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In The After
by
Ashley Mackler-Paternostro (Goodreads Author)
There is a reason fairy tales end when they do ... because happily ever after is just the beginning of real life.
Once upon a time in the quaint, forgotten coastal town of Joyce, Washington Emmy Burns existed in the middle of an inconsequential life that resembled a small-town fairy tale; days filled with caring for her daughter Avery, running her small but thriving pottery...more
Once upon a time in the quaint, forgotten coastal town of Joyce, Washington Emmy Burns existed in the middle of an inconsequential life that resembled a small-town fairy tale; days filled with caring for her daughter Avery, running her small but thriving pottery...more
Paperback, 398 pages
Published
October 16th 2012
by Createspace
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There is much to like about IN THE AFTER. Sidney and Emmy have been best friends since childhood, although they haven't spoke in two years. Sidney receives a call from the police, Emmy was gone missing, without her beloved daughter. According to her husband, she's run away. But Sidney knows her friend is dead, and that her abusive husband has killed her. Sidney spearheads publicity to help find Emmy's body.
Although poorly edited, this book is well written. Toward the second half of the book, I...more
Although poorly edited, this book is well written. Toward the second half of the book, I...more
Once upon a time, children's stories stared with "Once upon a time". Now, this opening is apparently the domain of eloquent, extremely well written stories that convey a kind of subtle beauty and tragedy, where the characters dreams and ambitions meet the harsh indifference of reality.
In The After opens with a woman recounting her experience bonding with her mother over fairy tales leading into a class, as an adult, analysing them clinically; a kind of thing that, as a male reader, still managed...more
In The After opens with a woman recounting her experience bonding with her mother over fairy tales leading into a class, as an adult, analysing them clinically; a kind of thing that, as a male reader, still managed...more
Like the authors first book, I love that the characters are very real. They are described so well that its easy to understand their emotions, what motivates, frustrates, and excites them. I enjoy that they aren't perfect, just human. While dealing with the topic of domestic abuse, I admire the way it was approached. As a reader, we understand how it started, why she stays, why she feels she can't leave, and why she still loves him. We also understand how this would strain other friendships and r...more
Emmy Burns and Sidney Ruth have been friends their entire lives. That's why, when a detective calls Sidney asking if she has heard from Emmy in the past 48 hours, Sidney knows something is very wrong. She also knows Emmy would never disappear and leave her 7 year old daughter behind. And what she believes, above all else, is that Emmy's abusive husband Stephen is the one behind the disappearance.
Sidney makes the decision to go to the tiny town where Emmy lives and try to unravel the mystery of h...more
Sidney makes the decision to go to the tiny town where Emmy lives and try to unravel the mystery of h...more
Sidney and Emmy are friends, no not just friends, BEST friends. They have been since their early childhood years. So what do you do when your "Best friend" quits college, gets pregnant and marrys her abusive lover?? He is "evil" to Emmy, and Sidney, God bless her for her strength and kindess, tries to be there for her friend and tries to guide her to a better path. But some women take the abuse a lot longer than "outsiders" think they should and what can you do to help? This was a really hard re...more
Ashley Mackler-Paternostro paints a painfully accurate portrait of a domestic violence victim whose own prince turned out to be something different from what she envisioned. From one moment to the next, Emmy is gone without a trace, and her life-long best friend Sidney, knowing what was going on behind the closed doors of Emmy's home, cannot accept the fact that Emmy would simply walk away and leave her daughter behind. A race with time begins to prove that something happened to Emmy, something...more
Whilst not my normal genre of reading book, I had seen the high ratings this story and author had received so I decided to give this book a go. Fairy tales are not real and this is as far from a perfect story as you can get. Despite the themes included, the characters are true and likeable and you feel yourself being absorbed in the story. Don't get me wrong, there are parts that I found extremely different to read but that just shows the candor in which the author wrote with. Nobody likes an un...more
I enjoyed this book from the very beginning. The fairy tale theme was a great attention grabber. For me, this book was a solid four stars from the get go. The tragic tale of domestic violence interwoven with memories from the past was the perfect way to tell this story. As we read about the disappearance of Emmy, we were also learning the story of Emmy's and Sidney's relationship from the beginning. I really enjoyed the way the two parts were intertwined. It was a heartbreaking tale of a trouble...more
Once again I am not sure where to even start with this book. I loved this book and I am not sure how to even put into words how I feel about it. Her writing right from the start grabs my attention and I can't put the book down until I am finished with the book. The first thing I will say about this book is that at first it reminded me of the Susan Powell case. If you aren't from Utah you may not have heard about this case but that is what I thought this book was going to be like but it didn't en...more
booknook — Young Adult book reviews
Wow, you guys. In The After is truly an amazing and beautiful (but sad) story! It's one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever read, but I can't recommend it enough! I love everything about this book: the cover, the title, the characters, the story, and the insane way that Ashley made me hope when there was no hope. When I first read the synopsis, I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this book, but that's what I loved about it! And as soon as I read...more
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Amazing. Wonderful. Heartbroken. Emotional.
