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After the Rain
'We’re alive. So let’s start living.'
Two strangers
Jack was sporty and outgoing. Alice was bookish and introverted. Their lives were on completely different paths.
One life-changing tragedy
That is before the day they were in the wrong place at the wrong time: before the day their lives were torn apart in a bombing.
A hopeful new friendship
Struggling to cope with their new worlds, their unlikely new friendship helps them find hope. But can they help each other rebuild their lives and start again?
Two strangers
Jack was sporty and outgoing. Alice was bookish and introverted. Their lives were on completely different paths.
One life-changing tragedy
That is before the day they were in the wrong place at the wrong time: before the day their lives were torn apart in a bombing.
A hopeful new friendship
Struggling to cope with their new worlds, their unlikely new friendship helps them find hope. But can they help each other rebuild their lives and start again?
352 pages, Paperback
Published July 8, 2021
11 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
About the author
Natália Gomes
2 books16 followersAKA N.D. Gomes
ND Gomes is originally from Scotland, but spent ten years living in America working as an educator in the public school districts.
She has an M.Ed. in Education and is working towards an MLitt. in Scottish Literature and Creative Writing.
She loves to read a variety of YA and adult fiction in all genres, and is always on the lookout for a new book recommendation. ND Gomes has an enthusiasm for books, travel, photography, yoga, vegetarian cooking, and spending time with her family, friends, and chocolate Labrador.
Her YA debut DEAR CHARLIE and second novel BLACKBIRD is published by HarperCollins imprint HQ in the UK.
ND Gomes is represented by Silvia Molteni at Peters, Fraser and Dunlop
ND Gomes is originally from Scotland, but spent ten years living in America working as an educator in the public school districts.
She has an M.Ed. in Education and is working towards an MLitt. in Scottish Literature and Creative Writing.
She loves to read a variety of YA and adult fiction in all genres, and is always on the lookout for a new book recommendation. ND Gomes has an enthusiasm for books, travel, photography, yoga, vegetarian cooking, and spending time with her family, friends, and chocolate Labrador.
Her YA debut DEAR CHARLIE and second novel BLACKBIRD is published by HarperCollins imprint HQ in the UK.
ND Gomes is represented by Silvia Molteni at Peters, Fraser and Dunlop
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 16, 2021
I really enjoyed ‘After the Rain’; I will admit I am always sceptical when a YA book says ‘for fans of John Green’ because for me John Green is one of my comfort writers but in this case I actually agree with the tagline.
Warning this book does contain themes of trauma and PTSD.
The book begins with a terror attack in London’s Leicester Square and the brief encounter between two teenagers; Jack and Alice. Jack is a typical, privileged jock character and Alice is an introverted and bookish but these are just their surface personalities because right at the beginning Gomes begins to reveal their deeper individualities and how they are irrevocably altered after the bombing.
I so loved the fact that this is not a YA romance and Gomes doesn’t romanticize recovery after such trauma; there are several highs and lows for both of the main characters in their journey to life beyond what happened on that awful day. It is a story of hope and connection and learning to adapt with the physical and mental after effects of a life-changing experience.
This book is one of those that really stays with you but also reminds me why I love YA as a genre because it is one of the few that can broach difficult subjects like this in a realistic but moving way. The way Jack and Alice have to form their unlikely friendship is heartbreaking but the way it is necessary for them to recover is vital and heartwarming.
A beautiful story I was really couldn’t put down.
Warning this book does contain themes of trauma and PTSD.
The book begins with a terror attack in London’s Leicester Square and the brief encounter between two teenagers; Jack and Alice. Jack is a typical, privileged jock character and Alice is an introverted and bookish but these are just their surface personalities because right at the beginning Gomes begins to reveal their deeper individualities and how they are irrevocably altered after the bombing.
I so loved the fact that this is not a YA romance and Gomes doesn’t romanticize recovery after such trauma; there are several highs and lows for both of the main characters in their journey to life beyond what happened on that awful day. It is a story of hope and connection and learning to adapt with the physical and mental after effects of a life-changing experience.
This book is one of those that really stays with you but also reminds me why I love YA as a genre because it is one of the few that can broach difficult subjects like this in a realistic but moving way. The way Jack and Alice have to form their unlikely friendship is heartbreaking but the way it is necessary for them to recover is vital and heartwarming.
A beautiful story I was really couldn’t put down.
September 29, 2021
3.5⭐, because there were quite a few spelling errors in this book, which annoyed me a lot. Also, the beginning of the book felt too rushed. I would have liked a slower built-up and more character background. However, "After the Rain" was very touching, real and memorable. I liked that this book was about friendship, not love.
August 5, 2021
Despite the blurb I was expecting this to be a light easy read and in parts it was, describing the beautiful story of a unlikely friendship borne out of a traumatic shared experience. Within the pages however Gomes also explores some heavier subjects: PTSD, Mental Health, Physical Disability etc. These are handled with sensitivity and although speaking with limited insight felt insightful and authentic. The descriptions of Alice’s panic attacks for example had so many details I could personally relate to.
