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Book Summary and Reviews of After by Amy Efaw

After by Amy Efaw

After

by Amy Efaw

  • Critics' Consensus (3):
  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • Aug 2009, 350 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

An infant left in the trash to die. A teenage mother who never knew she was pregnant...

Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made—Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there’s only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer.

And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible— she turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon’s unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"It's an emotionally wrenching story that will keep readers' attention through its surprising conclusion. Ages 12–up." - Publishers Weekly

"Efaw assigns herself a seemingly impossible task . . . yet somehow pulls it off in this successful button-pusher." - Booklist

"Starred Review. This is a skillfully written, emotionally raw story detailing one girl's difficult journey from denial of her circumstances to acceptance and redemption." - School Library Journal

"Young adults with smoldering parental resentment or with fixations on perfection will understand Devon's devastation at losing a cultivated future. Ages 12+." - Kirkus Reviews

This information about After was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Hannah

Amazed
I picked this book up at my school library and even though it is way behind my lexile it was an amazing read i couldn't put it down. I was blown away! I would recommend to anyone.

isabella pierce

It is nice story
''After" by Amy Efaw was such a gripping and intense read. The way the author delves into the mind of the main character and explores such a complex topic is truly remarkable. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

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More Information

According to the author's note, "approximately one baby is abandoned to a trash can every day in the United States."

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More Recommendations

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