Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Book Description via Goodreads:

ARC, 404 pages

June 7, 2011, Harper Teen

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.

Source: Netgalley and Tara Hudson (Thank you!) I got this from Netgalley but I also received a signed ARC from Tara!

My Thoughts:

Hudson’s version of the afterlife was very imaginative and unique. The ghost world was a strange place filled with secrets, hopes, desires and sadness. Amelia had no memory of her life before death. She had no identity. I loved every moment that I shared with Amelia. She was an unforgettable ghost, wandering around the river and the bridge, watching. She has never been seen, touched and heard until Joshua came. As she matured as a ghost, she noticed changes in herself that would help her understand the life she had, her death and her future.

Amelia’s relationship with Joshua was full of life, hopeful yet heartbreaking. Amelia felt alive when Joshua noticed her. He was the first human to do so ever since Amelia woke up. Together they tried to put together the bits and pieces of Amelia’s life. Joshua was gorgeous. He was thoughtful, sweet and understanding. He was into sports and he was the kind of guy that got the attention of girls in his school. I was thankful that he was unlike other male main characters. He had a natural humor that was really endearing.

Hudson’s writing was amazing, beautiful and breathtaking. I found myself sucked into Amelia’s world, hypnotized by her story. Amelia’s narrative was easy to adjust to. Her musings were interesting and never boring. She had so many questions that a terrifying fellow ghost, Eli, could answer. Eli has been around for a long time. He knew things about Amelia – things that Amelia herself did not know. But more importantly, could Eli be a friend or an enemy? My heart ached for Eli. He had his own past, his own losses and his unattained desires.

Joshua’s town reminded me of the Gatlin of Beautiful Creatures, a town with secrets. The only difference was that there was a higher mortality rate in Hereafter. The dead could not seem to leave the living alone. When Amelia’s freedom and future hang by a thread and by Eli’s word, could Amelia save herself with the help of Joshua and make sure that no one else gets hurt?

Hereafter has the charm of Before I Fall and the sweetness of Shiver, a tantalizing story in a dark, frightening world. I loved every page of this heartfelt, heart-pounding, heartbreaking novel. I highly recommend this to fans of paranormal romance!

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