You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Okay. I’m ready for this review now.
This book reminded me a lot of Plainsong by Kent Haruf with the pregnant teenage girl finding safety and solace by being pseudo-adopted by an older, simpler man. However, while I loved Plainsong, I think it had a more simplistic writing style than What Comes After. One of the things I loved about this book was the complexity in character voice. Each chapter - divided into three characters’ perspective - had a distinct voice that was compelling and vivid. Isaac’s chapters were surprisingly refreshing, painting a picture of a man that thinks honestly about his bad characteristics and battles them from surfacing. Jonah’s chapters were heartbreaking, but they were also incredibly poignant. His discussion of evil being necessary or good in itself had me SHOOK. Evangeline’s 3rd person chapter were intriguing because of the lack of agency throughout her life being reflected and eventually restored. Beyond the writing, the ideas were also complex. The use of the dogs as reflections of other characters was especially well done. My only critique would be the ending. While it was well-suited to the story, it almost felt too happy? I wasn’t completely convinced and didn’t feel the same connection to the Quaker light storyline as I did to other elements of the book. Still 100% worthwhile and well done.
This book reminded me a lot of Plainsong by Kent Haruf with the pregnant teenage girl finding safety and solace by being pseudo-adopted by an older, simpler man. However, while I loved Plainsong, I think it had a more simplistic writing style than What Comes After. One of the things I loved about this book was the complexity in character voice. Each chapter - divided into three characters’ perspective - had a distinct voice that was compelling and vivid. Isaac’s chapters were surprisingly refreshing, painting a picture of a man that thinks honestly about his bad characteristics and battles them from surfacing. Jonah’s chapters were heartbreaking, but they were also incredibly poignant. His discussion of evil being necessary or good in itself had me SHOOK. Evangeline’s 3rd person chapter were intriguing because of the lack of agency throughout her life being reflected and eventually restored. Beyond the writing, the ideas were also complex. The use of the dogs as reflections of other characters was especially well done. My only critique would be the ending. While it was well-suited to the story, it almost felt too happy? I wasn’t completely convinced and didn’t feel the same connection to the Quaker light storyline as I did to other elements of the book. Still 100% worthwhile and well done.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Medical content, Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Suicide, Murder
This book was about 150 pages too long. I was expecting some grand ending but the last seven chapters pretty much added nothing except the birth of baby. I could have done without any of the chapters about the dog, too...I assumed they talked about him so much because he would become super relevant to the plot, but he wasn't at all. I'm sorry but I truly feel like I wasted weeks of my life reading this.
"Life, she had discovered, could be managed without parents or friends. Without love of any type. Sometimes, though, the coldness of her heart gave her chills."
What a beautiful book. I didn't know much about What Comes After before reading it, other than seeing rave reviews. The writing in this book is so thoughtful, and the character development is astounding. It was surely a sad book, but an impactful one as well. This book captured internal struggles that many deal with, and shared them in a heartfelt tone. There are so many passages I highlighted that struck me. This is a must read!
What a beautiful book. I didn't know much about What Comes After before reading it, other than seeing rave reviews. The writing in this book is so thoughtful, and the character development is astounding. It was surely a sad book, but an impactful one as well. This book captured internal struggles that many deal with, and shared them in a heartfelt tone. There are so many passages I highlighted that struck me. This is a must read!
I recently finished this book and immediately forgot that I read it. It gets 2 stars because I actually finished it. Although that in itself was a chore, this was too long of a book for the story that was told.
I did not care about anyone except the dog.
.
I did not care about anyone except the dog.
.
Points off for all the animal stuff but otherwise I liked this story a lot!
What Comes After is an excellent debut novel. I'd give it a 4.5 (rounded up for Goodreads) just because of a few instances where the timeline seemed a bit jumbled, and because I found the epilogue unnecessary. While I do love the book's pro-family message, unfortunately I think some of topics -- assault, infidelity, murder, suicide, domestic violence, etc. -- make it difficult for me to recommend this book to anyone in particular. If you're able to handle those stories -- which are not sensationalized in this book, but are part of a larger narrative of love, loss and forgiveness -- definitely read this book. But if those topics may be detrimental to your mental health, unfortunately this is one excellent novel which you should skip.
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced