Review: The Beginning of After

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Synopsis from: Shelfari.com

Published by: Harper Collins

Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new world 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. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. 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. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss, a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

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I really enjoyed reading this book. This in Jennifer Castle's first book, and I wouldn't have found out about it if I hadn't been doing library monitors at my school. We get first pick on books that come in, and the moment I saw the book, I knew that I had to read it.

A lot of authors have started to write books like this. About how your parents die, or someone you love, and you have to make your way through it. This book had the same plot, but I found it to be really interesting.

When the book started, her parents were still alive, and that was really nice to see what her life was before they died. Most books go to after the accident, and the protagonist will have "flashbacks" of the accident. Here, it was different, because it started of explaining why the parents were out, and why Laurel wasn't in the car with them. I like it when that happens, because it saves the narrator the time of explaining it all later.

I read the synopsis of the book expecting David to be the guy that she started to like. It wasn't really like that, like it usually is in most books where the protagonist falls immediately in love with one guy for the entire book. I found it to be refreshing, but at the back of my mind, I was waiting for David to come in at unexpected times like he did.

At some parts in the book, I kinda wanted to beat Laurel, because she was being mean. But then again, she'd say "sorry," which sort of made up for it. But that doesn't mean that other were like that. I found David to get angry easily. And a bit senseless. For example, at one point in the book, he drives through the night all the way from DC to home, and when he get's angry, he drives back. I mean, him getting angry is part of Laurel's fault, but would you do that? I mean, who would do that?

Overall, this book was interesting, and I was able to read straight through it. Sometimes, I read books that take me a few days because they aren't too exciting, but this wasn't one of those books.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to break away from all those cliched stories about how the girl always falls in love with the boy next door smack right away. But also, I suggest that people who enjoy the girl falling in love with the boy next door, even if it does take a while in this book.