~After by Amy Efaw~
Blurb from Amazon:
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.
Rating and Review:
From the moment I began to read this book, I was on a roller coaster without a harness to hold my emotions into place. My stomach churned during the first two chapters. I didn’t want to like Devon either, but the horror she had to go through herself, putting her bad deed to the backburner for a quick second, I couldn’t help but want to rip her from the book and just hug her. I really think this was an act of desperation and abandonment, and she wouldn’t have done it if she had a real mother figure in her life, if her friends/teammates/teachers had said anything, or even the doctor honestly voiced his concerns appropriately, I feel she would have done everything differently and cared for that child. Knowing the baby was okay though made this book a lot easier to read. Though Devon threw her baby away, I honestly feel she still is a wonderful character. By the end of the book she felt the guilt, remorse, and regret and is trying to work through it. This is a very great read and would recommend to anyone.
I give this book a 5/5 for the sheer fact that a controversial topic was written remarkably and as truly as possible.
Thoughts on Cover:
At first I did not like the cover one bit. I couldn’t really tell if it was a man or woman, despite the pregnant belly. Devon had straight black hair so I picture the cover to show a girl with just that, and baggy clothes, not someone who looks pregnant with tight fitting clothes, something Devon never wore. As I read on, the cover came into light for the placement of the girl depicted. In my opinion the pregnant side shows the truth of what really was happening to Devon, and the non-pregnant one was the denial of reality that Devon believed.
I give the cover a 3/5.
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