What Happens Next

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Author(s)

Colleen Clayton

Publisher

Poppy

Genre(s)

Realistic Fiction

Age Range

14+

Release Date

October 09, 2012

ISBN

0316198684

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How can you talk about something that you can't remember?

Before the ski trip, Cassidy "Sid" Murphy was a cheerleader (on the bottom of the pyramid, but still...) and a straight-A student, with two of the best friends a girl could ask for.

When Sid finds herself on a ski lift with hunky local college guy, Dax Windsor, she's thrilled. "Come to a party with me," he tells her, but Dax isn't what he seems. He takes everything from Sid-including a lock of her perfect red curls-and she can't remember any of it.

After the ski trip, Sid is an insomniac and an obsessive late-night runner, unable to relate to her old friends.

Caught in a downward spiral, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey "The Living Stoner" Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey--slacker, baker, total dreamboat--Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if only she could shake the nightmares, everything would be perfect...

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton's debut is a stunning story of moving on after the unthinkable happens.

How can you talk about something that you can't remember?

Before the ski trip, Cassidy "Sid" Murphy was a cheerleader (on the bottom of the pyramid, but still...) and a straight-A student, with two of the best friends a girl could ask for.

After the ski trip, Sid is an insomniac and an obsessive late-night runner, unable to relate to her old friends.

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton's debut is a stunning story of moving on after the unthinkable happens.

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2 reviews

Overall rating

4.3

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4.0(2)

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4.5(2)

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4.5(2)

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Give this debut novel a try

November 27, 2013

Overall rating

4.0

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What Happens Next has been on my wishlist since January 2012. I knew I would enjoy the heck of it. And I knew I was right. I'm just not sure why I didn't read it the moment it was released.

I've mentioned this a couple of times- YA contemporary is my favorite genre. I never get tired of reading about real life situations and how different people deal with them. What Happens Next deals with two very hard to talk about topics-rape and bulimia.

A guy rapes Sid on her skiing trip she went with her friend. She doesn't remember the act itself because she was drugged but that doesn't help her feel any better. She withdraws from her best friends, start running two times a day. She starts to sleep and eat less. She tells no one what happened on the ski trip because she want to protect her loved ones.

I understand why she hid the truth from everyone. Because she feels like it won't help anyone if they do find out. The rapist won't get caught and her family and friends will feel terrible and she doesn't want that to happen. It's enough that she feels horrible.

The romance was slow but satisfying considering what Sid's going through. Corey were a normal guy with a few problems but whenever they're in the A/V room together everything else disappears and they get the chance to just be.

The way Mrs. Clayton wrote her debut novel is extraordinary because I don't think normal people know what it feels like to be a victim of a rape or to suffer from an eating disorder. She must've had an encounter with those type of people to be able to fully understand their daily struggles.

I recommend this books to those reader who don't shy away from tricky subjects.

Zemira Top 100 Reviewer 69 reviews

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What Happens Next by Collen Clayton

October 10, 2012 (Updated: October 10, 2012)

Overall rating

4.7

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First I’d like to start by saying I want Cory to be my boyfriend ( that’s not weird…right?) aaand moving on. I really liked this book. I think Sid is such a strong character. The way she handled the trauma may not have been the right way but she was still really strong considering she was doing it on her own. It was heartbreaking reading about her thoughts on her body but that’s what made the book so real. I also loved that when she becomes friends with someone out of her clique she’s not ashamed by Cory. I really thought that was a plot device the author was going to use and was relived when it wasn’t.

Now lets talk about Cory Livingston (insert sigh here). Cory. Cory. Cory. He was such a sweet character. Sid wasn’t always so nice to him (ahem she slaps him) but he was so patient with her. He has his own stuff going on at home which I would of liked the author to expand on a bit because all we got was a short explanation towards the end. I think my favorite part is when Cory tells her how beautiful she is. I’ll admit there may have been a few tears (okay a lot) when I read this part. He’s just so great to her and it was nice to read.

My only problem with the book was the ending. I wish I would of gotten more answers. After watching Sid struggle with the truth of her trauma and eating disorder I wanted to know if any of these were resolved. Other than that I think this book was fantastic. I would recommend this book to readers who liked If I Stay, Wintergirls, and Cracked Up To Be.

Good Points

I loved the characters. The flow of the story especially how it spans over a couple of months.

Lola Ventura Top 500 Reviewer