Cleverly this story being told through the dual perspective of both Jack and Alice brilliantly explored both the physical and mental affects of trauma and how recovery is almost certainly not linear nor definable as one or the other.
Throughout reading all I could think was this reminded me so much of one of my favourite books: Me Before You (JoJo Moyes) and I think this would be perfect for other fans of hers.
Cleverly this story being told through the dual perspective of both Jack and Alice brilliantly explored both the physical and mental affects of trauma and how recovery is almost certainly not linear nor definable as one or the other.
Throughout reading all I could think was this reminded me so much of one of my favourite books: Me Before You (JoJo Moyes) and I think this would be perfect for other fans of hers.
December 30, 2024
Truly beautiful
March 18, 2022
3.5🌟
This was a very sweet story, but it also had a lot to it. The vivid accounts of mental illness (specifically anxiety, PTSD) were really memorable and handled very well in my opinion. It was also very easy to read, I finished it in a day (with two movie breaks-).
I just feel like there was something missing from that ending (maybe because I really felt like something very different was being hinted at-), and there were multiple easy-to-spot spelling mistakes in the book👀
But overall this is a book I would recommend - The cover recommends it for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green, and I couldn't agree more
Everything adding up to a solid rating of 3.5🌟
This was a very sweet story, but it also had a lot to it. The vivid accounts of mental illness (specifically anxiety, PTSD) were really memorable and handled very well in my opinion. It was also very easy to read, I finished it in a day (with two movie breaks-).
I just feel like there was something missing from that ending (maybe because I really felt like something very different was being hinted at-), and there were multiple easy-to-spot spelling mistakes in the book👀
But overall this is a book I would recommend - The cover recommends it for fans of Nicola Yoon and John Green, and I couldn't agree more
Everything adding up to a solid rating of 3.5🌟
January 28, 2024
It was a nice book to read about a tragic event that lead to a beginning of a nice friendship. I enjoyed reading it but some parts were rushed (especially the ending) and they made it seem that a curvy girl cannot have something more than a friendship with an athletic boy, which I find strange.
June 3, 2021
I was refreshingly surprised by After the Rain, looking at how a tragic event can affect someone physically and mentally, pushing people apart and pulling them together.
The story follows Jack and Alice who are caught up in a bombing of Leicester Square. Jack is left with physical injuries and Alice with mental/psychological.
We see how two young people, who are nothing alike and would never normally be friends, end up depending on each other due to the shared experiences and circumstances they were subjected to.
I felt the mental health aspects (PTSD, anxiety, depression) were handled well, openly, and honestly as experiences that can, and do, occur in life. This is a great book for young people to think about empathy and how events can change and shape their perspective and outlook on life.
I enjoyed watching Jack and Alice’s friendship build and grow, I have to admit I am so used to YA novels being about romance (or unrequited love), so I was expecting this to happen all the way throughout and was a little disappointed it didn’t happen. However, it didn’t need to for the plot! In fact, it is more poignant without the background fuss that a romance could create. Young people can be friends and care for each other without romance getting in the way!
This was a thoroughly enjoyable, page-turner of a YA book.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Young Adult for the e-arc to review.
The story follows Jack and Alice who are caught up in a bombing of Leicester Square. Jack is left with physical injuries and Alice with mental/psychological.
We see how two young people, who are nothing alike and would never normally be friends, end up depending on each other due to the shared experiences and circumstances they were subjected to.
I felt the mental health aspects (PTSD, anxiety, depression) were handled well, openly, and honestly as experiences that can, and do, occur in life. This is a great book for young people to think about empathy and how events can change and shape their perspective and outlook on life.
I enjoyed watching Jack and Alice’s friendship build and grow, I have to admit I am so used to YA novels being about romance (or unrequited love), so I was expecting this to happen all the way throughout and was a little disappointed it didn’t happen. However, it didn’t need to for the plot! In fact, it is more poignant without the background fuss that a romance could create. Young people can be friends and care for each other without romance getting in the way!
This was a thoroughly enjoyable, page-turner of a YA book.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Young Adult for the e-arc to review.
April 29, 2021
This was not at all what I was expecting, but in a good way. I expected some cheesy encounter, slushy, teenage crushes, awkwardness and living happily ever after.
A chance encounter where Jack and Alice just happen to bump into each other in Leicester Square and both are affected by a bomb. Both try to heal emotionally and physically and both take a very different turn in how they respond. Jack more physical and Alice more phycological.
This tackles those difficult issues of mental health, PTSD, recovering from trauma and how different people can react so differently to a trauma. Jack and Alice face their own battles but link up to try and support each other where they can. It sweet, emotional, poignant and ever so poetic (enhanced further with Alice's actual poems.)
The ending felt like it wasn't a clear enough ending for me, but maybe that was deliberate, I suspect so.
A chance encounter where Jack and Alice just happen to bump into each other in Leicester Square and both are affected by a bomb. Both try to heal emotionally and physically and both take a very different turn in how they respond. Jack more physical and Alice more phycological.
