Scan barcode
mdegraff's review
4.0
I received this book in exchange for an honest review by the Author and the "Lovers of Paranormal" Group on Goodreads. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!
[b:Hereafter|19489642|Hereafter (Afterlife #1)|Terri Bruce|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387155330s/19489642.jpg|21480045] by [a:Terri Bruce|6450132|Terri Bruce|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1344271893p2/6450132.jpg] is an intriguing story that pulls you in from the very beginning. I was captivated by the creativity of the storyline and the wold the author cleverly created. I immensely enjoyed the story, I kept picking it back up to find out what going to happen next, and I was genuinely curious to see how it would end.
Irene Dunphy suddenly found herself on the other side, but the other side of what - Life? Discovering she is dead, Irene maneuvers through a world of ghosts, learning bits and pieces of life after death as she goes, but she wants more than this mundane existence. Befriending a young boy, Jonah, whom has a passion for the afterlife, they go in search for the next step in the afterlife.
“Other people manage to get through death not heir own.”
“So, in the afterlife, we’re all going to be naked gods eating mud on a boat?”
“I totally bought a round of drinks with ketchup packets!”
The Author did a wonderful job creating a world where the dead live along side the living. The research of the afterlife shows, and her creativeness to include all aspects from around the world is amazing.
I enjoyed the storyline, though I didn’t care for the main character-Irene. Her personality was a hard one to swallow. Normally when I can’t form a connection with the MC, the book ends up on my DNF list. However this story was so intriguing that I kept picking it back up to read more, I wanted to find out how it ended! (So that says a lot!)
Jonas’s character is so lovable and likable, though I often found their relationship a little odd-a woman in her mid-thirties and a fourteen year old. But all in all, it worked.
If you're looking for a creative and interesting read on death and the afterlife, this is a gem!
[b:Hereafter|19489642|Hereafter (Afterlife #1)|Terri Bruce|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387155330s/19489642.jpg|21480045] by [a:Terri Bruce|6450132|Terri Bruce|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1344271893p2/6450132.jpg] is an intriguing story that pulls you in from the very beginning. I was captivated by the creativity of the storyline and the wold the author cleverly created. I immensely enjoyed the story, I kept picking it back up to find out what going to happen next, and I was genuinely curious to see how it would end.
Irene Dunphy suddenly found herself on the other side, but the other side of what - Life? Discovering she is dead, Irene maneuvers through a world of ghosts, learning bits and pieces of life after death as she goes, but she wants more than this mundane existence. Befriending a young boy, Jonah, whom has a passion for the afterlife, they go in search for the next step in the afterlife.
“Other people manage to get through death not heir own.”
“So, in the afterlife, we’re all going to be naked gods eating mud on a boat?”
“I totally bought a round of drinks with ketchup packets!”
The Author did a wonderful job creating a world where the dead live along side the living. The research of the afterlife shows, and her creativeness to include all aspects from around the world is amazing.
I enjoyed the storyline, though I didn’t care for the main character-Irene. Her personality was a hard one to swallow. Normally when I can’t form a connection with the MC, the book ends up on my DNF list. However this story was so intriguing that I kept picking it back up to read more, I wanted to find out how it ended! (So that says a lot!)
Jonas’s character is so lovable and likable, though I often found their relationship a little odd-a woman in her mid-thirties and a fourteen year old. But all in all, it worked.
If you're looking for a creative and interesting read on death and the afterlife, this is a gem!
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
3.0
Finished 3* Rather good audible version available!
I am not sure if I even like the main character? But her voice was a good one to tell the story, and it kept me hooked. I definitely liked her sidekick more than her.
Jonah has some things going on in his life - but while it is hinted at over and over, we never get to know what. I felt he stayed a bit of a cardboard cutout teenager to bounce the MCs character off of when needed. I would have loved to learn more about him.
He seemed to be a bit in love with the main character at times, and I found it a bit off putting, even though there wasn't even the slightest romance scene between the two.
Main character has some ghost sex with another ghost later, but not a big focus on it, so UF, not PR.
It was rather entertaining, but thinking about it, there wasn't much real plot. They run around, and random things happen, but there is no real story arc. The arc should have been the MCs development and slow acceptance of being dead - and it being her own damn fault - but somehow that fell flat. So it was more a telling about all kinds of death rituals in all kinds of cultures and running around without any real plan. I like the last bit when she actually starts to think about her life, and where it could have been managed better, but it took to long to get to any actual inner development for my taste, if that is supposed to be the plot of the book.
All in all fun and entertaining, and if my TBR wasn't longer than I could ever finish already, I might actually have picked up the second one.
