Social Icons

Friday, December 21, 2012

Written on

Book Review: After by Amy Efaw

It has been awhile since I’ve actually posted a book review (or anything really). I apologize. I had a very hectic end of year, with work and life… (and not really reliable internet connection). Even reading took its toll, but I assure you, I will try not to stop reading. Anyway… I’ve seen this book around the book blogsphere for a while now, and I haven’t quite have the time to pick it up until now. I have alot in my “to be read” pile and it will take a while before I actually able to finish reading them all. (how scary).

If you have been living under a coconut shell or a rock, you wouldn’t have heard the news about how almost to frequent news of trash babies and door babies.. let’s keep it simple, babies left by people in the trash, in the wild, in places, in bags etc in the news. Most of us heard about it, yet there’s hardly any news of “After”. What happened to the parents? f course, there’s alot of horror movies about babies haunting their parents, but face it, there’s no after news.

Until now…

Somebody offered to read this books years ago. I wasn’t really into the genre  back then, but I’ve revisited the reference after we had this Teens Awareness week at work. It was an eye opener.

Let’s talk about this book. The main character, Devon, had a baby, threw the baby into the trash like a piece of nothing. Heartless, people say (the normal reaction we have after listening to the same kind of news in the medias). Here’s the twist… she didn’t know she was pregnant, she didn’t realize it was her baby until a few months later. Wow… yup bullshit. That was my reaction. Then, the author brings us walking into the characters state of mind. her memories, her feelings, her thoughts, her fears, her aspirations. I actually feel sorry for her, regardless what she did.

Amy Efaw did an excellent job in writing Devon’s story. I actually learn a lot, and somewhat empathize with the character.

Cover. If you hadn’t notice, the model on the cover has the reflection of a pregnant woman on the back of the leaning model



****SPOILER****



The only reason why I gave it a 4 spades, was the ending. It was a major twist, but I was hoping for more. I wanted to know about the boy. The baby’s father. How about the baby? I do hope Amy Efaw would do a “follow up” sort of books regarding this one. It would be awesome. I hate being left hanging like that.     

Quote: She can paint a pretty picture but this story has a twist. The paintbrush is a razor and the canvas is her wrist

1a After
By Amy Efaw

An infant left in the trash to die. A teenage mother who never knew she was pregnant . . .
Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made. Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there's only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer.
And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible. She turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon's unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption.

Finished Reading: 13th December 2012
Acquire: 24th November 2012
Rate } ♠♠♠♠
Genre } Fiction | Realistic Fiction | Young Adult
Release Day }  11 August 2009
Publisher } Viking Juvenile
Format } Paperback
ISBN } 9780670011834
Pages } 350 pages
Source } Bought
Age Group } PG 15 yo +
Interests } Realistic Fiction    
Awards } Borders Original Voices Award for Kids & Teens (2009)
Support my reading by getting your copy }
Amazon.com | Kindle

Share this case:

0 comments:

Post a Comment

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails
 

Authors Featured

Abd Ghaffar Aris (1) Adam Mansbach (1) Aimee Carter (5) Alan Benjamin (1) Alethea Eason (1) Alex Flinn (2) Alice Sebold (1) Amy Reeds (1) Andrew Clements (1) Andrew Thompson (1) Arthur Golden (1) Brynn Paulin (1) Cait London (1) Carol Grace (1) Carrie Ryan (1) Cary McNeal (1) Cat Marsters (1) Cathy Glass (1) Cerise DeLand (1) Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1) Chris Marie Green (1) Claudia Gray (1) Clement Clarke Moore (1) Clive Barker (1) Clive Cussler (1) Connie Dieken (1) Daniel Handler (1) Darren Shan (5) Dav Pilkey (1) Dave Pelzer (1) Davis Brinton (1) Deborah Howe (1) Deborah J. Ross (1) Delphine Minoui (1) Desiree Holt (1) Dita Parker (1) Doreen Cronin (1) Dr Seuss (1) ED Baker (1) EL James (1) Elizabeth Smart (1) Ellen Rimbauer (1) Emma Thompson (1) Farrar Straus Giroux (1) Gail Carson Levine (1) Glen Cook (1) Greg Weisman (1) Hannah Shah (1) Hans Christian Andersen (1) Hazel Hutchins (2) Isabelle Drake (1) J.K Rowling (3) Jaid Black (1) James Howe (1) James Patterson (1) James Rowe (1) Jay Asher (2) Jeff Kinney (3) Jennifer Brown (1) Jessica Day George (1) Joan Holub (7) Jodi Picoult (2) Kami Garcia (4) Kate McMullan (1) Kathleen Kuiper (1) Katie Piper (2) Katina Abram (1) Kevin Hopps (1) Laurann Dohner (1) Laurell K Hamilton (1) Leigh Branham (1) Lemony Snicket (3) Lily O’Brien (2) Linda Hudson-Smith (1) Lisi Harrison (1) Louise Rennison (1) Maggie Stiefvater (1) Margaret Stohl (4) Margaret Wise Brown (1) Mario Acevedo (1) Marion Zimmer Bradley (1) Mary Downing Hahn (1) Mary Engelbright (1) Melanie Rawn (1) Michael Buckley (3) Michael Thomas Ford (1) Michele Albert (1) Mike Allred (1) Morgan Kaufman (1) Muhammad Miqdad (1) Nicholas Rennison (1) Nujood Ali (1) O Henry (1) Paige Tyler (1) Patrick Jennings (1) Paul McAuley (1) Peter Bentley (1) Peter Boxall (1) R. Garland Gray (1) Rachel Hawkins (2) Rachel R. Russell (2) Richard Bachman (1) Rick Riordan (14) Roald Dahl (1) Robert B. Parker (1) Russell Lee (1) Ruth J Morehead (1) Sarah Burleton (1) Sarah Graves (1) Shannon Hale (1) Sherrilyn Kenyon (1) Stephen King (3) Stephenie Meyer (1) Steve Berry (1) Susan Beth Pfeffer (3) Suzanne Collins (3) Suzanne Williams (4) Tamar Jalis (1) Todd Strasser (1) Tony DiTerlizzi (1) V.C. Andrews (5) William Panek (1) Yangsook Choi (1)

