Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu

Feb 28, 2017 Carole (Carole's Random Life) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, audio-book, reviewed, ya, early-reviewer-library-thing

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

This is a really tough book for me to rate and review. Before I started listening to this audiobook, I had no idea that the story would so closely follow a kidnapping situation that happened in my hometown. At first, I thought it was a coincidence but the more I listened and the more I realized that the real event had to be the inspiration for this book. I have no problem with books that are inspired by actual events but I do think i This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

This is a really tough book for me to rate and review. Before I started listening to this audiobook, I had no idea that the story would so closely follow a kidnapping situation that happened in my hometown. At first, I thought it was a coincidence but the more I listened and the more I realized that the real event had to be the inspiration for this book. I have no problem with books that are inspired by actual events but I do think it is extremely important that enough of the story be changed that it isn't so easily recognizable especially in situations like this one where minors where involved.

The book doesn't exactly follow the actual events. But it is really, really close. The only big differences were the fact that one of the boys in this story has autism and the kidnapper kills himself rather than allow himself to be captured. The other details of the kidnapping are pretty much spot on. One of the boys is kidnapped at age 11 and kept for 4 years until he is found when he is 15. The other boy is kept for 4 days before he was found. The first boy is kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend's house. All of these things happened. I remember seeing the parents of the first boy begging for his safe return for all four of those years. I remember the absolute shock that I felt when they were found safe. I couldn't believe that they were here just miles from my house for that entire time period. The actual rescue took place a little more than 10 years ago when my girls were 12 and 6 and I remember the absolute fear that I felt that something like this could happen so close to home. I think that this had to be a very traumatic experience for everyone involved and I wonder how having a book like this that tells such a similar story makes them feel.

The bulk of this book does take place after the kidnapping and I doubt that Ethan and Caroline's tale during this time would look anything like the actual victims. I did like the focus on therapy for Ethan's family and I really wished that Dylan would have had the same opportunities. I liked the friendship that developed between Ethan and Caroline. They have both been through a lot and sometimes have trouble relating to other people. Ethan has a lot of issues that he needs to work through and he really doesn't have any friends. His mother is extremely overprotective which is understandable considering what they have been through.

I did like the narration a lot. This was the first time that I have listened to either of these narrators and I thought they both did an excellent job. I liked that the use of two narrators to tell this story. I don't think that the book would have had the same impact without the dual points of view. I would definitely listen to both of these narrators again in the future.

I thought the actual story was well done. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn't constantly comparing it to the event it was based upon. I am probably quite a bit older than the target audience for this book and I think most readers will not be familiar with the kidnapping that inspired this book. I just wish that the events in this story would have been changed so that it didn't so closely mirror the actual events.

I received a review copy of this book from Recorded Books via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Initial Thoughts
I am going to have to give this one some thought before I can rate and review it. The premise is a little too close to "The Missouri Miracle" that happened in my hometown a little over 10 years ago. I am not sure that the boys involved in that event needed to have a fictional story published that was based on that horrible event.

I am sure that if I wasn't so familiar with the event that had to have inspired this book my feelings would be different. As I listened, I found myself constantly comparing the events in the story to what happened in reality. There are quite a few differences but the similarity is overwhelming. ...more

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Jun 07, 2016 TJ rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, kindle

Received from: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Received Via: NetGalley.com

THE REVIEW

Why this book?

It seemed interesting

What I thought

This book is about healing after Ethan and Dylan are Kidnapped and found and how their families deal with the situation. This was a beautiful written story. This is the kind of book you don't want to put down, unless you absolutely have to. The characters are well developed and the friendship between Caroline and Ethan warmed my heart. There really is no rom ...more

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Nov 09, 2016 Drew rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

Jennifer Mathieu hasn't written a bad book yet. I loved her shocking contemporary debut, The Truth About Alice, and Devoted, following a girl in an oppressive religious community. I'll admit Afterward wasn't as good as her first two books, but it was still a solid contemporary, especially for being about topics that have been written so many times before - trauma, abuse, and recovery.

I think it's Mathieu's writing that makes her books so good. Something about it is so fast paced and full of anti Jennifer Mathieu hasn't written a bad book yet. I loved her shocking contemporary debut, The Truth About Alice, and Devoted, following a girl in an oppressive religious community. I'll admit Afterward wasn't as good as her first two books, but it was still a solid contemporary, especially for being about topics that have been written so many times before - trauma, abuse, and recovery.

I think it's Mathieu's writing that makes her books so good. Something about it is so fast paced and full of anticipation so that I can't wait to turn the page. She also a puts a lot of research into her informative, eye opening plots. This book followed two different characters - Ethan and Caroline - who both have something in common: kidnapping.

Ethan was kidnapped four years ago after he went on a bike ride and Caroline's little brother has just been taken. When the police discover Caroline's brother, they are shocked to also find Ethan, whom they never expected to see again.