This tackles those difficult issues of mental health, PTSD, recovering from trauma and how different people can react so differently to a trauma. Jack and Alice face their own battles but link up to try and support each other where they can. It sweet, emotional, poignant and ever so poetic (enhanced further with Alice's actual poems.)
The ending felt like it wasn't a clear enough ending for me, but maybe that was deliberate, I suspect so.
January 2, 2022
Loved this book. The ending did feel a little rushed somehow. The way it's written makes it an easy read despite it's heavy subject.
December 7, 2021
I loved this book. A brilliant tale of friendship and leaning on each other in times of need and the feeling of trying to build yourself up again after tragedy, and it had a happy ending :)
May 6, 2023
This book was beautiful. It's about two older teens and an accident that changes their lives and how they overcome it. It really made me think about things and I couldn't put this book down. Would defiently recommend to anyone.
March 4, 2025
3.5⭐ I liked the book. (book 7/25 - 2025)
I appreciate people talking about this subject matter, and it's an important topic to talk about.
I liked seeing the growth of the characters, and I enjoyed the dual POV, but I didn't enjoy the mix of traditional English and simplified English. The author stated at the start of the book that she mixed them to voice Jack and Alice better, but she didn't do the best job. Ms. Gomes mixed the "accents" up quite a few times, and it made it a bit confusing at times. I also wish she (the author) had taken more time to really flesh out the ending of the book. It was rushed and disappointing.
I also hated how Alice kept pushing Jack's wheelchair without asking him. I found that so disrespectful.
I appreciate people talking about this subject matter, and it's an important topic to talk about.
I liked seeing the growth of the characters, and I enjoyed the dual POV, but I didn't enjoy the mix of traditional English and simplified English. The author stated at the start of the book that she mixed them to voice Jack and Alice better, but she didn't do the best job. Ms. Gomes mixed the "accents" up quite a few times, and it made it a bit confusing at times. I also wish she (the author) had taken more time to really flesh out the ending of the book. It was rushed and disappointing.
I also hated how Alice kept pushing Jack's wheelchair without asking him. I found that so disrespectful.
February 4, 2023
This book isn’t romantic, but is written like a romance novel. There’s a weird sense of ‘we cannot be together’: with ‘nerd and jock’ tropes, literal quote “I’m not like other girls”, and ‘we just have nothing in common’. Although these tropes are annoying wherever you find them, it was really weird to have all of this when at the end they didn’t date??
Don’t get me wrong - I’m really glad this book wasn’t romantic. I’m glad they didn’t even consider dating. I just wish the author hadn’t set up hurdles to friendship which wouldn’t even exist in the real world.
Only other problem was pacing: this book could have ended satisfyingly about three times before landing on a vague ending which left me disappointed.
Aside from those negatives, to the author’s credit, she depicts anxiety, PTSD and depression well, and the effort gone in to representing it really shows.
Don’t get me wrong - I’m really glad this book wasn’t romantic. I’m glad they didn’t even consider dating. I just wish the author hadn’t set up hurdles to friendship which wouldn’t even exist in the real world.
Only other problem was pacing: this book could have ended satisfyingly about three times before landing on a vague ending which left me disappointed.
Aside from those negatives, to the author’s credit, she depicts anxiety, PTSD and depression well, and the effort gone in to representing it really shows.
July 18, 2022
Orthough the friendship in this book was lovely, I felt it could have been told so much better.
There were moments in the book which felt very cliché and I could almost predict what I was going to read next.
Several times I felt like I was reading creative writing written by a 10 year old. That sounds harsh but that’s what it reminded me of ….
The beginning and ending of the book was good in terms of plot- but in the middle I began to get bored and the writing became quite dry: at that point I was ready to put it down. However, I’m glad I kept going because the ending was good and felt realistic to how the characters were feeling.
Plot has potential- the writing just needed to be more engaging and new.
There were moments in the book which felt very cliché and I could almost predict what I was going to read next.
Several times I felt like I was reading creative writing written by a 10 year old. That sounds harsh but that’s what it reminded me of ….
The beginning and ending of the book was good in terms of plot- but in the middle I began to get bored and the writing became quite dry: at that point I was ready to put it down. However, I’m glad I kept going because the ending was good and felt realistic to how the characters were feeling.
Plot has potential- the writing just needed to be more engaging and new.
August 29, 2022
might sound strange due to the topic but it was cute!! adam and alice's friendship was so wholesome. (i 100% thought romance would blossom between the two but it never did.. and i appreciate a book that is solely about friendship).
these days after finishing it, i keep missing adam and alice, they were really good characters that i got attached to right from the start.
despite the subject (trauma, bombing, loss of limbs etc) it was kind of a light book that didn't dvelve *deeply* into their trauma or recovery, i felt like it was mostly acknowledged and mentioned. but that was, i liked that it wasn't a heavy book.
these days after finishing it, i keep missing adam and alice, they were really good characters that i got attached to right from the start.
despite the subject (trauma, bombing, loss of limbs etc) it was kind of a light book that didn't dvelve *deeply* into their trauma or recovery, i felt like it was mostly acknowledged and mentioned. but that was, i liked that it wasn't a heavy book.