I am not sure if I even like the main character? But her voice was a good one to tell the story, and it kept me hooked. I definitely liked her sidekick more than her.
Jonah has some things going on in his life - but while it is hinted at over and over, we never get to know what. I felt he stayed a bit of a cardboard cutout teenager to bounce the MCs character off of when needed. I would have loved to learn more about him.
He seemed to be a bit in love with the main character at times, and I found it a bit off putting, even though there wasn't even the slightest romance scene between the two.
Main character has some ghost sex with another ghost later, but not a big focus on it, so UF, not PR.
It was rather entertaining, but thinking about it, there wasn't much real plot. They run around, and random things happen, but there is no real story arc. The arc should have been the MCs development and slow acceptance of being dead - and it being her own damn fault - but somehow that fell flat. So it was more a telling about all kinds of death rituals in all kinds of cultures and running around without any real plan. I like the last bit when she actually starts to think about her life, and where it could have been managed better, but it took to long to get to any actual inner development for my taste, if that is supposed to be the plot of the book.
All in all fun and entertaining, and if my TBR wasn't longer than I could ever finish already, I might actually have picked up the second one.
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
I have had Hereafter on my radar for a while now. I do read a lot of YA books, so I’m always on the look out for something adult/paranormal/fantasy! I thought Hereafter didn’t have the most likeable main character, but it was an enjoyable book nonetheless.
Hereafter starts with Irene and the girls. They’re spending a night out drinking. However, the night doesn’t end well for Irene. Irene wakes up on the side of the road, unaware of how she got there, or why no one has helped her. Irene drives back home and realises things aren’t how they should be. She has so many missed calls, the post has piled up, and her mother isn’t paying any attention to her whatsoever. Irene freaks out, but things are about to get even more strange. Irene bumps into 14-year-old Jonah, who has a strong interest in the afterlife. Jonah breaks the news about her death to her. Together they attempt to get Irene to the afterlife, but it’s not as easy at it might seem.
Hereafter captured my attention. I didn’t immediately warm to Irene. I actually found her quite annoying. Once she had met Jonah and started to work out what to do next, I started to like her. The interactions between Irene and Jonah are incredibly fun to read. Irene really develops as a character. She goes from being quite crappy to Jonah, to actually enjoying and needing his company. Their relationship reminded me very much of sibling relationship.
I feel like Terri Bruce really researched into the different theories of afterlife. It was intriguing to read about different traditions. Yet, it didn’t feel like it was too factual. It was cleverly written into the story. The reader learns as Irene learns.
I enjoyed Hereafter, it may not have been the fastest paced or action packed book, but it is intriguing and worth a look at if you’re looking for a paranormal read. It may not focus much on being a ghost, but its focus on afterlife will interest many.
Hereafter starts with Irene and the girls. They’re spending a night out drinking. However, the night doesn’t end well for Irene. Irene wakes up on the side of the road, unaware of how she got there, or why no one has helped her. Irene drives back home and realises things aren’t how they should be. She has so many missed calls, the post has piled up, and her mother isn’t paying any attention to her whatsoever. Irene freaks out, but things are about to get even more strange. Irene bumps into 14-year-old Jonah, who has a strong interest in the afterlife. Jonah breaks the news about her death to her. Together they attempt to get Irene to the afterlife, but it’s not as easy at it might seem.
Hereafter captured my attention. I didn’t immediately warm to Irene. I actually found her quite annoying. Once she had met Jonah and started to work out what to do next, I started to like her. The interactions between Irene and Jonah are incredibly fun to read. Irene really develops as a character. She goes from being quite crappy to Jonah, to actually enjoying and needing his company. Their relationship reminded me very much of sibling relationship.
I feel like Terri Bruce really researched into the different theories of afterlife. It was intriguing to read about different traditions. Yet, it didn’t feel like it was too factual. It was cleverly written into the story. The reader learns as Irene learns.
I enjoyed Hereafter, it may not have been the fastest paced or action packed book, but it is intriguing and worth a look at if you’re looking for a paranormal read. It may not focus much on being a ghost, but its focus on afterlife will interest many.
thereadingknitter's review against another edition
2.0
Why let a little thing like dying get in the way of a good time?
Thirty-six-year-old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where the food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the sex...well, let’s just say “don’t bother.” To make matters worse, the only person who can see her—courtesy of a book he found in his school library—is a fourteen-year-old boy genius obsessed with the afterlife.
