Saturday, June 11, 2011

Review: Hereafter - Tara Hudson

Where I got it: Publisher/Joy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Cover Rating: 4 stars (Typical, but mostly fitting with the storyline, I wish she was on a higher bridge though instead of a dock.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 404 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon

Amelia had been dead for a long time, though she can't remember how long. She doesn't know the date she died, or even what date it currently is. She has no reason to keep track in the fog of the hereafter. She slips in and out of nightmares, that tug at a familiarity that she imagines is her death. This all changes however when someone else plunges into the darkness of the river. Joshua sinks into the churning water and Amelia can hear his heartbeat. She does not want him to suffer the same fate and wills him to live. When, surprisingly he does, he can see her. She's never been seen before. There is a connection that draws them together, and they only get closer as they try to uncover pieces of her life and death. There are many who are trying to keep them apart for their own reasons though. So Amelia and Joshua have to figure out things fast, before more bad things start happening.

This book started off slow for me. I didn't really start to enjoy it until somewhere around page 85ish. At the start of the novel, Amelia is in a fog and facing her nightmarish death over and over. Because of this, the writing is fragmented sentences. Brief. Short sentences. To convey the mood. ;) After the beginning though, I got sucked in through Amelia and Joshua's banter. The dialogue was fun and flirty and just perfect; not only between the two of them, but between all the characters. I loved whenever they would be alone and talking. I can't imagine seeing Joshua from outside of the book, holding invisible hands, and sending glances into empty air. I really enjoyed how different parts of Amelia's life and death were revealed, there were lots of very interesting things to find out. The wraiths in this novel reminded me of the Dementors from Harry Potter. They were terrifying and seemed to react to bright light accordingly. I appreciate all the aspects of the haunting nature of the bridge, and how there are even stories about it being haunted. Eli was the perfect villain, that did not act of his own will entirely. He had this slight air of weakness about him, even though he put on a face of ultimate power. If you like paranormal romance, I would certainly check this out. There was a delicious amount of action in this novel too. If you find yourself wary after the first couple of pages, push on. Like I said once Joshua comes into the picture it definitely picks up.

First Line:
"It was the same as always, but different from the first time."


Favorite Line:
"The kiss crashed over me, wave upon wave of fire."

Others who loved it: The Books Scout / Fire and Ice / Fantastic Book Review
Others who didn't love it: Pure Imagination / Katie

3 comments:

  1. I've seen great reviews of this but not the warning about the slow start. Thanks for that. I'll make sure to follow through.

    Heather

    ReplyDelete
  2. This one is so awesome looking - Thanks for the warning about the slow start, as I sometimes put down books if I think things won't get better

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've seen some mixed reviews of this one, but I'm happy to see that when you pushed on, it picked up. I've wanted to read Hereafter for a while now, so I'll be sure to give it a shot. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete

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