Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Release: June 7th, 2011

Pages: 416 (hardcover)

Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: Netgalley

Summary: 

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death....read more at Goodreads.

Amelia doesn't know much, but she does know that she's dead. Spending her time trapped in terrible nightmares or just ghostly moving through the river, her afterlife has been nothing but loneliness and routine. But when Joshua almost dies in the river and Amelia somehow intervense, for the first time in her afterlife, someone can see her and touch her. Even better, he wants to get to know her and help her find out her past. But Joshua isn't the only one interested in Amelia - there's another ghost who will do anything he can to have her at his side.... 

Amelia captured my sympathy from the beginning - I can't even imagine a life where no one could see you, or hear you. She's grown so complacent with her (after)life that it's quite a surprise when the normalcy of it all gets turned upside down with Joshua's appearance. He's sweet, funny, and definitely interested in her. Hereafter truly surprised me with how easy it was to jump into, from the settings to how likable the characters were. Side characters like Jill (Joshua's sister) and their grandmother were both two of my favorites, and the scenery was always easily visualized. Hereafter is lighthearted ghost story filled with intrigue, humor and spectacular characters - definitely check it out! 

Highlights: I'm a huge insta-love hater, but Hudson made Amelia and Joshua's romance kind of adorable. I couldn't help but to root for these two. I also really enjoyed how Joshua's family has a relationship with ghosts (you'll understand when you read it), I wasn't expecting that. Even our villain, Eli, managed to become a highlight of the story with his manic-crazy, rock n' roll personality. This entire story surprised me with how utterly endearing it was - I didn't want it to end. 

Lowlights: It was easy enough to guess ahead about what was going to happen (and be right), although I do think there are a few moments that will surprise readers. I also really disliked how Amelia needed a guy in order for her to make a change in her (after)life, regarding discovering her past and her abilities as a ghost. 

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