Review: Afterward: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu

A tragic kidnapping leads to an unlikely friendship in this novel about finding light in the midst of darkness from the author of The Truth About Alice. 

When Caroline's little brother is kidnapped, his subsequent rescue leads to the discovery of Ethan, a teenager who has been living with the kidnapper since he was a young child himself. In the aftermath, Caroline can't help but wonder what Ethan knows about everything that happened to her brother, who is not re-adjusting well to life at home. And although Ethan is desperate for a friend, he can't see Caroline without experiencing a resurgence of traumatic memories. But after the media circus surrounding the kidnappings departs from their small Texas town, both Caroline and Ethan find that they need a friend--and their best option just might be each other.

Four years ago, Ethan was kidnapped and never heard from again. A week ago, Caroline’s autistic brother, Dylan, was taken. The odds of a tiny Texas town to be struck by two kidnappings is slim to none and by some miracle, Dylan’s kidnapping leads to both his and Ethan’s rescue.

Afterward is a thought provoking novel told from the viewpoint of Ethan and Caroline, living in the aftermath of this horrific event. Caroline’s family is struggling to keep it together, not sure how to move forward, or how to help someone who can’t articulate what happened to him, and Caroline herself who blames herself for her brother being taken. Ethan, is struggling with coming back to his family after living with his kidnapper for four years, with parents who love him and want to get him all the help he needs (and may not want), who can’t quite come to terms with what happened to him or figure out where the blame rests. When Caroline realizes that her parents aren’t going to do anything to help her brother, she decides to take charge and talk to the only other person around who might have some answers about what happened to him. They become an unlikely duo in the aftermath of this chaos.

What struck me about Afterward was how raw it was. Situations like this are a million to one. Most children who are taken are not given the opportunity to be reunited with their families in a positive way and I think that makes Ethan’s story unique. While it’s a work of fiction, for me it was a very emotional. Ethan has to work through four years of psychological torture and come out the other side into a world that has moved on without him. The world and his family are the same, but not. Caroline’s world seems to be slowly unraveling with no upward swing in sight. She doesn’t have two caring, put together parents willing to face what’s happened to her brother or the financial means to get him the help he needs. She’s hanging on by a thread, getting on day-by-day holding on to anything that might make her feel good.

I give Afterward 5 out 5. It really just hit me right in the gut - I cried more than once and that hasn’t happened in a long while. If you’re in the mood for a contemporary YA read, with a real story that will grab your heartstrings, this is it.

*I received a copy of book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review