A review by thebooklovingpanda
After by Morris Gleitzman

5.0

Sometimes you don't actually have to live in a hole to feel like you're in a dark and lonely place.

After may be my favourite of the four Felix stories. I loved seeing him grow into himself, with such wisdom, compassion and courage. Felix is one of the bravest characters I have ever read, regardless of age, and so good, though he does often have to talk himself out of choosing the easy way. He struggles valiantly with his hatred of the Nazis, and his (well-warranted) desire for vengeance, and though he may temporarily lose hope, he always finds it again.His ability to see the humanity in everyone is wonderful, and the way he can create positivity out of unspeakably horrifying experiences is amazing. I wouldn't blame him if he turned bitter and hard and cold and angry, but in the end he always chooses the path of kindness and I love him for that. I also appreciated how through Felix's eyes, we can see more than one side of the war - from a civilian's view, then as a guerrilla fighter (with all the ethical complications that entailed), then as a medic with the Soviet army...and showing both the good and the ugly sides of the 'liberating force' that freed those held in the camps.

I am still in awe of Gleitzman's ability to convey powerful character and emotion through sentences simple yet potent, as per the previous Felix stories (and also [b:Grace|6681593|Grace|Morris Gleitzman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442525789s/6681593.jpg|6876835], which I highly recommend). Everyone should read the Once series, even if they're not interested in historical fiction - these books are easy to read (if not easy emotionally) and they carry messages of utmost importance about kindness, compassion and above all hope in the humanity of others. Where there is hope there is pain, but without it, we are lost.