Afterwards in Bookmarks Subscribers

Apr 17, 2012 Patty rated it it was amazing

Afterwards
By
Rosamund Lupton

Speedy Summary...

A fire at a school leaves devastation in its aftermath...cause of the fire? It is believed to be arson.

My Thoughts After Reading...

This book begins so sweetly and then suddenly there is smoke, a fire, and devastation. Jenny and her mum and one other student are the seriously injured. It was a bit confusing in the beginning...I have to say...because although Jenny and her mum were injured...they were having sort of out of body experiences watching w ...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Denise rated it really liked it

Shelves: female-author, kindle, fiction, british-author, 2012-reading-challenge

I really loved this author's first book, "Sister: A Novel," and I truly looked forward to "Afterwards." Like Sister, Afterwards is told in first person, present tense, by Grace who is speaking to her husband who can not hear her. As much as I enjoyed this tense in Sister, I found it to be a bit monotonous in Afterwards. I sometimes found myself skimming what felt like too much repetition of the same subjects and feelings. Lupton is an amazing writer, but the story just felt a bit too tedious and ...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Doreen rated it really liked it

Shelves: public-library

I picked up this book because a review in Maclean’s described it as a “literary crime novel” and I’m glad I did. It is not flawless but is eminently readable.

There is a fire at a private elementary school. A parent, Grace Covey, rushes in to check on Jenny, her 17-year-old daughter who is assisting at the school’s sports day. The two are critically injured. Caught between life and death, the two are able to follow family members and investigators who quickly determine that the fire was arson and I picked up this book because a review in Maclean’s described it as a “literary crime novel” and I’m glad I did. It is not flawless but is eminently readable.

There is a fire at a private elementary school. A parent, Grace Covey, rushes in to check on Jenny, her 17-year-old daughter who is assisting at the school’s sports day. The two are critically injured. Caught between life and death, the two are able to follow family members and investigators who quickly determine that the fire was arson and Jenny a target. There are two major questions in the remainder of the book: Who was trying to kill Jenny? Will Grace and Jenny survive?

The narration may present problems to some readers. First of all, some suspension of disbelief is required since Grace, the narrator, exists on some quasi-spiritual plane where she (and Jenny) could best be described as having a protracted out-of-body experience. Unfortunately, the parameters of their state are never clearly delineated. For instance, Grace describes physical pain when she leaves the confines of the hospital; she refers to her skin being scalded by warm air and gravel cutting into her unprotected feet (130, 197) although she quickly (too conveniently?) develops a tolerance for the pain. Spiritual beings have physical sensations? The point of view is second person, the “you” being Grace’s husband. Coupled with the use of present tense, the narration is sometimes awkward.

There is sufficient suspense created by the requisite twists and red herrings, although the use of a bungling police officer, Detective Inspector Baker, seems contrived. Fortunately for the investigation, Detective Sergeant Sarah McBride, Grace’s sister-in-law, takes unofficial charge. Unfortunately, she is sometimes just too perfect, making not a single misstep, so that a romantic indiscretion seems thrown in to humanize her. Point of view is used well to create suspense; Grace and Jenny occasionally have information unknown to the others but they have no way of communicating to assist with the investigation.

The ending is foreshadowed very early on so it is not a shock. Grace comments that in life, “There is no happy ever after” (383), but the ending is nonetheless satisfying and strangely uplifting.

The novel is more than a mystery in that it focuses considerable attention to developing character and theme. Grace, for instance, is a dynamic character. She acknowledges some of her negative traits, particularly a tendency towards envy, and gradually realizes that she has misjudged people, especially her sister-in-law, and that she doesn’t really know her teenaged daughter. If there is a weakness in this element it is that Grace seems to have been very unperceptive and a very poor judge of character.

The theme of family love – the love that exists between spouses, between parents and children, and between siblings – is thoroughly developed. Grace summarizes it well: “Other people can write the great book, paint the wonderful painting, because I don’t need a work of art to speak for me . . . my family will do that” (375). In the novel, there is actually more than one family that speaks about love.

Despite its weaknesses, this book is an enjoyable read; time will pass quickly as its pages are turned.

Please check out my reader's blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
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Feb 12, 2014 Kelly rated it really liked it

2nd time bookclub 12/12

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Feb 03, 2013 Dee rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010-2019

Superb! I could not put this one down!! I really enjoyed this book from start to finish Yes, there is mystery, but so much more too! The choice of narration and the writing style definitely helped to create that page turning pace. Highly recoommend this one, as well as her first book "Sister", another fantastic read! ...more

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Jan 28, 2020 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I rarely cry when reading sad stories but this book had me in tears. Maybe because my 13 year old self remembered my mother's dying and my hope that she would become an angel and be with me always. Have a box of Kleenex with you. You will definitely need them. ...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Amanda rated it liked it

I think I would give this 3.5. I did not see the end coming, but it did not have me as on edge as Sister. The beginning dragged a bit too much. I did love Grace and Jenny's relationship. ...more

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