Book #105: Hereafter

Title: Hereafter

Author: Tara Hudson

Date started reading: Aug. 15, 2012
Date finished reading:  Aug. 18, 2012

Publish date: June 2011
ISBN: 9780062026774
Number of pages: 404

Official summary: "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 and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world ... forever." (http://www.tarahudson.com)

Official book trailer:

How I obtained the book: Bought for $4.87 at used book store.

My commentary:

• There were basically two reasons I wanted to read this book: 1) The cover is amazingly beautiful, and 2) The author is from Oklahoma, and since I'm from Oklahoma myself, I'm always curious to see how writers from my state stack up against other authors. After reading the book, I must say that this is one book you can definitely judge by its cover. The cover art fits the story perfectly: A young beautiful girl dies and becomes a ghost "haunting" the river where she had died.... which is exactly what the cover represents. The author did not disappoint either. I have often come across authors from my state who ... well honestly ... suck, and Tara Hudson is not one of those people. She wrote the story based around a town that actually exists in Oklahoma, which, for someone who lives here, adds something personal to the story, which I loved. 
• The book really stands out from the typical "young adult paranormal romance" novels. For one thing, there are no vampires, no werewolves, no fairies, nothing of that manner. This is essentially a ghost story, a really beautiful ghost story. It has ghosts and ghost hunters, and that's all it needed to totally capture my attention and keep it through the entire book. Plus, the way it's written, the book definitely appeals to adults as well as teenagers. It's definitely not going to be a book that I'm embarrassed to say I read as a 30 year old and loved. I can't think of a single thing I would've changed in the book, and that's saying a lot coming from me.

Memorable quotes:

• "Instinct is a slippery thing." ~ Amelia
• "I was trapped in a prison of one. It was as if I existed in my own little dimension, unseen and unheard by others but maddeningly aware of my surroundings." ~ Amelia
• "Hours can pass like years when you wait impatiently for something, especially something you crave and dread in equal measure." ~ Amelia
• "Death had obviously not improved my vocabulary." ~ Amelia
• "Any sane person would think I'm either crazy or dead." ~ Amelia to Joshua
• "You know, Amelia, being dead must really suck." ~ Joshua 
• "I'm not going to spend my Friday nights with you and Casper the Friendly Girlfriend." ~ Jillian to Joshua

Buy on Amazon.com: Hereafter