After Life by Gayle Forman
ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When the cover has a blurb by @adamsilvera, you know I have to read it! And this one didn't disappoint. In fact, I finished it in one afternoon.

After Life tells the story of 17 year old Amber, who shows up at her home 7 years after she was killed on her bike by a hit-and-run. Her family is in shambles, her high school boyfriend grief-stricken and guilty. She decides its up to her to make it right.

Told with multiple POVs and time jumps, Foreman tackles grief with poignent clarity and shows how one life can impact many. It hit hard and personal.

I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @harpercollins. The opinions are my own.

After Life will be released on January 7, 2025.

This was good story. Not great, but good. I struggled a bit and I know this is a classic case of, “it’s not you, it’s me,” since everyone I know that read it, loved it.

I loved this one and I am over here sobbing. This book is about a seventeen year old who died and comes home 7 years later. Her mom of course screams when she sees her. Amber has no idea that she died seven years ago. Her little sister is now almost her age. Amber gets to see the changes that happened to people because of her death. But while bad things obviously happened after she died, good things have come about too. We see the ripple effect of her life and death. Amber sees that she was not always the nicest friend and sister. She thinks her life and death did not matter but we get to see other people's perspectives and how their life changed for the better because of her life and death. I enjoyed the book so much. Beautiful things can come out of tragedies. The chapters are short so it is a quick read. I thought I had things figured out but I did not. Gayle Forman mentions at the end that in Judaism when a person dies they will say "May their memory be a blessing."

I want to add that Amber dies while being hit by a car while riding her bike. I had a death in the family the same way and I certainly thought about that while reading. But the memories are definitely a blessing.

-Suddenly, 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. And me, I've got quite a body count going.

-Was Virginia Woolf right? You have to subtract something to add something?

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books and Quill Tree Books for providing me with this E-ARC in exchange for my review.


This book is about the profound way a single person can connect an entire community and shape the future even after they're gone.


If you have read Gayle Forman’s ‘If I Stay,’ then you’re familiar with the almost cathartic heartache that she can weave into her storytelling. This book was no different. The alternate povs in this book really brought this story to life for me. I enjoyed the chapters from character’s that weren’t directly connected to Amber, as it really illustrates how small the world is and how big each of our impact is.


There were times when I felt confused because of how much nuance there was rather than actual description, but that might be the autistic need to take everything literally. At times, I could really tell that Gayle wanted us to think in a more abstract way about Amber and those connected to her. I liked the foreshadowing we got and some of the red herrings about who the hit-and-run driver truly was, it really added to the whole “she was so much bigger than herself,” element of this book.


Ultimately, I liked how the ending was done and I enjoyed this read. It was quick, different, and I hope it will help some young adult that might be struggling with grief. I know I would’ve appreciated a book like this back when I was younger.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


My review was posted to Goodreads on 12/18/24.
My Instagram review will be posted on 12/29/24.

After Life is a fine example of my long-held belief that one is never too old for a “Young Adult” book. The story begins with a lyrical description of a young woman riding her bicycle home, and expressing the pleasures of that kind of homeward journey. Once there she is confused by some things that seem out of place, but then she hears her mother pulling into the garage, and when she goes out to say hello, her mother begins to scream….

Amber, who had been thinking about her upcoming Senior Prom and graduation, finds out that she had died seven years previously in a hit-and-run accident. Her little sister is now the age she had been, and many of the fundamental relationships that we expect in our lives had changed. The story unfolds as a series of short chapters, alternating between her experiences, and providing the stories of people around her, spread over many years, but creating a tapestry view of the life she had lived. She tries to respond to the new world of her hometown, with mixed results.

The interweaving threads of her life, family, friends, and acquaintances slowly come together to create a new view of all these lives. The story is beautifully told, with great emotional depth, and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I did.

This book about a teenage girl who died at 17 but reappears 7 years later had an interesting premise but I didn't like that the storyline from before she died was cliche and formulaic. I was most intrigued by the other characters in the book - the aunt, the photographer, the teacher, the police detective. But lots of teen readers will probably enjoy the cliched parts of the book.

There are a lot of lessons we learn the hard way in our youth. but what if we got a second chance to change things?

Seventeen-year-old Amber rides home on her bicycle one day, but when her family sees her, they're terrified. Amber was killed in a hit and run seven years before. But somehow, she's there. Alive?

Between the mystery of her spontaneous reappearance is a story about losing faith, finding faith, forgiveness, family, and priorities. It's about enduring love. It's about making mistakes and learning from them.

Death has a way of instantly reprioritizing your life - especially, as it happens in this book, when it is your own. Families break apart. Other relationships strengthen. Our lives are constantly evolving, and it isn't always until we're not part of something anymore that we realize how much.

I really enjoyed this poignant young adult story that demonstrates that mistakes don't make or break our lives. It's a good message.

I was lucky to receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts are mine.

Amber is riding her bike home like she normally does … except she died seven years ago! Everyone has moved on, but Amber is the same. She doesn’t understand what is going on and neither does anyone else. At first, Amber tries to reconnect with family and friends, but she quickly learns that her death affected everyone in some way, and it is hard to move past her being back. Why was Amber and her family given this second chance?

After Life is a stand-alone novel that is one-part mystery and one-part supernatural story. I was fully invested in this story from the start because I wanted to know what happened. Forman didn’t disappoint with the wonderful ending and great explanation. After Life is a short read, so go ahead and start it now.

