Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the eARC.

All the Tomorrows After is an extremely captivating novel. The moment I opened it I never wanted to put it down. The story is complex and heart wrenching, I ached for these characters. What a beautiful and moving story.

All the Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi is a captivating, heartrending novel about a Korean American teen navigating grief and first love.
This was an enthralling story that captivated me from the very beginning.
With the writing style and the atmosphere, it all clings to you.
The writing is atmospheric and gripping making this book impossible to put down.

Thank You NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Sometimes a book really speaks to you. For me, All the Tomorrows After is one such book. The sticking point for me was the diagnosis of ALS for one of the main characters. While my husband does not have ALS, he does have a neurodegenerative disorder that will progress similarly, although at a slower rate. More than once, I found myself reading late into the night, in tears, comparing notes with my little family.

Author Joanne Yi, whose own father had ALS, captures the complicated emotions and challenges surrounding this type of disease with such clarity and heart. You mix in the other challenges Winter is facing — grief, estrangement, a mother who is there in body only — and you get an emotional and heartfelt novel with real staying power.

Winter is a character that many a teen will relate to. She dreams of traveling, getting away from her situation and seeing the world. She’s smart, smarter than most people would give her credit for. She’s creative. She has been shaped by Korean culture and food, and isn’t ashamed of it. She loves her grandmother unconditionally. She hurts deeply. She’s perfectly flawed and far from perfect.

All the Tomorrows After isn’t a fast-moving read, but that’s OK. Yi’s slower pacing allows you to sit with moments and work to understand both the characters’, and your own, emotions. It isn’t a particularly happy story, but it is hopeful and leaves you better off than before reading it.

All the Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi, 400 pages. Atheneum Books (Simon and Schuster), 2025. $20.
Language: R (94 swears, 25 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Sung, Winter’s father, left her with her mother and grandmother when she was a child and seemingly never looked back. A senior in high school now, Winter longs to run away like he did and is saving up to do just that, but then the stepmother Winter didn’t know existed shows up begging her to come see her father and unintentionally gets Winter fired. Winter is desperate enough to make a financial arrangement with her estranged father—how desperate is he for a relationship he turned his back on years ago?
Reading Winter’s story is painful because the weight of loss is something that we all understand. No matter how much she tries to enforce her protective shell of solitude, Winter cannot escape the pain of everything going wrong and losing pieces of her heart. To read her story is to recognize that every kind of loss and grief is painful and that it’s okay to allow yourself to not be alone, to allow yourself to make more connections despite the risk of more loss later. Her story cannot be described as enjoyable but it is worth it.
Winter is Korean American. While the book takes place in California, the majority of characters that Winter interacts with are also Korean. Melody is described as bi. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, mentions of drugs, illegal activity, kissing, partial nudity, innuendo, and sex. The violence rating is for assault, child abuse, and mentions of suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

content warnings: grief, death of loved one, ALS, parent estrangement, emotional & physical abuse from parent

every night, winter counts her savings to one day disappear with her halmoni. but when her mother finds these savings and blows through them in one day, winter starts to feel like she’ll never escape. luckily for her, her estranged father’s wife finds her and offers to pay winter to get to know her father. winter needs the money, but she finds it difficult to put the past behind her, especially when new hurts begin to pop up. as she navigates grief, first love, and forgiveness, winter begins to evaluate her future plans and what family really means.

i love books exploring the theme of grief, so i knew i had to read this one. i thought this book portrayed grief so realistically, from the ugly moments of lashing out at people, to the lovely moments of sharing memories of the person who passed, to the numbness and confusion and everything else in between. ALS was represented through one of the characters, and i could tell even before reading the author’s note that this was something personal to the author due to how intimate the details of this diagnosis were.

there was also the depiction of having toxic and estranged parents. as the blurb points out, winter’s mom steals her savings, but she was somehow worse than that. her mother was young when winter was born, and became a single parent not too long after, and it’s clear she takes out her regrets on winter. i appreciated how, at least in my opinion, the narrative didn’t attempt to excuse the bad things winter’s mom put her through. as for winter’s dad, i was very skeptical of him at first, especially since he sent his wife to talk to winter rather than going himself. however, he made up for the lost time as much as he could (both monetarily and emotionally). winter also gained a stepmom and half-sister through getting to know him, which i loved.

while this book primarily focused on familial relationships, there was some romance, as well. not in a way that makes this a romance book, but enough to comment on. i thought that winter and joon’s relationship was done well and was realistic to their age and personal situations. joon was such a good guy, and it was really sweet to see how he was there for winter along the way.

overall, this was a great read exploring themes of grief, family, and first love. i recommend this to any YA reader, as long as you are okay with the content.

