Skip to main content

Life, After


Life, After is a YA contemporary novel by Sarah Darer Littman.

Argentina is Dani's home. But living there has brought on Dani's family serious, heartbreaking hardships. For one, a terrorist attack killed Dani's aunt and her unborn child. For another, government choices have thrown the country into economic ruin - causing Dani and her little sister Sari to go to bed each night hungry.

When her proud father can no longer deny the need to leave Argentina, as many families have done, Dani and her family arrive in America hoping for a brighter future. It's a hard adjustment. The apartment is even smaller, the high school is vast and full of students who are unkind, and Dani's father is still angry, still sullen.

But then Dani starts to make friends. First there is Jon, who is unusual and different from other students, and Brian whose grinning face proclaims himself her "personal GPS" around the school. And finally, popular, mean, cruel Jessica who might be hiding her own pain...

Dani's life is now completely different. It's not easy. But in it, maybe, she can find a way to move forward and leave behind the hurt and loss, and rebuild a fractured family...

Life, After presents an inspiring character in Dani, amidst a terribly sad story. It focuses on family, country, and the results of terrorism in such a poignant, touching, painfully realistic way. It is a story that easily relates to many of us struggling right now in America, especially in terms of the economic crisis. I couldn't help but become involved in the Dani's life, her sweet, little sister Sari, her courageous, strong mother, and distant, changed, bitter father. You yearn for their contentment and closeness to return. Life, After is lovely and riveting.

Sarah Darer Littman offers a perspective unlike any I've read before. It's simply beautiful with those real-life moments of laughter despite pain, and real-life moments of despair depite hope. The way this amazing author surprised me, touched me, and knocked me out with her delicate, believable, killer prose was stunning.

The characters, all of them, are full of depth and hide their own secret troubles and hurts. Oh, and how easy it is to fall for Brian - the dream guy that isn't so much a Prince Charming as much an honest, good guy with an awesome sense of humor and a caring heart. Not to mention he's cute. You root for Dani to have some happiness, to find some joy between the times of utter sadness at home - walking on eggshells around a father that once was beloved to her.

Life, After brought tears to my eyes! What a fantastic, profound and meaningful novel!!! All I could think as I closed the final page was: I love this book. I really, really love it.

***BIBLIOPHILE ALERT! I have been reading like an even crazier book addict than usual this year, and apparently three reviews a week can't keep up pace with me! Because of this, for the entire month of July I will be having FIVE reviews a week! That's right! Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! So, please remember to check back here more often during July - and come August I'm planning on returning to three reviews a week. Keep the schedule change in mind, and don't miss any reviews! :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Author Q & A - Jan Eldredge Stops By!

Next Wednesday y'all will be getting my oh-so-humble opinion of Evangeline of the Bayou , the Summer 2018 Kids' Indie Next List selection! (That means it was picked via booksellers at independent bookstores countrywide.) Until then, I have a Q&A with the Louisiana born and raised author herself: Jan Eldredge! (Don't forget to come back next week for my review!!) A Conversation with JAN ELDRIDGE Author of Evangeline of the Bayou 1) The glossary in the back of the book is so helpful! Where did you learn about all these creatures? Which creature from the book is your favorite? I have a small, but growing, collection of books about mythical creatures around the world. If I couldn’t find what I was looking for there, I researched library books, online websites, and the occasional documentary. Something that really surprised me as I started learning more about mythical monsters was the number of different cultures that share very similar

First Step: Admit You Have a Problem

Hi fellow Bibliophiles! I have been rather neglectful to this blog... instead continuing to stay buried in a book as I have during the holidays. I'm hopeful that most of you have been doing this too and can easily accept my apology. Have I been reading? Um, yeah! (Translation: duh.) Just haven't been able to pull myself away long enough to actually WRITE about what I'm reading. Lol. But that's me, a bibliophile, an addict, an addict who's fallen off the wagon and fully embraced her love of reading - especially with all this free time to do so!!! I've also been watching awesome holiday movies, eating yummy, but bad-for-me, food and hanging out with the people I love best! You too? I hope! ;) Anyway, I will return with a new book review next week, most likely on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for your patience and keep reading!!!

Promotion Celebration for Maximum Ride!!!

Do you love the series Maximum Ride ? How about James Patterson? Are you a huge fan of action-packed books? Well, I’m thrilled to bring to you an opportunity to stock up on some awesome reading!!! ENTER TO WIN A SET OF JAMES PATTERSON PAGETURNERS! MAXIMUM RIDE – IF SHE LIVES, THE WORLD LIVES, IT’S THAT SIMPLE. Read “MAX” - the newest book in the bestselling Maximum Ride series. On sale in paperback 09/01/09! Still reeling from their most recent adventure, Maximum Ride and the rest of the flock must head out to sea to uncover the secret behind a brand new series of disasters—fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii, hundreds of ships are being destroyed. As if that weren’t enough, they’re also being tracked by a criminal mastermind with, oh yeah, an army of mercenaries. Can the flock save themselves and the ocean, and the world, from utter destruction? Now for the rules : The Maximum Ride: Max Promotion is open to legal US residents who are at least 13 years of age as of August 24, 200