Afterward
A Novel
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4.3 • 4 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
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 readjusting 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a sensitive portrait of trauma and recovery, a kidnapping kindles an unlikely friendship. Caroline Anderson's 11-year-old younger brother, Dylan, disappeared from in front of the family's Texas home only to be found four days later in a man's apartment. Dylan isn't the only one there: also present is 15-year-old Ethan Jorgenson, who vanished four years earlier. Dylan, who has autism, can't say much about what went on during his brief time with his captor, but Ethan's head is full of painful buried memories. Alternating between Caroline and Ethan's perspectives, Mathieu (Devoted) explores both the effects of trauma it's clear without being explicit that Ethan suffered some form of sexual abuse and the role that class plays in recovery, with Ethan's parents able to pay for extensive therapy. Drawn to each other, Caroline and Ethan develop a bond that's initially music-centric and becomes something deeper. It's a fully realized story of what happens after the news cameras fade away and the real work of moving forward begins. Ages 12 up.