Unfortunately, what waits in the Great Beyond isn’t much better. Stuck between the boring life of a ghost in this world and the terrifying prospect of three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment in the next, Irene sets out to find a third option—preferably one that involves not being dead anymore. Can she wipe the slate clean and get a second chance before it’s too late?
My Review - I wanted to read this book because I won the second book from Goodreads giveaway. So I went ahead and bought it on my Nook. Overall it as okay. It dragged a bit in some places. I'll read the second book to find out what happened to Irene. :)
Thirty-six-year-old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where the food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the sex...well, let’s just say “don’t bother.” To make matters worse, the only person who can see her—courtesy of a book he found in his school library—is a fourteen-year-old boy genius obsessed with the afterlife.
Unfortunately, what waits in the Great Beyond isn’t much better. Stuck between the boring life of a ghost in this world and the terrifying prospect of three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment in the next, Irene sets out to find a third option—preferably one that involves not being dead anymore. Can she wipe the slate clean and get a second chance before it’s too late?
My Review - I wanted to read this book because I won the second book from Goodreads giveaway. So I went ahead and bought it on my Nook. Overall it as okay. It dragged a bit in some places. I'll read the second book to find out what happened to Irene. :)
b00kr3vi3ws's review against another edition
3.0
http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2014/05/Hereafter1.html
I picked this book up wanting a break from Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies and it was a good choice too.
Irene, our protagonist, is stranded as a ghost after she had been in an accident. Well what do you expect to happen when you get behind a wheel after a night of bar hopping? But it takes her sometime to catch up to what had happened to her. It was only when she ‘bumped’ into a fourteen-year old Jonah, who is obsessed with anything to do with death and afterlife, that she is given a crash course on her new ‘life’.
Sounds interesting or mundane? I suppose it depends on your take of ghosts, and for me it was interesting to take the ride with Irene. Finding out the rules that even ghosts have to follow and why humans cannot see ghosts were some of the interesting theories that this book presents to its readers. Irene is a pretty interesting girl. She doesn’t do anything halfway – not even getting drunk. To watch her struggle with her new form, getting used to it or even trying to find better options was actually kind of fun. And what do I say about Jonah. He is so obsessed with death that it made me wonder if he was a bit abnormal. Yet he too is a quirky character that I enjoyed reading about. Putting these two together, their dynamics is a hilarious one even though I thought Irene was being outright rude to Jonah towards the beginning.
The plot is simple and straightforward and because I haven’t read a similarly themed book before, I couldn’t really take a guess at what the author might throw at me next. It was fun finding out though. The narration style is simple and flows smoothly. The mix of dry humour and lots of one liners woven into the plot made it much more fun to read.
Overall, an entertaining book that provided me with a good change and couple of hours of complete enjoyment.
I picked this book up wanting a break from Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies and it was a good choice too.
Irene, our protagonist, is stranded as a ghost after she had been in an accident. Well what do you expect to happen when you get behind a wheel after a night of bar hopping? But it takes her sometime to catch up to what had happened to her. It was only when she ‘bumped’ into a fourteen-year old Jonah, who is obsessed with anything to do with death and afterlife, that she is given a crash course on her new ‘life’.
Sounds interesting or mundane? I suppose it depends on your take of ghosts, and for me it was interesting to take the ride with Irene. Finding out the rules that even ghosts have to follow and why humans cannot see ghosts were some of the interesting theories that this book presents to its readers. Irene is a pretty interesting girl. She doesn’t do anything halfway – not even getting drunk. To watch her struggle with her new form, getting used to it or even trying to find better options was actually kind of fun. And what do I say about Jonah. He is so obsessed with death that it made me wonder if he was a bit abnormal. Yet he too is a quirky character that I enjoyed reading about. Putting these two together, their dynamics is a hilarious one even though I thought Irene was being outright rude to Jonah towards the beginning.
The plot is simple and straightforward and because I haven’t read a similarly themed book before, I couldn’t really take a guess at what the author might throw at me next. It was fun finding out though. The narration style is simple and flows smoothly. The mix of dry humour and lots of one liners woven into the plot made it much more fun to read.
Overall, an entertaining book that provided me with a good change and couple of hours of complete enjoyment.
debthebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
A main character you love to hate and hate to sympathize with, a secondary character you just feel so sorry for in so many ways, and the greatest series of "What if this is why that is?" ever to be seen in a medium of paranormal entertainment!
When I picked it up, I couldn't put it down for at least 5 chapters (a feat for me, because I have a short attention span even when I like a book). The opening of Irene's transition into the Hereafter is so compelling and chilling. What would you do if you didn't realize you were dead until some teenager had to tell you?! Terri paints such a great picture of who Irene is in these moments that you know you're going to feel SOMETHING about this chick stupid enough to get in her car when she's wobbly drunk.
