Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The World After Alice by Lauren Aliza Green. This is a contemporary family story and the scene is a wedding in Maine. The bride’s family and groom’s family have known each other for a long time, but they have been very separate since the death of Alice, the sister of Benji the groom and Morgan the bride. They are all still dealing with it. The story is about all the family relationships, and how they interact. The characters are mainly unlikeable, and I had a hard time getting into it. #theworldafteralice #laurenalizagreen #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #weddingstory #maine #lovetoread #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #readallday

Interesting story following Alice's family, both right before/after her disappearance, and 10 years later. I did enjoy it, but some of the characters weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked. Benji, her brother, for one. The focus was mostly on her parents, and I didn't find either of them particularly likable. The teacher character was a bit strange for me, and I couldn't quite figure out his role. I did like her writing, and I plan to read more from her, but I guess this story just wasn't my favorite.

I think this just wasn't the right time for me to read this book. Grief can be a hard subject for me to read. Character driven novels don't always work for me either. I can see why others would like this one but it just isn't the right book for me unfortunately.

Beautifully written, but there are so many characters and so many tangential storylines that didn't quite come together for me. I'd definitely pick up Green's next novel though because I think she has real talent as a writer.

Lovely debut. I see a lot of promise in this author, The book took some time for me to get through, and knowing it was a debut I gave it a lot of room to work through. It needed something a bit more to take it to the level of the kind of engaging story the premise deserves.

Thank you to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for the ARC of The World After Alice.

I enjoyed the overall theme and message - life after losing a sister, a child, a friend. But the story was so dry and a touch uninteresting. The details were lost to me not long after finishing it. What I did enjoy was the storyline of handling your marriage after infidelity and losing a child. I think Linnie handled herself with poise and grace when interacting and dealing with Nick. I know that her attitude didn't happen overnight, however, it is a message of hope when two people still must co-parent after they lose each other. I wish the characters were more dynamic and had more personality. I just wasn't invested in any part of the story and didn't feel that I had anyone to truly root for.

The World After Alice is a heavy and deeply emotional story that takes place a dozen years after the death of the eponymous character, at the unexpected wedding of her best friend and brother. Loads of family drama and chaos ensue as no one was even aware of a relationship. I enjoyed the story but found it hard to engage with at times, to the point of having to force myself to continue. Green is an excellent writer and I think she has the ability to tell an engaging story, but for me this one fell a bit flat.

My thanks to Penguin Group/Viking, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Great story of Grief, love, yearning, revolving around a wedding, concentrating on the views of each individual as they were affected by the unexpected suicide of a young person that influenced their lives. Very well written, very emotional, book.

Lauren Aliza Green takes a devastating experience and builds a family drama around it. When Alice tragically died twelve years before the book opens, many were impacted, especially her family and the family of her best friend. Flash forward and Alice's best friend, Morgan, and her brother, Benji, are preparing to marry. As the families are forced together, wounds from the past are exposed and the events that led to Alice's death are revealed. This was difficult book to read for me as I like my books a little more light hearted. This book is for readers who like to delve into the psyche of the characters and learn all of their secrets. It was well written, but not my favorite.

This novel begins on the eve of Benji and Morgan’s wedding - who have only recently revealed to their families that they have been dating for years. 12 years earlier, Alice, Beni’s older sister and Morgan’s best friend, committed suicide at age 16, and everyone has not been together in the same place since her memorial. The book is told through multiple perspectives - Benji and Morgan, Benji’s divorced parents and their new companions, and Morgan’s dad, both during the wedding weekend and in flashback sections set just before and after Alice’s death.

If The Wedding People was too light of a dysfunctional wedding weekend book for you, then this one is for you. It’s quite sad and melancholy throughout, dealing with not only the immediate grief and trauma of a suicide, but the long lasting repercussions on the lives of people touched by it. It’s also an absolutely beautifully written book with very vivid, flawed characters, which is especially impressive considering this is a debut novel by a young novelist. I loved it, and look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.