It broke my heart to think of Caroline's eleven year old brother, Dylan, who is autistic, being kidnaped and abused. I can't imagine my little brother being taken, how it would break me and my family, and I'm so thankful nothing like that has ever happened. It was hard being inside Ethan's mind, but Mathieu did a great job at giving us a glimpse into his suffering while also managing to spare us the goriest details.

Ethan struggled to sort through his memories and the traumatic events his mind "blocked out." He blamed himself for not escaping his kidnapper earlier. Caroline also blamed herself, since she was supposed to be looking after Dylan the day he went missing. I loved snarky, realistic Caroline and couldn't help sympathizing with her when her parents were fighting or she worried about Dylan.

If anything, I think this book focused a bit too much on trauma. Don't get me wrong, it was very well written and offered a lot of psychological insight, but when half the book was Ethan visiting a therapist who was helping him recover… things got a little boring. I think a couple of subplots could have helped balance out the heavy main topic.

Though this wasn't the best book about kidnapping I've read - which would have to be the heart-wrenching Living Dead Girl - it was definitely worth reading for anyone open to learning more about this subject. ...more

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Jul 18, 2016 Stacee rated it really liked it

Shelves: rape-or-molestation-or-sa, read-in-2016

This absolutely heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

I loved being in Caroline and Ethan's head. They're both going through different sides of the same horrible thing and I really enjoyed seeing how they grew and got stronger. There are some great secondary characters, but I loved Ethan's therapist the most.

The plot line is realistic and touches on serval different aspects of the aftermath. I would have loved to see a bit more from the ending, but how it ended was still perfect. I'm just ...more

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Sep 22, 2016 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-can-never-reread-too-many-t

ETA I also enjoyed the audiobook very much.

Grade: B+

Caroline's younger, autistic brother returns from being kidnapped, but can't tell anyone what happened due to his profound limitations. With Dylan, sixteen-year-old Ethan, who was taken four years earlier, is finally rescued. Attempting to understand Dylan, Caroline befriends Ethan and the two connect on a level only they understand.

I love Jennifer Mathieu's writing. She creates characters with great voices. Her writing is crisp, clean and enga ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Jen Ryland added it

Shelves: arcs

I really enjoyed Afterward. This month I've read two books about kids who were kidnapped and then returned home (the other was The Lost and the Found.) Similar premise, but completely different stories -- and I enjoyed them both.

While The Lost and the Found was more of a suspense story, Afterward was about two families recovering from an unimaginable trauma: each had a son who was abducted, then returned to his family. The story is told in two POVs: that of Ethan, the first kidnapping victim, an ...more

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Jul 10, 2017 Zyra rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, highly-entertaining, young-adult

some seriously twisted things were hinted in this book. for a such a serious topic, its a perfect read.

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Sep 11, 2016 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-for-review, 2016

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
This is my second Jennifer Mathieu book, and while I didn't love this one quite as much as Devoted (my review for that is here !), I still really enjoyed this one! Definitely solidifies the author's place on my "must read" list.

Anyway, Afterward is a dual POV story about a boy who was abducted and has now returned (Ethan) and a girl (Caroline) whose brother was also taken by Ethan's c You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
This is my second Jennifer Mathieu book, and while I didn't love this one quite as much as Devoted (my review for that is here !), I still really enjoyed this one! Definitely solidifies the author's place on my "must read" list.

Anyway, Afterward is a dual POV story about a boy who was abducted and has now returned (Ethan) and a girl (Caroline) whose brother was also taken by Ethan's captor, In Caroline's search for clues about her brother Dylan (who has autism and is unable to relay what happened to him), her story and Ethan's collide.

These two could not be more different, basically. Ethan is all kinds of traumatized of course, but he also has a completely invested family and a team of doctors who are there to help him try to process this. I loved Ethan's doctor and the way therapy was presented. While Ethan's doctor was so, so good for him, his mother's therapist was a little more... generic in comparison, and I liked that it didn't make it seem that therapy was a cure-all, or that all therapists were as awesome as Ethan's. There was also mention of how it was easy for Ethan to have access to such services because his parents had money; while Dylan didn't have those same resources. So sad, but also so accurate, unfortunately.

Caroline on the other hand is basically Team Dylan, because her family is a mess. Caroline is so fiercely loyal and loving to Dylan, it made my heart both happy and sad at the same time. All she wanted was for Dylan to be okay, and that was the one thing that was out of her control. It broke my heart that she went through so much of this alone, without a good family system or a good friend support system.

At the start, Caroline was incredibly unlikable, but she grew a lot as the book went on. Her friendship with Ethan had lots of realistic hills and valleys, as you'd expect for two people who'd been through so much. I think Dylan's autism was well portrayed, as no two cases are identical, I think the author did a remarkable job.

I didn't quite connect to the characters as much as I'd have liked, which is really the only thing holding me back from giving this book a full five stars. Because I wasn't as connected, I didn't have as much of an emotional investment- though I still had some emotional investment, it wasn't quite as much as I was expecting. Otherwise, I thought that the pacing was awesome, and the time jumps worked really well in the story.

Bottom Line: This was incredibly readable, and shines a great light on therapy. The story of Caroline and Ethan, as well as their families, was definitely a journey I am glad I took.