This was such a moving and emotional book to read. I don't really want to say too much about it other than that. I think this is definitely a must-read!

Synopsis: 17 year old Amber is mysteriously killed and returns from the dead after 7 years and is reunited with her family.

Thoughts: An interesting view point on how life changes after a loved one passes away and how if given the chance to see your deceased loved one, all the things you’d do and say to them. Very thought provoking and sad.

Thank you to Gayle Forman, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Wow...all I can say is wow. What a beautiful story about love and loss, life and death. I highly recommend this heartwrenching book. I think the less I tell you about the book is better in this case. Just a really beautiful story. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a gripping and emotional read! The concept of a character discovering they've been dead for seven years opens up a unique exploration of themes like grief, love, and the impact of loss on those left behind. Amber's journey to understand her new reality while navigating her family's altered dynamics adds depth to the narrative.

I enjoyed how the author used multiple points of view to tell the story as it allows readers to see how different characters process their grief and guilt in their own ways. This can lead to powerful insights into human emotions and relationships, showcasing the complexity of each character's experience.

I loved the timeline jumps as they provided a layered approach to the story, revealing the events leading up to Amber's death and the aftermath, which kept me engaged and constantly questioning who was responsible for her fate.

Overall, it seems like this book not only hooks readers with its intriguing plot but also offers a thoughtful examination of how tragedy impacts individuals and families. It's a compelling mix of mystery, emotional depth, and the exploration of life after death—definitely a story that would resonate with many readers.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Book for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with an arc of this novel!
this is a heartwarming and bittersweet young adult story centered grief, loss, and all things in between. it had some really sad parts and some really parts. the various perspectives really allowed for a fully fleshed story that was really enjoyable.

amazing, has a whole bunch of timing jumps that really capture the feeling of grief and how to let go of grief for someone who died. 4.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

Gayle Forman novels are can't miss novels for me. While this one is more like supernatural fiction than realistic fiction, the writing and plot development make the novel well worth reading.

I've waited multiple days to write this review while I processed what I read. It reminded me of my first experience with David Levithan's "Every Day," which should give you an idea of the brilliance of this novel! I sobbed so so hard, y'all. And I just kept thinking, "Gawd, I miss my Ma." But the book helped me NOT miss her so much. And it made me think about how we DO death in this country and decide that I don't much like it. And, in the mean time, I need to make my wishes clear AND I need to thank Gayle Forman, again, for her wisdom and the gift of her writing. So, thanks. This book will be with me for a very long time I imagine. I cannot recommend it strongly enough! RUN out and get it as soon as you can. I'll definitely be buying a forever copy for me, as well as for my sister who works in hospice palliative care. It's just beautiful. ❤️❤️❤️📚❤️❤️❤️

IM not gonna lie I’ve never met a Gayle Foreman I didn’t like, and this one is no exception. For me, the story is such a unique take on grief and loss and I enjoyed every second of it.

One of my favorite young adult books, If I Stay, was written by Gayle Forman and this new story reminded me of that book. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books and Quill Tree Books for providing the eBook in exchange for my review.

The story begins with Amber riding her bike home from school. She thinks it's just an ordinary day. Everything that takes place after is, essentially, a story of loss, grief, acceptance and a bit of a mystery thrown in.

The chapters alternate between Amber, her mother, father, sister, boyfriend and others who were in some way impacted by Amber's life or death. While Amber's chapters are in the present, the other chapters alternate between the past and present. 

I was a bit frustrated with the chapters from people who were not friends or family. I didn't understand why we needed to know about them. But, by the end of this story some of these were the basis for the bit of mystery surrounding Amber's death by a hit and run driver. 
This story takes us through how Amber's parents' marriage became undone after she died, and also how her sister Melissa managed to keep Amber alive in her own way. I loved Melissa's chapters and how happy she was to see Amber.

For Amber's friends, there are some characters I wish we'd had more from - Dina and her mother Peggy. And there are some I wish we'd had less from - Casey.  I legitimately could not stand Casey by the end of the story. The boyfriend, Calvin, was just enough, but I was so mad at Amber's dad and how unfair he was to Calvin. I was glad Amber's family realized they had failed to support him while he was also grieving. 

I had so many questions as I read. I kept wondering how this was going to end. There was no way Amber was completely back, right? What if she disappeared?  How would the family move on?  Why didn't Calvin go to college? Where was Aunt Pauline? I worried how Amber's return would affect Melissa's life. 

I liked how the outside characters end up entwined in Amber's family by the end of the story.  This had a good result for Aunt Pauline.  This was heartbreaking when we find out who the hit and run driver was, why they drove away after the accident and was never found. 

The interactions between Dina and Amber affected me the most.  I was suspicious when Dina showed up to see Amber.  And even more so, when she went with Amber to find Calvin.  I suspected Dina was also dead when they were riding together on Amber's bike. The entire scene was very poignant. Their final conversation felt like their reunion was a way for Amber to apologize for the unforgivable thing she'd done to end their friendship.

Overall, this is a story about how grief and loss affect people differently. There were plenty of tears as I became emotionally invested in After Life. Especially once I realized that those who genuinely grieved Amber were the only ones who actually saw her.  This was a great read.

This book was a big tear jerker. I dont usually read books that get me sad but this one took my heart! If you ever lost someone in your life, this book will move you.

I absolutely loved this story. Gayle Forman is a go-to author, and this book did not disappoint. I enjoyed the different POVs and seeing how all the stories were somehow individual but also interconnected.