June 28, 2022
It's exceptional how well Gomes can take us through the individual trauma and pain from both characters. I was hurting, I was scared, I wanted to cry... I felt everything they felt. Truly extraordinary.
July 11, 2021
Review also posted here: http://www.book-drunk.co.uk/2021/07/r...
Alice and Jack go to the same school, but other than that they have nothing in common. Jack is social and sporty and loves his marathons, climbing mountains and anything fitness related. Alice is more of an introvert and is happy with her books and her own company. She’s moved away so many times that she no longer even tries to make friends. Jack and Alice couldn’t be more different, except for one day in Leicester Square, they’re in the same place at the same time, at the scene of a bombing. On that day, both their lives change forever, and only hope will see them through.
After the Rain by Natália Gomes is a beautiful and moving young adult novel where true friendship shines through in the aftermath of a terror attack. The bombing sees both Alice and Jack left with health issues – Jack has a serious physical injury and Alice begins to struggle with her mental health, anxious and panicky due to her memories of the attack – the sounds, the weather, the claustrophobia… The way the author merges the story of these two characters, who would have paid no attention to each other before the bombing, was lovely to read and their blossoming friendship is tender and emotional. It had its setbacks, but this simply made it all the more real.
The narrative is set at a fast pace with short chapters alternating between the perspectives of Alice and Jack. The storytelling from both characters was engaging and they were easy people to care for, seeing the trauma they were going through due to a selfish and horrific attack. The book progresses quickly. I do think that at times some of the chapters could have been a bit longer. There were moments in the book that could have been expanded on, and maybe could have progressed a bit slower. However, I do think that the quick pacing gave the book more light, and helped the author to represent mental health and disability in a honest way without it becoming too difficult a read. I read this book in two sittings and found myself still thinking of Alice and Jack when I had finished.
Rather than focus too much on the bombing itself, in After the Rain, Natália Gomes explores the impact an event like this could have on the rest of your life. The author writes with real honesty and somehow manages to make this an uplifting read despite not hiding away from the gritty reality of such a tragic, life-changing attack. Just like the stunning cover image portrays, through friendship there is always hope. I found myself moved by every chapter as Jack and Alice try and come to terms with a future they would not have chosen. As they attempt to face up to their individual feelings of guilt, regret and loss, and learn how to rebuild their lives, this poignant tale shows that whilst life is not perfect, with hope, everything may just turn out okay in the end.
Alice and Jack go to the same school, but other than that they have nothing in common. Jack is social and sporty and loves his marathons, climbing mountains and anything fitness related. Alice is more of an introvert and is happy with her books and her own company. She’s moved away so many times that she no longer even tries to make friends. Jack and Alice couldn’t be more different, except for one day in Leicester Square, they’re in the same place at the same time, at the scene of a bombing. On that day, both their lives change forever, and only hope will see them through.
After the Rain by Natália Gomes is a beautiful and moving young adult novel where true friendship shines through in the aftermath of a terror attack. The bombing sees both Alice and Jack left with health issues – Jack has a serious physical injury and Alice begins to struggle with her mental health, anxious and panicky due to her memories of the attack – the sounds, the weather, the claustrophobia… The way the author merges the story of these two characters, who would have paid no attention to each other before the bombing, was lovely to read and their blossoming friendship is tender and emotional. It had its setbacks, but this simply made it all the more real.
The narrative is set at a fast pace with short chapters alternating between the perspectives of Alice and Jack. The storytelling from both characters was engaging and they were easy people to care for, seeing the trauma they were going through due to a selfish and horrific attack. The book progresses quickly. I do think that at times some of the chapters could have been a bit longer. There were moments in the book that could have been expanded on, and maybe could have progressed a bit slower. However, I do think that the quick pacing gave the book more light, and helped the author to represent mental health and disability in a honest way without it becoming too difficult a read. I read this book in two sittings and found myself still thinking of Alice and Jack when I had finished.
Rather than focus too much on the bombing itself, in After the Rain, Natália Gomes explores the impact an event like this could have on the rest of your life. The author writes with real honesty and somehow manages to make this an uplifting read despite not hiding away from the gritty reality of such a tragic, life-changing attack. Just like the stunning cover image portrays, through friendship there is always hope. I found myself moved by every chapter as Jack and Alice try and come to terms with a future they would not have chosen. As they attempt to face up to their individual feelings of guilt, regret and loss, and learn how to rebuild their lives, this poignant tale shows that whilst life is not perfect, with hope, everything may just turn out okay in the end.
May 19, 2021
“We’re alive. So let’s start living.”
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Young Adult for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Two strangers. Jack was sporty and outgoing. Alice was bookish and introverted. Their lives were on completely different paths. One life-changing tragedy. That is before the day they were in the wrong place at the wrong time: before the day their lives were torn apart in a bombing. A hopeful new friendship. Struggling to cope with their new worlds, their unlikely new friendship helps them find hope. But can they help each other rebuild their lives and start again?