*Copy provided by publisher for review ...more

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May 26, 2017 Laura rated it really liked it

Afterward. It’s a hopeful word. Isn’t it? A word that implies that there will be a later on. A word that says you made it through something. You survived.

Ethan survived.

Ethan was kidnapped four years ago. Taken away from his family and home by a stranger. Ethan endured a life of fear and abuse and loneliness. He’s rescued when his captor kidnaps another boy (Dylan) and is caught. It not only breaks my heart but fills my heart and soul with anger to think about what this 11 year old boy had to do
Afterward. It’s a hopeful word. Isn’t it? A word that implies that there will be a later on. A word that says you made it through something. You survived.

Ethan survived.

Ethan was kidnapped four years ago. Taken away from his family and home by a stranger. Ethan endured a life of fear and abuse and loneliness. He’s rescued when his captor kidnaps another boy (Dylan) and is caught. It not only breaks my heart but fills my heart and soul with anger to think about what this 11 year old boy had to do to survive each and every day for four years. But he did. He made it. With scars so deep it’s scary. Scars that make Ethan wonder if he’ll ever be “normal” or happy again.

Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu tells the story of how two boys and their families deal with trauma. Two different stories, but both packed with power. Too much for me to even explain. I’ll let the book do that. Ms. Mathieu breaks down the constant fear, shock, and ugliness little by little in simple, easy to understand words and ways. The focus of this story is on getting better, healing, and trying to understand a whole new set of emotions about being home again. Now that he’s home, Ethan has to deal with all of the panic and fear and confusion of what happened to him. All the pain and fear he hid away to survive is now coming out. Memory loss, panic attacks, nightmares, and tears are all signs of Ethan’s mind and soul trying to cope. The human mind can pull off some fancy mind tricks to help us survive abuse and trauma. What Ethan endured and faces will break your heart into bits.

The kidnapping changed Ethan forever. But it also changed his parent’s lives and souls forever as well. His mom and dad’s emotional trauma added another layer of force and tears to the story. One I can’t even imagine! The nonstop searching, wondering, and worrying! The constant—Where is my child?! Ethan, his parents, Dylan, and his family all made my heart ache. With help from his therapist, his drums, and an unexpected friend, Ethan begins to face his fears. Readers see him get stronger and stronger. I’m not going to say much more in fear of spoiling the story for you. Just know this heartbreaking journey will make you want to hug your loved ones tight.

This hard hitting little book will make you think, cry, and feel.

A powerful read.

...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Brooke rated it liked it

Shelves: dl, ya, 2017

AFTERWARD focuses strongly on the aftermath of trauma & takes a tender insight into two families trying to put the pieces back together after the unthinkable happens. Ethan & Dylan were abducted as kids (Ethan for 4 years; Dylan for several days) & after being found must return back to their prior lives. The book divides between alternating POVs between Ethan & Caroline, Dylan's older sister.

There are many positives here. I liked how therapy was shown in a favorable light; Ethan receives treatm AFTERWARD focuses strongly on the aftermath of trauma & takes a tender insight into two families trying to put the pieces back together after the unthinkable happens. Ethan & Dylan were abducted as kids (Ethan for 4 years; Dylan for several days) & after being found must return back to their prior lives. The book divides between alternating POVs between Ethan & Caroline, Dylan's older sister.

There are many positives here. I liked how therapy was shown in a favorable light; Ethan receives treatment & readers will see various PTSD treatment methods & Ethan's unease & panic as he recalls flashbacks of the abduction. (There are no real explicit illustrations of what happened, but it is made aware sexual abuse occurred as therapy conversations deepen.) He is also conflicted as how to become into his own, as his mother becomes overbearing & doesn't want to leave him alone (understandably). He is just 16-years-old, trying to become a "typical" teenager while dealing with the fact he has lost four years of his life.

Dylan is an 11-year-old autistic; it was wonderful how the author painted a realistic portrayal of this & Caroline's guilt as she feels none of this would have happened if she had just watched Dylan that day. Her own family is dealing with their own issues, including her father having an affair. At times it felt that Caroline could be a bit shallow, but again, felt realistic to being 17.

Caroline is eager to figure out what exactly happened to Dylan when he was gone (as Dylan cannot verbalise this) so she befriends Ethan- at first to get the facts, but over time it blossoms into a deeper friendship. I was so glad that it didn't turn romantic, because romance is not the answer for trauma! Huge kudos to the author who got this right!

