❝ One nightmare month followed by six of mere hell. A period of shame and guilt, the feeling that I’d failed Luka. Or that I’d failed to stop Luka. There’s grief, too, but I bury that even faster. You aren’t allowed to grieve for someone like Luka. ❞

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I was a little hesitant coming into the Aftermath because I expected it to be impactful, and I had to gear myself up for that trip. Which I’m glad I did because this book was a bit of a rollercoaster of feelings. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more. It was actually that aspect of the book that I enjoyed the most because it had a little bit of everything.

There was also a really strong emphasis on the psychological element; there was so much detail about Skye’s (and to a lesser extent, Jesse’s) grief process. In particular, Skye also had to deal with pushing down her feelings because of her brother’s relationship to the shooting (i.e. being one of the shooters). It was just a cycle of guilt, shame, and anger followed by little brief moments of Skye’s old self surfacing.

It was really frustrating to read about all the hate that Skye and her family received. People just wished her the worst, assumed she had something to do with it, and just were horrible to her. But then you cut to her memories of her brother and all the pain and hurt, and it’s hard to not feel sympathetic for Skye’s inability to mourn her brother.

Although we didn’t get as many chapters from him, I loved reading from Jesse’s POV. He had his own complicated relationship with his brother that sometimes made it harder to mourn him I think than Skye and her brother. I liked that with her help he was finally able to give voice to his feelings in a way he never could with his parents. I also thought his chapters were a great way to reveal parts of the story that we had questions about.

❝ ” […] Sometimes, showing for compassion for others means doing things that are painful for us.” ❞

And then there was also Skye and Jesse’s relationship in general, which was another one of the reasons I felt so attached to this book. I was rooting for them to overcome their personal obstacles and reconnect throughout the whole book. Their friendship was so supportive and brought out the best in one another. I really enjoyed seeing how they made that journey back to being more like themselves. I think it’s hard to say they fully recovered but they picked up some pieces and recreated themselves.

And of course, there was the mystery element that kept me guessing until the end. There were things that didn’t make sense about the shooting, questions that begged to be answered, and just strange things happening to Skye that kept me glued to every page. I liked that there was a balance between the mystery and Skye’s struggle to adjust to coming back home.

As for the plot itself, I loved the direction it took! As I said, there were so many issues going on in this book–from Skye dealing with harassment, personal character development, self-healing, etc–but there was always a good balance among them. I liked that the plot kind of sneaked up on you in a way. At first, it stepped aside to focus on the characters and their struggles, then slowly things escalated and with it, the plot took more of the foreground.

The ending was partly expected–especially with how Skye felt about her brother–but it was still one I could enjoy. I liked that we got to see her old self really shine in the ending and that we got some resolution between the past and present. And I also loved the irony of the ending because if not for the antagonist taking matters into their own hands, Skye might never have been able to grow as much as she did throughout the story.

Overall, I think this a book that deals with some sensitive topics (i.e. school shootings), but I think it’s about more than just tragedy, it’s about friendship, love, and self-healing. I would highly recommend this book for people that enjoy more serious YA books or that like psychological/emotional elements.

Aftermath was just released today, May 22nd! Go check it out!

I liked Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld paranormal series a lot, so I’ve been sampling her thrillers. This one is a reasonably good YA suspense novel, although it does have a few flaws, in my opinion.

The premise: Three years after her brother was killed while participating in a school shooting, Skye comes back to the town where it happened to live with her aunt. Needless to say, not everyone is happy to have her back as a reminder, particularly some of the people who had family and friends injured or killed. Skye assumes that includes her old friend (and almost boyfriend) Jesse, whose brother died in the shooting. However, Jesse never blamed Skye for her brother’s crime, and he finds himself drawn to her again, even though both of them have been changed by what happened. When Skye becomes the target of strange and frightening incidents, she and Jesse work together to figure out who is threatening her, and why.

One thing that I really appreciated about this book is that Armstrong tackles the topic of school shootings partially from the perspective of the shooter’s family. People often seem to blame the families of perpetrators for not stopping them, but I’ve always thought that was unfair and ignored the fact that they are also suffering. Skye’s first person narration allows the reader to get into her head and experience what it might be like to be both grieving someone you loved and ashamed of your grief because that person did something horrible.

The novel has other strong points, too. The pace is quick, and the plot sucked me in and kept me reading. Armstrong introduces plenty of suspects, and I wasn’t able to guess the real villain of the story. I also liked the way Skye and Jesse’s friendship was handled, although it took them a little too long to actually talk to each other. Once they finally did, though, I really enjoyed their rekindled relationship.

However, a few things about the story bugged me. At times, I thought some of what was described was over the top; the setups for things that were done to Skye were way too elaborate in a few cases, for example. Also, this is one of those books where the adults are largely clueless about what’s going on. Only Jesse’s parents are dialed in and supportive. The school administrator who doesn’t really care I can sort of accept, although he’s almost too bad at his job to be believable, but the aunt Skye is living with is first stereotypically absent and then almost hostile in her disregard of anything Skye tells her. Seriously, I couldn’t figure out why she would have wanted to be Skye’s guardian in the first place, given that she seems to have absolutely zero interest in actually dealing with her in any meaningful way.

Overall, though, Aftermath was a decent read, and I’d recommend it to people who enjoy YA thrillers.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Aftermath:
With everything that's going on right now, this book is both important and timely. That doesn't mean it's any easier to read.
Librarian: Yes. I will be buying a copy of this book for my library. The topic is too important not to discuss loudly and frequently. Any book that can get the discussion going in a way that's less than deadly is worth having in the collection. So yes, I will be buying it, and I will be recommending that students and teachers read it. As a librarian I can't recommend it enough.
Reader: I didn't like it. There I said it. It never really drew me in, and there were some moments I found positively cringe worthy especially as a school librarian. (The fire scene springs to mind.) I also felt like the way that the end of the book focused so heavily on romance diluted a lot of the books powerful, important message. So as a reader, I won't recommend it as one I personally enjoy.

There really isn't a whole lot that Armstrong can't write, in virtually any genre.

The very fact that she combined a very sensitive topic with a mystery and somehow made it both mysterious and heartfelt make it work, is truly a talent not a lot of authors have.


I love that this kept me on the edge of my seat wondering exactly if the main character wasn't slightly unhinged herself or if she really was being bullied and pranked by those that really didn't want her there.

Truly a great stand alone read that fans of Armstrong are going to love and new fans will be glad they took a chance on.

This book was truly great. I have to admit that when I first saw that this book would involve a school shooting I was really nervous about reading it. Did I really want to read a book about such a terrible event especially in the current climate? I really wasn't sure but I decided to add this book to my reading schedule because I wanted to see what Kelley Armstrong could do with such a terrible event. I haven't read too many books written by Kelley Armstrong but I have really enjoyed the ones that I have read so I trusted that she would deliver a story worth reading. This book ended up being one of those books that are almost impossible to put down. I am so glad that I decided to give this one a try.

As previously mentioned, this book does involve a school shooting so I was really afraid that it would be one of those books that would break my heart to pieces. In some ways, I guess it did because I hated everything they had gone through but it wasn't the traumatic reading experience that I had feared it would be. The focus of this book is Skye, the sister of one of the teens responsible for the school shooting that tore her hometown apart just a few years earlier. Skye is forced to move back home with her Aunt and go back to the school with the same kids who knew her brother and what he did.

Jesse was Skye's best friend and was possibly becoming more when everything happened. His brother was one of the victims and his life is completely different than it was before the shooting took place. Jesse not only lost his brother but also his best friend when Skye's family quickly left town. Jesse isn't really sure what to think about Skye's return to their hometown.