What a painful and beautiful exploration of complicated families found in all cultures, but in this case focused on a Korean American teen, Winter Moon. Winter longs to escape her emotionally estranged mother, and her methods of earning money toward that goal linger in the gray area of morality. The ethical ambiguity expands when she convinces her long absent father to pay her to spend time with him. Lots of “what would you do” conversations for teens are raised in this book! Your heart will be stretched and pinched, but you’ll find yourself a more thoughtful person after reading this one.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this important work.

This novel is exquisite. The short chapters make it read like a verse novel while the prose perfectly balances lyricism with a sharp edge. At the start of the novel, the protagonist's trauma has left her so prickly as to be unlikable, and her transformation unfolds so gradually and authentically that by the end she is almost unrecognizable to who she was at the start. I do not have the words to heap enough praise onto this stunning debut novel. It is a shimmering work of art that you must read yourself to appreciate. Congratulations to Joanne Yi on her debut!

dnf at 56%
3.5
thank u netgalley for the arc!!
haven't finished it yet but i'll update when i do!
this was good. it 100% would be something i would've loved in middle school, as i LOOOOVED girl in pieces, and this is super similar. that being said, im 20, so reading this read a little young and edgy for me. however, it was relatable to not only my younger self but my relationship with my parents lol.
it was boring to me, plus as someone who understands korean, the constant immediate explanations of the words were a little redundant but i understand, just wish it wasn't EVERY single time on practically every page lol.
that being said, it's a pretty good book, not really usually what i would read, but enjoyable for the most part nevertheless.
recommend if u like girl in pieces!! (less)

Absolutely stunning. I think this is the first book I've read by Joanne Yi, and it did not disappoint. It was so gorgeously written, and really hit a chord. I'd highly recommend this and can't wait to read more from JY.

All the Tomorrows After is a YA novel that ripped me apart in the best way. Winter Moon’s voice is raw, believable, and deeply real. The story moves through her relationships with her grandmother, her father, her boyfriend, and her mother, showing grief and connection in ways that felt authentic and heartbreaking.

What struck me most was how much it made me feel. The writing is simple and sharp, never overdone, and that restraint gave the emotions all the weight they needed. This is not a light YA read. There is first love, sex, toxic family dynamics, and devastating loss. I’d recommend it for older teens and for adults who still remember the intensity of being that age when every joy and every heartbreak felt like it might break you.
A powerful and honest story about grief, love, and family.

Did not finish. I was intrigued by the story but something just was not working for me. It had good elements though and I know others will like it.

“Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Winter Moon wants nothing more than to travel with her beloved halmoni. She’s been saving her money so they can experience the beauty and excitement the world has to offer them. It doesn’t matter if she hates her job. As long as she has her dream and her grandmother to keep her going, nothing is impossible.

But when her mother steals her money for her own selfish desires, Winter has no other choice but to connect with her estranged father and agrees to spend time with him, for a price. Because nothing in this life is free, right? Especially not love, forgiveness, and trust. But when tragedy comes and turns her world upside down, Winter navigates grief and anger as she experiences her first love with a new boy at school, discovers a secret her father is trying desperately to hide, and reconciles with people she has pushed away over the years or who have abandoned her.

Will Winter ever find happiness? Does she get to fulfill her dream of traveling the world? Will she learn to forgive those who hurt her and accept healing from those who are willing to offer it? ❤‍🩹

This was such an impactful and heartbreaking book! 😭 And it’s a debut novel? Yup, I’m just sobbing at this point.

