Afterwards - Book Review

Grace, a devoted mother of two, narrates Afterwards, a compulsively readable thriller from the Rosamund Lupton of Sister fame. Grace is in a coma resulting from her heroic efforts to rescue her children from the burning school. In her current out-of-body state, Grace will become obsessed with finding out who is to blame for setting the fire that has devastated her happy family.

The point-of-view in this novel is very unique. Grace is nearly omnipresent and can overhear conversations that in life she wouldn't be privy too. This makes her an interesting investigator because while she is at that advantage, she can't let the others know the things she has learned. Grace is telling the story to her husband and  while the novel is a crime thriller it is also a love story. I was surprised just how well the style worked for this novel.

Sister is still waiting on my to-read shelf but I after hearing so much praise, I was excited to be able to read Afterwards. Once I started I really couldn't put it down, much to Utah Dad's chagrin. It's been awhile since I've read a thriller so completely captivating. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Grace is a likable narrator--emotional yet witty; tender and insightful.

While I appreciated Grace's thoughts on love for her family and her willingness to admit that she has wrongfully judged plenty of people during her life, she does repeat herself quite often and at times it become redundant. There is some swearing in the book that might be offensive to some readers. The swearing doesn't really fit the character's style and because of that it draws attention to it. In fact, the characters themselves talk about swearing which makes it pretty hard to miss but does fit with the story line.

Overall, Afterwards is the kind of crime-novel thriller that I especially enjoy. It isn't overly graphic or gory and has lighter moments. With a near-perfect pace, it keeps the reader engrossed in the mystery and also becomes a testament to the eternal love of one's family.

**I received a complimentary copy of Afterwards in exchange for this honest review. No other compensation was received.**