4/5
The Afterward is about what happens to the characters after they've completed the exciting adventures that YA fantasy novels usually focus on. This is a concept that I haven't seen done before, which pushed me to pick up this novel, and I don't regret it at all. The three things I enjoyed the most about The Afterward were the alternating timelines, the normalcy of the leading characters, and the diversity.
The Afterward alternates between the two leads', Kalanthe's and Olsa's, perspectives and between a year after the quest and the time of the quest. I really enjoyed the switching narratives because they slowly revealed more of each character and of what exactly happened during the quest. The two leads aren't the usual "stars" you'd see as protagonists in a YA novel; neither of them are the most respected or most skilled or most talented. Instead, the rest of the team on the quest fill those roles, and they make for a very exciting host of side characters. Yes, there are still the strong knights and the mysterious mages you find in plenty of other novels, but they are written in such a way that drew me towards them and made me eager to learn more.
Each flip between storylines and perspectives unveiled more of every character's intriguing background. And overall, The Afterward was extremely diverse and open, particularly in terms of gender identity, sexuality, and race. These factors make The Afterward a lovely read that distinguishes itself from most other YA fantasy novels out there.
Looking back, the only flaws I can think of in The Afterward are that the present timeline never picks up speed to something high-stakes, and the story was too brief for me to bond with any character in depth. But I found so much more than that in this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed watching a variety of characters and past events unfold before me, and I would highly recommend this novel to those who are looking to meet new characters that one wouldn't usually find in YA.
No comments:
Post a Comment