Book Review: After by Amy Efaw

I actually read this a while ago and drafted the review, so sorry if it's a bit on the shorter side.

Summary (as seen on Goodreads):

An infant left in the trash to die. A teenage mother who never knew she was pregnant . . . 

Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made. Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there's only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer.

And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible. She turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon's unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption.

After by Amy Efaw

Yays:

• The research that went into this novel. It’s very obvious that the author took a long time researching the court system, that she has knowledge of pregnancy from her own personal life, and wrote Devon into a three-dimensional character.
• The details in the novel. From the colors to size and shapes, especially most people descriptions, the details really helped with immersing readers into the story.
• The supporting characters. Each of them seemed like realistic people, even though the story wasn’t from their points of view, and they are well developed.
• The rawness of some of the things mentioned in the story. The shock for Devon as she adjusts to Remann Hall and everything following her pregnancy add to realism, and are a brave choice of details that I applaud.

So-sos:

• Not every story has to wrap up every loose end. In a way, it was nice that some things weren’t wrapped up, but at the same time it felt like there were too many open-ended stories left behind, which is both good and bad.
• Devon and Karma’s relationship. It would’ve been nice if Devon had the opportunity to tell Karma that she really didn’t have a perfect life. Perhaps there wasn’t really a place for it in the story, but this would’ve been a nice end to wrap up, at least just a little more.

Nays:

• In many respects, Devon is a mature teenager who has had a very difficult life, yet the way she reacts is a little more juvenile than expected. Her refusal to cooperate and vehement denial are important to the story, and although the author writes very well, this reader is still not quite convinced that this is a truly realistic way to behave in such a situation.
• Devon’s mom. While she did care for Devon when she was young, she is too obviously dislikable with not enough redeeming qualities.

Overall, this is the kind of novel I would read again to do research on jail, the juvenile system, legal issues, and as a mostly good example of realism. For this one, I'll give 4 jellyfish.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day! :)

Wacky Wednesday: Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter

I've found that I actually am having a really difficult time writing whole reviews without spoiler alerts, so consider this your spoiler alert for this novel. A version will be posted on Goodreads with spoilers hidden some time after this post is published as well.

Summary (as seen on the book cover):

Me: Evelyn, closet good girl turned bad.
When she decided to earn herself a bad reputation, Evelyn was never planning on falling in love.
Him: Todd, supposed Friend with Benefits.
She just wanted to piss them off. To make people take notice.
Them: The cold, distance parents.
She wasn't planning on ruining her valedictorian status or losing her best friend, and she definitely wasn't aiming to get pregnant.
It: the baby growing inside her.
Now, Evelyn needs a plan. And someone to help with the heart-wrenching decisions that are coming up fast.

Yays:

• Tammy and Cecelia. They're really adorable and contribute to the book, and that was enjoyable to see.
• Evelyn's narrative right after leaving the hospital about how she feels about her baby was well written. It was the best written part of the whole book.
• The different characters and their ethnicities. Having a Chinese aunt, Latina friend, and black cousins created some nice diversity for this novel.
• The chapter titles. "__ Days until it's too late to change my name" or "___ months until normal" was a good way to indicate how time passed throughout the novel, and Evelyn's thoughts as well.

So-sos:

• The book subject. It was intriguing and interesting, even though this isn't the first and only book about teen pregnancy, and for that alone it's worth picking up. But beyond that, there isn't really anything special about this book.
• Todd. At least he is appearing throughout the novel, but some of what he talks about is unrealistic. He's a character who gives mixed feelings, but kind of in the "I don't care either way" sort.

Nays:

• Evelyn just comes off as a teenager with a lot of angst for no good reason. Yes, she goes through many difficult things, but she overreacts to everything and is always angry for no reason. She doesn't deal with her anger in healthy ways, and it made her a very frustrating main character.
• Evelyn refusing to tell Lizzie what is happening. Evelyn and Lizzie's friendship just doesn't seem very real, and it's frustrating to feel that way when the reader is being told that they are actually supposed to be very close.
• Never finding out what happens with Lizzie and her dad. This was hinted at so much throughout the novel that it really was a let down to not find out more.
• Evelyn is supposedly a really smart teenage, but that's difficult to see. Her original rebellion doesn't make sense based off of what readers are told about her. Yes, parent issues are difficult and always will be, but as to why that sparked rebellion, this doesn't make sense.
• Evelyn's refusal to deal with her baby. She comes off as extremely selfish the entire time, and it's difficult for readers to sympathize with her.

Throughout this novel, it became less and less enjoyable to read, but it wasn't entirely a waste of time. It just isn't a book high on the recommendation list. There are some good elements to it, but on the whole it was just okay, hence why I will leave a rating of two jellyfish.

Thanks for stopping by to check out yet another review. Look out for the next installment in my review series soon!