I don’t think I have ever related to a character as much as I did with Winter Moon. I, too, want to travel the world and see all the places I’ve read about and researched. But, like Winter, I think my desire to travel is hiding the truth of what my real desire is: to run away from something or someone, which in all likelihood, is me. 😅 I also have a grandma who suffered a stroke, and she has good days and bad days. It hurts to see her unable to do the things she loves to do, so I completely understood Winter’s heartache and grief. I usually get annoyed with characters who are stubborn in their thinking and perception of the world, but I found Winter to be a relatable and flawed character who felt human and real. I wanted her to be happy and fulfill her dreams. ❤

And I’d like to take a moment to appreciate Joon, the new boy at Winter’s school. He was such a sweet, kind, and gentle soul. 🥹 I smiled whenever he showed up and tried to befriend Winter. Even though he was a side character, he had such an impact on the story and on Winter’s life. ❤

Heck, all of the characters, actually, were in the story for a reason and added to the plot. I don’t think I found anything wrong with the book. The writing was excellent, easy to read, and very engaging. The plot was intriguing, well-structured, and the ending was somewhat predictable yet satisfying. And I loved learning about Korean culture and food. All in all, I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait for more books by Joanne Yi! 😁🫶🏼

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. 📕

❗Content Warnings❗
Death & grief.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No (closed-door)

The quick cut: A Korean American girl reluctantly agrees to visits from her estranged father after her mother steals her money.

A real review:
Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers for providing the arc for an honest review.

Our relationships frame who become as we grow, especially those that we have with our parents. For Winter, this is a core difficulty as she has one parent who steals from her and another that has been uninvolved for years.

Winter has spent her life dreaming of escape. With a dad who disappeared years ago and a mother who isn't really there for her, the only person she truly cares about is her grandmother. Saving up her money, she's waiting until she has the right amount to leave with her grandmother together. When her mom finds her saved cash and spends it all, Winter is left devastated until the dad who left years ago gives her an offer: spend time with me each week for payment.

This book has a very slow pace compared to what I prefer and it definitely made it difficult to focus. While the character development is phenomenal, it just seemed as of a lot of the pages were unnecessary or didn't add to the plot development. All of the chapters were short as well, which left the pacing choppy. It's a lot of small details that left the experience less than optimal.

Winter has not had what anyone would call the ideal childhood. Between a dad who abandoned her and a mother who is more focused on what she wants, she's left to fend for herself. There's an understandable amount of frustration and depression left for her to work through. This is clear as her relationships change over time.

This book also features a character with ALS diagnosis. The author does a wonderful job of explaining what the condition is and what that means for longevity in a natural way. It's a truly devastating condition that can derail the direction of a person's life.

I would be remiss if I didn't say that this book is a difficult one to read. The tone is somber for a vast majority and the ending doesn't really change that overall feeling. If you don't handle sadder stories well, skip this one.

A sad, emotional story that can feel burdensome to the reader.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the gifted e-arc!

Wow! This book took me by surprise! I ended up thoroughly enjoying this one. This coming of age novel depicts Winter, who unfortunately has had a rough life. My heart ached for Winter, she was a child forced to grow up way too soon due to her selfish and bitter mother. Imagine being 14 and being responsible for paying bills, working 5-7 days a week, being the sole caregiver for your grandmother, not having a mother that asks about you, makes sure you’re ok, etc. Fortunately, when Winter’s estranged father, whom she hasn’t seen in years, comes back into her life, things began to change. He offers to pay her in exchange for her time. This is a win for her as she is trying to save up money to leave. What started out as a “contract” turns into a genuine connection, love, and new found family. Winter began to feel a sense of belonging, something she never felt before. But, Unfortunately her father is carrying a secret, that ultimately affects the trajectory of their relationship.

All the Tomorrows After, dive into grief, loss, friendship, love, relationships, and long term caregiver burden. It depicts failed dreams and what can happen when life doesn’t go the way you planned it.

I absolutely loved the budding relationship between Winter and Joon, Winter and her father, Helena, and Avery. I loved to see Winter succeed and figure out her life, especially after being discouraged and belittled by her very own mother.