This book was a whole lot about the characters. Spending time with both Skye and Jesse as they work through their thoughts and feelings about everything going on was very eye opening. This book was also a really well done thriller. I think I might have actually missed the fact that there was some new issues when I first read the book's summary but I was quickly caught up in the events surrounding Skye and Jesse. I had a few suspects but I was never quite sure who was responsible for all of the things going on and I found myself completely glued to the pages. I really liked how Skye and Jesse were able to reconnect as they worked to figure things out.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I found this to be a thought provoking page turner filled with wonderful characters. I can't wait to read more from this talented author.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House Children's - Crown Books for Young Readers via NetGalley.

Thank you Net-Galley, Kelley Armstrong and Random House Children's publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I highly recommend this story. It is so much more than what I thought it was going to be. Yes I know if was about a school shooting but its so much more than that, its about what an accused shooters family goes though after the fact. There is so much more to this story. I was sucked in to this heartbreaking story and then yesterday before I finished the story I was watching the news about the school shooting in Texas and this story got harder to finish but I did. Just remember that how you treat someone will stay with them forever. If you don't know the facts don't make assumptions, don't believe everything you hear because someone could be lying and it may destroy and even end someones life but listen and try to find out the truth. This story was an eye opener for me and I hope it will be for anyone who reads it. My emotions were all over the place while reading this. I was angry, I was sad and heartbroken I am giving this story 5 stars but that doesn't feel like enough.

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong is a must read book!!! It's filled with great characters and edge of you seat suspense. My heart broke for Skye and Jesse and what these two had to go through. Great Great Book.

Kelley Armstrong has done it again! This is a unique, powerful story about the aftermath of a school shooting. It does something I haven't seen done before using the perspectives of the sister of the shooter & the brother of one of the kid's shot who also happen to be best friends. It's written in this beautifully heartfelt way while also maintaining a wonderful mystery throughout that will keep readers turning the pages. My only issue would be the shift at the end to focus more on the romance developed than the issues at hand in the aftermath, but it was still a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy YA standalone thrillers.

It has been three years since Skye’s brother was killed in a school shooting and her family made her move away. Due to her grandmother’s health issues, she is forced to move back to the town of the shooting and attend school with some of the victims’ families and friends. What makes the move even more complicated is the fact that her brother was not a victim, but one of the shooters. Will Skye be able to overcome the hatred of the teens and adults around her? What truths will be uncovered along the way?

Aftermath is a stand-alone novel about school violence and the untold impact it has on the community. This story will pull on the reader’s heartstrings, yet the mystery woven throughout will make readers not want to put it down. Armstrong has done a wonderful job creating characters that are believable, lovable and despise-able. I recommend everyone who loves to read realistic fiction to add this to their TBR list, even if you don’t normally read young adult novels.

First off, I have to start by saying the blurb on the book is slightly misleading. I absolutely cannot stand it when that happens, though it’s not as bad with this book as with other’s I’ve read.

Jesse’s character is can be described as nerdy in the beginning. He doesn’t like getting into trouble and maintains high grades. Skye, on the other hand, is known to be a trickster, skips a few classes, but still keeps good grades.

In the beginning Jesse and Skye are around thirteen and entering the stages of their first ‘puppy love’ and a deep friendship. Then the disaster hits the local high school where their brothers attend.

As you can probably guess, for most of the book Skye is bullied for her brother’s part in the shooting. I would have liked to have seen more of the ‘before’ in order to get to know the characters better. You see glimpses of their past selves enough to know how much the shooting changed them (great characterization and growth), but not enough of Luka and the shooters to know them and get a feel for their characters.Even though Luka doesn’t have a big part in the story itself, his presence as ‘big brother’ is strong and heartfelt, and I would have loved to have seen more interaction with Luka and Skye.

A big part of this ‘school shooting’ genre I’m still seeing is no active adults (like most YA books, but you’d think with something more hardcore adults would be involved). Skye has non-active parents, an older grandmother, and a clueless aunt. Jesse has two parents that let him do anything even if they don’t approve of his actions. The vice principle and police involved in the story do nothing.

Again a major problem with YA books, the ending started to focus more on romance between the two characters instead of the serious problem they had on hand. This ‘love sickness’ really just makes the characters look immature instead of starting a good relationship.