I slowed down a little in the middle, not because of any lulls, but because by the middle you hate Irene, and you realize Jonah must just love abusive people. She reverts into a 3-year-old who wants her way, all be damned.
Then, when the realizations start to sink in and the scary things (which I'll leave out), you remember that you're supposed to feel bad for Irene, and eventually you do again. Or at least I did again. 80% in, I couldn't put the book down again, and I'm glad I didn't. I didn't want to miss a thing!
This is a brilliant take on the in-between before the Great Beyond, and I'm so glad I got to read it. :)
When I picked it up, I couldn't put it down for at least 5 chapters (a feat for me, because I have a short attention span even when I like a book). The opening of Irene's transition into the Hereafter is so compelling and chilling. What would you do if you didn't realize you were dead until some teenager had to tell you?! Terri paints such a great picture of who Irene is in these moments that you know you're going to feel SOMETHING about this chick stupid enough to get in her car when she's wobbly drunk.
I slowed down a little in the middle, not because of any lulls, but because by the middle you hate Irene, and you realize Jonah must just love abusive people. She reverts into a 3-year-old who wants her way, all be damned.
Then, when the realizations start to sink in and the scary things (which I'll leave out), you remember that you're supposed to feel bad for Irene, and eventually you do again. Or at least I did again. 80% in, I couldn't put the book down again, and I'm glad I didn't. I didn't want to miss a thing!
This is a brilliant take on the in-between before the Great Beyond, and I'm so glad I got to read it. :)
littleread1's review against another edition
3.0
I am always nervous when I read a book about life after death. Not because I am religious and offended or anything, but just because most some of them are SO BAD. Fortunately, this is not one of the bad ones.
Have you ever read a book where you didn't really like the main character, but still liked the book? That is this for me. Irene makes bad decision after bad decision. Starting with driving home black out drunk and crashing her car into the water. I am sure you are asking yourself, "But how can it get worse?" It does. Just trust me. I really wanted to punch her in her face page after page, and just when she would do or say something that would start redeeming her in my eyes, she would follow it up with an idiotic statement or action. Oh Irene, I want to root for you. I want to like you. I also want to kick your legs out from under you and leave you in the street. You are selfish.
Of course, her little sidekick, Jonah, is a doll. And many of her hateful comments and actions are toward him. Which make them worse. He is just a kid who has figured out how to hang with the dead. There is nothing wrong with that. I suppose. He has the patience of a saint, and even after being mistreated by Irene, he still stands by her, and even helps her accomplish her goal.
There are a few other side characters, who I thought would become more important as the story went on, but they didn't. So I won't spoil anything for you by talking about them. They did provide some good perspective on the afterlife for Irene. And by the way, if the afterlife is like it is portrayed by Bruce, I am not looking forward to it.
There were hints of a love connection, but nothing concrete. I know Bruce did not intend it to be a love story, and that she intended it to be about an imperfect woman finding her own way (which I would have to say, she was successful in getting that point across) I still felt the absence of a romance. I believe it would have given Irene more depth as a character, and she could still save herself. Romance isn't always about the knight in shining armor coming to the rescue. Sometimes the damsel in distress finds she can save herself.
Overall, Hereafter gets a solid 3 1/2 from me. I think it would have made up that other 1/2 if it had been a little bit shorter. I appreciate the detail, but don't need to know what is going on every second of every day. Cut maybe 50 pages, and I would have been left wanting more.
Have you ever read a book where you didn't really like the main character, but still liked the book? That is this for me. Irene makes bad decision after bad decision. Starting with driving home black out drunk and crashing her car into the water. I am sure you are asking yourself, "But how can it get worse?" It does. Just trust me. I really wanted to punch her in her face page after page, and just when she would do or say something that would start redeeming her in my eyes, she would follow it up with an idiotic statement or action. Oh Irene, I want to root for you. I want to like you. I also want to kick your legs out from under you and leave you in the street. You are selfish.
Of course, her little sidekick, Jonah, is a doll. And many of her hateful comments and actions are toward him. Which make them worse. He is just a kid who has figured out how to hang with the dead. There is nothing wrong with that. I suppose. He has the patience of a saint, and even after being mistreated by Irene, he still stands by her, and even helps her accomplish her goal.
There are a few other side characters, who I thought would become more important as the story went on, but they didn't. So I won't spoil anything for you by talking about them. They did provide some good perspective on the afterlife for Irene. And by the way, if the afterlife is like it is portrayed by Bruce, I am not looking forward to it.
