Afterward
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
From the author of Moxie, soon to be a major Netflix production, directed by Amy Poehler.
From the author of MOXIE, comes a moving story of self-discovery and the hope that comes with friendship.
Ethan Jorgensen went on a bike ride four years ago, and has not been seen since ...
When Caroline's little brother is kidnapped, his subsequent rescue leads to the discovery of Ethan, now fifteen years old. Caroline can't help but wonder what happened to her brother who has non-verbal autism and is not adjusting well to life back home. And there's only one person who knows the truth: Ethan.
But Ethan isn't sure how he can help Caroline when he is fighting traumatic memories of his own time in captivity.
One thing's for sure. Both Caroline and Ethan need a friend, and their best option just might be each other ...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a sensitive portrait of trauma and recovery, a kidnapping kindles an unlikely friendship. Caroline Anderson's 11-year-old younger brother, Dylan, disappeared from in front of the family's Texas home only to be found four days later in a man's apartment. Dylan isn't the only one there: also present is 15-year-old Ethan Jorgenson, who vanished four years earlier. Dylan, who has autism, can't say much about what went on during his brief time with his captor, but Ethan's head is full of painful buried memories. Alternating between Caroline and Ethan's perspectives, Mathieu (Devoted) explores both the effects of trauma it's clear without being explicit that Ethan suffered some form of sexual abuse and the role that class plays in recovery, with Ethan's parents able to pay for extensive therapy. Drawn to each other, Caroline and Ethan develop a bond that's initially music-centric and becomes something deeper. It's a fully realized story of what happens after the news cameras fade away and the real work of moving forward begins. Ages 12 up.
