English / Great Britain
The afterwards
Harrold, A. F.
(text)
Gravett, Emily
(illus.)
London [et al.]: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2018. – 224 p.
ISBN 978-1-4088-9431-6
Friendship | Death | Grief | Afterworld | Supernatural
Reading age: 10+
White Ravens issue: 2019
Following the highly praised “The Imaginary” (Bloomsbury, 2015), this haunting children’s novel is the second collaboration between A.F. Harrold and Emily Gravett in which things invisible to most people play an important role. In “The Afterwards”, Ember and Ness are two girls who have been almost inseparable for the past three years. Yet one day, Ness falls off the swing at the playground, hits her head, and dies. All of a sudden, Ember is supposed to navigate the world without her BFF. When she accidentally discovers a mysterious black-and-gray world in-between, where Ness – and other dead people and animals – seem to be hovering before they move on, Ember is determined to bring her friend back. Ignoring all warnings, she comes up with the most daring plans – and almost gets herself killed. This suspenseful and poetic novel, adorned with delicate, soft, and slightly sinister illustrations, tackles the challenging topic of grief in an unusual mixture of thoughtful, (partly) realistic story and gripping thriller.