Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

Devon is a young, athletic girl with a bright future as a soccer player. The Olympics have even been linked to her name. How could a girl like this end up doing something as horrible as throwing a newborn baby in the trash along with other refuse from around the house?

While canvasing the apartment building looking for information about the abandoned baby, a police officer finds his way to Devon's door. Her mother, recently home from a night shift a More...

**A PSEUDO REVIEW FOR THOSE WONDERING WHAT THIS IS ABOUT**

(The publisher asked for a review to be posted around the pub date, which is in August, which means I won't get around to it for a while. But here you have a bit of a preview!)

It's about this girl, Devon, who dumps her baby in the trash. She's fifteen. The book opens with her mom coming home from her bartending job and Devon lying in the couch almost unconscious. Her mom's kind of flaky, so she doesn't even notice how sick Devon is, just More...

The first thing I feel the need to address would be my eyes’ constant state of “watering” while reading this book.
I don’t know if it’s the time of year? Do I have a cold or something? It seemed like every time I’d pick this up, my eyes would start over-moisturizing and I’d be blinking in a constant, mighty effort to keep the page from swimming into an unreadable blur.



What else could it have been but a cold? I don’t cry easily. No.

And yet, there I was, at the end of chapter 4, curled up on the More...

At 15, Devon Sky Davenport was a high school soccer star, she volunteered with youth soccer and held one-on-one training sessions with young players, she worked as a babysitter, and she maintained top grades and took honors classes. She also hid an unwanted pregnancy, gave birth in her bathroom, and threw the baby away in a garbage bag that she put in the trash can behind her apartment. The baby was found alive and Devon was found, barely conscious, bleeding on her living room couch by the polic More...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I rated it a little higher because I was in between like and really like so I gave it the benefit because I did get into it. I don't consider this a "omg I can't put down" book but I was intrigued by it and wanted to see what would happen. The writing style is enjoyable, I loved the flashbacks that were involved that's what kept me entertained. Anyways, I would suggest this book for nice relaxful days or an airplane trip or whatever.

Its about a 15 year old girl w More...

We see these stories all the time but we never really get to know the girl. I know whenever I read stories like these in the paper I think," How cruel! How can someone do such a thing?" After reading this book, I am glad that I got a good insight on what goes on in the minds of these young women who dump their baby in the trash, I don't know who they are, and what they are thinking.

As the reader, we really see into Devon's mind and how she went through things, I felt for her because of her probl More...

I loved the writing in this book. I was able to connect with the characters, which is something I've had difficulty doing in recent reads. Great subject matter (teenage pregnancy) handled in a most appropriate and empathetic manner by Amy Efaw. A few reviews I've read have had issues with AFTER's ending, and without creating a spoiler, let me say that I did not find it to be weird or out of line at all. Devon, the m.c., needs to show character growth, not an easy thing to do when you've wrapped More...

Benernya real life drama bukan jenis buku favorit saya, mungkin karena dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, kita udah punya banyak drama dalam kehidupan kita dan kita lebih ingin buku yang "entertain". Tapi sebenarnya buku real life drama lebih banyak mengajarkan arti kehidupan dibanding katakanlah genre fave saya, fantasy atau romance, heheheh

Oke, langsung aja review saya mengenai buku ini.

Pertama dari sinopsis kita sudah tau buku ini mengangkat persoalan kehamilan remaja di luar nikah, atau lebih tep More...

One morning some policeman’s found an infant in the trash can. They go to each apartment that is near that trash can looking for anything suspicious. In an apartment there was a girl named Devon that stayed from school sick, she told her mom. The policeman’s had knocked on Devon's door and her mom had answered it. They came in and asked Devon some questions but she wasn’t feeling well to understand what they were asking her. Her mom had pulled the blanket that was over Devon so she can show res More...

I don’t know why, but I actually enjoyed After. Although it wasn’t enough for me to run to the book as soon as I got home, it was enjoyable enough. When I read it during the free periods that I had during school, I was constantly intrigued, reading at least 50 pages per sitting. After captured the confusion and distress of Devon amazingly, and I was totally feeling everything that Devon was feeling, there! Seriously. Only a few flaws were screaming in my face. And my face is so delicate, you see More...