Jack is an athlete. Alice is a bookworm. Polar opposites, strangers, and yet they bond over this tragic event. I liked that each of their POVs were theirs. We got to see different sides to the aftermath, with different injuries. Jack’s injuries are mainly physical, with a mental impact. Alice’s physical injuries are minor, but the emotional and mental impact on her is profound. Both were written realistically, facing struggles with the tiniest triggers. Such an event is something you read or hear about, and never expect to happen to you, which makes it all the more daunting when it happens. The PTSD both Jack and Alice were experiencing felt real, and I felt a connection to both characters on different levels.
Gomes really handled the subject matter with care, but gave us a raw insight into the potential after effects for those who have gone through such a heartless attack. I liked that we got to see the panic attacks and the self-loathing, the questions, the frustration and the utter fear of normality. The chapters were short, maybe a little too short for one or two of them but I did feel it helped keep up a faster pace, allowing us to see more of Jack and Alice’s journeys. I must say I was a bit disappointed by the ending. My guess it has been left to interpretation, which is fine, but it is incredibly abrupt. I wish there had been a little more to it.
Overall, After the Rain is a heart-warming book that reminds you that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to NetGalley and HQ Young Adult for an advanced copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Young Adult for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Two strangers. Jack was sporty and outgoing. Alice was bookish and introverted. Their lives were on completely different paths. One life-changing tragedy. That is before the day they were in the wrong place at the wrong time: before the day their lives were torn apart in a bombing. A hopeful new friendship. Struggling to cope with their new worlds, their unlikely new friendship helps them find hope. But can they help each other rebuild their lives and start again?
Jack is an athlete. Alice is a bookworm. Polar opposites, strangers, and yet they bond over this tragic event. I liked that each of their POVs were theirs. We got to see different sides to the aftermath, with different injuries. Jack’s injuries are mainly physical, with a mental impact. Alice’s physical injuries are minor, but the emotional and mental impact on her is profound. Both were written realistically, facing struggles with the tiniest triggers. Such an event is something you read or hear about, and never expect to happen to you, which makes it all the more daunting when it happens. The PTSD both Jack and Alice were experiencing felt real, and I felt a connection to both characters on different levels.
Gomes really handled the subject matter with care, but gave us a raw insight into the potential after effects for those who have gone through such a heartless attack. I liked that we got to see the panic attacks and the self-loathing, the questions, the frustration and the utter fear of normality. The chapters were short, maybe a little too short for one or two of them but I did feel it helped keep up a faster pace, allowing us to see more of Jack and Alice’s journeys. I must say I was a bit disappointed by the ending. My guess it has been left to interpretation, which is fine, but it is incredibly abrupt. I wish there had been a little more to it.
Overall, After the Rain is a heart-warming book that reminds you that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to NetGalley and HQ Young Adult for an advanced copy of this book.
July 9, 2021
Sera Milano's This Can Never Not Be Real, despite being a harrowing read, has been one of my favourite books so far this year, meaning that I approached After the Rain with a little trepidation, unsure if my heart could take what was to come. Where This Can Never Not Be Real deals with the horror of being in the midst of a terror attack, After the Rain looks at the devastating emotional and physical aftermath through the eyes of two teenagers who met just seconds before and whose lives are inextricably linked from then on. It is a beautiful book that somehow manages to be both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Told in alternating chapters through the eyes of Alice and Jack, two teenagers who couldn't be more different from each other, After the Rain is a deeply emotional book that I have not yet fully managed to move on from, despite having finished reading it a couple of days ago. In Jack, Natalia Gomes has created a character so full of life and energy, and she somehow manages to make clear in just a couple of paragraphs just how important running and the sense of freedom it gives are to Jack. In just the very short space of time I met him before the explosion, he felt so incredibly real to me, and my heart shattered with the thought of what I suspected was to follow. Similarly, introverted Alice with her love of books and constant search for the perfect reading spot was a character that I felt instantly connected to, meaning that watching her struggle in the aftermath felt like watching a friend, and I was rooting for her every step of the way.
Every page of this beautiful book moved me, and had me reaching for the tissues on more than one occasion, for reasons both happy and sad. Watching Alice and Jack's friendship grow as they struggle to find their way back to "normal," or at the very least to their individual new normal was lovely and devastating in equal measure.
After the Rain is a story of two people helping each other find their way back from horrific events. It is a heartbreaking and moving, and yet somehow uplifting read that I would thoroughly recommend to everyone.
Told in alternating chapters through the eyes of Alice and Jack, two teenagers who couldn't be more different from each other, After the Rain is a deeply emotional book that I have not yet fully managed to move on from, despite having finished reading it a couple of days ago. In Jack, Natalia Gomes has created a character so full of life and energy, and she somehow manages to make clear in just a couple of paragraphs just how important running and the sense of freedom it gives are to Jack. In just the very short space of time I met him before the explosion, he felt so incredibly real to me, and my heart shattered with the thought of what I suspected was to follow. Similarly, introverted Alice with her love of books and constant search for the perfect reading spot was a character that I felt instantly connected to, meaning that watching her struggle in the aftermath felt like watching a friend, and I was rooting for her every step of the way.
