Of Afterworlds, Unrelenting Love, & Hidden Evils

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

All I can say is AWWW. Hereafter by Tara Hudson is so cute it's ridiculous. It's the sweetest romance but the twist is that the heroine (and she is truly heroic) is a GHOST!! OMG stop the presses! You're probably thinking,,"what's this crazy person talking about?" Well, let me explain. The main character's name is Amelia Ashley, she's eighteen, and she's super beautiful. She tries to save Joshua Mayhew, the sweet boy-next-door type guy, who's like super hot! Now, the twist comes in because Amelia is dead and Joshua isn't. So, basically they are having this Casper the Friendly Ghost and Wendy moment the entire story!  Amazing isn't it. 



I loved the whole Amelia-Joshua thing. It's like a really smart idea; WAY better than vampires and humans. This is the first ghost-living romance I've read and it was by far one of the most amazing things I've ever read! I thought that the fact that Joshua seemed like he was talking to himself when non-Seers  (people who can't see ghost) looked at him occasionally. Hilarious! Then, there's the fact that Amelia and Joshua have this like cute spark that they feel when they touch! Aww, so cute! Their entire romance/love was adorable and at one point I wished I was a ghost and had me a Joshua to cuddle with!!! But, the story isn't just about them.

Eli, a ghost in charge of this creepy after-world, is there trying to ruin Amelia's life! BOOOOOO!! He was like the most confusing character ever; but not confusing in that you didn't understand him. More like confusing in his emotions and actions. Plus, he was super demanding and controlling. Basically he was a ghost on a POWER HIGH. Always there, lurking in the distance waiting for Amelia to come to her senses or slip up so that he could take advantage. 

Then, there is Joshua's grandma, Ruth. Ohhh she REALLY doesn't like Amelia; like I'm gonna lead an exorcism to banish you dislike. She takes the dislike of a grandchild's significant other to an entirely different level. You see, she is a Seer just like Joshua and believes that sweet Amelia is evil! Duh Dum Duhhhhh!!! Now we've got a plot! Love, romance, evil person trying to ruin their happiness, and the disapproving family member....ahhh sounds like a seller to me. :) 

The plot was amazing. It started great; the middle was breath-taking (no pun intended); and the end was ravishing! Tara put a ton of work in this, because the story flowed from part to part; each moment had an explanation or was there for a specific reason. There were no unnecessary pieces of information because everthing was necessary. All that made me fall in love and die with this book. And then came the BONUS.........it actually ended reasonably!!!!! OMG could the curse of the cliffhanger story be over for me? That would be GREAT! 

Ms. Tara Hudson, I would like to thank you for writing such a good book. It was everything I hoped it would be and more when I read the synopses. Ican't wait to indulge myself in your next two books. So, to all the Gilbert & Gomez fans I'd like to recommend you read Hereafter by Tara Hudson and look for Arise and Elegy in the Hereafter trilogy.  

This book was rated:

- Gilbert