AFTER LIFE, by Gayle Forman, Quill Tree Books, Jan. 7, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A teen returns home seven years after her death in After Life, a young adult novel by Gayle Forman.
One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.
Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.
This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther out: Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance? —Synopsis provided by Quill Tree Books
After Life is a book that takes a while to wrap your head around. It’s told from multiple points of view and bounces through time. But, if you stick with it, the payoff is good.
Gayle Forman’s novel revolves around the topic of grief, and with each character, you see how unique that process is.
Because this story is told from so many viewpoints, it can be a bit messy. And there isn’t as much visible character growth. Even Amber, who gets the most chapters isn’t fully realized. Sure, she reflects on her life and the person she wishes she could have been, but it kind of stops with that. In the end, it does cause you to reflect on your own life as the reader, which could have been the author’s goal from the start.
Nonetheless, After Life is an emotional read that will resonate especially with readers who have experienced loss.
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