I highly recommend this read! While it is a bit on the heavier side, it was a beautiful page turning read! You will find yourself rooting for all the characters(except Sunny 🙃).

incredibly beautiful story. there were so many quotes from this book that really touched me. amazing character development of every single character. i love how winter truly found something in other people and herself by the end of the story

Whew, what a gut punch of a book. A beautiful look at grief, family and forgiveness, All The Tomorrows After was not an easy book to read, but well worth it. Winter was an incredibly difficult character. She absolutely had her reasons for being distrustful and closed off, but there were so many times I just wanted her to open up and get out of her own way. Her character journey though is certainly one of the best I’ve read all year. I loved her relationship that she had with her grandmother. It was so beautifully portrayed. I also enjoyed seeing Winter slowly let her dad into her life and try to understand him and his choices. I do wish there had been a little more closure with Winter and her mom, but trI definitely recommend this one, but check the triggers before reading because this book deals with some tough topics.

CW: death, illness, child abuse, child abandonment, grief, car accident, injury

Book Review: All the Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi

I love reading books about other cultures and I have not read enough about the Korean culture. Her description of Korean food made me google repeatedly and I found myself getting hungry for Korean food. I’ve been to Korean restaurants and they were delicious. It’s time to go back.

Winter Moon is a senior in high school and lives in a small apartment with her selfish mother and a beloved grandmother. Her father left them when she was young. They struggle to make ends meet each month. After over a decade of not being in Winter’s life, her father wants to get to know her again. Winter is resentful and only agrees if he pays her.

The story explores themes of grief, introspection, and the boundaries of forgiveness. It was an emotional and well written novel. Thank you. @NetGalley for the advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A powerful YA story about grief, healing, finding yourself, and forgiveness.

This book made me feel so many emotions. Anger, sadness, hope, and eventually happiness. I really connected with Winter’s journey and loved watching her grow and heal throughout the story.

It broke me, but by the end, it put me back together again.

This is a perfect read for fans of Girl in Pieces.

So, in all honesty, this was a beautiful book. But, I'm nothing if not truthful when it comes to my reviews, and this book was so slow to me. There are so many positives to this book like the characters and the story and the lyrical prose. I just couldn't get past the pacing. 

Let's start with the good. I loved the characters. I think Joanne Yi did a wonderful job bringing them all to life. There were complex and frustrating and so so human. Joon was my favorite character with Helena and Melody hitting a close second. Winter was often hard to life sometimes, but I think that was a product of the deep depression I think she was in. While it was never mentioned, to me it seemed very obvious that she was depressed. Her relationship with her father was a centerpiece in this novel and was honestly one of the most complex relationships in the book. Sung made me so mad at times and he felt so selfish, but I don't think I can hold that against him. 

The story was probably one of the best parts. It focuses mainly on Winter's relationship with her father, Sung, Joon (a boy she likes and who likes her), and her mother, Sunny. The main relationship, though, is with Sung. There's a lot of mending broken things and wondering if some of the broken parts could ever be fixed. Winter was so distrustful (and rightfully so) that it took her a long time to warm up. Once you get past the beginning and finally see her open up, though, it's such a triumphant moment as a reader. 

With the writing style, everything felt so fluffed and lyrical. It was beautiful, but oftentimes felt like too much for a novel of this length. There were times when I just wanted the author to get to the point, but everything had innuendo and everything was shrouded by a metaphor. I like this type of writing style at times, but it was so draining for a full length novel. Which leads me to...

The pacing. I cannot tell you how many times I told myself I'd read for an hour and just couldn't get my attention to hold for long enough. I was literally on the beach and had nothing to do but read and I just couldn't. I think a lot of this had to do with the writing style, but I honestly didn't connect with any of the characters until well past halfway through the novel. So, I literally pulled myself through this one and while I genuinely enjoyed the story, the characters, and the writing style, I think it could have been shortened exponentially in the beginning. 

Overall, I'd probably rate this book a 2.5/5 and round it up to 3 for all the social platforms. It had a beautiful writing style and wonderful characters but dragged on for so long in the beginning that I couldn't get my attention to stay on the book. Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

💙 All the Tomorrows After (thank you @simonteen )
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- A gritty protagonist that you can’t help sympathizing with. I loved how complicated Winter was and how Joanne Yi portrays her character. This is a character driven story that has so many layers.