My Life After Now by Jessica VerdiPublished by: Sourcebooks Fire on April 2, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 304
Source: Purchased
Buy on Amazon • Book Details
Rating: ★★★★★
Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.
And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?
Now her life is completely different...every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.
Life After Now was incredibly powerful and absolutely heartbreaking. For the first quarter of the book, my heart was HAMMERING. It’s that scared, nervous, anticipating feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen and you’re morbidly curious but also a bit terrified. I knew the story was about HIV, I knew Lucy was going to get it, but part of me was curious to see how it happened, and the other part was terrified. It’s just SO SAD. It broke my heart just thinking about it and it was like watching something happen in slow motion. I knew what was going to happen, but I was afraid to see it through.. but also curious.
This book manages to deal with some intense and deeply saddening issues, but in a non-judgmental way. On the one hand, I knew it was “wrong” for Lucy to have unsafe sex, but seeing it through her eyes made me sympathize with her instead of judge her for her mistake. I thought it was brilliantly crafted, and that allows the book to send a strong message without it being so in your face.
Lucy’s parents (a male gay couple) were some of my absolute favourite characters. There was just something so sweet about them. They were such adorable, supportive parents, and I loved how open they were with Lucy. They were almost like close friends with her in the sense that they were always on her side and supporting her without question.
I highly recommend My Life After Now to anyone who loves contemporary and is looking for a sad, heartbreaking, but extremely powerful read. I read this book from front to back in one sitting because I was completely hooked. At 2:30am, my boyfriend turned to me and said, “It’s time for bed, babes.” But I just gave him that “MY BOOK IS SO GOOD” look and he knew he wouldn’t be able to pry me away. So he stayed up with me until I finished (what a sweetheart ♥ ). I promise that you will completely power through this book and love it from front to back! It will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you completely appreciate the beauty of life.
The Verdict
I’ve never read a book that deals with HIV but it sounds like such a heartbreaking, powerful contemporary that’s been done well and I’m really looking forward to and have been ever since hearing about it. Your review only makes me want to grab myself a copy even more. And this: For the first quarter of the book, my heart was HAMMERING. It’s that scared, nervous, anticipating feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen and you’re morbidly curious but also a bit terrified. – Yes! I totally get that feeling as I’ve experienced it before whilst reading. That feeling when you know what’s around the corner and it’s not going to be good and you can’t help but read with a hammering heart and wide-eyes waiting for that oh-no-this-is-is moment.
Love this review, Ashley!
It’s really, really good Rebecca! This book is so intense, you literally won’t be able to stop reading!
Hehe, I swear, I like your boyfriend so much sometimes. The little glimpses I get of him through your blog makes him sound awesomer than awesome!!!!
Okay, um, no. I don’ t wanna cry!! That feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen makes me freaking nervous. I hate it. But I am very happy you enjoyed it so much. 🙂
He is totally the sweetest! ♥
Yeah I guessed this book wouldn’t be for you since you’re not into the sad ones! 😀
Awww… Your boyfriend is so sweet! 😉
My Life After Now sounds like another cute read I’d be yearning to read!
Lovely review and book banner, both completely stunning! <3
Thank you so much Melanie! It’s seriously an amazing book. 🙂
Oh wow! What a great review Ashley! I have to read this! And while I’m here… your newly designed blog looks fabulous! 🙂
Thank you so much Lori! 🙂
A book that deals with a girl who’s HIV+ and has gay parents? I need to read this just for the change from the stereotypical! Haha
I don’t know if I’m in the right frame of mind to read something so heartbreaking, but next time I need a good cry I know what book to seek out!
I know, right?? 😀 Seriously, her parents are THE BEST! They’re so freaking sweet. I hope you get a chance to read it. 🙂
Ahhhh! I just received this for review and now I’m even MORE excited to read it! Thanks for the review! 🙂
Lisa I hope you LOVE it!!
I honestly would never have looked twice at this book, but because you loved it so much I’m definitely going to give it a try! I’m not a big contemporary reader, but I do love to find books that can really get to me emotionally and make me stop to think about my life (like Before I Fall).
Your boyfriend is great, haha! *applauds*
<3
Well this book is definitely PERFECT for that!! It’s so overwhelming, but in the best way possible. It really made me stop and think about how lucky I am to be alive and healthy.