Every page of this beautiful book moved me, and had me reaching for the tissues on more than one occasion, for reasons both happy and sad. Watching Alice and Jack's friendship grow as they struggle to find their way back to "normal," or at the very least to their individual new normal was lovely and devastating in equal measure.
After the Rain is a story of two people helping each other find their way back from horrific events. It is a heartbreaking and moving, and yet somehow uplifting read that I would thoroughly recommend to everyone.
June 14, 2021
After The Rain by Natalia Gomes is a powerful, contemporary YA novel that will sink deep into your heart and soul.
The book follows two teens who are caught up in a terrorist bombing leaving both with deep-seated traumas. Sometimes the injury is to our physical body and sometimes it is a mental injury – invisible to others but very real.
PTSD is a major theme. Natalia Gomes has sensitively portrayed characters in deep emotional pain. We witness triggers that paralyze a character. Support groups, therapists, love and care are needed to heal. Those who were there offer huge support as they can empathise.
Fear has infected lives as characters no longer feel safe. “Where it’s safe… But nowhere’s safe. Not here and not in my mother’s arms. Not anymore.” The after effects of the terror attack have far reaching arms.
Life changing injuries are sustained. Old dreams are dead. New ones need to bud. When our identity is found in our activities, depression may move in. “Never again will I be able to do all the things that define me, that make me ‘Me.’ “
Survivor’s guilt looms large. Some lived. Some died. It was all pure chance but still the guilt remains.
The novel is written in alternating chapters between Jack and Alice. We witness events from the two differing points of view. Both characters are realistic and likable.
I adored After The Rain and read it in just one sitting. It was such a powerful, emotional read. I cannot wait for more by Natalia Gomes.
I received a free copy from Harper Collins via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
The book follows two teens who are caught up in a terrorist bombing leaving both with deep-seated traumas. Sometimes the injury is to our physical body and sometimes it is a mental injury – invisible to others but very real.
PTSD is a major theme. Natalia Gomes has sensitively portrayed characters in deep emotional pain. We witness triggers that paralyze a character. Support groups, therapists, love and care are needed to heal. Those who were there offer huge support as they can empathise.
Fear has infected lives as characters no longer feel safe. “Where it’s safe… But nowhere’s safe. Not here and not in my mother’s arms. Not anymore.” The after effects of the terror attack have far reaching arms.
Life changing injuries are sustained. Old dreams are dead. New ones need to bud. When our identity is found in our activities, depression may move in. “Never again will I be able to do all the things that define me, that make me ‘Me.’ “
Survivor’s guilt looms large. Some lived. Some died. It was all pure chance but still the guilt remains.
The novel is written in alternating chapters between Jack and Alice. We witness events from the two differing points of view. Both characters are realistic and likable.
I adored After The Rain and read it in just one sitting. It was such a powerful, emotional read. I cannot wait for more by Natalia Gomes.
I received a free copy from Harper Collins via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
May 19, 2021
I was intrigued by the blurb, I fell in love with the characters and the story simply consumed me.
If you're expecting a romance then I'll tell you now, this isn't that.
It isn't your typical trope of geek meets jock and falls in love.
After the Rain is so much more special than that.
In this book we meet Alice (who is American) and Jack . Strangers until one fateful day in Leicester Square where their paths happen to cross in the most awful circumstances.
Something tragic changes both of these young lives forever.
But as they both struggle with their own demons, what comes from this is something quite beautiful hopeful.
Friendship.
Unlikely, perhaps improbable but absolutely necessary.
With alternating chapters, this is a short but meaningful tale that lets us see differing perspectives.
How can we move on from life altering events? Whether physical of mental damage - are either any less hurtful, how can we measure someone else's pain?
This was an emotional read.
What I took from it is that our dreams don't have to stop when the path we were going down suddenly veers off in a different direction.
We just have to be brave, adapt and make the best of any situation.
Because life is precious and always worth living. There is always light after dark.
If you're expecting a romance then I'll tell you now, this isn't that.
It isn't your typical trope of geek meets jock and falls in love.
After the Rain is so much more special than that.
In this book we meet Alice (who is American) and Jack . Strangers until one fateful day in Leicester Square where their paths happen to cross in the most awful circumstances.
Something tragic changes both of these young lives forever.
But as they both struggle with their own demons, what comes from this is something quite beautiful hopeful.
Friendship.
Unlikely, perhaps improbable but absolutely necessary.
With alternating chapters, this is a short but meaningful tale that lets us see differing perspectives.
How can we move on from life altering events? Whether physical of mental damage - are either any less hurtful, how can we measure someone else's pain?
This was an emotional read.
What I took from it is that our dreams don't have to stop when the path we were going down suddenly veers off in a different direction.
We just have to be brave, adapt and make the best of any situation.
Because life is precious and always worth living. There is always light after dark.
July 11, 2021
Oh my this book will hit you right in the feels with two wonderful characters and their collision into catastrophe.
