After Hello

by Lisa Mangum

What if the first day of your relationship was the only day you had?

Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot camera, especially on her first trip to New York City. Sam is a finder. He has a knack for finding what other people can’t—a first-edition book or the last two tickets to a sold-out Broadway show.

When Sam and Sara’s paths cross, they form an unlikely partnership in search of a seemingly elusive work of art. They have one day to find the impossible. Fate brought their talents together, but what happens when time runs out? Will love be able to overcome fate?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Clean Romance

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 21, 2012

About the author

Lisa Mangum has loved and worked with books ever since elementary school, when she volunteered at the school library during recess. Her first paying job was shelving books at the Sandy Library. She worked for five years at Waldenbooks while she attended the University of Utah, graduating with honors with a degree in English. An avid reader of all genres, she has worked in the publishing department for Deseret Book since 1997.
Besides books, Lisa loves movies, sunsets, spending time with her family, trips to Disneyland, and vanilla ice cream topped with fresh raspberries. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy. She is the author of the Hourglass Door trilogy and After Hello.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original. That's my word to describe this contemporary young adult book. I did not feel like I was rereading a story that had already been told. From the summary I was expecting something with paranormal or magical elements (seeker & finder) but there was nothing paranormal about this book at all. It's a fabulously written story with some depth to it.

After Hello chronicles the last 24 hours of Sara's visit to New York City. Sara sees Sam through her camera lens and follows him. After their initial meeting they end up spending the day together on a journey in search of a unique work of art. Their quest become a journey of self discovery and a chance to help each other.

I'm impressed by Lisa Mangum's writing so I'm bumping her Hourglass Door series up on my to read list.




Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend

Content: Clean

Source: Review copy from Publisher


FYI - There is a really cool Track Your Packet contest going on through the end of the year. I should be the cool mom and get my kids to take part in this with me. http://www.trackthepacket.com/

[Annalisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad giving another one of Mangum's books 3 stars, like what I'm saying is her writing is mediocre or average, when that's not what I mean at all. 3 stars means like and I liked Sara and Sam's story. I loved the idea of a romance between two people who only had 24 hours together.

From the very first chapter, I had a clear vision of who Sam was (and to a smaller degree Sara), and I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to fall in love with New York the way I could see Mangum had and expressed through Sara. And I felt the excitement of the first time, in the city, with a new boy, on your own.

But my interest in Sara started to wane as the book progressed. Having your mother desert you is no small event in one's life and while I could understand how Sara could be sad, the pieces never came together for me to sympathize with her. She felt whiny to me and I wondered how she could hold on to something so strongly that had happened eight years ago (parents get divorced all the time and children grow up and get on with their lives).

I'm also not a fan of romances so there were times when this got a little cheesy for my taste. There were times when Sam and Sara were a little too in sync with each other's thoughts and emotions. I think I'd rather Sara (or Sam) experience something and hear something different from the other perspective, instead of have such a smooth progression in emotion. Having said that, Mangum is very good at keeping the plot unpredictable and not saving her characters from bad experiences, so I never knew what was going to happen next and the story kept me interested.

My biggest disappointment was with the ending. While I think it was cool that Sara came up with the artwork Piper demanded (and I was kind of hoping that's where the ending led to), I struggled to picture her work. It sounded a little scrapbooky and homemade, not something a movie star would like. But that's probably just me (I can't always visualize things described to me) and not really what my disappointment with the ending is. And seriously, if that spoiler tag didn't stop you, be forewarned, I'm giving away the ending here:

For as connected as Sam and Sara were (as for my previous point), how could they so easily walk away from each other without so much as exchanging phone numbers? I'd kind of hoped Sam would slip his number into Sara's phone while she was sleeping, but nothing. It reminded me of the movie Serendipity without all the talk about fate. Mangum left it open, Sara taking the sugar packs in hopes of its trading returning her to Sam, but the realist in me didn't think they would happen upon each other by change again in a city that large. Usually Mangum is very good at tying everything up at the end, but I felt a little let down with this ending.

It was a cute story (with more depth than most cute stories) and I'd recommend it for girls who like YA romance.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a sweet story about two young people, Sam and Sara, who meet in New York. They end up spending one single day together. It sounds like it might not be much that could happen in the book for just a 24 hour period of time, but a lot happens and lessons are learned.