Oh hon. I am so afraid to read this book, but I feel like I must. I just love to cry and I do love when a book manages to make me feel so much!
It’s a really, really sad book, but it’s perfect if you’re looking for an emotional tear-jerker! I think you’d like it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Ashley! I’ve read a fair amount of realistic fiction, but HIV/AIDS is one topic I haven’t seen touched on before, and from everything you’ve described, it seems like Verdi handled it tastefully and respectfully. I think that’s really important in a book like this.
Absolutely! This was my first book about HIV/AIDS and it was an amazing one to start off with. But now I think that nothing else can top it!
I am so bummed I haven’t been able to read this one so far. I’ve only heard great things about it so far, Ashley! Thank you for talking it up, and I’m SO so happy to hear about an open, supportive family unit in YA literature. Lucy’s story just sounds really emotional and powerful. 🙂
Molli | Once Upon a Prologue
Right?? I get kind of sick of all the horrible family problems, abusive relationships, parents who don’t give their kids attention, etc. It’s nice to read a book that is still heavy but has an amazing, supportive family. I love that!!
I really appreciate it when authors are able to write about issues in a non-judgmental way, allowing readers to form their own sympathies and opinions on matters. Normally I don’t really like dark “issues” contemporaries, but I think I’ll make an exception for this one. I just need to make sure I’m in a mood that is able to handle the potential darkness of the subject matter!
If you get a chance to read it, I really hope you enjoy it Amanda! 🙂
I am SOOOO looking forward to reading this. When I seen you raving in one of your stacking the shelves a few weeks ago I immediately added it to my TBR and now I’m obsessed with reading this one! I actually had NO idea it was about HIV though; that makes it even more interesting, I’ve never read a book where a character(or at least a main character) had HIV(well except for My Friend Leonard but that’s a TOTALLY different genre). I’m looking for a good cry… this sounds like just the powerful, heartwrenching book for me! Great review Ashley!
Everyone’s been raving about this one and i’m just dying to read it! I know it deals with HIV and seems like such a serouis book but the cute cover kinda makes me not scared of reading it since I tend to stay away from really depressing sickness stories! Great Review Ashely! And I love the new blog design! 🙂
Lily
I can’t wait to read this book, I just knew it was going to be good, glad you loved it!
Does it have that sad, heartbreaking feeling like Hopeless, it sounds like it?
Usually books that deal with serious issues such as rape, bullying and suicide tend to be judgmental (which is what I think puts readers off so much), so you have no idea how happy I am that this book wasn’t the case! I also love how we get to read about a pretty common story, yet still feel that it stands out from others. I mean, how often is it that you read about a main character who has gay parents? My Life After Now sounds amazing; hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on a copy so I can see just how good it is! Lovely review, Ashley. 🙂
YAY!!! SO happy to see you loved this book! I just got it and I was so excited for this to come out and yours is the first review I read of it and I’m so ready to get into this book! It looks as amazing as I thought it would be! Great review, Ashley! : )
My husband does that same thing to me when I’m reading late into the night! “It’s time for bed…” and I in return do the same thing you did! Great review. Looking forward to reading this one! BTW – the blog is looking awesome! Love the new logo. 🙂
~Meg
I’ve never read a book on the subject HIV but this book sounds amazing and heartbreaking. It’s a difficult subject to write about so I’m happy to hear the author handled it so well and I love how her parents play such a huge role in her life. I’m definitely adding this to my wishlist and I hope it’s shared in schools and with other teenagers. It sounds like a very insightful and as you said powerful read, I’m sure it would impact on people’s perspectives especially as there are still so many misconceptions about HIV.
I just got a copy of this one! =) Going to read it as fast as I can.
OMG I hope you like it!! 😀
Hope so too! =)
Okay so I finished this one yesterday and I absolutely LOVED it! I read it in one sitting as I could NOT put it down. I feel that this book is extremely important and that everyone in the whole freaking universe should read it.
My review will be up on Monday.
OMG YES!!! I’m so happy you loved it! And I totally agree with what you said.. everyone should read this book. It sends such a great message but without being cliché or preachy!
I read this not long ago. It was really heavy and emotional. I felt the same way you did. Just this constant sense of dread. I went into I not knowing that it was about HIV. I assumed it was about suicide or something. But HIV was new for me.