It starts with the sweet, introverted and bookish Alice. She has moved a lot due to her father’s job so doesn’t bother making friends as she knows as soon as she does it will be on to the next school.
Then we have Jack, athlete extraordinaire out on one of his runs when he collides straight into Alice, scattering her books to the ground and covering her in her coffee. Angry at having his pace affected he flees straight into an explosion.
The aftermath is harrowing for both, with Alice affected mentally and Jack physically. There is something unique that happens between people who have faced difficulties together. Overcoming the challenge forges a different kind of bond between them, one that is stronger and deeper than any friendship between people who have only ever gone through the easy and fun stuff. A mutual understanding and togetherness as they take the road to recovery.
This is a beautifully written book that somehow manages to not only portray two completely different viewpoints, but does so with emotion, humour and complete authenticity. I loved both Alice and Jack and their story is one that will stay with me.
It starts with the sweet, introverted and bookish Alice. She has moved a lot due to her father’s job so doesn’t bother making friends as she knows as soon as she does it will be on to the next school.
Then we have Jack, athlete extraordinaire out on one of his runs when he collides straight into Alice, scattering her books to the ground and covering her in her coffee. Angry at having his pace affected he flees straight into an explosion.
The aftermath is harrowing for both, with Alice affected mentally and Jack physically. There is something unique that happens between people who have faced difficulties together. Overcoming the challenge forges a different kind of bond between them, one that is stronger and deeper than any friendship between people who have only ever gone through the easy and fun stuff. A mutual understanding and togetherness as they take the road to recovery.
This is a beautifully written book that somehow manages to not only portray two completely different viewpoints, but does so with emotion, humour and complete authenticity. I loved both Alice and Jack and their story is one that will stay with me.
August 3, 2021
'𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘚𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨.'
I'll hold by hands up and say there was so much more to this novel than I at first anticipated. #AfterTheRain is a powerful and compelling read that, through the perspective of two teenagers, looks at the devastating affects of a terror attack. Mental health is at the heart of the narrative (PTSD, panic attacks and anxiety, in particular) and is explored exceptionally well and handled with much care.
Alice and Jack's story as a result is one that hits you right in the feels. After both being involved in a bombing at Leicester Square, Alice, although escaping with no physical injuries develops PTSD and Jack sustains life changing injuries that result in the lost of his legs - witnessing as they anxiously try to navigate a world, which to them, now feels senseless and cruel was downright heartbreaking.
But alongside all the upset, is a heartening tale of hope which concentrates on the special bond that grows between Alice and Jack. The importance of friendship becomes key, as they try to help each other overcome their fears - this for me, was what made Gomes' story such an incredibly moving, heartfelt and rewarding read. I really enjoyed it.
🌸☔
I'll hold by hands up and say there was so much more to this novel than I at first anticipated. #AfterTheRain is a powerful and compelling read that, through the perspective of two teenagers, looks at the devastating affects of a terror attack. Mental health is at the heart of the narrative (PTSD, panic attacks and anxiety, in particular) and is explored exceptionally well and handled with much care.
Alice and Jack's story as a result is one that hits you right in the feels. After both being involved in a bombing at Leicester Square, Alice, although escaping with no physical injuries develops PTSD and Jack sustains life changing injuries that result in the lost of his legs - witnessing as they anxiously try to navigate a world, which to them, now feels senseless and cruel was downright heartbreaking.
But alongside all the upset, is a heartening tale of hope which concentrates on the special bond that grows between Alice and Jack. The importance of friendship becomes key, as they try to help each other overcome their fears - this for me, was what made Gomes' story such an incredibly moving, heartfelt and rewarding read. I really enjoyed it.
🌸☔
August 14, 2022
Ah this book had me gripped from the start. I couldn't put it down I wanted to know how it would end. The short chapters differently helped with the pace I read this book, they were easy to get through.
The perspective changing each chapter really helped build the relationship and how each of them were feeling about their situations.
Alice and Jack are just teenagers caught up in a terror attack in London. Their lives are altered differently but ultimately they are both changed forever.
Jack loses both his lower legs. Alice suffers from PTSD. The representation of disability in this book is refreshing because it has both mental and physical and neither is worse than the other. They both struggle and you try and watch them navigate their old lives.
They help each other with overcoming their new difficulties and they know their lives may be different but they should be grateful they are alive.
I wouldn't have been mad if this book was longer and there was more to the end. Like it's fine but I would have loved to have seen how their friendship lasted.
I wish I had read this book sooner! I thought it was going to be sad when it is mildly but also it is uplifting.
✨Thank you to the author and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this lovely book. ✨
The perspective changing each chapter really helped build the relationship and how each of them were feeling about their situations.
Alice and Jack are just teenagers caught up in a terror attack in London. Their lives are altered differently but ultimately they are both changed forever.
Jack loses both his lower legs. Alice suffers from PTSD. The representation of disability in this book is refreshing because it has both mental and physical and neither is worse than the other. They both struggle and you try and watch them navigate their old lives.
They help each other with overcoming their new difficulties and they know their lives may be different but they should be grateful they are alive.