Both Sara (without an H) and Sam have stories to tell that have an emotional hold on them. Neither has told others about their story, but they decide to tell each other. It's cathartic in many ways. The releasing of the story to basically a stranger helped them to form a friendship rather quickly, although not eveyone would agree they should've told a stranger their deepest, sad emotional stories.

There is a homeless man in the story who makes an important comment, and one that I tell my grandchildren all the time (only in different words). He makes the point that it is passion that is so important in our lives. I think the point made and exemplified in this book is right on point. Without passion in your life, at work, in the home, in your hobbies, etc. I see a difficult road to being a healthy emotional being. I see people without a real passion and they have no drive. At least that's been my experience.

I would recommend this one.

[Suzanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty boring and I just couldn't come to terms with the fact that we have two complete teenage strangers who meet in New York City and go on a pretty pointless quest, all the while sharing their deep rooted issues and connecting in a way that they've never connected with anyone before all within 24 hours. I'm not buying it.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so thrilled to have Author Lisa Mangum give me an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of her new book called, After Hello. This is her first book after she finished writing her very successful trilogy, The Hourglass Door.


After Hello, a stand alone book, takes place all in one day in New York City.

I first heard of this book, early Spring, at the Authorpalooza event at Barnes and Noble. I asked Lisa what she had been working on. She began to tell me about this great story of two teens, who meet for the first and last time. I was intrigued from the get-go about how this story would play out.I tried to imagine what these two teens, strangers, would do all day long. Well, After Hello, is so much more than it sounds. There is a great storyline that keeps things moving, from the time they first meet outside a book store, until the minute they say good-bye. Without giving too much away, let's just say you will meet some fun and very eccentric characters in this novel. Maybe this is how New York City really is, full of very interesting people.

Another very unique thing about this novel is all of the trading that goes on amongst the characters. Trading you say? Yes, trading something you have for something that someone else needs. Main character Sam is a master at trading and this is how Sam and Sara meet at he beginning.


Author Lisa Mangum is doing something really fun with this new book. Lisa is doing a real-life trading campaign. There is a website that will allow people to trade items all across the nation and literally track what is being traded, with whom, and where. There are grand prizes for the best trades after the contest is complete. You can learn more at trackthepacket.com. It all started on June 1.You need to go there and see what trading is happening.

Overall, if you love other books written by Lisa Mangum, you will love After Hello; filled with rich and complicated characters, a captivating storyline and a premise that will make it stand out among other YA Contemporary novels.

You can pre-order After Hello at Amazon.com.

[Shambhawi P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Hello is the story of two lost people who found each other.

Sara sees a random guy on a busy New York street and snaps a photo of him on impulse. Sam sees a random girl on the streets stalking him and decides to talk to her on impulse. What we get is an extremely cute romance that leaves a big smile on our faces as we read it.

It is not a perfect book by any means. Some parts were grossly overdone an dialogues tended to border on cheesy. This book was a perfect example of meet-cute clichés. But somehow it all seemed to work out for me.

I really liked Sam and Sara's chemistry. I liked the way their relationship progressed from random strangers to friends to more in the span of day in a way that did not make me gag (but did cause an occasional eye roll). What i liked even more however was Sam. And his sugar packets. And his unique approach to life. And most of all his little pink sugar packets.

The issues that both Sam and Sara had with their past and/or the family however felt poorly handled. Like the author thought We can't write about two completely normal teenagers in a book so lets put in some problems in their life and went ahead with it. The resulting mood-swings of Sam were where my afore-mentioned eye rolls were mostly induced.

What I liked the best about the book however was the ending and that almost made up for the few teeny issues I had with it. Almost.

3.5 stars - I am feeling pretty generous.

This ebook was provided to me by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

[Anncleire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blog Tour on my blog October 9th
Review + Giveaway
http://pleaseanotherbook.tumblr.com/p...


“After Hello” è finite nelle cose da leggere appena ho visto la copertina…ma dai mi direte voi? Yep sono una “cover slut” o come il titolo del meme mio e di @ilovereading_ una “cover lover” perché insomma, avete visto questa copertina? Una mappa + una coppia che si tiene per mano + delle foto… un occhiata a quello che si leggerà nel libro e la magia di una storia tutta da leggere. Quando ho letto la recensione di Dianne del Blog “Oops! I read a book again”, la meravigliosa organizzatrice di questo Blog Tour, mi sono innamorata e…posso assicurarvi che è un amore consolidato.