Overall Aftermath is a good, tearjerking story that puts a lot of modern ideas into a new perspective, but could have lost some of the YA tropes and been a lot better.

Unusual perspective on a school shooting - from the sister of the shooter and the brother of the kid who got shot, who just happen to be best friends and both lost siblings in the shooting. I loved Skye and Jesse and the nuance in their relationship. I could have done without some of the thriller / mystery aspects of it - the running around into abandoned buildings and throwing oneself blindly into harm's way bit - as much of it came off as unrealistically lucky to me. There seemed to be good dose of deus ex machina in the plotting.

That said, four stars - it was a truly engaging read, and offered a new and unusual perspective on an oft-visited subject.

Wow! What a quick read! Right from the beginning I felt for the main characters and wanted to know more about what their lives were like after the shooting. I liked the mystery aspect of this book as well. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try.

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong is a standalone YA thriller. Aftermath focuses on the fallout after a shooting at the local high school, and the affect it has on those closely related to the tragedy.

Skye Gilchrist, our heroine, is 13 years old when we meet her. She is at school, having a conversation with her friend (maybe soon to be boyfriend), Jesse. They are called to the principal’s office, and hear news that will change both of their lives; a school shooting with both of their family members tragically killed. Jesse’s brother was shot and killed, but Skye’s brother was one of the shooters, killed by the cops.

Jesse Mandal, our hero, and Skye’s friend tried to talk to Skye to tell her that he does not blame her, but she was grieving for her brother Luka, and never allowed Jesse to talk to her. Skye and her family left town shortly thereafter, and with her mother ill, she returns three years later to stay with her aunt. She dreads going back to school, rightfully so as everyone treats her like a pariah; and when she sees Jesse, she is surprised that he too would not acknowledge her.

Soon Skye will get threatening notes, videos sent to her phone, and horrible treatment from the students. Jesse never blamed Skye, as she was not at fault, and regretted how he ignored her the first day; since he was hurt that she never called or wrote to him. Jesse keeps his distance early on, but quietly follows her, as he sees her being harassed, and when she is stuck in a room at school which is set on fire, Jesse will begin to help Skye to find out who is threatening her. Their friendship and eventually romance (background only) will bring them together again.

What follows is a very tense last half of the book, as the stakes rise when Skye finds herself in dangerous harmful situations a few times. Everyone at school, including the officials blame all the threats, notes, fire as Skye being behind them, trying to get attention. Jesse and Skye try to find the clues as to who wants to harm her, and why. This was a wonderful intense mystery, and as we get closer to the end, becomes a real thriller.
I really liked both Skye and Jesse, as they were very good together. I found it a bit heart wrenching to see her being treated that way by almost everyone, especially since she had nothing to do with the shooting. I also loved Jesse’s mom who was a respected Doctor, and stood up for Skye. Armstrong touches a number of issues along the way, such as grief, anger, bullying.

The tension became even creepier as we raced to the exciting climax, with Armstrong throwing us so many curves and surprises. The mystery was so good, I was surprised to discover who and why. Aftermath was a great read, with a subject very much real in today’s world, but Armstrong made this into an exciting intense thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I suggest you read Aftermath, which was so well written by Kelley Armstrong.

I love Kelley Armstrong's books. No matter the genre or subject matter she is able to create amazing characters that you fall in love with. Given the subject matter I'm not sure this book will be for everyone, but I think it will be impactful. Along the lines of Thirteen Reasons Why.

I couldn't get into this one. I love The Darkest Powers Series, but I haven't been able to like any of Kelley Armstrong's books since. This started off promising, but then the viewpoints switched and we landed years in the future. The level of bullying mixed with a principal who was reckless was over the top, especially the big misunderstanding between Jesse and Skye which wouldn't have happened in the first place if they only spoke to one another. It's easy to predict the course of the book from where I stopped at 15% so I decided to pass on it and read something more appealing.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. I discovered my first book by her when I was 12 years old. Now, I’m 20 years old and I can honestly say I am still a fan. Armstrong writes such riveting, creative stories—whether their genre be paranormal, thriller or even both. Aftermath was not any different. In fact, Aftermath is the absolute best thriller I have read thus far in 2018.

First off, I wanted to read this book because it was written by Kelley Armstrong buttttt I also wanted to read it because the main character’s name is Skye. That is my name! Do you understand how incredibly rare it is that I stumble across a main character with my name AND my name is spelled correctly? Yeah, practically never. So, I was sold when I realized the female protagonist’s name was Skye. I have no shame.

Let’s talk about the characters in this story: Skye and Jesse. They’re both such multidimensional characters. Armstrong did such an incredible job in developing them. These two characters are incredibly realistic and relatable. I understood where each of these characters was coming from and why they acted the way they did. This may not seem super important but it honestly is. There is nothing worse than a flat, one dimensional character.

Now, the plot. I love love love love loved this plot. We see several stories on the news about school shootings but rarely do we ever consider how the family of the shooters are treated and how they are affected. In Aftermath, Skye’s brother was part of a school shooting. He was actually killed by a police officer. This story follows how Skye’s life is forever altered as a result of the shooting. Skye and her mom moved away, but 3 years later Skye is forced to go back home to live with her aunt. Needless to say, she was not excited about this—for good reason. The kids at her high school are unbelievably cruel to her. They feel that she is a danger to everyone in school simply based off her relation to her brother.

Jesse, on the other hand, is effected in a different way than Skye. Jesse’s brother was killed in the shooting. But, what hurt worse was the fact that he lost Skye, his best friend, the same day he lost his brother. Skye moved away and never contacted him again. This caused Jesse to morph into a completely new Jesse. When Skye shows back up in town, Jesse is forced to remember the feelings of abandonment from her leaving all over again.

However, these two reunite when Jesse discovers Skye is being harassed by an anonymous person. Each encounter with this anonymous source is only creepier and much more threatening. However, Skye is also getting messages about her brother not being a part of the shooting. But, who would know that? And why would they only want the truth to come out now?

Read this exceptional book and you too shall find out the truth in regards to what happened that fateful day 3 years ago—and who is behind all of the cryptic messages. Let’s be real that’s what you really want to know, isn’t it? ;)

I thought that I would totally love this book after reading the summary, but it was different from what I thought it was going to be. It is about the aftermath of a school shooting and the effects on the families involved afterwards, but it turned into a suspense mystery thriller somewhere in the middle and I feel the the story got kind of lost in all that happened. The story is of Skye, whose brother was supposedly part of a school shooting which he also died in, who returns to the same school district 3 years later where many of the kids from her brother's former school go now. Her best friend from the past Jessie attends the same school and they reconnect, slowly but they become close again. In the meantime, Skye is being followed, bullied and terrorized about her brother's past and she id determined to find out who is behind it and why. This where the story becomes less about the victims left behind and more into a suspense thriller, YA style. The end ties up the story reasonably well but the entire story is a little unbelievable. Also, Skye's chapters from her point of view are in the first person but Jesse's aren't, which do not understand. I think it would have been so much better for me if Jesse's chapters were in first person too. Just my opinion though. It's a good story though and thanks to NG for the ARC!!!!

This read came at just the right time with the student walk outs and conversations about school shootings. Kelley Armstrong does a great job with creating a suspenseful mystery with dynamic characters that you quickly care about. Skye and Jesse are best friends in 6 th grade until they are called to the office and overhear on the office radio that there has been a shooting at the high school. Skye’s brother is involved with the shooting that kills Jesse’s brother. Skye and her mother leave town, and she is forced to return after a few years because her aunt gets custody of her. Of course would you think the sister of a killer is welcome back with open arms?

Oh man, this was amazing.

I loved Skye and Jesse. They’ve both gone through a horrible tragedy, but they’re at different sides of the event. I loved getting both sides of the story and reading them figuring out how to go forward. And Jesse’s mom was one of the best parts.

Plot wise, it was everything I wasn’t expecting. There were definitely some heartbreaking moments, but a major part of this story is a mystery and it’s absolutely delicious. There are a lot of creepy moments and I spent a good portion of the time reading wondering if everything was in Skye’s head. It was fantastic.

