After You by Julie Buxbaum

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Genre: General Fiction
Synopsis: Ellie has a life of her own; a stable career and a good husband. But when her best friend, Lucy, is murdered, she finds her whole life suddenly changed. Lucy has a life of her own in London, where a grieving husband and an eight-year-old daughter named Sophie are left behind. As Sophie's godmother, Ellie knows it's her responsibility to help the child from the traumatic loss. She seeks help from little things; conversations, therapy, and of course, books. They read The Secret Garden together and through this activity, Ellie learns how to take life time one day at a time. After You is a story about life's mysteries and secrets, and the key to moving on along with them.

Review: I enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was heartfelt and heartwarming, as it explored the stories of people suffering from different kinds of loss. I liked the main characters, most especially Ellie and Sophie. They were both very realistic, empathetic, and complex. I thought the characters of Ellie and Lucy's husbands were written very well as well; very believable.

What I loved the most about the book though, is the fact that they used The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett as part of the story. I just loved how the author was able to truly capture the essence of what the classic novel is truly about. Speaking of the author, I did like the writing. It was simple yet direct to the point. The details were just enough; nothing too much. Overall, I thought this was a great read. It's not a favorite of mine, but I think it really has a special and meaningful story that others might love and appreciate.

4 comments:

  1. This one is on my TBR list. I think I will enjoy the Secret Garden part also. I will read this one this year for sure, nice review.

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  2. Thanks so much for the thoughtful review and for taking the time to write about AFTER YOu! So appreciate the kind words and am so glad to hear you enjoyed it.
    Thanks again!
    Julie Buxbaum

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  3. @Marce: I think you will like it a lot! :)

    @Julie Buxbaum: You're welcome, I really enjoyed it. It was very heartfelt.

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