There were hints of a love connection, but nothing concrete. I know Bruce did not intend it to be a love story, and that she intended it to be about an imperfect woman finding her own way (which I would have to say, she was successful in getting that point across) I still felt the absence of a romance. I believe it would have given Irene more depth as a character, and she could still save herself. Romance isn't always about the knight in shining armor coming to the rescue. Sometimes the damsel in distress finds she can save herself.
Overall, Hereafter gets a solid 3 1/2 from me. I think it would have made up that other 1/2 if it had been a little bit shorter. I appreciate the detail, but don't need to know what is going on every second of every day. Cut maybe 50 pages, and I would have been left wanting more.
katierodante's review against another edition
5.0
Irene wakes up post drunk night out with her girl friends, but not in a normal place. Instead, she’s on the side of the road, trying to remember how she got there. Recalling the previous night’s events, Irene realizes her memory of the night is incomplete. This is not a pleasant realization, and neither is the pile of mail she finds at her house or the concerned voice mails on her machine.
It isn’t until a boy — a genius kid obsessed with life after death — tells her she’s dead that Irene really begins to understand what her new existence has become. A ghost wandering the earth, she can interact with inanimate objects but can’t be seen by the living. I liked this aspect, as generally ghosts move right through solid objects because they aren’t solid, but Terri Bruce has made ghosts a bit different than the norm.
Also, Jonah (the genius kid) could have easily been made a love interest in the story, and I kept thinking while making my way through this afterlife adventure that it would have been easy for Bruce to make that decision and form a romance-heavy plotline. However, that’s not what she did with this novel, and that’s admirable. I’ve been visiting other blogs on this tour, and here’s an interview about this very topic — writing a female main character that goes against the grain, maybe challenges a few of the norms, and still manages to be a really great character.
The relationship between Irene and Jonah is unique for various reasons. They aren’t related, are of very different age groups, but they still manage to be friends and journey companions. Irene may be older, but she sure isn’t smarter when it comes to how death and the afterlife are treated in various cultures. This is an aspect of the book which I’m sure took a great deal of research, and maybe adding in all of those details was challenging to write, but it’s done flawlessly. I read this novel enjoying the journey through Irene’s afterlife, liking the friendship between Irene and Jonah, and appreciating the cultural details along the way.
Originally posted here: http://readwearwrite.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/blog-tour-hereafter-by-terri-bruce-giveaway/
It isn’t until a boy — a genius kid obsessed with life after death — tells her she’s dead that Irene really begins to understand what her new existence has become. A ghost wandering the earth, she can interact with inanimate objects but can’t be seen by the living. I liked this aspect, as generally ghosts move right through solid objects because they aren’t solid, but Terri Bruce has made ghosts a bit different than the norm.
Also, Jonah (the genius kid) could have easily been made a love interest in the story, and I kept thinking while making my way through this afterlife adventure that it would have been easy for Bruce to make that decision and form a romance-heavy plotline. However, that’s not what she did with this novel, and that’s admirable. I’ve been visiting other blogs on this tour, and here’s an interview about this very topic — writing a female main character that goes against the grain, maybe challenges a few of the norms, and still manages to be a really great character.
The relationship between Irene and Jonah is unique for various reasons. They aren’t related, are of very different age groups, but they still manage to be friends and journey companions. Irene may be older, but she sure isn’t smarter when it comes to how death and the afterlife are treated in various cultures. This is an aspect of the book which I’m sure took a great deal of research, and maybe adding in all of those details was challenging to write, but it’s done flawlessly. I read this novel enjoying the journey through Irene’s afterlife, liking the friendship between Irene and Jonah, and appreciating the cultural details along the way.
Originally posted here: http://readwearwrite.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/blog-tour-hereafter-by-terri-bruce-giveaway/
jamesnotlatimer's review
4.0
I read this as part of SPFBO, and am glad I did. It's not the sort of book I would normally pick up, what with the real-world setting and the paranormal. Despite the reprehensible action that starts things off, and the obviousness of the outcome, something grabbed me about the protagonist--and the setting. The former is very forthright, and never really asks the reader to feel sorry for her; the latter is very well realised, and the city of Boston seems as much a character as anyone else. That said, some of the actual side characters are a bit shallow and convenient...but this is Irene's story (though only the start of it), and she carries you through. I also enjoyed the worldbuilding around the existence of ghosts, and appreciated the sense of realism in the story, which somewhat excused its more meandering moments. 3.5 stars rounded up.
More...