (Corona, CA)
Afterwards - Doesn't Eclipse Her First Novel!
I very much enjoyed Rosamund Lupton’s first novel Sister which came out last year – a literary thriller which hooked me immediately. So I was expecting great things from her second novel! Afterwards’ paranormal exploration of a mother and daughter, both hospitalized and comatose, invisibly witnessing their friends, family, and police through out-of-body experiences during their attempts to find out who set the school fire was riveting once one commits to that suspension of belief. But the novel was excessive in length and the mother’s constant introspection was a bit too saccharine for my taste. It’s a good thing that the surprise twist in the ending redeemed the time spent slogging through some of the earlier parts!
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