In The After
Author: Demitria Lunetta
Published by- Harper Teen
Date Published- June 2013
Genre- Post-apocalyptic, Sci-Fi, YA
Rating- 3 of 5 stars
I love post apocalyptic and zombie books because I enjoy reading about how people can adapt and survive even the most unthinkable circumstances. In the After was a little post-apocalyptic thriller, a little zombie-ish, a little sci-fi alien invasion and a little bit dystopian. So many of the elements I enjoy wrapped up in one book, it's easy to see why I was so excited to read this and maybe why I had such high expectations for it.
I absolutely enjoyed the beginning of the book. The world building in the opening scenes painted a vivid picture of how quickly the world became a terrifying and dangerous place inhabited by creatures drawn to light and sound. I was fascinated by the way Amy and Baby had created a non-verbal way of communicating that was based on sign language but was adapted to work in their specific circumstances. I thought that the author did a great job creating a feeling of resignation and hopelessness in the characters but still that spirit to survive and persevere.
Where In the After fell short for me was in the second half, after Amy & Baby's "rescue". I spent most of the book feeling alternately confused and annoyed with the direction that the story seemed to be taking. The dystopic society that was created didn't seem entirely plausible and just felt loosely constructed. The interactions between the characters felt awkward and artificial, the romance wasn't believable, and most of the relationships felt forced. This was a bit of a disappointment since I had so enjoyed the world building in the beginning.
Ultimately, In the After was an okay read. I don't know if I will continue with the series since I didn't really like the direction the story went. However, I would still recommend it to fans of zombie, post apoc, sci fi, and dystopic themed books.
