This book just didn't work for me for whatever reason. There was nothing egregiously wrong with it. I just left it with no thoughts, just a three star rating.

Reading this book was HARD being the mom of two girls in school with all of the shootings that have plagued the states the last few years made this book even harder to read. But I’m glad I did. This story gives a great message about perception, forgiveness, compassion, moving on, and acceptance.

The characters were wonderful and you could tell how much the author wanted you to really feel what Jesse and Skye went through. From the perspectives of one teen losing a brother to a shooter. And other loosing a brother because he was a shooter. It was two sides of the same coin and I felt so bad for both of these kids and their situation. It was an in-depth look at what families of both the shooting victims and the shooters family, whom are also victims, go through in the aftermath of such an event. And although this is a story of fiction it felt all too real.

Overall, this is a romance story but also one where a girl is just trying to move on with her life after a tragedy. Where she’s forced to face those who blame her for her brothers actions. Even though she isn’t to blame in any way. It’s about a boy who needs to stop living for his parents and start living for himself as well.

I did love ALL of the parts with Jesse’s mom was she is a force to be reckoned with and I love her so much!!

If you looking for a coming of age story as well as one with grief, love, and forgiveness with some major twists and turns. Check this one out.




Go Into This One Knowing: School Shooting, Death of Siblings, Bullies, Romance

See my review on YALSA's The Hub:
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2018/05/22/qp2019-nominees-round-may-22-edition/

This was so, SO GOOD. I was so emotionally invested in this book, I couldn't put it down. The characters and situation were realistic, and this is a horrible example of today's reality

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there's no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn't a victim; he was a shooter.

Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don't heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend--Skye.

Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can't resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3.5 star rating!

This book was so extremely different from what I've ever read before. Literally never read a book about a school shooting. This book was absolutely amazing though. It kept me up all night reading. I felt so bad for Skye and what she had to go through. Its eye opening on the problem of today where people hold others accountable for others actions when theres a good chance the guilty party is hiding it well. This was a great book, highly recommend.

I usually love this author's book . I found the mystery very interesting and trying to figure out what happened was good to keep me interested . I found it did keep my attention. Skye and Jesse are thrown together after a couple years and end trying to solve a mystery. They want to find out why Luka did what he did . Overall a great story.

LOVED THIS BOOK!



This book is certainly different from some of Kelley's other works and given the tough subject, Kelley did an amazing job with this book!



Skye hasn't had a normal nor easy life is a very long time. Ever since the shooting, she's been moving, seen her mom go deeper into depression and her gram go through two strokes. By that point it was determined that Skye was to go live with her aunt back home. Back to where her life changed. Back to where she is know as the sister of a school shooter.



Luka and two other guys were the ones holding guns and shooting up their High School. However, something always told Skye that it couldn't be true. Her brother couldn't have done such a thing. But some days she just didn't know what to think, it hasn't been easy for her. Moving back to her home is about to make her life even more difficult.



Old classmates recognize her, the whispers start, notes in her locker, fires, break-ins. Things aren't easy, but Skye is determined to take back her home. Skye does have some old friend by her side who are there to truly help. Jessie is a big part of the story and together they find a way to solve everything that has been going on and truly learning what her brother was. Luka was and always will be a hero.

Aftermath addresses a very relevant topic teens today are facing. There is also a mystery that will keep you hooked until the end.

When it comes to the aftermath of high school shootings, very little notice is given to the family members of the shooters. Kelley Armstrong opens this door with the story of Skye Gilchrist, a sixteen-year-old high schooler who returns to her hometown, to live with her Aunt Mae, three years after her brother Luka was killed by the police.

Skye had no choice in returning, her mother had spiraled further into her depression and authorities said her grandmother was unable to continue caring for her. That left overworked Aunt Mae who had sworn to Skye that her best friend Jesse, the brother of one of the shooting victims, was not at the school and that Skye could have a clean start since no one would remember whom she was. That was wishful thinking on both their parts given that every person and family member who witnessed the tragedy that day remembered. Her brother’s actions affected everyone and no one will let her forget since you are “not allowed to grieve someone like Luka”.

Bullied and the victim of near deadly pranks, Skye continues to brave each day. Her aunt lied -- Jesse is there. This angry sulking boy is now the school’s track star with a chance at college recognition. This is not his dream; he wants to give his parents a place in the stands, the place they held when his brother Jamil was the family standout.