This book taught me a lot of things abbout the way people work. It taught me about how denial can be so strong that the lies become the truth. It taught me that no matter what you say or do, they all have consequences. I learned that it's not only the so-called 'bad people' who do these types of things, but the perfectly 'normal' and average people. That anyone can fall and that it's important to get back up again. It taught me that panic is fear and vice versa. It taught me that trust in onese More...

After, by Amy Efaw, narrated by Rebecca Soler, produced by Penguin Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

This is another book I learned about on an NPR Weekend Edition show. Devon Davenport was a girl who was considered always to be responsible, mature, a straight A student, a gifted soccer player, and totally self reliant because her mother was immature and always looking for a man. But one morning, a neighbor finds a newborn baby wrapped in a garbage bag and put in the trash-and the baby is still More...

Im definetly going to be judgemental on the contents of this book, like the author said at the end how she can't fathom what desperation would lead a woman to throw away her baby? Efaw failed for me to feel any sympathy towards Devon, the constant pointing out how smart she was, AP honor roll, leader of her soccer team. Not sexually active, just a 1x thing and she was so disgusted she'd be like her mother that she denied being pregnant? What about school? She was 5'8 slim, athletic!! Come on! Sh More...

I love love love this book!! The story idea was so original, but the author put an amazing new side to the story! I cried and felt the pain and fear of what Devin was going through. Even though i completely disagree with what she did, i understand why she did it.

This book is gripping. It's been a quick read also, and after I told them the premise, my students are excited to read it.

4 1/2 stars! So good. I've been recommending it to everyone.

An excellent audiobook narrated by Rebecca Soler, who also narrated Lock Key by Sarah Dessen. Devon was an honors high school student until the morning that everything changes. The police find a newborn baby abandoned in a trash dumpster near Devon and her mother's apartment. Devon is home sick that morning. It's obvious that she's just given birth.

What Devon never expected that morning was that she would be considered an attempted mur More...

Devon Davenport is an all-around student who has a lot going for her. Despite her lousy upbringing, and irresponsible mother, Devon does the best she can to take care of herself and her future. However, when the incident occurred on "That Night," Devon needs more than her mother--she needs a time machine. After being arrested for abandoning her child, Devon is devastated and scared. Moreover, in juvenile detention, Devon constantly thinks that she is not like any of the other detainees because s More...

After by Amy Efaw tells a tragic story that most female teens or adults would enjoy this book a lot. The book focuses on the life of a 15 year old named Devon. People might say that this book is like reality in this world which I agree it is.

Devon says she is feeling homesick while at school so, her mother picks her up from school. Devon eventually tricks her mother so that she can stay home by herself. Devon stays home for weeks. A few weeks later the police came by her house asking her mother More...

I had passed this book while skimming shelves a couple of times, so I decided to get it and try sometihng new. The beginning of the book got me into reading just a little more, and then a little more, laying out the story of a 15 year old girl named Devon who left her newborn baby in a trashcan outside of her home. My first thoughts were of course WHY WOULD SOMEONE DO THAT?! How could anyone possibly do such a thing to a living, breathing human being? and if that was not enough, their own CHILD? More...

Review on After by Amy Efaw
I believe this book by Amy Efaw called After was worth reading. Although I didn’t love the book, I just simply liked it since there were a few flaws which were poking me. I felt that there were areas which made want to shut the book and stop reading it. However, after those parts pasted by, the book started to started to grow on me again. I felt a strong connection with each character, as I could place myself in their shoes and understand why certain things occurred. I More...

Devon was a little too perfect, pre putting her baby in the trash. Quick read, thought provoking. I agree with the Booklist review.


Booklist Reviews
Efaw assigns herself a seemingly impossible task—creating sympathy for a teen mother who tosses her newborn baby into a trash bin—yet somehow pulls it off in this successful button pusher. Devon is a sophomore soccer star charged with the unsavory crime, and the story picks up with the police doing a routine search for clues and finding Devon covered More...

