Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter

(Hereafter # 1)
By: Tara Hudson
Pub. Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 404
Source: Bought

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 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.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, "Hereafter" is a sensation you won't want to miss.

What instantly drew me to Hereafter was that it was a ghost story. I am a sucker for a good ghost story. Hereafter did not disappoint and it is definitely up there as one of my favorite stories featuring ghosts! It is a beautiful supernatural romance about a ghost named Amelia, who only knows that her name is Amelia and that she is dead and Joshua, the boy she saved from drowning and the only living being that can see her!

Amelia roams aimlessly around the river and bridge where she died. She doesn't know when she died, or how she died.  She's lonely and confused and the days and nights just drag on. The instant she saves Joshua, her life starts to change. She starts to have quick moments of recollections from her life. Not only that, but for the first time since she died, someone can see and talk to her! She wants to know more about Joshua, just like Joshua wants to know more about the ghost that saved his life.

Amelia and Joshua had one of the sweetest romances I have ever read about. But obviously, this is not your normal boyfriend, girlfriend relationship and they have some problems. For one, when they try to kiss, she vanishes. Secondly, turns out Joshua is a seer who comes from a family of seers. Not only can his grandmother see Amelia too, but she wants to send her to hell where she thinks Amelia belongs. Lastly, there is this creepy dead guy hanging around Amelia who thinks the two of them belong together. Despite everything against them, I loved how they wouldn't let anything come between them.

Hereafter is a fast and charming read and I am so looking forward to seeing where this story takes us in Arise!

Books in the series: