As this was the first book I've read by Gayle Forman, I cannot compare it to her previous work. I would be careful about recommending it to sensitive young readers due to its themes of loss and grief. It was a little confusing keeping the various characters and timelines straight, but well worth the effort as everything came together in the end. I will definitely seek out more books from this author. Thanks to NetGalley, Quill Tree Books and the author for a copy to read and review.

I used to be a big Gayle Forman fan, but After Life was a disappointment. The book is a quick read, but that's just because it's a short novel. In past Forman books, I felt a connection to the characters; however, in After Life, I did not care about or like any of the characters. The story felt pointless. I didn't understand where it was going or why. Plus, it felt dated with the characters, their names, and the dialogue had me questioning when the book was based.

I enjoyed the story for the most part, but it seems there were a few too many characters, coincidences, and questionably relevant plot events that vied for the reader’s attention. The epilogue though did a nice job of explaining author Gayle Forman’s impetus for the novel.

Interesting concept and a pretty quick read. While I enjoyed reading After Life, the ending felt very lackluster. I was expecting more and it never really explained why Amber was able to "to come back".
If you are in for a semi emotional read give this book a try.

3.5 stars

When Amber returns home, she finds that seven years have passed and everyone believed her dead. Amber attempts to pick up where she left off, but she quickly learns the far-reaching impact of her death. Told through multiple perspectives, with a ripple-effect-esque vibe.

I never really liked Amber and the story wasn't as impactful as I had hoped. This novel did feel a bit dated, even though it is a new release.

It’s been a while since I last picked up a Gayle Forman novel, and she has not lost her touch with writing, especially when it comes to exploring tough topics. In this novel, the reader is faced with the breadth and impact one death has on a cast of characters. Grief is never an easy thing to read (or write about!) and Forman proved, once again, that she can masterfully and respectfully explore this topic in a way that makes the reader reflect on their own mortality and reflect on how death is celebrated or mourned around the world.

The reader follows a cast of characters who have interacted with Amber, our primary main character, in some form. The plot isn’t chronological, but dances across timelines to take the readers to important moments in the primary and secondary character’s lives. The plot line weaving was nothing short of masterful, and the short chapters made it easy to digest this book even as it handled the topics of loss, grief, and remembrance. I liked this disjointed storytelling for two reasons: 1) it drilled home the idea that grief and remembrance isn’t a linear process; and 2) it drew the reader's attention to important moments from the past which informed the characterization in the present. This plotting, paired with the lyrical writing of Forman’s, made it incredibly easy to fall into the story and feel the raw characterization of everyone involved.

This novel didn’t quite feel like a Young Adult novel, but it didn’t feel Adult either. It fell somewhere in-between, much like our main character, Amber, did. It reminded me of books like Before I Fall and Everything I Never Told You, where the narrative was not afraid to confront both the dark and light ways of which death can impact a family and the greater community. For those reasons, this book felt mature for a young adult novel, which I greatly appreciated.

As I walk away from this read, I know the pervasive question of “What happens after death?” is. And this book provides nuanced answers: perhaps we come back at ghosts; perhaps we move on; perhaps the memory of our life changes the course of another’s life, for better or worse. Regardless, the idea that one person, one life can send ripple effects through an entire community of people is another idea I’ll carry forward with me.

TW: loss of child (off page), death, grief

Thank you to Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

As a huge fan of Gayle Forman's early YA books, I wanted to love this one as well. I found it a bit unrealistic, and didn't love the main character, Amber. She was a bit whiny for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠♡︎ 3.5🌟
𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌♡︎ 4🌟
𝖲𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀♡ 3🌟
𝖯𝗅𝗈𝗍♡︎ 3.5🌟
𝖶𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀♡︎ 4🌟
𝖲𝗉𝗂𝖼𝖾♡︎ 0🌟

Am I crying? Or is it you? 😭 I didn’t expect to enjoy this book so much but man the story was devastatingly beautiful! I would say this story is mainly about grief when it comes to teachers, friends and family and how they all may deal with a passing differently.

I enjoyed how this story has multiple POV, especially when it came to the side characters. Even though my heart hurt for Amber I loved seeing how every characters life has changed whether it was for better or for worse and how they would over come certain obstacles.

The character development was the best part when it came to all the characters because it resembles acceptance after a death as well. It’s hard to be strong after a life and people tend to pull apart but I loved seeing how a death can being people together and apart and with love all can be saved.

If you’re looking for a touching, quick read that leads you captivated, I recommend this book! I finished it in a day and let me tell you… you’ll definitely be having some heart break here.

