After

This is one of the very few books that I have remembered without reading a summary. I enjoed thenovel even though I found what Devon did was a little creppy.

One of my friends who’s read almost every recent contemporary YA release recommended this one to me. The concept, a baby in a trash can, sounded a bit iffy to me, and I didn’t particularly like the cover. But I gave it a go anyway.

What I Liked: I loved Efaw’s choice in setting. Stadium High School is one of the coolest locations in the Puget Sound area. The building look’s like a castle! If you’ve watch the Heath Ledger/Julia Styles film 10 Things I Hate About You, you know what I mean. I also used to live in that area, and I think it’s super cool.

But really, Devon never sets foot in the school so that doesn’t really matter.

Efaw’s characterization of Devon is one of the absolute best I’ve seen. I would never have expected to find that I could sympathize and/or enjoy reading about a girl who threw her kid into a dumpster. But I found that Devon’s situation, while not good or really very pleasant, had a certain human quality to it. Efaw really got into her head and let you feel the way Devon felt.

I appreciated the way things weren’t tied up with a bow at the end. The lack of closure helped keep things realistic. The book only took place over a period of eleven days, and it’s stretching things a bit far to expect Devon to have completely recovered mentally from her actions and their consequences.

What I Didn’t Like: This was going to be a five-point review right up until the end. I’m not going to spoil it or anything, but it was a feel-good ending in a book that wasn’t a feel-good read. Of course, there really wasn’t anywhere else Efaw could have taken the book, not if she wanted readers to still sympathize with Devon. But I was still disappointed.

Verdict: Harsh, brutal, and well-told, After is a great example of why people should read contemporary YA fiction. With flawless characterization and wonderful detailing, Efaw’s writing is fantastic.

One of my friends who’s read almost every recent contemporary YA release recommended this one to me. The concept, a baby in a trash can, sounded a bit iffy to me, and I didn’t particularly like the cover. But I gave it a go anyway.

What I Liked: I loved Efaw’s choice in setting. Stadium High School is one of the coolest locations in the Puget Sound area. The building look’s like a castle! If you’ve watch the Heath Ledger/Julia Styles film 10 Things I Hate About You, you know what I mean. I also used to live in that area, and I think it’s super cool.

But really, Devon never sets foot in the school so that doesn’t really matter.

Efaw’s characterization of Devon is one of the absolute best I’ve seen. I would never have expected to find that I could sympathize and/or enjoy reading about a girl who threw her kid into a dumpster. But I found that Devon’s situation, while not good or really very pleasant, had a certain human quality to it. Efaw really got into her head and let you feel the way Devon felt.

I appreciated the way things weren’t tied up with a bow at the end. The lack of closure helped keep things realistic. The book only took place over a period of eleven days, and it’s stretching things a bit far to expect Devon to have completely recovered mentally from her actions and their consequences.

What I Didn’t Like: This was going to be a five-point review right up until the end. I’m not going to spoil it or anything, but it was a feel-good ending in a book that wasn’t a feel-good read. Of course, there really wasn’t anywhere else Efaw could have taken the book, not if she wanted readers to still sympathize with Devon. But I was still disappointed.

Verdict: Harsh, brutal, and well-told, After is a great example of why people should read contemporary YA fiction. With flawless characterization and wonderful detailing, Efaw’s writing is fantastic.