Review Detail

The premise of HEREAFTER is interesting: girl dies under mysterious circumstances and a boy comes along who nearly dies and then is able to see her and hear her. The first chapter was captivating as we meet Amelia, wander the streets in a fog with her, and relive her nightmarish death.

After that, things begin to feel strained. The writing is mostly tell, repeat, and then recap again, with very little "show." There's insta-love ... which I can swallow as a plot device if the relationship grows from there with believable dialogue and shared experiences that serve to gradually bring the two together. The dialogue here felt stilted, the way Amelia was suddenly able to remember things when she needed to felt convenient, and I honestly have no idea what really happened at the end because the climactic scene felt rushed and like some important transitions or descriptions were missing. I also had a hard time believing Joshua could constantly talk to her, hold her hand, or kiss her in public when he was the ONLY one who could see her and have no one call him crazy or ask what in the world he was doing.

However, Ms. Hudson paints some gorgeous scenery with her words, and High Bridge (the scene of much death and haunting) is scary and atmospheric. She nicely sets up some continuous conflict for book two as well. I realize that there are many who swooned for this book and adored the romance, so take my review with a grain of salt. It isn't one of my favorites, but you might love it.