Mordversuch an dem eigenem (frisch geborenem) Säugling ist etwas so grausames. Man kann nicht verstehen wie man so etwas tun kann und selten versucht man auch aufrichtig die Mutter zu verstehen ohne Vorurteile zu haben. "Eine Tat wie diese" zeigt ein mal die tragische Geschichte aus der Sicht der Mutter, die dazu auch erst 15 ist. Die Situation von Devon und ihre Gedanken sowie Gefühle werden gut dargestellt, auch wenn ich bei der ein oder anderen Situation ihre Gefühle und Gedanken nacht ganz n More...

This suspenseful, emotion filled book is sure to keep you wanting to know more about Devon, who at first was an ordinary fifteen year old girl. She got straight A’s and did an incredible amount of extra curricular activities such as being the starting goalie for three separate soccer teams. She was a team player, a great leader, and a role model to everyone around her even without the support of her single mother who worked two jobs to make ends meet. Devon soon realizes one mistake can change y More...

Attempted
By Alysia Campbell
AFTER
By Amy Efaw



Amy efaw is a great writer; this is the first I have ever read of her books. Amy has written other books like “BATTLE DRESS”, “The WATER STONE”, and “how to help the one you love”. I chose to read AFTER because the description on the back and the cover seemed like it would be a good book. Being accused of something probably feels bad, and the feeling in your gut hurts you because you may be guilty. Some people are just at the wrong place at the wrong More...

As crazy of a book After is, I love the characters. They all had such contrasted personalities, you could definitely tell which one was talking, and how it formed the story. The characters were very well developed because they all kind of had a back ground story, and their characteristics just made them very believable and well rounded as well. The plot felt very realistic for what type of book it is. You could definitely believe the characters as it went on. The plot had so many unexpected twis More...

I have had this book for awhile now. 2 years at least, but I neve got around to reading it. It has just sat in a tote in my closet full of un-read books that seemed semi-interesting..
Well I finally got around to reading it, and now I know why it took me 2 years to read this. Simply put, it was boring.
Sure the plot about a responsible, hardworking, straight-A student, and star soccer player has sex with her summer boyfriend and after the first time she becomes pregnant, but
throughout her pregnan More...

Definitely tough subject matter! It's about a 15-year-old girl, Devon, who secretly has a baby and throws it in the trash. She's discovered immediately in Chapter 1 and is sent to a detention home by way of the hospital. Throughout the book, Devon begins to piece together memories of "That Night" and "IT" that she has seemingly blocked out. As she meets with counselors and her lawyer, attends class, and meets other girls, Devon flashes back to her life as perfect student and soccer player. She r More...

"Eine zwischen 1989 und 1998 vom 'Center of Disease Control and Prevention' in den USA durchgeführte Studie kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass "die Gefahr ermordet zu werden, am ersten Lebenstag zehn Mal größer ist als zu irgendeiner anderen Zeit des Lebens".
So ein Auszug des Nachwortes der Autorin, das die Thematik wiedergibt: eine 15jährige, aufstrebende Schülerin wird des versuchten Mordes an ihrem Baby angeklagt, auf der Rückseite wird ein überraschendes Ende versprochen.

Meine Meinung zu diesem Buch More...

First off, what an amazing concept for a book! That was what attracted me to the novel to start with, I’ve read a lot of books with very serious and intense themes, however I’d never seen anyone try to tackle such a huge problem as the ‘dumpster baby’ phenomena, and I think Efaw needs applause for that!

I think however, that this book won’t stay with me as much as I would have liked for it too have. Its not particularly well written in my opinion, I don’t like the way she has narrated it, I would More...

2.5 stars

This book absolutely broke my heart.

It was almost unbearable reading it, because the plot was just so disturbing, nothing like what I've read before. I had a hard time figuring out Devon, mainly because she held back a lot, but despite her crime I still felt like she was a good person. And even when I knew that this book was a work of fiction (but incidents like this do happen in real life), I just felt so sad for Devon, and the vulnerability she felt during this whole story. Goodness, More...