The ending wasn't what I expected & I would have liked to see Caroline's family receiving treatment, but am thankful the author showed different ways of healing & the shitty fact that not everyone can afford treatment. Overall an engaged read & worth looking into. ...more

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May 01, 2016 Holly rated it really liked it

Shelves: inspirational, i-loved-it, mental-illness, received-from-pub

*Physical ARC kindly provided by Macmillan*

This was a wonderful book. I’m especially happy with how therapy-positive this book was, and how Jennifer Mathieu showed Ethan’s PTSD and healing process. Most of the book was focused on that, and how Caroline was connected to it. Because when they start to become friends, and perhaps something more, the kidnapping is there between them. But the author treated their relationship, and Ethan’s trauma, with such care and respect. And I loved the two of the ...more

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Mar 06, 2016 Ginger at GReadsBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: to-read-2016

This was my first Jennifer Mathieu book to read & certainly won't be my last! I have not experienced a lot of stories centered around kidnapping, especially those focusing on the trauma of after. This story is every bit emotional, yet uplifting in the most darkest moments. I found myself rooting for these two broken teens as their nightmares collided and somehow began to heal. Definitely add this one to your TBR! ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 Teresa rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2019-read

I tried to like this book, but everything was so disconnected. Ethan disappears when he is 11 yrs old and then Dylan goes missing. Ethan had a lot of freedom with his kidnapping but never took off, we are never told any backstory on this time period that settled any questions on what happened, why or the actual freeing of the boys.

Second story Dylan is has nonverbal autism and when he returns home no outside help is given to him. His mom tries to fix him and pretend all is normal. This causes t ...more

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Dec 24, 2016 Paige (Illegal in 3 Countries) rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I got from the publisher for review.

*Ethan has PTSD
*Caroline’s brother Dylan is autistic, but the author cites poisonous org Autism Speaks

Jennifer Mathieu can write some incredible novels. Both The Truth About Alice and Devoted occupy precious space on my bookshelf and the latter especially has stuck with me since I read it. Of course I was going to read Afterward! Sadly, I come away from the novel with mixed feelings and without the sa See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I got from the publisher for review.

*Ethan has PTSD
*Caroline’s brother Dylan is autistic, but the author cites poisonous org Autism Speaks

Jennifer Mathieu can write some incredible novels. Both The Truth About Alice and Devoted occupy precious space on my bookshelf and the latter especially has stuck with me since I read it. Of course I was going to read Afterward! Sadly, I come away from the novel with mixed feelings and without the same kind of deep impression her previous works left. It’s still good, but it’s definitely not something I can recommend if you’re looking for good representation of autism for a number of reasons.

Both because I’m trying to shake off my blogging blues and because there isn’t much to say about the novel, I’ll keep things short.

Though I often forgot whether Ethan or Caroline was narrating and took much longer to read this short novel than I should have, it’s still a good book. Ethan’s PTSD and constant struggle as he blames himself for staying as well as his role in Dylan’s abduction are both written very well. The lack of romance in Afterward was a good choice, as the teens’ friendship is much stronger without it. They certainly give it a try at one point but smartly come to the conclusion that it’s a bad idea considering where they both are mentally.

Due to the author’s citation of Autism Speaks as a legitimate organization to learn about autism from and support, I can’t recommend Afterward for autism representation. Autistic people and their allies have been so critical of the organization that when you type their name into Google, it will suggest searching for “autism speaks controversy” and “autism speaks bad” almost immediately. Citing them suggests a lack of research or even apathy about how the organization harms the people it supposedly wants to help. Mathieu also thanks Cammie McGovern in the acknowledgements for help with writing Dylan. McGovern has been criticized herself for poor disability rep in her novels.

This post, though a few years old, does a good job of outlining why Autism Speaks should never be your source for information about and advocacy for autistic people. The Autism Self Advocacy Network is a much better choice if you’d prefer a group that doesn’t exclude autistic people from their board and actually assists autistic people instead of trying to cure them.

Well, that’s it. Not much more to say. If you haven’t read any of Mathieu’s novels before, Afterward is not a good place to start or you’ll get the wrong impression of books. Though all of her novels are similarly lacking in solid representation of marginalized identities, The Truth About Alice and Devoted are much more engaging. With this track record, I worry the author’s next novel Moxie will be just another example of white feminism in YA instead of true, intersectional feminism. ...more

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Feb 21, 2017 Veronika's ReaderFeeder rated it really liked it

4-4.5 stars

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Sep 21, 2016 Madison rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

Afterward is as much about relationships as it is about the story of two teens. It's about diverging paths, alternate universes and yet it's certainly not a sci-fi. It's about coping with the situations with which you are dealt, serious trauma and other types of trauma and coping with them both and never comparing which is worse, and with just getting through as best you can.

The day Caroline's brother was kidnapped was day that changed everything for her family. But it also changed everything f ...more

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Jun 04, 2016 Michelle (Michelle's Book Ends) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"I think about what Dr. Greenberg said about having time to figure out God. I don't know if I can figure out God, but I remember God. Or I remember my idea of God from before. He was this nice guy in the sky would help me out with math tests. When I was in the closet, though, I prayed to God so much, begging for help. For someone to find me. And it didn't happen. "......

Dylan is 11 years old and has been kidnapped. His rescue leads to the discovery of a second child, 15 year old Ethan. Ethan had ...more

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Oct 07, 2016 Sonia rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary

3.5 stars.

I think Afterward does a very good job of portraying the trauma a person goes through after being kidnapped as well as how those around them cope with it. It also has an autistic kid in it which I found very interesting and there's no romance which I think was a great decision as it would have felt unrealistic.

