The Beginning of After by Janenifer Castle
Publisher: HarperTeen (September 6th, 2011)
Hardcover: 432 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all, there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss, a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.
Review: I absolutely adored this book! It is raw, heartbreaking, and honest. Laurel goes through an unimaginable pain when her mother, father, and brother are all killed in a car accident. The girl who was only focused on nailing her SATs and getting into a good college is then forced to face a reality without her entire family.
Things are further complicated because a friend of the family, Mr. Kaufman, was driving the car and there is some mystery as to what exactly happened during the crash. Laurel can't seem to face her emotions and she finds herself looking for any distraction when her thoughts come to the surface. David, the son of Mr. Kaufman, seems to be the only one who breaks through the layers Laurel is hiding behind. His existence brings things back into focus for Laurel so she often tries to avoid him.
Laurel tries to go back to her normal life and even starts dating but nothing is the same. She sees her life as"before" the crash or"after". Janenifer Castle created a story that I would say is one of the best debut YA's I've ever read. Her story gets into the depth of teenage emotion and explores a reality that many people could never imagine. She did this flawlessly! I never questioned Laurel's actions because people deal with loss in different ways. Some hide behind a wall and pretend everything is okay.
Laurel was an outstanding character. She was strong and courageous even though she often fought herself to stay in control. She knew that David was the only one who could really grasp what she was going through. His mother died in the accident too and his father was in a coma. David was more open with his pain and I think it showed Laurel that it was okay to let someone in.
David is the bad boy but the accident sends him on a path very different from Laurel's. He wants away from normal life and away from the people who look at him with pity. Together Laurel and David were the perfect pair. Their interactions were not over the top. They never had to say much to each other to know what the other was feeling. Their anger gradually changes and they are able to see each other more clearly.
This story is not about action, drama, or a fabulous setting; it's about a girl coming to terms with a horrible tragedy. It's one of those books that you can't stop thinking about. I keep wondering what would happen to these characters next. Would they be happy or would they never let themselves feel that much again? Janenifer Castle truly created a masterpiece with this book and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
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