Sorting it all

* Other than Reading √ 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die √ 1001 Children's Books √ 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers √ Man Booker Prize Winner √ Newbery Medal √ Nobel Laureates in Literature √ Pulitzer Prize Winners Novel/Fiction ♦ Creating a Reader 1: In the Mail 1: Mailbox Monday 1: Manic Monday 1: Monday Mayham 1: Musing Monday 1: What are you Reading on Mondays 2: Teaser Tuesday 2: Top Ten 2005 2007 2009 2010 2010 Challenges 2011 2011 Challenges 2012 2012 Challenges 3: A - Z Challenge 3: I Want Wednesday 3: Waiting on Wednesday 3: Wednesday Media Mix 3: Wishlist Wednesday 3: Wordless Wednesday 3: WWW Wednesday 30 Day Book Challenge 30 days Meme 4: Booking Through Thursday 4: TBR Thursday 4: Thursday 13 5: Friday Fill-Ins 5: Friday Finds 5: What's in Your Handbag? 7: Straight out of the Camera Sunday 7: Sunday Salon 7: Sunday Stealing 7: Unconscious Mutterings A Year in Picture Books 2011 About Reading Abuse Addicts Adult Afghanistan Africa Animal stories Animals AREs Arthurian Articles Asia Atheneum Author A Author B Author C Author D Author H Author J Author L Author M Author N Author O Author P Author R Author S Author V Author W Awareness Day Biography Bloggiesta Book Blogger Hop Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge 2011 Book List Book Pile BookFair Bookmarks Books taught me that... Brunei Business Chapter Books Children Chinese Christmas Chunky Tales Classics Comic Review Community Computer Contact Crafts Crafts and Hobbies Dark Humor Doa Dracula Drama dystopia eBook Egypt Mythology Eh? Emma Thompson Erotica Europe Event Fairy Tales Family Issue Family Saga Fantasy Fiction Food Frankenstein Free Giveaway Friday Hop Genres Gluttony Greek Mythology Habits Health and Beauty Horror Humor Inspirational iPhone Islam James Howe Journal Juvenile Kindle Legends List Literary Literary Blog Hop literature Lycans Magazines Malay Meme Memoir Middle Grade Misc Misc Brunei Motivation Movie Movie Adaptation Mystery Mythology New Author Challenge 2012 New Year Read-A-Thon News Newspapers Non-Fiction Organization Origami Orphan Out with a Bang Read-A-Thon Paranormal Period China Photos Picture book Pictures poster Quotes Ramadhan Rants Read it Read-A-Thon Reading Reading Habits Reading List Realistic Fiction Reference Relationships Reluctant Readers Resources Review Review by Title Review Policy rip Roman Mythology Romance School Science Fiction Seller Shifter Challenge 2011 short stories Social Issues Sony Reader Study Tips Stuff Supernatural Teens The Reader The TwentyEleven Challenge Thriller Tied-Ins: Movie Tied-Ins: TV To be Read To Be Read A-Z Tragedy Trailers Trivia True Crime TV Adaptation TV Review TV Series Vampires Vietnam Vlog Vocabulary What's in a Name Work ww2 WWI YA of the 80s and 90s Challenge Yemen Young Adult
I review for BookSneeze
Bookyards.com

~* Others *~

Children's Choice Book Awards

Powered by JacketFlap.com

.:: Listening to

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Accidentals by Dakota Cassidy Across the Universe by Beth Revis Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield Alpha & Omega by Patricia Briggs Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton Annabelle Lee by Stacey Jay Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Article 5 by Kristen Simmons Ashfall by Mike Mullin A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin Atlantis by Gena Showalter Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale Carpathians by Christine Feehan Carrier Trilogy by Leigh Fallon Charlie Madigan by Kelly Gay The Charmed Life by Jenny B. Jones The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon Clockwork Empire by Steven Harper Codex Alera by Jim Butcher The Company of Angels by Stephanie Chong The Cousins' War by Philippa Gregory Covenant by Jennifer L. Armentrout The Crescent by Jordon Deen Dark-Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong Darkness Rising by Kelley Armstrong Dark Sword by Donna Grant Delirium by Lauren Oliver Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett Everlasting by Angie Frazier Everneath by Brodi Ashton The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton Faeriewalker by Jenna Black Fairwick Chronicles by Juliet Dark Fairytale Retellings by Jackson Pearce Fairy Tales by Eloisa James The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade Gods & Monsters by Kelly Keaton Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa Matched by Ally Condie Maze Runner by James Dashner Medusa Girls by Tera Lynn Childs The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine Morpheus Road by D.J. MacHale The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison Nikki Heat by Richard Castle Nine Kingdoms by Lynn Kurland The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Celia Thomson Numbers by Rachel Ward Paranormalcy by Kiersten White Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins