**Some Spoilers if you have NOT read Shadowlands**

Rory is getting used to her new reality on Juniper Landing. She's getting to know the clique of "Lifers" and figuring out how things actually work behind the scenes, while also grappling with what her situation means for Darcy and her dad. Meanwhile things are happening on the island that are not normal. Plants are dying, crows and insects have shown up, and people are going into the fog and not ending up where they should. It's hard for the locals not to blame Rory, since it did start happening with her arrival... but Rory doesn't even understand half of what is going on, let alone being able to cause it intentionally. With so many secrets, it's hard for Rory to fix anything... and it doesn't help when Tristan is being secretive and Joaquin is the only one she can lean on.


My Thoughts:
The SECOND BOOK!!!! I was SO excited to read this one! I've been pining away for it ever since I read the last page of Shadowlands. And let me tell you, that last page certainly was a mindf*ck. It ended with a twist that I NEVER saw coming and wasn't sure I even liked. But after further reflection, I realized that I did like it, I just wasn't prepared for it at the time.

Anyway on to this book. If you loved Shadowlands, you won't be disappointed with Hereafter. With Steven Nell out of the way, another baddie reveals him/herself. And this person is doing things that are causing the entire island to go haywire. Poor Rory doesn't even have time to adjust to her new role (or even get all the info) before the ominous stuff starts happening. She has no idea how to fix it, but she somehow becomes the center of all the speculation. It seemed like everyone was keeping secrets from her and she was already in the dark about most things as it was!! Could someone fill a girl in??

If you were hoping that book 2 would let you off a little easier than book 1.... well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I still wanted to punch myself in the face when it was over. Mostly because I have to wait who knows how long to find out what's next.

There were only a few drawbacks. One was that it felt a little short. It's 320 pages, so clearly it's not that short, but it just felt that way. I wanted MORE. More info about how everything worked, where everybody came from and how they got to be where they are. I think this book suffers a little from middle book syndrome in that it is transitioning from book 1 to book 3 and not giving major bulk. That was ok for me because I loved the creepy fog, the new direction it started to head, and the fact that I was able to read it super fast. Another thing was Rory didn't seem to grasp the idea of forever. If she's going to be on this island for eternity, then I don't think she needed to be so dramatic about Tristan not being sure about wifing her up on the first day. Take a breath girl, you guys have FOREVER.

OVERALL: For book 2 of a series, I give it an A. It held it's own and transitioned the story nicely. I loved the creepy setting and the fact that there is ANOTHER twist. Even though I expected the cliffhanger this time, I'm still dying over here because of it!!

My Blog:
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I'd give this a 3.5 but went with the three for the cliffhanger ending. Look for full review in a bit.

“Life” continues for Rory and her family at Juniper Landing, the limbo world where their souls are living while waiting for unfinished business to be finished. But someone is changing the way things work, and the balance is shifting--more souls are going to the Shadowlands than the Light. Juniper Landing is dying and some of the locals want to blame Rory.

I was excited about this second book in the series and was enjoying the build of the mystery only to be stopped at the cliff, literally and figuratively. While I enjoyed the ride, the ending colors everything gray, much like the soul sucking fog. This trend of the second book in a series just feeling like a place filler and teaser annoys me. In spite of all of that, it read fast; Hereafter did not feel like 320 pages on my Kindle. I’ll definitely buy it for the high school to add to the series. I hope the ending isn’t too far away--I’ll have cranky seniors if it is. :) ( )

Hereafter continued Rory's story with a new threat. A threat that was trying to blame her for all that was going wrong on the island. There was a continuation of the eye roll worthy "romance" and Rory playing the hero. This was disappointingly not as exciting as the first book. Rory and Tristan together is written horribly. I don't understand how I just finished the story when I feel like there is so much more to know. I do want to know what happens in the end so I may read the final book. Hopefully Rory and Tristan together don't ruin it. ( )

Review to come closer to publication date. ( )

Review to come closer to publication date. ( )