Review: After by Amy Efaw

Released: August 11th, 2009
Published by: Viking Juvenile
Series: Stand Alone Novel
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Chapters
Page Amount: 350
School Rating: B+ (79%)
Age Group: Young Adult Fiction

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.

First Line

The T.V.s on, some lame morning show.

Review

AFTER by Amy Efaw is a different book from what I have been reading lately. If you read the summary, you know it says “Amy Efaw does the impossible”… and she truly did.

Although I truly hated what Devon did… she was a pretty likable character. It pained me to see what she was going through. She was a quiet, respectful character who loves reading (which is a bonus!).

This book had a little bit of a slow beginning, but once it got into it, the story just flowed and I couldn’t get enough.

Although the ending is not what I expected and I didn’t agree with it, I felt as if it needed to happen. I felt as though it was the only way to end this novel with Devon feeling good about what she was doing.

I think the jail setting was so disturbing and so detailed. It felt so real and it felt as though I was there sitting beside Devon. You could tell that Amy Efaw did a lot of research before she wrote this novel.

AFTER is about an untalked about tragedy… how a poor, innocent infant is sent to their death in a dumpster. Amy Efaw takes this tragedy and puts light to the situation… a must read.

Cover Comments

I love the cover. I love how they put the person Devon thought she was… and the person she truly was. This is a great cover if you ask me.

Love,

Sierra