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grayjay's review against another edition
2.0
After is a YA thriller about a school taken over by a grief councillor after a school shooting at a neighboring school, and a national conspiracy involving juvenile detention camps. If it weren't for the slightly ridiculous ending, and casually homophobic remarks made by the main characters toward the end of the book regarding a minor character, I would have been more impressed.
gbliss's review against another edition
2.0
A little too predictable and preachy at times. I groaned and almost tossed the book aside when the school's administration banned Catcher In The Rye. PUHlease. (I suppose it does not help that I have never gotten what the fuss is about that book.) But at the end, when the author clearly sets things up for a sequel - don't worry, no spoiler alerts - THEN it gets interesting, or at least it sets up an interesting premise for the sequel...a sequel that could be more interesting than this first installment.
anely73's review against another edition
2.0
Ok.. So overall this book was great. However the ending just didn't satisfy me, after all the suspense the ending was pretty bland. I would have liked to see what happened to them after.
stephaniereads9b0f8's review against another edition
4.0
Spooky as hell, a 1984 for today's post-Columbine generation.
ganitsirk's review against another edition
1.0
The ending felt like a cop out; all build-up and no resolution.
penalew's review against another edition
4.0
very compelling dystopian story - the end was a bit of a let down.
lesbianwolves's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
prufrockian22's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
4.5
I loved how insidiously creepy yet realistic 90% of the book felt. I hated the mind control aspect of the parents though- that magical touch brought me out of feeling that this could happen so easily in our world. But this is the book that made me sit up and take notice of Francine prose.
debi246's review against another edition
2.0
Intrigued by the premise, disappointed by the writing, let down by the ending.
macbean221b's review against another edition
2.0
There's something about this book that makes me feel like I should be more critical of it. I mean, it definitely isn't great literature or anything like that. It feels kind of like it tried too hard and fell short of whatever its goal really was. It could've been something amazing. But it was still pretty good, I thought. It pushed a lot of my "favorite!" buttons. I'm really big on dystopian stuff, and things that deal with individual freedom vs. the "greater good" or whatever. And I think part of what made the book feel not particularly well-written is the fact that it's from a fifteen-year-old boy's first-person point of view and while the kid does seem to be smarter than the average high school sophomore, he's still not the best narrator in the world. But, like I said, I think that might be the author keeping in character, instead of the author being a crappy writer.
Anyway, the book is 330 pages long but the print is rather large, the pages are small, and it's written for young adults, so I'm pretty sure just about anyone who's reading this review could polish it off in one sitting. It's an easy read but it'll leave you thinking long after you're finished with it. I recommend it, especially if you're a fan of dystopian stories like I am.
Anyway, the book is 330 pages long but the print is rather large, the pages are small, and it's written for young adults, so I'm pretty sure just about anyone who's reading this review could polish it off in one sitting. It's an easy read but it'll leave you thinking long after you're finished with it. I recommend it, especially if you're a fan of dystopian stories like I am.