Blog Tour: Afterward – Review

September 23, 2016 Heidi ARC, Blog Tour, Book Review 1

I received this for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am so pleased to be a part of the blog tour for Jennifer Mathieu’s Afterward. I was totally engrossed in her previous books The Truth About Alice and Devoted. I couldn’t wait to read this one. I was not disappointed! But first, more about the book!

About the Book:

When Caroline’s little brother is kidnapped, his subsequent rescue leads to the discovery of Ethan, a teenager who has been living with the kidnapper since he was a young child himself. In the aftermath, Caroline can’t help but wonder what Ethan knows about everything that happened to her brother, who is not readjusting well to life at home. And although Ethan is desperate for a friend, he can’t see Caroline without experiencing a resurgence of traumatic memories. But after the media circus surrounding the kidnappings departs from their small Texas town, both Caroline and Ethan find that they need a friend–and their best option just might be each other.

My Thoughts:

Each of Jennifer Mathieu’s books has focused on a different intense and complicated issue. There’s always that chance that books like these will end up reading like an after school special. Thanks to the Mathieu’s skill and storytelling style, that has not been the case. I have found each of her books so compelling! She really has a knack for getting at the heart of the matter.

Afterward focuses on the aftermath of two related kidnappings. One of these lasted for a few days, the other, for years. It looks at the ways these events impact not only the child abducted, but also their families and the community in general. I appreciated how this made me think of all the different aspects of what it must have been like from the characters.

It’s clear that the author did her research. Afterward reads so authentically and touches on so many different things I never would have thought of. This is a topic that could very easily end up being sensationalized; I especially appreciated the respect and dedication Mathieu brought to the telling of the story.

Yet again, I highly recommend Mathieu’s newest release!