April 12, 2011

Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson (@thudsonwrites @harperteen)


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 new found 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.

Amelia and Joshua don't meet in the traditional sense, she is dead and he is about to drown. But something happens to Amelia and even though she is unable to physically save him somehow she wills him to live. As Joshua is being loaded into an ambulance, he sees Amelia and hears her voice. In that instant they form a connection and it becomes one that isn't easily broken. 

This book to me was like an adventure. When we first meet Amelia all she knows for certain is that she's dead. She doesn't remember her life or the details of why she died, just that she is bound to the river. Its not all so dismal however, because the river is what brings her and Joshua together. I have to say I love a book where the main characters not only fall in love but become bonded so strongly. As we follow Amelia through her journey there are moments of sorrow but also those of hope. Completely determined with the help of Joshua, to figure out why she died, Amelia uncovers dark forces that have dark plans for her.

Sometimes with books I tend to compare characters with those from other stories. I will see something in a particular character that will remind me of another book. But I can honestly say that with Hereafter I didn't find myself doing that once. I thought everyone from Amelia to Joshua to even Eli, were entirely original. For that I give the author Tara Hudson, two thumbs up. It was a great read and I'm anxious to see what happens in part two!





2 comments:

  1. Excellent review, Lisa!

    I, for one, am always happy to find original characters. As much as its cool to find characters that we love so much, we look for them in other books - it is even better to find ones with their own uniqueness, so as to make their way into our minds and memories!

    Thanks for sharing this book with us! :)

    ~Hira~
    Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
    Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the review!! Definitely going to pick this one up!!

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