If I Stay is one of my favorite books (I even taught it a few years!) so I was very excited to get this new book by Gayle Forman to preview. It was good and emotional and a delight to read her words on the page again. The story was a little confusing to my brain at first but I felt like I got into the story and found myself turning the pages quickly. I look forward to more from Forman and will always read anything that she writes.

"coming back from the dead doesn't seem like a miracle so much as a curse...because dead people don't have to see how much destruction they left in their wake..."

One spring afternoon, Amber arrives home on her bike—seven years after she died in an accident. Her return upends her family, friends, and even acquaintances, forcing them to confront the past. As they struggle with the impossible, Amber must uncover why she’s back—and what kind of person she truly was.

This book packed a punch. Would you want to come back and make amends? Is it healthy for those left behind after your passing for you to come back? While I've always wished for an hour just to see my sister again, it's never enough time. It would also make me question things about myself, just as Amber's sister Missy does in this novel. It's a gut-wrenching novel, all about second chances and what happens to everyone after someone has died and if it's worth that secon

This book was a good quick read. I've definitely recommended it to students and we've since purchased two copies. I felt that the story could use a bit more character building, and found the flashback nature of the chapters to be a bit confusing.

“One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.
Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.”

That synopsis is what immediately pulled me in to this book! This is a YA novel which captures themes of grief, loss, family, love, and the aftermath of death. As someone who lost a family member at a young age, this hit close to home, and was emotional yet healing. We see several POV’s on how this death affects them, which I find an important narrative.

At times it felt rushed but I really did enjoy this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Clever idea, but this book didn't do much for me. I didn't quite care for the main character, and I felt like I was reading a book the whole time - I didn't get lost in the story, didn't think about them after finishing the book, and don't know if i would recommend it to my students.

Amber seems like just an ordinary teenager, or is she? When she returns home, her family treats her as if she were a ghost, and perhaps she is, for she has been dead for seven long years. Forman has a remarkable talent for presenting situations in alternative ways that challenge the reader to reflect on deeper truths. He raises a poignant question: what would you feel if a beloved one came back into your life? Would you embrace it as a miracle or dismiss it as a mere hallucination? The narrative structure allows for various perspectives, adding depth to the story, yet ultimately, it falls short of its promise. These shifting viewpoints detract from the essence of what Forman is striving to convey. I yearned for a richer exploration of Amber's family history and her close friendships; the narratives seemed to disrupt the emotional flow instead of enhancing it.

AFTER LIFE demonstrates, yet again, that no one does grief quite like Gayle Forman. Gripping and gorgeous, this book will break you right apart. It is as much an ode to what happens after death as it is to the act of living.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of After Life by Gayle Forman!

The story follows a woman who finds herself in a mysterious limbo after her death. As she navigates this in-between space, she reflects on her past, relationships, and the choices that led her to this moment. Through encounters with others in the afterlife, she gains new perspectives on love, forgiveness, and the meaning of existence/second chances—even beyond death—and the power of healing. A bitter sweet novel with moments of hope interspersed with grief. I tended for teens YA.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for an ARC in exchange for my review.

After Life involves high school senior Amber Crane, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver seven years ago and inexplicably returns one day to her bereaved family. Mom and Dad are divorcing, her sister is gay, her college-bound boyfriend works in a dive bar, and her beloved aunt has moved to New Zealand. The overarching questions are “Who killed her? and Why is she back?” Told from many points of view, the novel weaves together the current lives of people impacted by Amber’s death. Amber realizes she was not the best sister, daughter or friend, when she was alive, and she begins to try to make amends and make sense of her situation. Forman returns to the topic of teen girls in liminal states between life and death, ultimately ending the story with a satisfying conclusion.

Seven years after she was killed in an accident while riding her bike home from school, Amber, 17, returns to her family and friends. Foreman explores something we all wonder about - what people feel and how they deal with the loss of a daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend. Foreman gives us multiple points of view providing readers with a well rounded sense of Amber's impact on their lives before and after her death, including the photographer who took Amber's senior pictures. And while the back and forth of narrative points of view may sound confusing, it ultimately works out. Throughout the novel, Foreman drops all kinds of clues as to what is happening and yet, some will be surprised at the denouement. Of course, Foreman gives us a good dose of magical realism in order to make this story work. This is a well written novel with a well thought out plot. After all, Foreman knows how to write about loss and grief.

I really resonated with the afterword on Judaism and memories being a blessing, but I would’ve loved to see that mentioned throughout the book. This was a beautiful story on grief, and it has lgbtq characters! I was kinda shocked by how amber wronged Dina but it’s a very small part of the story