ace's star book reviews | closed

After the End

Title: After the End

Author: @NDeMeer 

Description:

Alex has no memories left after she dies, but she is determined to find out everything about her old life. As she learns more and more, it turns out that her little brother, Kyle, is in danger because of something she's done before she died. While trying to save him, Alex finds herself trapped in a web of secrets and forgotten memories. Souls don't have much power in the world of the living, but she will have to do everything she can, and more, to save her brother.

title/cover: 

title:  short, sweet, and effective. it gives it either an apocalyptic or after-death vibe, the latter of which the story is about. that being said, i don't find it to be very unique, as after searching it up, i found many Wattpad books with the same title. 

score: 4/5

cover: 

the concept of the cover is great. the woman standing behind shattered glass that is covered in blood—that is unique and intriguing! and the fact that flowers are supposed to symbolize happiness and life, yet they're on the cover of a book about death is pretty artistic. the font could be changed for a cleaner look, though.

score: 4/5

total: 8/10

summary/hook:

summary: the first sentence: "my story begins on the 22nd of March: the day my life ended" is such a great attention-grabber! it makes the reader want to find out why and how she died, and i've never read a book from the pov of a dead person before, so very interested to see how this goes. 

you provide sufficient information about Alex, her brother Kyle, and the objective of the story. the summary is short and simple, and gives an insight without spoiling anything, so well done. the second and third sentences can, however, be tweaked so that they are stronger.

the tense change can break the flow a bit, so the author can consider rewording "...something she's done before she died..." to "something she did before she died," or maybe "a mistake of her past," just so that it isn't as vague.

score: 4/5

hook: 

"My story begins on the 22nd of March: the day my life ended."

woah! chills. love how the beginning of the story is the end of the character's life. very clever.

score: 5/5

total: 9/10

grammar/flow:

this story is very well edited (thank goodness), so i didn't spot many grammar and spelling mistakes. that's a relief, because those can be huge turn-offs. what I did notice were some places where the commas should have been semicolons. sometimes, this is a stylistic choice, but it doesn't suit the story everywhere.

the writing also flows very well. the author provides just enough descriptions so that we can visualize the environment, but not too much so that it becomes boring. it's interesting to read from the perspective of a dead girl. the way that the author has described the way that Alex moves and her capabilities is very fitting! 

score: 9/10

characters:

Alex, the main character, seems to be very relatable. when she finds herself without memory and in a spiritual world, she sort of freaks out. it's totally understandable. her dialogue seems very realistic and conveys her character well. one thing I noticed was the lack of emotion when she was speaking. there were a lot of rhetorical questions and some insight on her thoughts, but I couldn't connect to her, at least not in the beginning of the story. this did improve as the story progressed.

Rick also is a likable character. it's good that Alex has him by her side because otherwise she'd be totally lost. the high schoolers portrayed in this story also had realistic personalities. some were mean and judgmental, and others weren't complete assholes. the balance was refreshing, as a lot of stories don't present high schoolers in that way.

the way that the author wrote about the other characters who are also souls (dead) is really beautiful and heartbreaking. I felt their pain while reading how they tried to communicate with their loved ones. they each had meaningful backstories that added to the plot.

the author does a great job of creating connections between the characters. I definitely want to read on and learn more about them.

score: 9/10

plot:

the plot is definitely unique. I've seen paranormal stories where the issue is within the ghost/soul world, not regarding the person's prior life. the fact that Alex has to figure out a way to help her brother kept me at the edge of my seat.

one thing that didn't seem solid to me was death's character. I was surprised at how easy it was for Alex to deceive him, and it didn't seem to fit too well with the story. the beginning with the cloak is also a bit confusing; why does death even need to wear the cloak? it seems like he should be one of the more powerful characters in the story, yet in the beginning he comes off as weak.

score: 8/10

all in all, this is a very well-written story with a lot of potential. the characters come to life through dialogue, and the author's world-building skills are commendable. the author ends each chapter with a cliff-hanger or an intense scene, leaving the reader wanting more. there is a little bit of inconsistency in the plot and the characters, but nothing too major. I definitely recommend this as a read for anyone who enjoys paranormal stories!

---