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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
It’s so good. It hits you right in the feels from the very beginning and just never lets up.
Lucy's parents decide to move after her little brother dies of a heart defect. They think of it as a new start, but they also decide that the best place to do that is the Washington suburb where a gunman entered an elementary school and killed a lot of people fours years earlier. And Lucy starts the new school year as not only the first new student since the incident but in the same grade as the survivors. I'm not going to talk more about the plot because I truly appreciate the little twists, turns, and revelations that Barth Isler worked into it. It shows the different levels and reactions to events in a very humanistic way.
There are very dark topics touched in a way that I think is perfectly appropriate for the target age. I also particularly enjoyed the way the author manages to weave healing and hope into the story in such a way that shows that it's not just about getting 'over' trauma but learning to live with and accept it.
It hits hard to read this fictionalized school where kids talk about dead friends and go into serious PTSD episodes when the fire alarm accidentally goes off because I can easily picture it happening for real. It's a sad truth of today's world where bulletproof backpacks are sold. But I appreciate how it can give a voice and a story to prove that you can move on from the worst moments in your life.
I would particularly like to give kudos to the author for the brilliant wordplay involved in the title and Lucy's love of Math. Just that element would be worthy of praise.
The audiobook narration was very good, and it makes sense because it's read by the author. She knows when to hit what key in order to elicit the right emotion for the scene. It shows that the person doing the narration cares about the story.
Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Audiobooks for the emotional early listen!
Lucy's parents decide to move after her little brother dies of a heart defect. They think of it as a new start, but they also decide that the best place to do that is the Washington suburb where a gunman entered an elementary school and killed a lot of people fours years earlier. And Lucy starts the new school year as not only the first new student since the incident but in the same grade as the survivors. I'm not going to talk more about the plot because I truly appreciate the little twists, turns, and revelations that Barth Isler worked into it. It shows the different levels and reactions to events in a very humanistic way.
There are very dark topics touched in a way that I think is perfectly appropriate for the target age. I also particularly enjoyed the way the author manages to weave healing and hope into the story in such a way that shows that it's not just about getting 'over' trauma but learning to live with and accept it.
It hits hard to read this fictionalized school where kids talk about dead friends and go into serious PTSD episodes when the fire alarm accidentally goes off because I can easily picture it happening for real. It's a sad truth of today's world where bulletproof backpacks are sold. But I appreciate how it can give a voice and a story to prove that you can move on from the worst moments in your life.
I would particularly like to give kudos to the author for the brilliant wordplay involved in the title and Lucy's love of Math. Just that element would be worthy of praise.
The audiobook narration was very good, and it makes sense because it's read by the author. She knows when to hit what key in order to elicit the right emotion for the scene. It shows that the person doing the narration cares about the story.
Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Audiobooks for the emotional early listen!
Gorgeous and heartbreaking. I think this is the ideal novel for any tween going through grief. Beautifully written and executed.
School shootings, child loss, grief, same but different, you are not what your brother did, mime group, processing, friends.
I got to hear the audiobook AfterMath which created a lot of emotion thinking of the struggle of people in the story. The way the survivors of the shooting speaks about it is like a weather forecast and Lucy, who lost her brother Theo and shifted to a new place where she faces more difficulties and she joined the class which was more affected by the shooting and having a lot of memories.
There are a lot of sad moments that make you feel a lot. I really felt bad for Lucy's family who was acting like they are good and happy, finally, they had the guts to speak about they miss Theo and accept the loss and speak it.
I really felt pity for Ivory as no one speaks to her as the shooter was her brother but Lucy made her friend and created a good impact on her.
We all have problems and sorrow that cannot be compared as each pain is different. We should try to speak up with the close ones or seek medical help than getting depressed thinking of the past and living in it.
Mental health is equally important to physical health. Just speak out. In all countries, mental health was a taboo topic. Start speaking and share your problems that will reduce your pain a little by little and helps to move on in life.
There are a lot of sad moments that make you feel a lot. I really felt bad for Lucy's family who was acting like they are good and happy, finally, they had the guts to speak about they miss Theo and accept the loss and speak it.
I really felt pity for Ivory as no one speaks to her as the shooter was her brother but Lucy made her friend and created a good impact on her.
We all have problems and sorrow that cannot be compared as each pain is different. We should try to speak up with the close ones or seek medical help than getting depressed thinking of the past and living in it.
Mental health is equally important to physical health. Just speak out. In all countries, mental health was a taboo topic. Start speaking and share your problems that will reduce your pain a little by little and helps to move on in life.
How sad that this book has to exist.
It’s the story of a young girl whose parents decide it’s time for a change. They’ve recently lost their son (Theo) and need a change of pace. They end up in a community that had recently gone through a school shooting. This leaves their daughter, Lucy, in a very strange position. Her classmates survived a trauma, she’s the odd girl out. She didn’t know the shooter, the victims, or the survivors before it all happened. And somehow her own trauma of losing her brother feels somehow like less of a trauma and not something she can share with people who suffered so much more.
Lucy ends up befriending the school’s biggest outcast, the sister (Avery) of the shooter. But she cannot really open up to Avery because Avery is struggling enough. And Lucy’s parents haven’t figured out how to talk about Theo, or anything else, with their daughter.
Basically, everyone here - child and adult - are just trying to figure out who they are, how to communicate with others, and how to deal with their traumas and grief without feeling like a burden to others.
It’s a tough read, especially when you realize it’s a middle grade book. Well written. A bit of a tearjerker at times, but there’s hope to be found here too.
The narration of the audiobook was very good and fit the book perfectly.
It’s the story of a young girl whose parents decide it’s time for a change. They’ve recently lost their son (Theo) and need a change of pace. They end up in a community that had recently gone through a school shooting. This leaves their daughter, Lucy, in a very strange position. Her classmates survived a trauma, she’s the odd girl out. She didn’t know the shooter, the victims, or the survivors before it all happened. And somehow her own trauma of losing her brother feels somehow like less of a trauma and not something she can share with people who suffered so much more.
Lucy ends up befriending the school’s biggest outcast, the sister (Avery) of the shooter. But she cannot really open up to Avery because Avery is struggling enough. And Lucy’s parents haven’t figured out how to talk about Theo, or anything else, with their daughter.
Basically, everyone here - child and adult - are just trying to figure out who they are, how to communicate with others, and how to deal with their traumas and grief without feeling like a burden to others.
It’s a tough read, especially when you realize it’s a middle grade book. Well written. A bit of a tearjerker at times, but there’s hope to be found here too.
The narration of the audiobook was very good and fit the book perfectly.
Well written middle school/tween book that touched on a variety of themes including gun violence, grief, loss, trauma, a bit of survivor's guilt, and bullying. Would probably recommend for grades 6-8.
I read a lot of middle grade and this just wasn't up to par in my opinion. It tries to tackle a very serious topic (school shootings) which I appreciate, but the writing is just mediocre. Some of the events and dialogue were just too convenient and even contrived at times. Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me.
A phenomenal read on a girl who finds herself in a new school alongside survivors of a school shooting. AfterMath explores trauma, grief, and finding community in a broken place. The protagonist -- who happens to also like math concepts -- has her own grief, too, and navigating that is another layer in this complex story. Terrific book.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Mass/school shootings
One of the best books I've read this year! The writing is so incredibly descriptive and creative. She works mathematics into the story in a way I've never experienced before. She tackles gun violence and loss in a sensitive and empathetic manner. I highly recommend this book to strong readers. I couldn't wait to recommend it to several students this week!