Che cosa succede se il primo giorno della tua relazione è anche l’unico giorno che hai?
La diciassettenne Sara è ima cercatrice. È sempre stata sull’attenti per catturare il momento perfetto con la sua sempre presente, punta e scatta, macchina fotografica, specialmente nella sua prima gita a New York. Sam è un trovatore. Ha la capacità di trovare quello che le altre persone non possono – la prima edizione di un libro o gli ultimi due biglietti di uno show di Broadway tutto esaurito. In New York c’è sempre qualcosa di interessante da trovare.
Quando i cammini di Sam e Sara si incontrano, nessuno dei duo è preparato a quello che scopriranno l’uno sull’altro – su loro stessi quando formano un patto improbabile nella ricerca di un’opera d’arte che sembra impossibile da trovare. Hanno un solo giorno per trovare l’impossibile. Il fato ha portato i loro talenti insieme, ma cosa accadrà quando il loro tempo sarà agli sgoccioli? Il loro amore riuscirà a superare il fato? Il nuovo romanzo della premiata autrice Lisa Mangum esplora cosa succede dopo il ciao.

Sono rimasta affascinata da questo libro, in maniera che non avrei mai immaginato, fin dalla prima riga, sono rimasta catturata dalla storia. Io sono una romanticona fin nel profondo del mio cuore e quando mi trovo davanti libri che mi inducono a sentimenti dolci, come un incontro casuale fuori da una libreria che diventa molto di più, sono rovinata, persa nel libro. Avete presente “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight” (uscito anche in italiano)? Questo è sulla falsa riga ma invece di avere un viaggio in aereo transoceanico, qui c’è azione, c’è lo zampino del fato, ma c’è anche la necessaria partecipazione dei due protagonisti che continuano ad essere portati insieme in modi che non avevano previsto. Due ragazzi con un background diverso, ma con due spiriti affini, complementari che si sintonizzano sulla stessa lunghezza d’onda e subito, fin dal momento in cui i loro sguardi si sfiorano restano affascinati l’uno dall’altro. Una storia improponibile, eppure sembra così vera che i due si avvicinano e si conoscono nell’arco di un pomeriggio che li trascina in giro per la città.
La narrazione, che segue entrambi i punti di vista, sia quello di Sara che di Sam a capitoli invertiti, è molto ben curata, efficace e ha un passo veloce, pieno di eventi, che non annoia mai il lettore. Una particolarità molto curiosa: mentre Sara racconta in prima persona, Sam viene descritto da una voce impersonale, in terza persona, quasi come la scrittrice si sia resa conto che non poteva entrare nella testa del ragazzo e ne volesse seguire le mosse in maniera indipendente. E funziona, la storia entra immediatamente nel vivo, non aspettiamo niente, vediamo subito i due insieme e con lo iniziamo una ricerca, una missione, un’avventura.
Sara è una ragazza piena di inventiva, che non si lascia scoraggiare, a metà tra il coraggio e la pazzia, che si lancia nelle situazioni più assurde ma non si tira indietro. Prova, sbaglia e aggiusta il tiro. Si fida subito di Sam, anche se non lo conosce, anche se lo vede alto, smilzo, con la felpa del suo gruppo preferito semi sconosciuto ai più e l’immancabile borsa a tracolla da cui ogni volta caccia fuori qualcosa di stupefacente, proprio ciò di cui ha bisogno al momento. Sara è una ragazza che ha dovuto rinunciare a molte cose, con una ferita profonda nel suo cuore ma tutta l’intenzione di non farsi frenare da nulla. Con la sua macchina fotografica che tira fuori nei momenti più impensabili, la sua tranquilla caparbietà è la ragazza che si vorrebbe per amica, quella che ti aiuterebbe in qualunque momento anche se lei è a rimetterci.
Sam è un ragazzo che nasconde sé stesso dietro i sentimenti degli altri, lotta per avere tutto sotto controllo e continua a muoversi, a camminare, ad allontanarsi dal suo passato. Venuto nella city per dimenticare, si ritrova continuamente alla ricerca di qualcosa, qualcosa con cui prendere altro. Sensibile, uno che presta attenzione ed osserva tutto, qualsiasi minuzia e particolare nascosto che sfugge agli occhi dei più. È un ragazzo che passerebbe inosservato, perché riesce a mascherarsi tra la folla, ma che colpisce immediatamente Sara, che ne resta molto interessata. Con un lavoro che lo porta in giro per le strade di New York, non c’è un momento in cui stazioni, anche il pranzo diventa un momento per consegnare un oggetto desiderato, anche in chiesa, sempre, in un modo o nell’altro. ed è impressionante, unico e molto interessante.
E lo sfondo? La mia adorata New York, una delle mie città preferite, la prima che voglio visitare e sono molto contenta perché l’atmosfera che si respira tra le pagine di questa storia non è la solita, quella megalomane da film, ma un’atmosfera quasi intima, fatta di luoghi nascosti, luoghi imprevisti e quel senso di gente che cammina, dimensione sovrumana e senso di grandezza. Una città cosmopolita dove pure i personaggi trovano comunque il loro spazio e la loro dimensione. Ed è molto bello vederli camminare tra le strade e trovarsi, scoprirsi, viversi.

Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un pacchetto di zucchero…

Pubblicato da Shadow Mountain il 21 agosto questo libro è molto carino, una lettura leggera e imprevedibile, che rimane fisso nel cuore. I protagonisti sono genuini e ci si affeziona subito a loro. E poi volete mettere New York? Un libro sincero, una storia d’amicizia, connessione e scoperta che vi lascerà senza parole.
Buona lettura guys!


Ringrazio immensamente Lisa Mangum e Dianne di Oops! I read a book Again per avermi permesso di partecipare a questo Blog Tour e scoprire un libro molto interessante. Grazie!

[Sara Cardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. Great characters, neat setting, and interesting idea of trading. But the element that wowed me is the author's way of gently infusing a deeper meaning throughout - thought provoking ideas on forgiveness, letting go, holding on, sacrifice, and gifts. I love the sugar packets and what they represent. I like Sam, Sara, and the interesting people they come across.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Deseret Book and Netgalley.)
Sara is in New York with her father. He has a meeting, trying to sell his website to some other guys, and she’s waiting to have lunch with him and go sightseeing. Her dad cancels though – he’s still in his meeting, so Sara boldly follows a guy (Sam) who comes out of a bookstore wearing a hoodie with her favourite band’s name on it.

They begin talking, and Sara finds out that Sam is good at locating things, and he also likes to trade. He says he can get hold of anything he wants, and Sara goes along with him to drop off the book that he had located for a client.

The client turns out to be a famous actress, and Sara somehow finds herself saddled with a quest to find an original, signed piece of artwork to hang above her fireplace, by the end of the day. If she doesn’t, she will fire her assistant (who is Sam’s brother.)

Can Sara get what the actress wants and save Sam’s brother’s job? And how will Sara feel about Sam when the day is over?


This is the kind of book where you are thrown right into the story, and you then find out about the characters as the story progresses, and as they get to know each other.

Sara had the problem that her father didn’t spend much time with her because of his business, and she never understood why her mother left her. Sam was living in New York with his brother, following an incident back at home that changed his life, and the life of four of his friends.
Sam and Sara told each other their stories, and opened up to each other, which seemed to be therapeutic for both of them.

The blurb for this book speaks about a ‘relationship’ between the two characters, but I felt that their relationship was just friendship until right at the very end. This book doesn’t really come across as a romance in my opinion, but focuses more on Sam’s ‘trading’, and Sara’s relationship with her father.

There is also something about Sara being a ‘seeker’ and Sam being a ‘finder’, which makes the story sound a lot different to what it really is. Sara is in fact an amateur photographer, who likes to find a beautiful picture, while Sam is in fact more of a trader – he trades things with people for stuff that he wants, or more frequently, what other people want.
I really dislike blurbs sometimes!

I thought that the idea of this book was good, but the actual story itself was only okay. I disliked that we didn’t really know much about Sara or Sam to begin with, and their ‘quest’ to find the artwork was a little lack-lustre. I really didn’t feel the romance angle either, and the ending was a little heart breaking.

Overall; this was an interesting day in the life of two teens, but certainly not one of my favourites.
5 out of 10.

