Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Title: Hereafter (Hereafter #1)

Author: Tara Hudson

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 416

Reviewed by: Sabrina

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

My Thoughts

Amelia is a ghost, wandering around the river she drowned in. She doesn't know exactly how or why she died, but she keeps having recurring memories of her death.

One day, a boy, Joshua, starts drowning in the river and somehow, while trying to save him, they form a connection. Suddenly, memories from her old life pop up. She can feel and smell for short periods of time. She could touch Joshua and vise-versa.

Unfortunately, outside forces come and try to tear them apart.

Hereafter is definitely one of the best debut novels I've read. The writing style was beautiful and breathtaking. I loved how Tara Hudson wrote the emotions of the characters and descriptions of the scenery. Her take on the afterlife is fresh and creative. Both characters, Amelia and Joshua, had changed and matured a lot from start to finish. I love the relationship between the two. Hereafter is a novel you should read. In an instant. In a heartbeat.