Secrets don’t remain hidden for long in this thrilling read from a #1 New York Times bestselling author that’s perfect for fans of Adam Silvera’s More Happy Than Not and Barry Lyga’s Bang.Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there’s no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn’t a victim; he was a shooter. Jesse Mandal knows … and her family because Luka wasn’t a victim; he was a shooter.
Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don’t heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend–Skye.
Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can’t resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.
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Reading this book was HARD being the mom of two girls in school with all of the shootings that have plagued the states the last few years made this book even harder to read. But I’m glad I did. This story gives a great message about perception, forgiveness, compassion, moving on, and acceptance.
The characters were wonderful and you could tell how much the author wanted you to really feel what Jesse and Skye went through. From the perspectives of one teen losing a brother to a shooter. And other loosing a brother because he was a shooter. It was two sides of the same coin and I felt so bad for both of these kids and their situation. It was an in-depth look at what families of both the shooting victims and the shooters family, whom are also victims, go through in the aftermath of such an event. And although this is a story of fiction it felt all too real.
Overall, this is a romance story but also one where a girl is just trying to move on with her life after a tragedy. Where she’s forced to face those who blame her for her brothers actions. Even though she isn’t to blame in any way. It’s about a boy who needs to stop living for his parents and start living for himself as well.
I did love ALL of the parts with Jesse’s mom was she is a force to be reckoned with and I love her so much!!
If you looking for a coming of age story as well as one with grief, love, and forgiveness with some major twists and turns. Check this one out.
Go Into This One Knowing: School Shooting, Death of Siblings, Bullies, Romance
5 Stars
Review by Amy
Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong was not at all what I expected, in a good way. Based on the summary, you expect tragedy, teen struggles, and friendship problems, but what I got was suspense and terror, forgiveness and romance, all woven together, resulting in a page turning, pulse racing thriller.
Skye Gilchrist finds herself returning to her home town, and the scene of a horrible crime that has haunted her for the past three years. Her brother was gunned down during a school shooting, but he was not a victim, he was a shooter. Not only was her brother killed in the gun fight, but her best friend Jesse’s brother was also a victim, and the whole nightmare tore their friendship apart. Will Jesse be able to forgive Skye’s brother’s actions, and will they be able to rebuild their long lost friendship?
But that’s not the end to the story. There is so much more. Skye finds herself being harassed by her peers, then the harassment accelerates to threats, and she finds herself directly in the line of danger. She is unsure who she can trust and struggles to find out why she is being targeted for something her brother did. What lies ahead are some crazy plot twists, suspense, hair raising close calls and a great storyline.
This book felt a bit like two stories in one. It followed the aftermath of Skye’s life in the settling dust of this horrible tragedy that was so raw and hard hitting. On the other hand, there was a mystery to be solved, with suspense, and danger and deceit that kept you turning the pages. It was a surprisingly gripping, edge of your seat chiller that kept that book in my hand until the very end.
A suspenseful 5 stars
This is one of those books that will stay with you… that will play over and over in your mind. This is one that is so well written that if you think you have it figured out…well… you better think again! I was stunned at the end… I felt every emotion and thought as if I was the characters. This is a sensitive matter, but it also gives you an aspect look of what a person could go through as well.
Love this author
This book is very timely, since it centers around a school shooting. Skye Gilchrist lost her brother 3 years ago in a school shooting. Now she’s returning to the town she lived in. Since her brother, Luka was also one of the shooters, she is not made welcome at her school. Her best friend, Jesse, also lost his brother in the shooting, but he was a victim. This creates a barrier when Skye and Jesse meet again. In the midst of bullying and strange happenings are mysteries that Need to be reopened and resolved. Skye and Jesse end up working together to resolve them. The timing of this book and the amazing talent of story teller Kelley Armstrong make this a must read for all from middle school on up.