After Life by Gayle Forman

I was offered this book with the words 'prepare to cry', which tells me that this one is going to be very emotional. The blurb caught my attention, too and seems pretty original: a girl dies but suddenly finds herself alive again seven years later. I'm very curious to see how this one turns and twists, and can't wait to dive in. Oh, and it just appeared about 2 weeks ago, so it's a fresh read, too.

So, let's get going!

AFTER LIFE

by Gayle Forman

Quill Tree Books

YA Paranormal

272 pages

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 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?

This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death, examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON    /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

A kaleidoscope of emotions roll from every page, offering hope, healing, and heart.

After following the same path home that she has for entire high school career,  Amber parks her bike outside of her house and finds that everything's changed. She has no clue that she died seven years before and can't even begin to explain her sudden presence to her shocked parents and sister when she finds them. Of course, each of them handles her sudden resurrection differently, and she's doing her best to understand them and give them space. Still, guilt weighs down hard. She knows that she could have been kinder to her younger sister, her aunt has moved overseas, and her parents have long since divorced. The desire to fix things haunts her, although she's struggling herself with the strange mess. But maybe, that's what she's supposed to do. After all, that must be the reason for her return.

This is a carefully crafted read and handles some very difficult themes with finesse. It's also a read full of hope and dealing with grief. Family, the fragile balance of emotions, and facing the results of bad decisions are only the beginning of the messages woven into the tale. But most importantly, it sinks into the theme of grief and the struggle of living on.

While the story bases itself on Amber's point of view, it also switches between various characters. This not only ensures depth in the various subplots and allows the decisions made to be more understandable, but also adds information exactly then when it's needed. Flashbacks come in quite often, too. Thanks to the character names and time periods at the beginning of each chapter, it never grows confusing.

The writing style, extremely short chapters, and emotional dance make it clear that this read is for thought, feeling, and thoughtful depth. The main plot, while seeming to follow Amber's own struggles, actually clings more to those around her...which also means that several aspects of her are never really fleshed out...as if she's missing a little substance like a ghost. Some of her concerns surprised me and felt superficial, while others hit with a wise maturity. So, she has an odd balance and keeps it's feet firmly in the YA realm. 

It's a beautifully done read with tons of sink into and consider long after the book is done.

And here she is...

Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman has written several bestselling novels for children and adults, including Not Nothing, the Just One series, and the number one New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than forty languages and in 2014 was adapted into a major motion picture. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.