BOOK REVIEW
Afterward by Brisol Vaudrin
Imagine you’re fairly young, living in a cool city, with a tedious starter job, but plenty of good friends, a serious boyfriend, fun times, and big plans. What happens if tragedy strikes? How would you handle it? That’s the premise of Afterward, Bristol Vaudrin’s debut novel. Lauren is living the life she wanted when she comes home to her new apartment and a medical emergency that turns her plans on their head.While we don’t know exactly what went wrong until the end, hints about the events of that day roll out early, when Lauren’s boyfriend Kyle is still in the hospital, and steadily build to the finale. We watch as Lauren navigates the situation, sometimes making good decisions, often foundering in indecision. Her next months are filled with trying to get back to normal, even if that involves avoiding work, ignoring her mother, bristling at Kyle’s mother, honing her passive-aggressive anger at Kyle, and more than a little day drinking. Would any of us do better under the same circumstances?
Vaudrin writes well, with a light touch, and her pacing is impeccable. I found myself routing for Lauren, laughing with her and brooding with her, even when I wanted to take her aside and shake her. She is an engaging modern heroine, right down to the final revealing, surprising, and satisfying ending. I highly recommend Afterward for anyone looking for fresh storytelling and entertaining literary fiction.
NOTES
Read my Book Beginnings on Friday Post about Afterward here for more information and teasers from Bristol Vaudrin's new book.
I was fortunate to get a review copy of Afterward. Have you read it? What did you think? Please leave a comment with a link to your review if you posted one. You can find more reviews online where books are sold and on Bristol’s website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (FROM HER WEBSITE)
Bristol was born in Alaska, and named after Bristol Bay, where her parents fished commercially. Later, she was raised in Southcentral Alaska, splitting time between her family’s off-the-grid homestead at Flat Horn Lake, and attending school in Anchorage.
She now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, dog, and way too many books.
