Hereafter Review

Title: Hereafter

Author: Tara Hudson

Book: (Hereafter, #1)

Pages: 404

Rating: 4/5

I loved this book though I don't really care for the name Josh...All the guys named Josh (that I've met) are idiots, jerks, or wimps so I don't have a fondness for that name. Let me get on with it! XD Ok so this book has been on my list for an unseemly amount of time and I was finally able to talk my dad into buying it for me. See I am broke with very little access to money. I rely on my parents or luck to get books. This story sounded so sweet and I must say that I'm a hopeless romantic despite my trying not to cry during the Notebook. Fail every time...but that's not important.
Amelia is a ghost who can't remember how or why she died. Actually she knows how (she drowned) but she doesn't know how she ended up in the river under High Bridge. She wanders aimlessly having occasional nightmares until one of her nightmares brings her back to the river. The river that now holds a drowning boy who she can't touch or save. He dies but when he sees and touches her his heart starts beating again and he is able to swim to shore where help has arrived. (took long enough!) She believes that will be the last she sees of him but yet she can't make herself leave the Bridge.
Joshua (goes by Josh with his friends) comes back and they begin to uncover who she was and piece together why she is still wandering on the surface. Unfortunately his grandmother Ruth and another ghost Eli will stop at nothing to keep them apart. Eli because he wants her to become his "apprentice" and rule his domain with him. Ruth because she's a Seer (like Josh) who wants to exorcize Amelia believing since she hasn't been claimed that she is evil. Rubbish! Amelia wouldn't hurt anyone!
Anyway when Josh's sister is threatened by Eli it is up to Amelia and Josh to save her from ending up the same way Amelia did. A watery grave.
Will she stop Eli before it is to late and stop him from harming Josh and the rest of his family? Or will she fail to save his sister and end up being exorcised by Ruth?
Loved it! I even loved Eli who was a total nutbag out for possession of Amelia. Poor fella was just misguided and given way too much power that totally messed with his ego. Hopefully he won't be in the second book (which I have yet to acquire). The author did a great job bringing these characters to life and I found myself rooting for Amelia all throughout the book...I know I'm a bit obsessed with fictional characters but I prefer fantasy to reality. Much more fun!

About The Author

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Tara Hudson graduated with a degree in law, mostly because she believed all the horror stories about English majors and their careers in the food-service industry. Luckily, she soon remembered how much she loved telling ghost stories, particularly to her girlfriends who liked visiting abandoned cemeteries as much as she did. Tara currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband, son, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets.