The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

And if the guy who asked you to prom only did it because he feels sorry for you. We are barely introduced to Laurel, her parents, her brother, and the Kaufmans when they are all killed (aside from Laurel) 12 pages into the book.Ĥ. But contrary to what you might expect, this book is not really about grief at all. Here are a few things you might want to know about The Beginning of After:ģ. It actually took awhile for there to be any discussion about Laurel's grief or lack of it at all, to the point that I was thinking This IS supposed to be the main point of this book, right?

This isn't a bad book, although it's not really a very deep one, and its hook-a girl embracing life after her family's death-may really be its greatest weakness. Jennifer Castle’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss-a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy. Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After.

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle