After by Amy Efaw

Genre: Contemporary

Publishing year: 2009

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis:

What kind of mother could leave her baby to die in the trash? Not Devon Davenport, she’s a straight-A student and a remarkable soccer player. She tutors other students in Spanish and always does the right thing. Despite her stellar record, panic drives her to commit the horrible act of abandoning her child. Charged with attempted murder and placed in a juvenile detention center, she might be tried as an adult; if she is, she could be sentenced to life in prison. Does she deserve that punishment? She claims she didn’t realize she was pregnant, but can we believe her story? Was she buried in denial, unable to register the life growing inside her? Or was this a premeditated act? 

Review:

I’ve passed by this book several times but I’ve never picked it up for a closer look until now. A passing glance reveals a young woman leaning against a window or a glass wall with her face turned away. Looking closer I noticed her reflection differed from her actual appearance, and that the reflection was noticeably pregnant. Interest level increased dramatically.

The overall plot drew this story. Will they try Devon as an adult or a juvenile? Was she aware that she was pregnant? These two questions made me keep reading. The writing style of Auch with the sparse dialogue and choppy sentences irked my inner critic. I have been exploring my own creative writing for the past year and I have read untold amounts of articles and tips about publishing. The first sentence has to hook the reader. Below is the first sentence of After.

“The TV’s on, some lame morning show.”

There is nothing hooking about that sentence, and if I hadn’t read the blurb on the inside cover I wouldn’t have known anything about this story other than Devon is a rather boring character. Also with that first sentence, everyone sees that comma don’t they? Its placement is odd; in fact, it isn’t supposed to be there. That comma makes Microsoft Word recognize this sentence as a fragment, even though it isn’t. Take that comma out and the sentence is perfect. Sadly, that comma is still there no matter how much I wish it wasn’t. This is a typo, however minor, in the FIRST sentence. I have no more words on this subject.

I hated was the flashbacks. Oh the flashbacks. They were interspersed throughout the story and each disrupted the flow of the novel. The only one I found suitable was when she remembered the moment of the birth and her subsequent actions after it. 

The only other part of this book I feel is worth discussing is the ending. So, there be SPOILERS ahead!

Devon truly surprised me. I expected her to plead not guilty, and handle this like a fifteen-year-old child. When she faced her actions and admitted her guilt, I was impressed with Efaw’s ability to write about the growth of this character.  Seeing the relationship between Devon and her mother and understanding the effect her mother’s loose actions had on Devon growing up I can almost grasp how Devon was so far in denial. Almost. 

Dom, who was Devon’s defense attorney made it known that Devon had promised herself never to be like her mother. To never engage in sexual activity at an early age like her mother had, specifically so that she’d never be a teen mom. Devon is known to be a well-rounded individual and from the testimony of others mature beyond her years. I found it hard to believe that such a mature and determined girl would betray her own principals so easily. I wish Efaw had gone into more detail about the early days of Devon and Connor’s relationship. In addition, it would have been nice for Devon to give Connor’s last name. That poor guy didn’t even know he was a father. 

Question: Teen pregnancy is a volatile topic but with modern birth control is there any excuse for it? Excluding rape of course. I’m talking about creating life between consenting parties.