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thereadingrunnner 's review for:
What Comes After
by JoAnne Tompkins
"She wasn't sure she'd ever been truly happy, but she could tell with this small glimpse that happiness would be addicting, that you'd forever be seeking that first perfect high.
No, whatever this feeling was, it needed to be snuffed out before it rooted and began to spread, before it needed feeding in order not to ache." -pg 160
3.5 on this one. I loved it... mostly, except for those parts that I didn't. This is a slow burn that is beautifully written. Tragic, yet wonderful. It is the story of Evangeline, who at 16 years old is abandoned by her mother. She does what she can to get by for awhile - scrounging for food and at times, giving up her body as a means of survival. When she finds herself pregnant she turns to two of the most unlikely individuals - the parents of two unrelated boys who are both dead due to a murder/suicide that had her at the center of it all. How this all weaves together is magical and heart wrenching at the same time. It is a love story between parents and children, strangers and friends, and is for anyone who may think that there is no one out there who needs or wants us. It is the ultimate story of what makes a family and the power of forgiveness, but it is also frightening in that despite all we do, evil lurks in all of us and no one is exempt.
What I did not like about this novel, however, is the Quaker religious aspect. It seemed odd and out of place. In the end, I can see how it worked into the overall story, I just didn't feel it was as well executed as the rest of the novel. In some ways, Isaac's religious journey seemed so forced throughout, and although I believe that his internal struggle was the intent, I found the forced nature of it distracting. And the epilogue, completely lost me. I feel it came out of left field and I am not sure at all what to make of it. This novel had 4 solid stars until the last 2 pages.
No, whatever this feeling was, it needed to be snuffed out before it rooted and began to spread, before it needed feeding in order not to ache." -pg 160
3.5 on this one. I loved it... mostly, except for those parts that I didn't. This is a slow burn that is beautifully written. Tragic, yet wonderful. It is the story of Evangeline, who at 16 years old is abandoned by her mother. She does what she can to get by for awhile - scrounging for food and at times, giving up her body as a means of survival. When she finds herself pregnant she turns to two of the most unlikely individuals - the parents of two unrelated boys who are both dead due to a murder/suicide that had her at the center of it all. How this all weaves together is magical and heart wrenching at the same time. It is a love story between parents and children, strangers and friends, and is for anyone who may think that there is no one out there who needs or wants us. It is the ultimate story of what makes a family and the power of forgiveness, but it is also frightening in that despite all we do, evil lurks in all of us and no one is exempt.
What I did not like about this novel, however, is the Quaker religious aspect. It seemed odd and out of place. In the end, I can see how it worked into the overall story, I just didn't feel it was as well executed as the rest of the novel. In some ways, Isaac's religious journey seemed so forced throughout, and although I believe that his internal struggle was the intent, I found the forced nature of it distracting. And the epilogue, completely lost me. I feel it came out of left field and I am not sure at all what to make of it. This novel had 4 solid stars until the last 2 pages.