From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

Hereafter (Hereafter, #1)

Tara Hudson

Start date: October 20, 2011

Finish date: October 31, 2011

Discussion: Books of the Month

Why we're reading this: We voted and this one was selected as the October Paranormal/Urban Fantasy BOM. Link to discussion:
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[close] We voted and this one was selected as the October Paranormal/Urban Fantasy BOM. Link to discussion:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

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What Members Thought

Nov 19, 2012 Trisha rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Ugh, I thought this was awful.

The story didn't seem to hold any fresh new ideas. It had the same old tired cardboard cut out of kids. They were perfectly polite to their parents, never had a bad thought in their head. They blushed and grinned and...just the usual stuff. There wasn't anything new here. I think most frustrating was that the kids didn't act like kids. They were either extremely immature or made these grown up mature decisions. There was no middle ground.

And the villain saying that ...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Michael rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, young-adult, read-in-2013, tower-team-challenge-b, pbrc-tower-challenge

Training for a half-marathon, I find that sometimes it's nice to take a break from playlists of familiar songs and use the time on long runs to catch up on my reading via audio books.

Sometimes for this task, I pick the audio readings of classic Doctor Who stories. At others, I choose books that will be entertaining but won't necessarily require as much attention to detail as others so I can pay attention to other things going on around me. For example, young adult fiction. I've admitted befor ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 23, 2011 Jennifer Howell / Late Bloomer Online rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Amelia is dead. She knows that much for sure. Other than that, Amelia has drifted about for so long she doesn’t even have a concept of how much time has passed since her death, and she has no idea how she died, or why she’s stuck in the same world she died in. One night a car accident on a bridge occurs and Amelia is determined to help the boy that plummets into the water find his way out and save him the same way she wishes someone had saved her. Amelia can't touch the boy, all she can do is wi Amelia is dead. She knows that much for sure. Other than that, Amelia has drifted about for so long she doesn’t even have a concept of how much time has passed since her death, and she has no idea how she died, or why she’s stuck in the same world she died in. One night a car accident on a bridge occurs and Amelia is determined to help the boy that plummets into the water find his way out and save him the same way she wishes someone had saved her. Amelia can't touch the boy, all she can do is will him to live and miraculously, she succeeds. Once Amelia saves Joshua, she is shocked to discover he can see her and talk to her, and it isn’t long before she is immediately taken with him. Joshua is determined to help Amelia find out what happened to her and along the way they find out that Joshua has a destiny he never imagined, and that his relationship with Amelia is much more than impossible, it is forbidden.

One of the things I love about this book is the fact that we know as much as Amelia knows from the beginning, and as Amelia discovers things about her life, and death, the reader is let in on the discoveries at the same time. Tara Hudson writes a modern ghost story that is hauntingly beautiful, full of romance and action, and she sucks you in with her believable and dark descriptions of the hereafter. I couldn’t help but love Amelia and feel heartbroken for her loss, and at the same time love Joshua because he cares for Amelia and wants to be with her despite the obstacles in their way. Their relationship is nothing but doomed from the beginning. What kind of future does a dead girl have with a very much alive boy? The chemistry and hope between them is so palpable, you truly believe that even in death it is possible to be awakened to love, hope and purpose. One of the things that makes Amelia so likable is her determination to keep Joshua safe regardless of the consequences to herself. I am always an advocate for the strong willed girl role model in any book. I will take that over a whiny “why me, poor me” heroine any day.

Some of my favorite scenes were with Joshua’s Grandmother, and I hope she is a significant character in the next book. Another thing I enjoyed reading is when Amelia attends school with Joshua. No one can see her or hear her of course, but Joshua, and it makes for some funny moments with Joshua trying to look like he isn’t talking to himself. Hudson also writes the villain Eli so well that you feel both sorry for him, yet shudder in fear from him at the same time. Although the book is wrapped up nicely and not left on a huge cliff hanger (YAY!) it does leave unanswered questions and I look forward to the answers. I am intrigued and am looking forward to the continuation of Amelia and Joshua’s story.

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Apr 11, 2011 Melissa-The Book Addict rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I LOVED this book! I really wasn't sure I was going to, I'm not usually a romance fan. This book however had me from the start. From pages one I was pulled in and it wouldn't let me go. I loved learning along with Amelia, I also found her to be a great character, she was strong and seemed to face even the things that scared her head on,. Joshua in my opinion was also pretty great. I admire his openmindedness. Ruth...I think I am going to end up being in a minority, but I liked her. She was tryin ...more

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