As Jesse and Skye come to terms with their shared past, and where they now fit in the community, they are faced with the need to bring the truth of the shooting to light. There are unlikely alliances, surprising forgiveness, and compassion in this book. No one at the school wants to listen, these two misfits are just odd attention seekers, but the facts are still there and they need to be seen in a new light. The question is -- who is the person behind the scenes pushing for the truth and if not for Jesse and Skye to do the bidding, who will seek justice?

Told in alternating voices, the reader sees their plight unfold. The truth is out there, why did people lie during the investigation? Was there an intentional cover up? Who wants the police report revealed to the public? Will families finally receive answers and the ability to move forward? There are only two people who can put things right, and while in the midst of a budding romance, find their way to the truth and to each other.

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong is the story of a high school shooting. The main characters brothers both died in the shooting. One was a “victim” and the other was a “shooter”. Most stories focus on the shooting itself or the effects after. This books main focus is revenge which makes this story different than any other school shooting book I have ever read.

Skye is the sister of a school shooter. Her brother, Luka, and 2 of his friends shot up his high school. Luka was killed by police when he was exiting a bathroom. The shooting left Skye and her family very harassed so Skye went to live with her grandmother. The harassment followed her where ever she went. Then her grandmother had a stroke and she had to move back to her hometown to live with her aunt. That means going to school with the kids her brother's shooting had an impact on. That means living in the same town as Jesse, her old best friend whose brother just happens to have been a victim of the shooting.

Jesse was a good kid. A smart kid. After the shooting, he kind of veered off the path and because someone he didn’t want to be. He became his brother. The same brother that was killed in the shooting. The same brother who wasn’t as great as everyone seems to think he was. Jesse didn’t just lose his brother in that shooting. He lost his best friend, Skye, too. In the span of a day, his entire life changed. So, of course, he would grow up to be a different person, right? But when Skye suddenly reappears in his life, he has some choices to make.

Now that Skye is back, she is being harassed more than ever. People are telling her she needs to leave the school and that she deserves to die. But someone takes this harassment to a whole new level. They start stalking Skye. Locking her in rooms, setting things on fire and leaving things in her locker. Someone really wants Skye dead. But who? In a school full of people who hate her, finding out the answer might be harder than anything she’s ever dealt with. Luckily, her ex-best friend is there to help her. Or maybe he is a suspect, too.

This book was utterly fantastic. I loved the thriller element placed inside an already tragic event. The mystery plot is very well thought out. I was highly confused at the end when the bad guy turned out to be a different person but still along the same lines. And the reasoning behind wanting Skye dead? MIND BLOWN.

In the end, I am so glad Kelley Armstrong wrote this book. She has such an amazing talent for writing thrillers. I have read every book she has ever written, including her adult novels, and her writing always keeps me drawn in. The book she published right before this one, Missing, was the first EVER thriller book to completely freak me out to the point where I kept hearing noises outside my window while reading it. If you have not read Kelley Armstrong I highly suggest you rectify that situation.

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

I have read a few books by Kelley Armstrong and I always seem to enjoy them. I appreciate how different they are from each too. I can say I was delightfully surprised with this book. I figured I would enjoy it since I have so many of her other books, what I didn't expect was this to be a mystery thriller. I thought it was more the line of realistic fiction. Which it is realistic fiction too and also a little bit of romance. It was a good story well written.


There was a school shooting in the local high school. Skye Gilchrist and Jesse Mandal were in middle school at the time. When they heard of the shooting they had the shock of know their brothers were in involved. One was part of the shooters, the other one was killed. Skye and Jesse were friends at the time and on the verge of something more. The had crushes and Jesse just asked Skye on their first date, not as friends. Life was good, until the shooting. Skye lost her brother, she lost her friend, Jesse, and she lost her home.

Now it is three years later and Skye is moving back to the town of the shooting. She is headed to high school with some of the same kids that lost someone in the shooting, that was there when the shooting happened. She isn't treated well. She is trying just to get through the day. Then things start happening. Someone is sending her messages with videos of the victims, sounds from the shooting. Other strange things are happening too. Someone is out to get Skye. She turns to Jesse for help, and together they piece it together while trying to stay alive.


I really enjoyed this book. I felt it was well written and executed. I have a love-hate relationship with school shooting reads. I mean so many have happened over the years, one recently here in Texas. It seems to be an epidemic. ( I know that is not the correct word but I couldn't think of a better one.) I think sometimes they are glorified in a way, giving way to much attention to the event but it is also an issue that needs to be addressed. So yes love-hate relationship. This author did a great job on this book.

What I really loved about this book, the school shooting was there, the issue was brought up, the extremity was evident, but it was not the main focus of the book. It more supported the main focus. The man focus was Skye and the mystery of all the stuff happening to her. There was also questions around her brother an the shooting. So lots of mystery. The school shooting doesn't happen int he book. Its tidbits of flashbacks and video snippets and talk. So I also appreciated that. I really didn't need to live the school shooting.

I liked both the main characters Skye and Jesse. They were different from each other and both had their strengths and weaknesses. Skye was anti-social. She has gone through a lot with online bullying. She is hated for what her brother did. She can't seem to concentrate on her grief of losing a brother because of the events that led to his death. she is super sad, angry, and just tired of hate. She is lonely. When Jesse comes back into her life, it's a very good thing.

Jesse is known around school, but he is not the Jesse that Skye remembers. He is full of anger. It takes a bit for Jesse to talk to Skye. Not because of what her brother did but because of how he treated her right after. He is still working on forgiving himself. He is also angry at himself. He didn't get along with his brother and he doesn't quite know how to feel about his death.

These two reunite and its just great. It does take a bit. Jesse is a bit stalkerish at first because he doesn't know how to approach Skye. Once they get talking again, things seem to fall into place. Of course, their relationship is a little rushed when someone is threatening Skye. Jesse is bound to figure it out and to protect Skye. Of course, their reunited friendship also ignites a romance. It's sweet and just perfect. I really enjoyed these two and their relationship.

I liked the family dynamics in this book. There were all kinds. Skye lived with her grandmother and mother until her grandmother had some medical issues, and her mother was kind of nuts... so Skye moves in with a workaholic aunt. Her aunt wants to be there for her but has no idea what to do with a child much less a teen.

Jesse parents are great and put together and there is a great family unit with dinners and trust and talking and all that good stuff. So there is all kinds of family dynamics. I like this because not everyone has the same family dynamics.

Really it was good. The story was great, it was written seamlessly, it was paced well, and the mystery was well done. I didn't focus too much on who it might be but I did have a feeling of who it might be. A couple different times. So the red herring is there for sure.

The ending was well done and I was smiling at the end. It was full of shock, revelations, thrills and chills. There were some very creepy scenes in this book too. Really it was well done. I think the only thing I needed was just a bit more on the chilling thrilling side.



This was a really good read. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last page.

Skye returns to the town where three years earlier her brother Luka was one of the perpetrators of a school shooting. She runs into her former best friend Jesse whose brother was among the victims.. This novel excels at looking at how both Skye and Jesse deal with the fallout of the shooting. Although Skye had nothing to do with the shooting many people in town use her as a scapegoat for her brother's actions. Jesse as the brother of one of the victims is also carrying the scars from the shooting. In addition to the shooting their relationship was affected by things which happened immediately after the shooting that was never resolved during the three years Skye was away, While Armstrong does an excellent job with her character work, the mystery surrounding who is hounding Skye is much less effective. The mystery portion of the plot really doesn't kick in until half way into the book outside of a few minor incidents that really doesn't leave much of an impression until the incidents start stacking on top of each other later in the book. In fact, the tactics used to freak out Skye is not that frightening and is more of a nuisance if anything, thus rendering any attempt at building suspense ineffective. At no time do you really feel that Skye and Jesse are really in danger. Also the adult characters come across as either too disinterested or super supportive. Yeah this is story is not about the adults but in either case they come across as too one dimensional. Aftermath would have been a better book if its focus was on how the characters had to deal with being related to those involved with a school shooting because as a mystery/suspense it is lacking in many areas. The suspense elements may be a turnoff for those interested in more realistic fiction, while there is not enough suspense for those interested in suspense.

Aftermath is a story that’s relevant to current times. Living in the States, school shootings are sadly becoming more and more frequent. I’ve often thought of the family of the shooter, how they’re affected when one of their own commits such a horrible crime. Often the family is shocked, blindsided and branded as villains as well.

Aftermath is a fictional story centering on Skylar, the sister of one of the school shooters of a shooting that took place three years ago. My heart went out to her. The brother she knew would never have done what Luka did, and with him gone she’s been left to bear the brunt of hate aimed his way. More now than ever when she’s forced to return to her hometown where the shooting took place. Skylar expects hostility, but not the sinister pranks, bullying and phone calls she experiences. Is someone trying to punish her for her brother’s crimes or question his guilt?

