After Her

by Joyce Maynard

[Hillary]

At first I thought this book was slow going. It slowly builds up the tension and unravels its secrets. After I got into the book I loved the details.It is a character study of different people and what makes them do the things they do. Without the details we would not be able to understand all of the dynamics that take place in the novel.

I used to be obsessed with serial killers and this book reminded me about that. It covers how the inside of how the police works and how looking for a killer can take it toll not only on policeman but also on the family and community. It was fascinating to read about the little and big changes that take place over the course of the crime. We often only get one perspective but this was a snapshot into all things that happened.

I found it especially fascinating on how the two girls growth arc over the course of the book. When we first meet them they are two little girls who do everything together. Then when the murders start happening one becomes popular and the other focuses on herself.

This may be showing my age but I was shocked when the 14 year old's were having sex and "experimenting". I felt like that was way to young but reading YA I find that the times have changed. Todays teens are different from the 90's teens and this books reflects that.

Overall I found this to be a highly enjoyable and fascinating read.

This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land