You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
This was my April BOTM pick.
I did not like this book. Once I got to about page 350ish I just wanted it to end, I felt myself practically skimming the pages just because I wanted to finish but also wanted to force myself to actually read the book. There was suspense that led me to wonder what was going to happen or what caused certain events but I found myself just wanting to know the answers without the "mystery" being dragged on with "fluff". It would have been okay to be 400+ pages if it had been intriguing but it fell flat of that with all the fluff added to make it dramatic. I didnt particularly care for any of the characters, except Lorrie, and it annoyed me how Issac kept being rude to Lorrie (although I know he was struggling with his own stuff it got annoying that it took him so long to realize it). I also did not like Evangeline and the way she treated Issac in the beginning with the constant lies. I know she is 16 but you don't just show up to someone's house and bring nothing but entitlement! UGH. And who would just let a child live with them with no real questions asked?! Maybe thats the social worker in me. Not to mention all of the animal abuse/killings that could have been a trigger warning. I am okay with reading about people dying but there were at least 5 animal maulings/deaths in this book which I did not enjoy reading about. I know some people loved it but I personally did not.
I did not like this book. Once I got to about page 350ish I just wanted it to end, I felt myself practically skimming the pages just because I wanted to finish but also wanted to force myself to actually read the book. There was suspense that led me to wonder what was going to happen or what caused certain events but I found myself just wanting to know the answers without the "mystery" being dragged on with "fluff". It would have been okay to be 400+ pages if it had been intriguing but it fell flat of that with all the fluff added to make it dramatic. I didnt particularly care for any of the characters, except Lorrie, and it annoyed me how Issac kept being rude to Lorrie (although I know he was struggling with his own stuff it got annoying that it took him so long to realize it). I also did not like Evangeline and the way she treated Issac in the beginning with the constant lies. I know she is 16 but you don't just show up to someone's house and bring nothing but entitlement! UGH. And who would just let a child live with them with no real questions asked?! Maybe thats the social worker in me. Not to mention all of the animal abuse/killings that could have been a trigger warning. I am okay with reading about people dying but there were at least 5 animal maulings/deaths in this book which I did not enjoy reading about. I know some people loved it but I personally did not.
One of those books I'm still thinking about. Also, you know, books with dogs always get me.
I really appreciated this book. It has lapses. There are moments when Evangeline and Jonah have insights and reactions that suggest a wisdom and generosity unreasonably beyond their years. And I think that the incredible pain Isaac felt in the presence of Lorrie would have gone both ways; Who wants to be forced to marinate in shame, confronted and reconfronted with the worst thing their child has ever done?). And I wanted Isaac to push back and remind Evangeline how much she was asking of him in her demand that he embrace Lorrie. But I found the characters and the tension completely compelling, and I appreciated the role Quakerism played in the novel. Also - RUFUS! ❤️
The first half of this book was slow and hard to get into. I’m glad I stuck it out - beautiful writing.
Glad I finally pulled this off of my bookshelf. It was framed a bit as a mystery but it really isn’t that. I would have liked to know more about the boys who died. But the story is really about their families and how they grieve and heal and create their own new families.
The synopsis sounded interesting to me so I got it as a BOTM addon. This was beautiful but absolutely gut-wrenching at the same time. I really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. This was a really great story of loss, grief, love and forgiveness.
A gorgeous novel about faith, grief, and the limited ways we can understand each other.
It was well-written and I really liked some of the characters but was bored for most of the book. It’s labeled a mystery but I would label it fiction, and the ending was too spiritual for me and didn’t really fit with the rest of the book.
What Comes After starts with a murder suicide of two boys in the Pacific Northwest who were best friends. We soon find out that Evangeline, a 16-year old pregnant woman, abandoned by her family knew them. And now she's being taken care of by one of the boy's fathers, but he doesn't know about her relation to the tragedy. This story is deals with themes of grief, forgiveness, and family, while also being an intriguing mystery. The epilogue was super weird though and in general the book had a bit more religious undertone than I would like. Overall, I still recommend it.