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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Taylor is attending a rally for Libertarian presidential candidate Ed Loran solely to see her favorite band perform before his speech. A bomb goes off, sparking her fight or flight response, and she leaves her best friends behind. She has OCD, so the combination of those triggers, her grief and PTSD sends her spiraling.
Dustin Webb is pulled over after the police receive an anonymous tip connecting him to stolen materials used in the bombing. They find explosives in his trunk, but he's been framed and is completely innocent.
Jamie Powell, the childhood best friend to Dustin, is now a successful attorney and the first person he calls to defend him against the allegations and criminal charges. She immediately knows she will do anything and risk everything to help him, because she knows he is innocent.
While this wasn't my favorite from Blackstock, I read majority of the book in one sitting. Although I found the reveals to be predictable, I still adore her writing and the way she weaves the faith of her characters throughout the book. The author's note at the end was also fabulous as it tied spiritual warfare into the story as well- something I hadn't attributed on my own.
Taylor is attending a rally for Libertarian presidential candidate Ed Loran solely to see her favorite band perform before his speech. A bomb goes off, sparking her fight or flight response, and she leaves her best friends behind. She has OCD, so the combination of those triggers, her grief and PTSD sends her spiraling.
Dustin Webb is pulled over after the police receive an anonymous tip connecting him to stolen materials used in the bombing. They find explosives in his trunk, but he's been framed and is completely innocent.
Jamie Powell, the childhood best friend to Dustin, is now a successful attorney and the first person he calls to defend him against the allegations and criminal charges. She immediately knows she will do anything and risk everything to help him, because she knows he is innocent.
While this wasn't my favorite from Blackstock, I read majority of the book in one sitting. Although I found the reveals to be predictable, I still adore her writing and the way she weaves the faith of her characters throughout the book. The author's note at the end was also fabulous as it tied spiritual warfare into the story as well- something I hadn't attributed on my own.
Wow. Wow. Wow!
Let’s face it, the book had me from the summary, let alone the actual story. The book starts off with Taylor and her friends at the concert, which as it’s turning into a rally for a Presidential candidate, ends in devastation when a bomb goes off. Then we’re lead to Dustin, who’s stopped by the police after getting an anonymous tip, and is arrested for the bombing. In turn, he calls up an old friend, Jamie, to represent him and prove his innocence.
While Taylor is left with regrets of not helping her friends get out of the concert hall, she spirals into her OCD habits that she’d finally gotten control over, and is obsessed with wanting to catch the person behind the bombing. Her anxiety and paranoia hits an all-time high as her stress levels go up, and she’s a character you feel very sympathetic for, even in her impulsive moments. I feel like I could relate to Taylor in some way, if I were to put myself in her shoes, as I know I’d definitely spiral somehow and blame myself for not doing more to help my friends if I’d been in that situation.
Then you have Dustin and Jamie, who are old childhood friends, but haven’t spoken in years because Dustin basically dropped off the face of the earth after joining the Army. Dustin has a hard past, which can make it understandable why he’s chosen to be framed for this crime. Only, he’d gotten his act together and found God in the years that he was away, so while he’s being falsely accused, he turns to his Creator to take care of the situation. Meanwhile, he’s also dealing with a close friend (his best friend’s wife) dying from cancer. So it seems like Dustin can’t catch a break. Jamie, on the other hand, will do whatever she can to prove her friend’s innocence, despite his ghosting her, because she knows in her heart that he’s innocent and that it’s the right thing to do.
What I love about Dustin and Jamie is that they lean on their faith in this time of trouble. For God to lead them to the right answers and how to do the right thing when the right thing will hurt people close to them. I also love how Jamie didn’t even think twice to help her old friend, despite how he just left her in the dust after he’d left town. It’s something I would have done, which is how I related to her character the most, along with her deep-rooted faith from childhood.
While I was partly right about trying to figure out who was behind the bombing and framed Dustin, I wasn’t completely. The person I suspected was involved, but not in the way I thought. I had the motive right though, so there’s that. But the main part of the story is not so much figuring out whodunnit, but how Dustin’s innocence is proven before his own life is destroyed for good.
This is a book I highly recommend to anyone, Christian or not, who’s looking for a book that will keep you turning the page to find out what happens next.
Let’s face it, the book had me from the summary, let alone the actual story. The book starts off with Taylor and her friends at the concert, which as it’s turning into a rally for a Presidential candidate, ends in devastation when a bomb goes off. Then we’re lead to Dustin, who’s stopped by the police after getting an anonymous tip, and is arrested for the bombing. In turn, he calls up an old friend, Jamie, to represent him and prove his innocence.
While Taylor is left with regrets of not helping her friends get out of the concert hall, she spirals into her OCD habits that she’d finally gotten control over, and is obsessed with wanting to catch the person behind the bombing. Her anxiety and paranoia hits an all-time high as her stress levels go up, and she’s a character you feel very sympathetic for, even in her impulsive moments. I feel like I could relate to Taylor in some way, if I were to put myself in her shoes, as I know I’d definitely spiral somehow and blame myself for not doing more to help my friends if I’d been in that situation.
Then you have Dustin and Jamie, who are old childhood friends, but haven’t spoken in years because Dustin basically dropped off the face of the earth after joining the Army. Dustin has a hard past, which can make it understandable why he’s chosen to be framed for this crime. Only, he’d gotten his act together and found God in the years that he was away, so while he’s being falsely accused, he turns to his Creator to take care of the situation. Meanwhile, he’s also dealing with a close friend (his best friend’s wife) dying from cancer. So it seems like Dustin can’t catch a break. Jamie, on the other hand, will do whatever she can to prove her friend’s innocence, despite his ghosting her, because she knows in her heart that he’s innocent and that it’s the right thing to do.
What I love about Dustin and Jamie is that they lean on their faith in this time of trouble. For God to lead them to the right answers and how to do the right thing when the right thing will hurt people close to them. I also love how Jamie didn’t even think twice to help her old friend, despite how he just left her in the dust after he’d left town. It’s something I would have done, which is how I related to her character the most, along with her deep-rooted faith from childhood.
While I was partly right about trying to figure out who was behind the bombing and framed Dustin, I wasn’t completely. The person I suspected was involved, but not in the way I thought. I had the motive right though, so there’s that. But the main part of the story is not so much figuring out whodunnit, but how Dustin’s innocence is proven before his own life is destroyed for good.
This is a book I highly recommend to anyone, Christian or not, who’s looking for a book that will keep you turning the page to find out what happens next.
Very meh. I kept waiting for it to get emotionally interesting. But it just never did. Not a romance at all. And super tame for a suspense/thriller.
emotional
tense
fast-paced
I've been a fan of Terri Blackstocks writing since my early 20's. It's been a long time since I've read one of her books and I was excited to receive the ARC of her newest book, Aftermath.
Aftermath follows the story of Dustin, Jamie, Travis, and Taylor and what happens to them after the bombing at a political rally. One of them is a survivor, one is accused, one is a lawyer, and one is the business partner of the accused. How will they deal with the aftermath?
Maybe it was because it's been a while since I've read a book by Terri Blackstock but this one felt different from her other books. I felt the story lagged in the beginning and just offered the basics of the story with no real character development. Even with the love connection, it felt rushed and then left me wanting more from the rest of the story. The last 50 or so pages were action packed though and I enjoyed those much more than the first 3/4 of the book.
Aftermath follows the story of Dustin, Jamie, Travis, and Taylor and what happens to them after the bombing at a political rally. One of them is a survivor, one is accused, one is a lawyer, and one is the business partner of the accused. How will they deal with the aftermath?
Maybe it was because it's been a while since I've read a book by Terri Blackstock but this one felt different from her other books. I felt the story lagged in the beginning and just offered the basics of the story with no real character development. Even with the love connection, it felt rushed and then left me wanting more from the rest of the story. The last 50 or so pages were action packed though and I enjoyed those much more than the first 3/4 of the book.
This was a quick read, and intriguing. I was able to figure out most of the "mystery" before it was revealed. Picking this up at the library after a quick read of the inside cover, and with no prior knowledge of the author, I did not realize this would be a Christian fiction/suspense novel. While not super heavy-handed, there are some decent length passages of scripture that come out, and there is a definite emphasis on faith and afterlife. If that's not your thing, definitely something to avoid.
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Fast-paced enough, but I just got so distracted by the references to God.