[Chu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Originally Posted at: Book Freak

This novel reminds me so much of Rachel Cohn & David Levithan’s Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist: two strangers, meeting in the city that never sleeps, and spending 24 hours together.

Sara (without an H), comes to New York with her father, hoping it would salvage what little relationship they had. But her father had been busy with meetings, leaving alone with her camera wandering in the busy streets of New York. Sara is a seeker. She always wanted to capture a perfect moment with her lenses, and she wouldn’t want to miss anything on her first trip to New York.



Ask Sam for anything and he’ll find it (OMG – I love to have him on my friend-list). Sam is a finder. He can find the most outrageous, most sought-after, most unique thing in the world. This is New York, after all, there is always something interesting to find.

When their paths crossed, the unthinkable happens. They were thrown on a mission to find an extraordinary work of art. They were given ONE DAY to find it. Seems impossible, but two heads are better than one. With Sam’s ability to find things, and Sara’s ability to seek for it – they might stand a chance.



As the day goes, secrets begin to unravel, baggage starts to drop, and hearts begin to open. What happens when they finally have what they were looking for? Are they brave enough to let go of their dark past and take risk in an unsure future?

All of these things happened in just ONE DAY. It took one click for them to meet, one day for them to set an adventure, one day to know each other’s deep secrets and just ONE DAY for their lives to change. This was one crazy journey, an adventure you would not want to miss.

AFTER HELLO is an interesting read, it’s more of an adventure of two strangers, meeting in one of the busiest cities in the world. I love the pacing, it was definitely fast, the twists, the secrets, and most especially the ending. It was not what you would expect, but it was just right to end an adventure. This is a novel of letting-go and holding-on. Fate had brought them together, who knows what the future holds.



*ARC Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly fresh and elegant. Highly recommend.

[Beth Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually going to be more of a 2-3 star book for me....I just wasn't loving it. It kind of just plodded along without sucking me in. But, at the end, then I got sucked into the romance of it all so when it ended, I was feeling all sweet and smiley and decided I really liked it. Yes, it could have been exhuastion talking since it was 2 in the morning, but none the less, I finished it feeling very favorable. So 4 stars even though I was just o.k. with it for most of it. (I'm a sucker for romantic little one liners and symbolism.)

Things I really liked about the book:
1. No one had any super powers. You can't be sure when you pick up a new story with an adolescent main character if there won't be some time- travel, warewolf, or shape shifting going on. It was nice to see ordinary, real people just being teenagers.

2. Lessons learned about letting go, trying to be a better person, etc. Most of the book was a "where is this going" type of thing for me so it was nice to have some conclusions and things learned from it all.

3. Lisa Mangum's way of describing things like when talking about sugar: "I was sure the small granules would taste like wishes."
I think if I read this book again, I would find even more of these great word pictures because I would be able to pay more attention instead of being annoyed that things weren't moving quick for me.

Favorite quotes:
Sacrafice means giving up more so that the other person can get what they need. p237

Leave stagnation behind and say yes to life. p228

He wanted her to want him to stay p226

All the best journeys take unexpected detours p220

When we grant others the opportunity to be open and vulnerable, that is when we can see the truth. In them. And in ourselves p227

Letting go didn't mean throwing away, after all. p243

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really sweet story about two young adults, Sara & Sam, who meet and spend a day together in NYC.
The story takes place in one day. It’s amazing how so much happens, but it really goes together well. I didn’t feel the book was rushed, in fact, I found it to be a slow read.
Throughout the day, Sara & Sam form a friendship that helps them deal with problems they are dealing with. I loved how just simple words or events could have such an impact on helping them each overcome their fears. It was a friendship I enjoyed watching unfold.
As a parent, one thing I found interesting was how Sara was affected by her mother leaving and how her father never talked about it. I easily sided with the father, but it really got me thinking about what kids, or teens, go through. As parents, we try to protect kids by not involving them in ‘adult’ issues, but in reality we may be causing more hurt and stress than we realize. In ‘After Hello’ we see Sara’s feelings and the effect it has on her, and for me, the father/daughter moment is what affected me the most in this book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a nice, clean read. I would recommend this mostly for teens, or anyone who enjoys reading YA novels.

Disclaimer: I won this book through a blog contest, and all opinions are my own.

[lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me think a lot.

"No one can make you feel anything. Emotions are whatever you choose to feel. It might be an instantaneous decision—to choose to be happy or sad or offended or hurt—but it is still a decision."

And it kind of makes me think of how I've been reacted to stuff that's happened in my life. I mean, I chose to feel how I feel, be it disappointment, or anger, or sadness, or happiness. I feel what I felt because I chose to. In some ways, that's an epiphany. I can choose not to feel a certain way, I can actually choose not to feel all the negative things I feel.

“I’ve learned that sometimes you can only see what you want to see by changing where you stand. And standing somewhere unexpected can lead to unexpected discoveries.”

It's all about perspective, isn't it? You can't see what you want to see if you've been looking at it wrong. Maybe all it needs is a little shift to the left or right, a step forward or a step back.

Fantastic read.

[Carol Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed After Hello, a book about two teens who meet in New York City and fall in love. Both are complex characters with problems, who are trying to move forward. They have just one day to really connect with each other, and both must reveal their pasts in order to begin to heal. I loved the idea of trading, and how they were able to help each other and others and get to the desired outcome by trading. Throughout the day, Sam and Sara meet many interesting people who share their wisdom with them. Aces, a homeless artist, tells them, "Passion is what makes the world go round. Passion is what drives us to be better than we are. Passion is what makes our emotions -- whether love or hate or laughter -- ignite and blaze into life." Vanessa, another artist, tells Sara, "Ah, but art and trouble go hand in hand. If you cannot be troubled to create art from your heart, then your art will never trouble the hearts of others."

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from a friend, and I really liked it. I loved the idea of the whole story taking place in just one day!! Now I want to write a book like that. It was fun and I thought that because the time of the book was just one day you got to know the characters on a deeper level than you do in many YA books like this. I really enjoyed it!

Sara is in New York for one day with her dad, waiting to go explore the city with him, she snaps a picture of a boy coming out of a bookstore, intrigued by his clothes she follows him. Sam is on an errand and invites Sara to come with him. Because of this, starts their crazy day together as they go from place to place trying to find something that Piper has asked for. Both have skeletons in their closet's but as the day goes on they begin to open up about the past as well as learn how they can each move forward in their lives, even though no one knows how exactly their life is going to turn out.

Definitely worth the read!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not horribly bad, nor was it good. It was just kind of there and I didn't ever get into it. Halfway through I started skimming. I didn't connect with Sara (without an "h") as a character.

The comment (on pg 99) stating that it never snows in Arizona really bothered me. I want to read true facts in books, even when the book is fictional. :)

Having grown up in Arizona I happen to know that it DOES snow in Arizona. In fact we went tubing every year near the Sunrise ski resort.

I wouldn't recommend this book to my daughters as there were some behaviors and decisions in the book that I would not want to encourage in my own children.

Reading this book was rather a waste of time.

[Erica T · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. Nothing wrong with it; just nothing that stood out and made me enjoy it. And I found it quite predictable. I honestly guessed the ending very early in the book. The story is kind of unbelievable as well. Who let's their 17 year old wander around New York by themselves the first time they've ever been there? And the way Sara talks to and treats her dad? Whoa! Kind of ridiculous. Overall, just kind of a 'meh' book for me.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a lot of the imagery that Mangum writes with and always enjoy the ethereal aspect it at first, but then the story usually drags for me and I'm racing to get done with what I already know will happen. I did enjoy the story of Sam and Sara, it was sweet, and I liked the processing of life's traumas. But not much memorable here for me to say, "yeah that's a good book," more like, "eh it's a decent, short read."

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from Lisa Mangum! I was forunate enough to receive a ARC copy of this book and I could not put it down! Great characters and a moving story line. Loving photography myself, I could relate to Sara and her love and quest for the right picture no matter where she was. I too have an ever present camera :)

[Cindy Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started with The Hour Glass Door trilogy. I have been a fan of Lisa Magnum's ever since. I was so excited to finally get my hands on this book. From the back cover " What if the FIRST DAY of your relationship was the ONLY day you had? " I thought it was fast paced and I really enjoyed the relationship between Sam and Sara...and set in NYC? Well, I was hooked. It's a fun read.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the whole book out loud to my roommates in one weekend! It was so hard to go to the places that we needed to because we just wanted to keep reading! Most people said they didn't like the ending and wanted a sequel, but I actually really liked it and I would suggest this if you are looking for a fast read! Such a cute fate/destiny story. We create our own destinies!