Those are just a few of the things I thought/felt while I read In The After. This book stirred so many emotions that words simply cannot explain. This is one of the most heartbreaking books I've read in a long time. Emily and Sidney have been friends since they were little and have vowed to always be there for one another. No matter what. So when Emmy goes missing Sidney sticks to that....more
http://asoutherngirlsbookshelf.blogsp...
Amazing. Wonderful. Heartbroken. Emotional.
Those are just a few of the things I thought/felt while I read In The After. This book stirred so many emotions that words simply cannot explain. This is one of the most heartbreaking books I've read in a long time. Emily and Sidney have been friends since they were little and have vowed to always be there for one another. No matter what. So when Emmy goes missing Sidney sticks to that....more
Wonderful book about friendship, loss, and the grey areas in life. I didn't see the twist coming, and I tend to pride myself on seeing the twists coming.
This one kept me up reading it. I was expecting it to be a bedside book I read for a half hour before bed but it was not to be. I had to finish it. Good book with a good message and a great ending. It made me think about all of the friends I've had and lost along the way in life. I enjoyed the writing style as well.
This one kept me up reading it. I was expecting it to be a bedside book I read for a half hour before bed but it was not to be. I had to finish it. Good book with a good message and a great ending. It made me think about all of the friends I've had and lost along the way in life. I enjoyed the writing style as well.
Wow. Okay, I am highly impressed with Ashley Mackler-Paternostro... and actually, I am a bit jealous. She is able to create a real-life event, make the characters so tangible, draw you in emotionally, and then master a fantastic story. I can prove to you that I felt so attached to this book and my mind was constantly thinking about what was going to happen next. I stopped reading when I got to work at the part when Emmy disappeared, and a few other things happened (not to spoil anything)… so I a...more
4.5/5
An emotional gauntlet. I would easily place this as a top 5 must read for 2013.
I love controversial reads. Works that make you think, feel and live out of your normal comfort zone.
My heart was stripped reading this. I have only felt that raw a handful of times while reading works of fiction.
Read this!
**there were some grammatical errors that got me hung up a few times, hence the .5, but other than that-this book is phenomenal
An emotional gauntlet. I would easily place this as a top 5 must read for 2013.
I love controversial reads. Works that make you think, feel and live out of your normal comfort zone.
My heart was stripped reading this. I have only felt that raw a handful of times while reading works of fiction.
Read this!
**there were some grammatical errors that got me hung up a few times, hence the .5, but other than that-this book is phenomenal
An extremely well-written book about a woman trapped in an abusive marriage and her best friend's attempts to save her. Even the "Nancy Grace"-type of national coverage for the missing Emmy was gripping. The bittersweet ending was a twist that I did guess but quickly dismissed about half-way through, so I was still taken aback. Well done.
This was REALLY good. Another one I just could not put down until I found out what happened. The ending totally took me by surprise. I thought it would end several different ways from what it actually did. It was better than anything I was prepared for!! Definitely worth the read!
Beautifully written. Many women will relate to the sort of life-long friendship that Sidney and Emmy have ... that friendship that goes beyond friendship into something visceral as if they are two sides of the same coin. Lives intertwined, lovingly wrapped around each other forever. Tragic, moving, engaging, and so visually and emotionally stimulating you find yourself moving with the characters through this tale. Like all things it had to come to an end, and I could not have wished for a better...more
This book sucked me in quickly. It was well written and had a twist of an ending. I thought it was interesting to view domestic violence through the eyes of a friend.
A gripping book - hard to put down, and difficult to read at the same time. Quite a bit of strong language.
Excellent book. A little slow in the beginning. EXCELLENT twist!
Mar 24, 2013
Pia
is currently reading it
Received my copy and can't wait to review it!
Great opening, little slow for the rest of the first two thirds, AWESOME ending!
The story was good, the writing was good. I just wasn't that interested in the topic.
May 16, 2013
Rosie
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Christine
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Jackie
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2013
Popthoven
marked it as to-read
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Ashley Mackler-Paternostro lives in Naperville, Illinois with her husband Mark and their three wild dogs. She considers herself a bit of magpie, picking up inspiration for her novels from the world around her. Her novels include The Milestone Tapes, In The After and a short story featured in the collection Holiday Wishes.
More information can be found on: www.ashleymacklerpaternostro.com
More about Ashley Mackler-Paternostro...
More information can be found on: www.ashleymacklerpaternostro.com
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Jan 25, 2013 12:14pm