Hereafter (Hereafter #1)
By Tara Hudson
Release Date: June 7th, 2011
Number of Pages: 404
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2
Blurb from Goodreads:
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.
I really really really really really wanted to LOVE this book. I really did but sad to say I couldn't. I can't make it my best friend, just a casual friend. That means I just like it because I don't dislike it. But boy, am I glad that I'm done with this book because that means i can read another one. Yay!
Sluggish. Slow. Ho-hum. Hereafter was exactly that. No POW, WHOOM, WOW moment. No feverishly-flipping-through-pages-and-unable-to-tear-your-eyes-away experience. It was more of a sigh-when-will-I-reach-that-moment experience. Reading Hereafter was like wading through a river of mud fully clothed.
I was rather expecting an eerie and spooky story that would at least chill me to the bones here and there but alas, it was not to be so. It was rather, well, dull. Nevertheless, I did like that twist and unexpected revelation regarding Amelia's death with the added bonus of Joshua's family's heritage. That was pretty surprising and I did also find the romance between Joshua and Amelia rather sweet.
Overall, it was an okay read which interesting enough to make me want to read Arise when it releases.
Blurb from Goodreads:
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 Review:
I really really really really really wanted to LOVE this book. I really did but sad to say I couldn't. I can't make it my best friend, just a casual friend. That means I just like it because I don't dislike it. But boy, am I glad that I'm done with this book because that means i can read another one. Yay!
Sluggish. Slow. Ho-hum. Hereafter was exactly that. No POW, WHOOM, WOW moment. No feverishly-flipping-through-pages-and-unable-to-tear-your-eyes-away experience. It was more of a sigh-when-will-I-reach-that-moment experience. Reading Hereafter was like wading through a river of mud fully clothed.
I was rather expecting an eerie and spooky story that would at least chill me to the bones here and there but alas, it was not to be so. It was rather, well, dull. Nevertheless, I did like that twist and unexpected revelation regarding Amelia's death with the added bonus of Joshua's family's heritage. That was pretty surprising and I did also find the romance between Joshua and Amelia rather sweet.
Overall, it was an okay read which interesting enough to make me want to read Arise when it releases.
We had very similar thoughts on this book! I agree on so much that you said. I really wanted to like it too, and it wasn’t even like the story wasn’t there to pull it through, it just was missing the wow factor.
ReplyDeleteYou must let me know how you like Arise after you read it!
I want to say I am done with this series, but I am a little curious what happens next/if it gets better!
Glad to hear someone sharing the same thoughts I had on this book. It is missing the WOW factor which makes the book very melancholic. I'm a real sucker for pretty and gorgeous covers which has been a downfall. Haha.
DeleteThus, I couldn't help not getting Arise because I really adore the wispy and ghostly look of the cover. Sure, I will indeed let you know.
I agree, this one was just so-so for me too. The writing wasn't bad, it did hold my interest enough that I want to continue the series, how about you? I want to know more about the different afterlife worlds.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat as you and I do really like the cover for Arise. Haha. Another pretty cover to add in my shelf.
Delete