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A review by endlessreader
Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu
2.0
Meh. I was highly underwhelmed by Afterward despite its intriguing premise. I've always been interested in how those who have suffered through a kidnapping cope with everything that's happened after they've been rescued. Unfortunately, Afterward left me slightly cold.
My main issue with it was Caroline. She was such an unlikable character and oftentimes downplayed what Ethan went through just because he came from a family that could provide extensive therapy. I also don't understand why she was deemed important enough to become a secondary narrator. She didn't go through the kidnapping and most of her inner thoughts had little to do with her kidnapped brother, so I just didn't see the point of her.
I also never really connected with Ethan. Maybe I would have had the book been solely about him, but while I felt sympathy for what he went through, I never really clicked with him. Also, the author had him use the word "guilty" way too many times. I understand that a character like that would feel guilty, but a synonym should have been used once or twice.
In the end, I just wasn't a huge fan of Afterward. I never clicked with any of the characters and for such a short book, it did have moments where it lagged. The ending was also abrupt. I say skip it.
My main issue with it was Caroline. She was such an unlikable character and oftentimes downplayed what Ethan went through just because he came from a family that could provide extensive therapy. I also don't understand why she was deemed important enough to become a secondary narrator. She didn't go through the kidnapping and most of her inner thoughts had little to do with her kidnapped brother, so I just didn't see the point of her.
I also never really connected with Ethan. Maybe I would have had the book been solely about him, but while I felt sympathy for what he went through, I never really clicked with him. Also, the author had him use the word "guilty" way too many times. I understand that a character like that would feel guilty, but a synonym should have been used once or twice.
In the end, I just wasn't a huge fan of Afterward. I never clicked with any of the characters and for such a short book, it did have moments where it lagged. The ending was also abrupt. I say skip it.