Both Caroline and Ethan were fleshed-out characters and relatable in their own way. I liked them both and I loved their friendship. Also, there is a bunch of very good quotes.

I ...more

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Oct 18, 2016 Tessa rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, white-out-is-your-friend, young-adult-fiction, zz-bob-19

3.5
I snagged this off of the new books cart at the library because it looked interesting and proceeded to read it over my lunchbreaks for the next few days. It was interesting. I enjoyed reading it, though the ending was bit abrupt and Caroline was a bit annoying at times. I loved Ethan.

Content: Lots of language.

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Nov 30, 2016 Katerina rated it did not like it

Shelves: one-star-dnf-pile

Is this book for real?

It quite literally cut off with no conclusion, no explanation.

And don't tell me that it hints at resolution or problem fixing.

It's like the author wrote half of it and gave up.

Well, I give up too in that case. ...more

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Feb 23, 2018 Alyssa rated it liked it

When I first picked up this book I was very interested in it. The 'summary' of the book on the inside cover talked about Dylan, a young boy with autism who was kidnapped and rescued a couple days later. But when they rescued him, they also found Ethan, a 15 year old boy "who had gone for a bike ride four years earlier and had never been seen again". The 'summary' later went on to reveal that a friendship starts between Ethan and Dylan's older sister Caroline. And Ethan helps Caroline understand ...more

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May 03, 2020 ElsaMakotoRenge rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-series-novels, contemporary, 2020-reads

Such an amazing unique book. If you don’t like slow books, I don’t know if you’d like it though. It’s definitely purely character driven only, which is something I love if I like the characters, and I liked Ethan and Caroline. Seeing their friendship grow and actually stay intact through everything the two of them have been through is awesome. The side characters of Jesse, Emma, and Caroline’s awful “boyfriend” are fine, but I did not care what happened to any of them. What I actually cared abou ...more

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Sep 24, 2016 Mary rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-books, signed

What a beautiful, lovely, thoughtful, sorrowful yet hopeful story. Thank you for sharing it with the world with such care and tenderness, Jennifer Mathieu.

Full review posted here.

Wow. Afterward was the first of Jennifer Mathieu's books that I have read, and it won't be the last. This book really kicked me in the feels. Afterward is based on a real-life double kidnapping case in which one boy was taken and then a second several years after, but the book is obviously fictional and several details What a beautiful, lovely, thoughtful, sorrowful yet hopeful story. Thank you for sharing it with the world with such care and tenderness, Jennifer Mathieu.

Full review posted here.

Wow. Afterward was the first of Jennifer Mathieu's books that I have read, and it won't be the last. This book really kicked me in the feels. Afterward is based on a real-life double kidnapping case in which one boy was taken and then a second several years after, but the book is obviously fictional and several details are different, which I think was a good call on Jennifer's part.

One of the major differences between the real case and Ethan's story in Afterward is that Ethan's abductor commits suicide rather than be arrested. I very much appreciate Jennifer's focus on Ethan, rather than the perpetrator, because the story could focus on his healing and development, rather than on the messy media circus and a public trial that often accompany these situations. Ethan does face the abuse he was subjected to in many scenes, but he is able to do so in safe circumstances, instead of reliving his nightmare in a lawyer's office or a courtroom. Again, the focus is on Ethan-the-person rather than Ethan-the-headline-victim. I think Jennifer was incredibly thoughtful and tender toward Ethan, and therefore, I would feel comfortable recommending this title to teens because it's a story about healing instead of sensationalism. In creating safe places and safe characters with whom for Ethan to share his vulnerabilities, Jennifer has created a safe place for readers to learn about an abusive situation.

I also very much like the many-faceted approach Jennifer took to Ethan's therapy, and I could tell so much care went into creating Dr. Greenberg and the dynamic between him and Ethan. I'm not going to lie; some of the therapy scenes were INTENSE because Ethan slowly starts to remember some of traumatic moments he had repressed. Again, these scenes are really intense so I would recommend parents and teachers and librarians read this and do some research in case the teens in your life have some questions about these moments, BUT 1. I love that Dr. Greenberg and Groovy create this safe and comforting atmosphere in which Ethan can face the worst parts and 2. Jennifer is so so thoughtful about how and what she reveals. Nothing is sensationalized. Readers will understand what happened to Ethan without reading a play-by-play. The focus, always, is on Ethan and his healing. These scenes are also great because Dr. Greenberg explains many of his methods to Ethan in a way that's informational to Ethan and the reader without being info-dumpy. Jennifer didn't just copy and paste psychiatry texts; she thoughtfully explains different strategies in a way that feels authentic to sessions between a trauma survivor and his therapist.

Although Afterward is told in alternating points of view, switching each chapter between Ethan and Caroline, the story is undoubtedly Ethan's. Ethan's chapters, although often emotionally exhausting, were easier somehow. I think it's because at the beginning of the novel, Ethan is rescued and his character arc is more or less in a positive direction while Caroline's road is far more uneven. While Ethan's storyline gave me hope even as he battled with his past, Caroline's story made me hurt for her future. Ethan has a supportive family emotionally and financially while Caroline's parents struggle financially and her father is pulling away emotionally. While Ethan is able to confront his demons through a solid year of therapy, Caroline and her brother Dylan aren't afforded the same opportunity. Afterward, while a story centering on abuse and mental trauma, also deals quite a bit with socioeconomic imbalance, and it hurt to read.

I desperately wanted Caroline, Dylan, and their parents to have the same tools Ethan has to heal, but they just can't afford it. I hate that. I hate that mental and emotional well being are considered a luxury, especially for someone like Dylan, who already has developmental challenges and now has to deal with a kidnapping. And Caroline, who is treated like Dylan's third parent (although their dad is extremely hands off so really Caroline is more like the second), is also dealing very poorly with the situation and turns to self-medicating and self-destructive behavior since her parents aren't able to give her other methods with which to overcome. It was so hard to read Caroline's scenes because I wanted her to be able to heal, but the hits just kept on coming.

I am glad Ethan and Caroline meet and strike the world's unlikeliest friendship. The scenes featuring the two of them playing and talking about music are lighter and funnier than anything else (except maybe Groovy), and I think Afterward desperately needed some lightness to it, as do both Ethan and Caroline. It's so odd that these two, who are tied together in this horrible life-changing way, are able to find comfort and humor in one another.

Overall, I am very impressed with Afterward, and I'll definitely be reading more of Jennifer's books (holy cow, her fourth book sounds UH-MAY-ZING). I am very impressed with her ability to create balance in her work in themes and characterization. Afterward deals with some very heavy subjects, but Jennifer approached them with grace and tenderness, and it really showed in her writing. I highly recommend readers pick up Afterward and discuss it with friends, family, teachers, students, etc. It's a powerful story, and I hope those who need it will be able to find it. ...more

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May 06, 2016 Sara (A Gingerly Review) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016, physical-2016

My feels hurt for this book. It is raw and beautifully written. I cannot wait to see Jennifer in person and thank her for writing this book. I hope everyone will give this a chance.

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I knew going in to this book that it would not be like other Jennifer Mathieu books. I knew it would be amazing and a strong story, but I was not prepared for just how much this story sank its claws into me.

Ethan was 11 years old when he was kidnapped. He had the most horrible and terrible things happen t My feels hurt for this book. It is raw and beautifully written. I cannot wait to see Jennifer in person and thank her for writing this book. I hope everyone will give this a chance.

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I knew going in to this book that it would not be like other Jennifer Mathieu books. I knew it would be amazing and a strong story, but I was not prepared for just how much this story sank its claws into me.

Ethan was 11 years old when he was kidnapped. He had the most horrible and terrible things happen to him while being by a horffic man. Four years later, Ethan is still being held against his will when he is forced to help his capture take another small boy, an 11 year old named Dylan. What they do not realize is that Dylan is autistic. He is not able to speek properly so he screams a lot and repeats a lot of what he hears. Dylan is only missing for a few days when a concerned neighbor spots the boys being unsupervised and calls the police. That leads to both Ethan and Dylan being rescued and returned to their families. That is when this story really takes off. This story is about how Ethan and Dylan both try to cope with what happened to them, as well as showing how both families were affected. Soon, Dylan's sister, Caroline, becomes friends with Ethan. They develop a beautiful friendship that allows both to grow and start to heal.

This story was so much more intense and powerful than I was prepared for. It told the untold story of how a kidnapping affects not only the people taken, but the families. Plus, it shows just how hard it is for everyone to find a way to get back to "normal". I immediately felt my heart going out to Ethan as his story was told. What Ethan went through was unimaginable, but what he went through after he was rescued was just as difficult. I did like how Ethan's therapy was written into the story. For once, therapy was put into a positive light and spoken about in a good way. That almost never happens in stories now a days. I also really, really enjoyed how there was not a massive infodump at the beginning of the story about what happened to Ethan and Dylan. Instead, the reader learns what happens throughout the book. But you only are given bits at a time. There is never a need to go into full detail but just enough that you have to let your imagination fill in the blanks.

Caroline's character was so well thought out and developed that she felt like someone I may have known in real life. She felt real. Her struggle was one tugged at my heart strings. She didn't come from the same family as Ethan's so she didn't have the same resources to help with healing. Her family was struggling to make ends meet and her parents were fighting all of the time. Neither of them wanted to accept or acknowledge what happened to Dylan, instead they wanted to sweep it under the rug. This story goes to prove that kidnapping and bad things can happen to any family, regardless of their status.

The one thing that stood out to me the most about this story was that there was no romance, no love triangle, no instalove, nothing like that. Instead, this was a story about how powerful and necessary friendship can be. It was friendship that helped both Ethan and Caroline on the path to recovery. Friendship is what brought out the truth to Caroline about what happened to Dylan. Friendship is what kept Ethan and Caroline friends to the very end of the book.

I am still so blown away by this powerful story. I really hope everyone gives it a chance. It really is an amazing book and Mathieu has a wonderful way with words. Please, add this to your TBR now. ...more

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Mar 06, 2016 ExLibris_Kate rated it it was amazing

Afterward is a book that gives you a peek behind the curtain of the type of high-profile kidnapping story you might see sensationalized on national news. What happens when the cameras turn off and the families go home and try to rebuild their lives? Ethan and Caroline knew of each other in their small town, but the bizarre set of circumstances that connects them was the opening that led Caroline to Ethan’s garage for answers that her brother couldn’t give her. Caroline is watching her family imp Afterward is a book that gives you a peek behind the curtain of the type of high-profile kidnapping story you might see sensationalized on national news. What happens when the cameras turn off and the families go home and try to rebuild their lives? Ethan and Caroline knew of each other in their small town, but the bizarre set of circumstances that connects them was the opening that led Caroline to Ethan’s garage for answers that her brother couldn’t give her. Caroline is watching her family implode and her non-verbal autistic brother is locked even deeper in a place where he cannot talk about his trauma. Ethan, on the other hand, wants so badly to be “normal” again, but the four years he spent with his abuser won’t allow him to move forward as quickly as he wants. Obviously, a lot of really good research went into this book and it shows in the way the writing so deftly communicates the intricacies of recovery. Ethan’s conflicted thoughts and the guilt he feels resonated with me as a reader. It felt very real. As a parent, I related in particular to Ethan’s mother, who was clinging to her lists and schedules as a method of control, but also so obviously heartbroken and afraid for her child. (Even as I am writing this, I am getting teary eyed thinking about it.) I wasn’t sure how the friendship between Caroline and Ethan would play out. Ethan is understandably reluctant to have anything to do with Caroline, at first, and I felt their (eventual) friendship was very realistic. It’s not as if anyone who had been in Ethan’s situation would find slipping back into his life or trusting people to be easy. However, for them, music was a starting point and it became their language of friendship, so to speak. I loved their discussions and debates about their favorite bands, and the way their interactions slowly changed as Ethan’s recovery progressed and Caroline’s understanding broadened.

One thing that really stood out to me was the way that access to mental health treatment varied based on income. Ethan’s family is well off and can afford to drive him to a private therapist every week. Caroline’s situation is much different. Her family is solidly working class, living paycheck-to-paycheck, and the thought of paying for a private therapist for her brother’s special needs outside of what the school system provides, simply isn’t an option. Any progress her brother made before his kidnapping is understandably stunted after his traumatic experience. Her mother’s obvious exhaustion, both mental and physical, was something I found so heartbreaking. Another aspect of the story that Afterward did so beautifully was the relationship between Ethan and his therapist, Dr. Greenberg. We see a lot of conversation around talk therapy in YA, but not as many books really show the hard work of therapy and Afterward did such a fantastic job. It shows the reader not only the pain and effort it takes to come back from trauma, but the way that talk therapy can truly help. It was such a positive and affirming interaction as Ethan made his painful journey toward recovery and I am so glad it was a part of this story. Really, the thing I want people to know most about this book, is than even though it is a very serious and sad subject, it’s overall feeling is one of hope. I loved the way that the pain and devastation grows into the idea that things can get better, people can recover given the right resources, and we can move forward after terrible experiences without letting them define us. Afterward definitely belongs on your reading list. ...more

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Jul 15, 2016 Cynthia (Bingeing On Books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, five-star

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a beautiful book. Four years ago, Ethan was kidnapped. Caroline's brother, Dylan, was kidnapped several months ago and they are able to find him and Ethan. Dylan is autistic and can't communicate about what happened. Meanwhile, Ethan gets so much judgement from the press and he feels guilty because he thinks he should have been able to escape at some point. Caroline and Ethan meet because Caroline wants to try to g I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a beautiful book. Four years ago, Ethan was kidnapped. Caroline's brother, Dylan, was kidnapped several months ago and they are able to find him and Ethan. Dylan is autistic and can't communicate about what happened. Meanwhile, Ethan gets so much judgement from the press and he feels guilty because he thinks he should have been able to escape at some point. Caroline and Ethan meet because Caroline wants to try to get some information on what happened to her brother so she can help him. Instead, they actually become friends. The chapters are split into Caroline's POV and Ethan's. The chapters also start with exactly how many days it's been since Ethan and Dylan were rescued so we can see the progression and the changes they go through.

Ethan was a very sympathetic character. There was so much guilt with him: guilt for not trying to escape, guilt for what his captor did, guilt for not helping Dylan enough. His parents were the most loving and awesome parents. When Ethan comes back, his mom is crazy overprotective and doesn't ever want to let him out of her sight. Make sense though, right? Ethan kind of puts up with it because he doesn't want to hurt her any more than he thinks he has. My favorite part of Ethan's chapters were his therapy sessions. His therapist was AMAZING!! The therapist even has a Golden Retriever that routinely sits at Ethan's feet during his sessions. How cool is that? Dogs just make everything better. Ethan's therapist was so patient and calm and he seemed to know exactly what Ethan needed to hear. Some books just don't do the therapy relationship enough justice, but this author did it very well.

Caroline's family life and her parents were a bit of a contrast to Ethan's. First of all, Caroline's family didn't have much money so they couldn't afford therapy. Second of all, while Caroline's mom had the best of intentions and while it was obvious that she loved her kids, her way was to try to pretend nothing had happened and hope that Dylan just got better. Maybe that was made easier by the fact that Dylan was nonverbal, so he couldn't really talk about his experience anyway. But with all of the attention that Caroline's mom was putting on Dylan, she kind of neglected Caroline a bit. I kind of hated her dad though. He just worked all the time and there were hints that maybe he was more disappointed that Dylan was autistic than anything. That was a bummer. He neglected both of his kids and basically ignored Dylan, so Caroline and her mom had to do everything for him themselves. Caroline also carried her own guilt, just like Ethan. Caroline felt responsible for the fact that Dylan was taken at all.

I was afraid that the author would go for a romantic relationship between Caroline and Ethan, but I am SO GLAD that did not happen. Neither of them needed anything romantic. I loved how easy and comfortable their friendship was. They just played music together and got to know each other and it helped. This story of how two families were affected by this kidnapping and the different ways they deal with it and how it changes everyone and everything was so incredibly moving. It's so hard for Caroline and Ethan to try to move past what happened and try to overcome this huge trauma. But there is so much character development here and there is a lot of hope at the end of it. This is a must read! ...more

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Jun 03, 2016 Faith rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers, contemporary, arc, netgalley

(I received this copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!)

I'm thinking that maybe Jennifer Mathieu's books aren't my thing. I can totally appreciate that she writes very well about difficult subjects, but I'm not a big fan of the plots of her books and the way her books are written. If you REALLY like realistic books about teens, you might like this book more than I did. So note, my criticisms are all my opinion. You may end up liking this book for the reasons I didn't like it (I received this copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!)

I'm thinking that maybe Jennifer Mathieu's books aren't my thing. I can totally appreciate that she writes very well about difficult subjects, but I'm not a big fan of the plots of her books and the way her books are written. If you REALLY like realistic books about teens, you might like this book more than I did. So note, my criticisms are all my opinion. You may end up liking this book for the reasons I didn't like it.

This book is about Ethan and Caroline; two people who were affected by a kidnapping. Ethan is the guy who has been kidnapped for 4 years while Caroline's autistic brother, Dylan, was kidnapped recently by Ethan's captor. Together, these characters try to figure out how to live with the aftermath of this situation.

Afterward: A Novel is told in dual POVs by Caroline and Ethan. I think my favourite chapters were by Ethan. I liked reading about him and his situation. He has been living for the past 4 years with his captor, trying to act normal in front of the world but in his head, fear blocks out his worst memories. Watching him struggle to feel like a normal teenage boy was really interesting to watch. His therapist was also interesting, but lacking some originality. I like that the characters were diverse.

I think the part I didn't like about this book was just how realistic it was (which might not be a problem for some people). Don't get me wrong, I hate it when the characters don't seem like teenagers, but this book was so realistic, it made me uncomfortable. I didn't like reading about Caroline and her relationship with Jason or her experiences with drinking and smoking weed. I also wasn't a fan of the stream of consciousness kind of writing that this story was told in. I was wondering where exactly this book was leading to and what the story actually accomplished.

I think depending on your feelings toward contemporaries, you may have different opinions than I do. If you like really blunt and realistic contemporaries that talk about serious issues, this book might be your cup of tea. I wasn't a huge fan of The Truth About Alice, but if you were, you might like this book more than I did. ...more

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Jun 04, 2016 Tammy rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

When Caroline's little brother Dylan is found after being kidnapped the police also discover Ethan, a boy who has been missing since he was a young child. Caroline strikes up a friendship with Ethan to find out what happened to her brother while he was gone. This book, wow! It took me less than a day to read. What I took from this story is the bold comparison between Caroline, her autistic brother Dylan and her battling parents not going to therapy versus Ethan and his stable-home parents having ...more

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Sep 03, 2016 Kelly Hager rated it it was amazing

Four years ago, Ethan was kidnapped. Several days ago, the man who took Ethan also kidnapped Dylan, an autistic boy. The two were rescued but both are having trouble getting back to normal. Dylan's sister Caroline thinks it might be better if she could talk to Ethan about what Dylan went through. And so the two become friends, sort of.

I loved Jennifer Mathieu's second novel, Devoted, and this is even better. It's a kidnapping novel that focuses much more on the aftermath, which I think is relat ...more

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Nov 04, 2015 Jen rated it really liked it

This was one of those rare times when a book affected me both as a reader and as a parent.

Much like Jennifer Mathieu's two previous books, The Truth About Alice and Devoted, this story was difficult to read at times. It was awkward, uncomfortable, and the rawness of Ethan and Caroline's emotions hurt. But it's also story filled with forgiveness, healing, and hope.
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