Overall, it was a quick read filled with tension. It had me second guessing everything and everyone and I can’t wait to read it again.

**Huge thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers for providing the arc free of charge**

Skye thought she knew her older brother, Luka. She thought she'd found a true friend (and maybe more) in Jesse Mandal. She thought that her life was starting to head in a great direction.

Unfortunately, Skye had never been so wrong.

In a matter of minutes, her life changes irrevocably. What do you do when your beloved older brother is condemned as a villain in a school shooting? How do you move on with your life? What kind of life can you even have?

For Skye, the three years following the shooting are a game of hide and seek. She moves from place to place, trying to find somewhere that she can start over, a place she can finally reclaim her life, where her brother's past can't find her. After her grandmother falls ill, and her mother's depression makes her unable to care for Skye on her own, Skye is forced to return to the place she once called home, a place that remembers her- and Luka- all too well.

As much as she might wish to seamlessly fade into the background of Riverside Collegiate, Skye has a notoriety that spreads in a matter of seconds. Aftermath follows the turmoil that ripples from Skye's return home, but also the mystery that springs up as well.
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Armstrong has delivered a thriller told from unique perspectives- Skye and Jesse. Through their eyes, we see the aftermath of the shooting from two very different lenses- the tortured younger sister who has yet to reconcile the memories of her brother with the monster that the media and her peers have made him out to be, and the surviving younger brother who lives in the shadow of his older brother's death despite the rockiness of their relationship.

Skye and Jasser Mandal aka Jesse don't know how to deal with one another. They both have misconceptions about their last meeting, and neither knows how to move forward. The first third of the novel starts to establish the climate that Skye is living in- one where she's physically & verbally bullied for her brother's alleged actions. She fumbles through this with the help of a few kind faces, but she and Jesse aren't sure how to reconnect and regain the relationship that they once had.

Aftermath isn't just a book about what happens after a school shooting. It's about discovering truth, in its many forms. Jesse and Skye must discover the truth about Luka's involvement in the shooting, but they must also discover the truth about themselves. Both teens are living in the shadow of the shooting, living in a kind of shame because, in the aftermath, they haven't turned out to be the people their thirteen-year-old selves had hoped, had dreamed. In these three years of separation, they've both faced years of loneliness. It's only once they reconnect and start to trust each other with those secret parts of themselves, that they both start to heal.

I liked both Skye and Jesse; even though she felt like she'd lost a lot of it, Skye's fire and boldness have moments where they break through the darkness that starts to surround her. I think all she needed was someone to support her, someone to tell her that it was OK to share those parts of her again. Jesse, even though it's clear he's screwed up a bit, has a sense of honor that I can respect. A lot of his issues stem from the love that he has for his parents, from his own misguided belief that he has to somehow replace some of what they lost when his brother was killed. I think that they are both characters that young adult readers could relate to, and they have an easy rapport that's quickly reestablished once they begin to reconnect.

The plot moved pretty quickly for me, but I thought it was very easy to follow, and it had just the right bit of mystery and intrigue to keep me hooked. We're faced with two mysteries- first, who are these people that are targeting Skye (more importantly, HOW are they doing it?) and second, what really happened the day of the shooting? The former is ongoing throughout the novel, but the latter develops pretty quickly toward the end. In terms of the "villain", I was both surprised and not. There's a bit of a twist that I did not see coming, so it was "fun" to be surprised.

Overall, I enjoyed Aftermath. To be honest, I'd be hard-pressed to find a Kelley Armstrong book that I DIDN'T enjoy. Although I adore her series, and wish she'd write more installments, I think she's nearly perfected the art of the one-shot thriller. She chooses just enough main characters to engage the reader, but she never overloads to the point where their development suffers. The mysteries make sense, and the clues are subtle enough that readers can be pleased to discover some, and experience the fun "aha moment" when others finally click together.

I'll definitely continue to check out whatever Armstrong publishes next :)