An emotional and beautifully written story that delves into grief, growth and love. It is a character driven novel with family drama and secrets. The characters are flawed and relatable.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Viking and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A portrait of a family grieving the loss of the daughter, Alice. as a teen, going back and forth from the past to the future where Alice’s brother is marrying her best friend from. Lovely character development and beautiful writing but some of the threads just didn’t connect for me.

This book wasn't for me and didn't clearly label the POV of the characters. It was too confusing and I didn't like it.

A story of two families still dealing with the emotional impact of Alice's death when they are reunited 12 years later when Morgan, Alice's friend, and Benji, Alice's brother announce their marriage. Everyone involved has their own secrets and story of what happened and it all comes out in one eventful weekend leading up to the wedding. Overall, a story of grief and secrets and how the families cope.

Morgan and Benji surprise their families with the news that not only are they dating but they are engaged. Their families have been entwined for awhile since Morgan was best friends with Benji's late sister, Alice. That loss, twelve years ago, deeply effected bother of their families Now everyone is coming into town for the wedding, carrying their questions about the nuptials and their secrets from twelve years ago.

This book was very somber, that's the best word to describe the mood. I thought Green reflected on grief in a really open way but I felt like we didn't get enough of Alice. Maybe that was the point- this was about the people left behind but I wanted to know Alice a tad bit more.

The World After Alice by Lauren Aliza Green is the story of families who hadn't seen each other for twelve years, not since the funeral of 16 year old Alice who had taken her own life. Her best friend and brother have decided to marry and they've called the family (who have no idea they're dating) together for their surprise wedding. Their grief is the main character here which is a good thing because I really didn't like most of the characters in the novel. They were self-important, vapid and I didn't want to know them. This wedding weekend is tragic in so many ways. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Something about this cover called to me the moment I saw it and I knew I had to read it. It was filled with both sadness and beauty with melancholy vibes and that’s actually how the story read as well.

Alice dies at the age of 16 under tragic circumstances and leaves a trail of grief behind. Twelve years later her younger brother and best friend announce they are getting married! Except their families had no idea they were even in a relationship. As the family gets together for their wedding weekend, lots of family drama ensues of course!

Families can be so complicated. Add grief, loss and secrets and complex factor immediately increases. The story slowly unpeeled layers of secrets and unexpected connections between various characters. Alice’s death changed each one of the characters in a different way and I especially enjoyed the parts of the story that revolved around how each character dealt with that. Yes this is a story about grief and loss but also one about love and moving forward! If you enjoy family dramas with interesting characters, you want to pick up this one!

A huge thank you to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Heartbreaking at times and beautifully written this is a portrait of life for those Alice loved after she took her own life. This book was quite sad while being lovely. The author did a great job of capturing so many emotions.
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Thank you #penguingroup and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I know this book had mixed reviews, but I thought is raw, edgy family drama. Of course, it was sad and easy to blame the parents, a teacher perhaps but sometimes depression is just what it is. The wedding of the year, one that will either bring a heartbroken family together or push them further apart. Benji the brother of Alice is marrying Alice's best friend, through their lost they lean on each other, then find themselves in love. But when they decide to get married how will they tell their family? Are they willing to open old wounds for the sake of love?

Twelve years have passed since the devastating tragedy that upended their lives, Benji is aware this wedding will come as a shock, but the couple decide to have their wedding in Maine and reunite the families since Alice's funeral. In this family drama secrets will be reveled and some more shocking than others. Can the family put behind them hurt of past to move bravely into the new future all of them?

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for copy of this book for my honest review.

Alice jumped off a bridge. Alice was Morgan's best friend. Alice was Benjamin's sister. Alice was in high school and a gifted musician. Alice's family grieved. Morgan grieved.

Twelve years later, Morgan and Benjamin invite both families and a plethora of friends to their wedding. It's happy. It's sad. It's a "bit" awkward because so many of the guests last saw one another at Alice's memorial. The reunion of those who loved Alice not only brings up joy for Benjamin and Morgan, but all the grief they felt when Alice died.

This book explores the dynamics of grief and anger, and moving on in the aftermath. Readers who enjoy complicated romantic relationships with a twist of mystery will enjoy this one.