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good. Five stars for Lisa Mangum. She nailed this book. The realistic fiction with her amazing writing and detail made it a great read. The characters had depth to them and a lot happened in the allotted time. The overall idea was very original and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a sweet romance.

[Jovita Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smile.

I am thoroughly satisfied and pleased. This book was like a dream that could become a reality and yet feel like a dream... It made me imagine so much...

I don't love it but I really really really like it and I think liking this book is so much intimate than loving it. Get what I mean?

* Beautiful cover ;)

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes the book was a little slow or I would have given it more stars. It was one of those books that I was okay to put down for a couple of days. I never really had that overwhelming desire to pick it back up either. However, I did like the message of the book. And it did leave me with a small smile on my face.

***Content review ***
Totally clean.

[Emily O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just really loved the story and the two main characters. It was a cute quick read. The whole book just left me smiling.

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly moving book. I was really pleased with it. As an author, I found it a good study on writing as well.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was ok. I would've liked a more solid ending or a sequel or something. In my opinion too many questions are left unanswered

[Sandra Del Rio · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book began with such a great concept, but it quickly turned into a disaster as the story progressed. I’ll just summarize my thoughts into two lists between what I liked and what I didn’t.


What I Liked:
*The entire idea of Sam trading things to get a deep desire is interesting and exciting. I
had fun with the parts of the novel in which he would trade items to ultimately get to
another that someone else wanted/needed.
*The concluding sequences of the story were also exciting to read. The art project Sara
did, the romance the novel had mentioned finally became evident, and the saying
goodbye.
*The writing is compelling enough.
*There were some cool themes of passion and letting go that I appreciated.
*Yeah, that’s it.

What I Didn’t Like:
*Every single character. Was so. Narcissistic. Or just too quirky and different to the point
that they didn’t seem real, therefore taking out all the seriousness that was meant to be
essential to the plot. The main characters, Sara and Sam, seemed so self-absorbed that I
wanted to stop reading because of it.
*All the drama was unnecessary and incessant. There were certain plot twists and
backstories that just felt as though they were plot tools to spice up the story, but none of
it was very concrete in their implementation. And when these problems were discussed,
they were immediately brushed away a paragraph later. I understand that there are
people who could relate to the drama and feel heard, but that aspect of the story did
not belong in this book.
*I felt as though the novel was advertised as a romance? But the only romance we got
throughout the novel, for the most part, consisted of them randomly touching and
feeling a “zing” when they did. I thought that Sam and Sara’s friendship was nice and it
would have been perfect if hormones weren’t brought in to interrupt the adventure.
*The emotional references are so annoying.
*I hated Sam’s character in every way possible, except for the trading idea.


I understand what the author was going for, but the execution of the story could have been much better. I’m left with a feeling of wanting more-not because it was good, but because it was just so> unsatisfying.

[Queenielyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really familiar with the author either. Never read one of her books before and I picked up this book by random. Sometimes it's just really awesome that you got to read a random book simply because of how the title attracts you so. That's what happened between this book and me- we just connect. Like it's got something good to trade with me. You read my book and you'll get what you need/want. That whole concept was included in the plot and I find it new and interesting. I'm still finding out how trading anything get to what you want.

"Someone once told me that if you don't know what you want, you'll never get it."

I don't feel like typing out the summary/book synopsis to you because I don't have to. You go prepare yourself to this kind of quest/adventure also you'll get to literally go around the NYC - keeping you on the edge of your seat.
It's so wonderful, realistic and adorable at the same time. I've never been to NYC much less barely know anything about its place. It's so nice to get to "go" to NYC without even moving physically just mentally. Haha! Sam and Sara were finding themselves and out of nowhere they bumped to each other without meaning to. I like how Sara thought about her safety, she knew she shouldn't be talking with strangers and all. Usually when you talk to strangers, you somehow feels awkward or uncomfortable. But for both Sam and Sara, they just clicked immediately.

"My dad taught me never to talk to strangers" "We're all strangers in the beginning." "Then what are we in the end?"

