After Hello

by Lisa Mangum

[jeannamichel]

Sara is spending the day in New York City, by herself (waiting for her father to get out of his stupid meeting so he can spend some time with her). Sam lives in New York City and is on a mission to find something that is truly desired by one of his “clients.” Sara and Sam meet unexpectedly and they are brought together from the journey they share that will change them both forever.

Right off the start, I was ready for heartbreak. “What happens After Hello?” The inevitable goodbye. It promoted such a thing on the back cover so I was ready for the book to go down this road that might make me cry or even that I might not enjoy. None of those things happened. After Hello grabbed my heart and squeezed but let it go very gently when the time came to say goodbye.

Let’s talk about the cover before I get into things: I love covers that sort of follow the book. I hate covers that have nothing to do with the book. This book cover is just so pretty on its own but after reading the story, it takes on a whole new meaning. As much as the cover is not exactly described as it is in the plot, I still enjoy looking at the cover.

Lisa Mangum knows how to write a clever story. Clever because Mangum has Sara mention this calm, sort of peaceful feeling in the book and at the end, Mangum gets her readers to feel exactly as described. That realization that I was relating to a character in such a way gave me chills. I felt connected to the story much more than if I were just reading.

There is such a variety of cast members that it is almost too hard to choose a favorite. They all have a certain story that Mangum tells, and every story adds on to the main plotline. I, however, wanted to know more. I couldn’t get enough of Sam and Sara and I wish I had more than a day to spend with the two. Sara’s photography really inspired me. Next time I take a trip to the city, I am going to view things with an artist’s eyes. Her way of seeing things was so different than the norm which is what made her such a unique character.

The plot seems very simple. A day trip to the city. A girl. A boy. They meet. Spend the day together. The end. Well, it was definitely more than that boring cliché there. And the best part is, the characters, after their journey, take something away from their experience. I love seeing transformation in characters from the beginning to end of the book and to read about the change is always a sign of a great book. Plus, not only does Mangum bring on awesome changing characters, but she mentions this awesome trading game that involves a sugar packet. The game is so original and seemed to circle around the main plot. The game is also a great interactive tool to get you involved in the novel. Go to www.trackthepacket.com to participate.

After Hello was so good that I didn’t want it to end. It was hard to say goodbye, after finishing the book, but that’s what is bound to happen after someone says hello.