AfterMath
-
-
5.0 • 4 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
"This book is a gift to the culture." —Amy Schumer, writer, actor, and activist
After her brother's death from a congenital heart defect, twelve-year-old Lucy is not prepared to be the new kid at school—especially in a grade full of survivors of a shooting that happened four years ago. Without the shared past that both unites and divides her classmates, Lucy feels isolated and unable to share her family's own loss, which is profoundly different from the trauma of her peers.
Lucy clings to her love of math, which provides the absolute answers she craves. But through budding friendships and an after-school mime class, Lucy discovers that while grief can take many shapes and sadness may feel infinite, love is just as powerful.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eight months after her younger brother Theo dies from a rare heart condition, 12-year-old Lucy Rothman's grieving parents need a fresh start, so the white Jewish family moves from Maryland to Queensland, Va., a town still deeply affected by a school shooting four years prior. Seventh grader Lucy's tightly knit new classmates speak openly about their losses while she, feeling estranged from the group, keeps hers a secret. Feeling distanced from both her parents and peers, Lucy is lonely, and math, once her favorite subject, no longer brings comfort. It isn't until she befriends another white loner, Avery—the school shooter's much younger half sister—that Lucy begins to heal. When the girls take an after-school mime class together, Lucy comes to realize that, though grief takes many forms, those affected can form connections. Showing a keen understanding of loss, Isler's compassionate debut is written with stark honesty, showcasing various responses to tragedy, including Lucy's parents' inability to talk about the past, the students' collective need to share their stories, and encouragement of therapy. Back matter includes an author's note and discussion questions. Ages 10–14.
Customer Reviews
A book for all ages…
This story about a bright and thoughtful girl who is processing many things — some that are common to most and some that are unique to a much smaller subset — is elegantly and honestly told. While Lucy is depicted as studious, smart, and thoughtful, her first person narration is universal and rings so incredibly true and nuanced. She expresses and shares moments of pain and exasperation and wonder and doubt and, of course, love just as we remember it or have seen it in the children around us. There’s also absolute empathy and respect given to each and every character, which gives the book authenticity and depth. The author obviously understands that the emotions felt at this stage of life are common, even though we think they’re so distinctive to each of us and when situations are specific to individual lives. This novel is a wonderful, emotional read for anyone who’s passing through this age now or who is or has been witness to someone going through it. I was sorry that the book ended, but I loved the journey of reading it. Thank you.