At least Sara was mindful about what reaction or her feelings towards the first time she met Sam. She thinks before she does it - whether it's safe or just plain dangerous to talk to him. But still - reminder: BEWARE of strangers. You never know. There was one book that I didn't like because of the character where she met him at the airport and doesn't even know him and liked or let's say love him all of a sudden - so called love at first sight. Weird. In my opinion, love has its process to go through and it's not easy just like that.

Gotta keep moving.

After Hello has got an ending that's simply believable and true and likely to happen. It's right the way how the ending should look like. It was neat. I was glad it was not goodbye for both Sam and Sara. They are beginning to accept what life has to offer. They've learned from each other something valuable. Each has got story that has benefit them. Lending a hand to help each other is truly nice and sweet through out the book. Understood each other better without bad remarks or judging what one has gone through or done wrong in their past. Sara is the character that touched my heart and I felt her deep need for her family to be whole. The family she wished she could put back together. Broken not but completely and absolutely not the end of everything- she needs to stand up and get moving. Same goes for Sam.

"Happiness can be close by, even if your heart is far away."

Not all people in this world truly wants wealth but happiness. Let's get an example. How do you know celebrities are happy. They may have every riches and stuffs for daily needs. The question is are they truly enjoying what they have and happy of how they live their lives? Like Sara, she just wants her mom back and that's all you have to make it up to her. We should be all grateful for every little things we have. It doesn't have to be money. It could be because of a loving whole family that has always got our back, every day in this life from when we were born they took care of us. Fight for us even when it has come to almost a collapsed one perhaps.

"Sacrifice. Giving up more so that the other person can get what they need."

I want to talk about being able to keep moving forward in life. That's what Sam had been doing but until he met Sara, that's where he was sure that not everything has to be thrown away and letting go of it as if it didn't exist or happened at all.

He'd always believed that stagnation killed, and maybe that was still true, but stagnation wasn't the same as stillness.

"You've got to keep moving. Stagnation kills."

You don't have to run away from it. Face it. The past is there to haunt you but you can't throw it away - it's part of who you are. It may have been bad, but you know that things will get better one day. One day it'll just be as if it had been a dream. It's all in your mind.

"Letting go didn't mean throwing away, after all."

I've also come to know everything is not the same in this world. Everyone and every thing is different. We all have uniqueness in us that only us has owned it.

There's so many wonderful stuff hidden in the book that it felt gold to me. I have to dig and dig to find purest gold that's got my heart so full. I love the light romance behind every scene. Left me goosebumps. Sam is sure of those genuine one of a kind type of guys in every girls dream.

Not every thing we have comes from luck. We make it possible ourselves, we make luck. Everything happens for a reason. Anyway, music has helped through bad times. Listening to positive songs helped so much. When Sam and Sara met Daniel here's a quote that I liked from him: "Every day You can't play for as long as I have without music in your soul demanding to be released." Reminds me of David Archuleta. Big time. There's a part in the book when Sam and Sara touched on religion in one of their conversation. "Do you think God is going to make a personal appearance just for you? I thought the whole point of belief was that you didn't see things first?" I blurted out as if Sam and Sara could hear me: It's because even when your mind finds it hard to believe, keep your heart open to God." I think that's what's Sam is doing even if he couldn't believe just yet, his heart is still waiting where it will come to know more about God. He is open about it. I like that.

I actually find really cute when he said that it was all right to cry your eyes out in Times Square - I would do that when I get to NYC. For real though, I admit, I had pour my tear out of my eyeballs before but not in a huge crowded and bustling one.

I rushed out when it was dismissal time, I avoided everyone on the way out didn't bother meeting up with my friends. I didn't even want to take the bus home. I walked on the pavement crying. My heart was ready to burst right out of my chest and tears I couldn't held anymore just flowed down my cheeks. It felt good. No one had to ask why I had puffy eyes before I reached home I was done with the crying. While I was in that stage of my crying, weird, because my head was playing a tune that was quite appropriate - Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. Yep, laugh all you want. LOL.

Here's my advice: If you want to cry make sure you cry it out really hard where you walk a quite a long way. Make sure to turn on a good emo song while crying too. It'll help. Sometimes it's best to let those tears go away. Let it out. Don't store it in you till it's hurting you anymore you can't even see clearly of the things you're missing out in life.

So much for my rambling. Let's just say, go on ahead and read After Hello, engaging and evocative, in my opinion. Can't get enough of it! Love love love!