I wouldn't have been mad if this book was longer and there was more to the end. Like it's fine but I would have loved to have seen how their friendship lasted.
I wish I had read this book sooner! I thought it was going to be sad when it is mildly but also it is uplifting.
✨Thank you to the author and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this lovely book. ✨
May 20, 2021
I don't know what I was expecting from this book but it wasn't this, for sure. I was quite surprised. I thought it was a teenage romance kinda book and, if that is what you are looking for, this is not the case!
This story how two people go through the same traumatic event and how different they can react to trauma. It is a book about friendship and how two teenagers deal with the struggles attached to that event. An unlikely friendship that both needed to continue living.
One thing to take from this book is that dreams do not have to stop because the path you envisaged changes. You can adapt yourself to create a new path and achieve those dreams, just in a different way.
The ending felt a bit rushed to me but maybe that was the intention?
It covers anxiety, panic attacks, depression, PSTD... so proceed with caution.
This story how two people go through the same traumatic event and how different they can react to trauma. It is a book about friendship and how two teenagers deal with the struggles attached to that event. An unlikely friendship that both needed to continue living.
One thing to take from this book is that dreams do not have to stop because the path you envisaged changes. You can adapt yourself to create a new path and achieve those dreams, just in a different way.
The ending felt a bit rushed to me but maybe that was the intention?
It covers anxiety, panic attacks, depression, PSTD... so proceed with caution.
August 10, 2021
A cute YA book that deals with PTSD and loss of limb after a terrorist attack in a pretty good way.
Two teenagers are both caught in a bombing on Leicester Square in London. Alice is left with severe panic ayyacks after the evenslt, and Jack has to have his legs amputated just above the knees. Both help each other in finding their way again after the bombing.
To me this book just felt a little too predictable and unoriginal to be considered good, even though I do think the mental health issues that are dealt with here are a very important topic. The overall vibe reminded me a lot of Me Before You, but in a YA context, and I thought "the original" did it better.
Two teenagers are both caught in a bombing on Leicester Square in London. Alice is left with severe panic ayyacks after the evenslt, and Jack has to have his legs amputated just above the knees. Both help each other in finding their way again after the bombing.
To me this book just felt a little too predictable and unoriginal to be considered good, even though I do think the mental health issues that are dealt with here are a very important topic. The overall vibe reminded me a lot of Me Before You, but in a YA context, and I thought "the original" did it better.
September 12, 2021
After the Rain is a powerful YA novel told from the perspectives of two teens recovering from life-changing injuries, both physical and emotional, following a bomb attack that cost the lives of 22 people.
Boldly discarding all the usual romance found in YA fiction, Natália Gomes’s book is about the pure strength of friendship. Jack and Alice are complete opposites, but against all odds, they form a strong bond that will help them move on from their own personal traumas.
This is a beautiful story full of hope, and you’ll be rooting for both characters as they try to adjust to life after the event.
Boldly discarding all the usual romance found in YA fiction, Natália Gomes’s book is about the pure strength of friendship. Jack and Alice are complete opposites, but against all odds, they form a strong bond that will help them move on from their own personal traumas.
This is a beautiful story full of hope, and you’ll be rooting for both characters as they try to adjust to life after the event.
August 5, 2021
Honestly idk what was I expecting but I it could’ve at least tiny bits of love story there rather than just implied. I mean I get it that’s not the main focus but like half way thru it I was getting pretty bored on hearing about the traumas or whatever it felt a bit repetitive by that point. Also, it gave me the Me Before You kinda vibe (disabled male, quirky tryna-light-up-the-situation female). The characters might as well be in their 20s/30s I feel like, the only reason it’s a YA because they “say” they’re 17.
January 25, 2025
It was a good book about the recovery.
I was expecting a love story and it wasn’t that - obviously no fault of the writer - but it did give indications that a possible romance would brew however that was not the case.
Obviously romance would have never been the primary focus due to the themes of mental health within the book which were expressed incredibly, but it was set up like a romance novel. This made me continually hope that after the protagonists did recover they would start a romantic relationship but this was not the case.
I was expecting a love story and it wasn’t that - obviously no fault of the writer - but it did give indications that a possible romance would brew however that was not the case.
Obviously romance would have never been the primary focus due to the themes of mental health within the book which were expressed incredibly, but it was set up like a romance novel. This made me continually hope that after the protagonists did recover they would start a romantic relationship but this was not the case.
June 6, 2025
this book was fine! it was grand! it was a generally sweet story about coping with trauma but it was a bit hard to get through. the characterisation of alice put me off; she naturally had to be the sensitive, caring woman who pushed the relationship onward, regardless of jack’s treatment of her. i appreciated her, i sympathised with her, but i think she could have been done better.
also, the ending was quite sudden. it seems purposefully vague but i really was picking at some loose threads.
probably not a book i’ll think about often, but i was fine with reading it while i did.
also, the ending was quite sudden. it seems purposefully vague but i really was picking at some loose threads.
probably not a book i’ll think about often, but i was fine with reading it while i did.
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