Search - After

This was a quick read but it was gripping. I had trouble putting it down and really enjoyed it. I'll look for more from this author in the future.

I couldn't put this book down and it's been a long time since a book has kept me wanting more. Usually I can find a stopping point but not this one. I agree with a previous review--if you're a Jodi Picoult fan you'll definitely be intrigued with After. This book is thought-provoking, engaging, and on the edge of your seat supspense. Thanks Efaw for such a great read.

Taken From My Blog:

My Thoughts: I didn't know what to expect as I dove headfirst into this. The book opens up as Amy is sitting on the couch, her mom comes home, and within minutes the police are there taking Amy away. We learn that she has done the biggest trauma of her life and gave childbirth and threw the baby in the trash. I couldn't imagine what Amy was thinking, she was scared and didn't know what else to do, I think at this age, it would be a horrifying thing to go through and not being able to tell anyone you are even pregnant, would be horrible. I liked how we got to learn how Amy had to go through this circumstance. I especially liked hearing about what her stay in the juvenile center was like. I liked the details of how she had to experience everything. Towards the end, I just wanted the best for Amy. I know she made a mistake, but I didn't want to see her spend the rest of her life in prison, because she seemed like a nice girl (good grades, never got into trouble) and she was being sentenced for the biggest mistake of her life. I felt like the author did go into a lot of detail when I just wanted to know what was going to happen to Amy and I wanted to know NOW. haha. She was a scared teenage girl. I usually don't read books like this, I tend to gravitate more towards Paranormal and Romance but every once in a while its nice to get outside the comfort zone. I won't say much else or I'll give away too many spoilers. Read the book to find out what happens to Amy.

Overall: It started out good, I could have done without some of the law facts (I'm a Criminal Justice major so I know most of them anyways). But overall, it was hard reading about Amy because I felt sorry for her, and only wanted her to be safe.

Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

Devon is a young, athletic girl with a bright future as a soccer player. The Olympics have even been linked to her name. How could a girl like this end up doing something as horrible as throwing a newborn baby in the trash along with other refuse from around the house?

While canvasing the apartment building looking for information about the abandoned baby, a police officer finds his way to Devon's door. Her mother, recently home from a night shift at Safeway, answers the door and starts her usual flirting. She informs the officer that her daughter, Devon, stayed home from school that day because she was sick. It doesn't take long for him to put two and two together.

Very quickly, Devon is thrust into a world she never imagined for herself. A world filled with kids with problems more complicated than she has ever experienced. A world in a juvenile detention facility under observation 24-hours a day. A world without anyone she can call a friend.

The reader witnesses Devon's story unfold piece by piece, almost as if we are understanding what transpired at the same time Devon does. What readers will find most amazing about the entire story is the level of denial Devon immerses herself in so as to function every day. Devon isn't always a likable character, mostly because of the strict discipline she holds herself to in terms of school work and soccer. She rarely lets herself loose, which means people don't know who she really is - including the reader.

I didn't want to stop reading. I needed to find out what pushed Devon to do something so horrible. Through conversations with her lawyer in preparation for a trial to determine whether or not she'll be judged in the juvenile system or be sent to the adult courts, we get a good picture of what was going through Devon's head. AFTER is definitely an engaging read.