I’ve enjoyed Kelley Armstrong’s writing for quite some time, lately with her Casey Duncan series. Love that series! While I liked Aftermath, I can’t say it wowed me. Skylar was a likable and sympathetic character and I liked Jesse as well, but their romance was a bit underwhelming. It was sort of a second chance romance and they both had gone through so much, so of course I wanted them to be together, there just wasn’t really any spark to it, IMaO. Kelley Armstrong usually has me on the edge of my seat with suspense, and there were a couple of tension filled moments in this story, but I think the danger was downplayed by the characters when the panic button should’ve been pushed! They didn’t feel the urgency (stupidly, IMO) and so I think the story didn’t feel as suspenseful. Maybe this was because the story is Young Adult? I don’t know. Still, I was entertained, and felt the need to push on and find out what exactly was going on.

A copy was kindly provided by Crown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at The Readers Den.

*I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

With all the recent school shootings, I was put off from reading this book, but eventually I was able to get to it. I should say up front that the main character doesn't go through the shooting, but does have to see the results and videos and things in real time. It can get real. Please keep this in mind, before reading.

This is a hard book to read because of the grief, guilt, and bullying. It is hard, because we see where the main character started and then where she ends up after being beaten down by all her classmates and comments online. I still liked her character though. She's so strong to put up with it all, and with friends she actually does act like her old self. Jesse is also a good character, although it took me a while to warm up to him. I will say this about the characters - they are so mature! Yes, they have some immature moments (who doesn't), but the way they tried to stay calm and talk things out... WOW, like, I always want characters to do this and they finally did!! I loved those moments. Probably my favorite moments of the book, if I'm honest. I was just blown away.

Now, about the story. It is quite thrilling and I never really knew which way it was going to go, until closer to the end. It is frustrating because the adults mostly just don't listen and don't care, but I also wanted to know what would happen to the characters. Oh, the mystery is around the original school shooting? No, what happened there is obvious, I wasn't surprised by the revelation at all, except for the one thing. The thing is, the catalyst for the shooting didn't completely make sense to me, especially the parts with the bad person... I didn't get it and I'm wondering if it is because I just don't think that way. Also, the reasoning for everything that happens in the current book does seem a bit weak, but I suppose I see how people could justify it.

So, not a bad book and one I will recommend to people who like thrillers, but I would definitely still be careful about handing it out. It is pretty intense.

I don't know what I was expecting when I read this book. It was about what happens in the wake of a terrible tragedy. Two points of view and two different perspectives: the family of the victims and the family of the shooters. This book is about their struggles and how this very sad, tragic event shaped and changed their lives forever. You will empathize with both characters. Kelly Armstrong has done this so incredibly well. This book is also about first first love and heartbreak, It's also a suspenseful thriller, at one point I was reading this book it the dark and I actually had to turn my lights on because I got very spooked. This book is tough to read, but I definitely recommend it, 4 of 5 stars.

I have such complicated feelings about this book, but it's such a complicated book that I think that's to be expected. This has Kelley Armstrong's incredibly readable writing - I always start her books and I'm instantly hooked and this was no exception. I loved Skye and how she developed, both in the past and during the book. I think the subject was handled with care, but I of course do want to caution readers that this deals with a school shooting. The characters weren't there for the actual shooting, but at one point they do relive it in a way through video.

❝ One nightmare month followed by six of mere hell. A period of shame and guilt, the feeling that I’d failed Luka. Or that I’d failed to stop Luka. There’s grief, too, but I bury that even faster. You aren’t allowed to grieve for someone like Luka. ❞

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I was a little hesitant coming into the Aftermath because I expected it to be impactful, and I had to gear myself up for that trip. Which I’m glad I did because this book was a bit of a rollercoaster of feelings. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more. It was actually that aspect of the book that I enjoyed the most because it had a little bit of everything.

There was also a really strong emphasis on the psychological element; there was so much detail about Skye’s (and to a lesser extent, Jesse’s) grief process. In particular, Skye also had to deal with pushing down her feelings because of her brother’s relationship to the shooting (i.e. being one of the shooters). It was just a cycle of guilt, shame, and anger followed by little brief moments of Skye’s old self surfacing.

It was really frustrating to read about all the hate that Skye and her family received. People just wished her the worst, assumed she had something to do with it, and just were horrible to her. But then you cut to her memories of her brother and all the pain and hurt, and it’s hard to not feel sympathetic for Skye’s inability to mourn her brother.

Although we didn’t get as many chapters from him, I loved reading from Jesse’s POV. He had his own complicated relationship with his brother that sometimes made it harder to mourn him I think than Skye and her brother. I liked that with her help he was finally able to give voice to his feelings in a way he never could with his parents. I also thought his chapters were a great way to reveal parts of the story that we had questions about.

❝ ” […] Sometimes, showing for compassion for others means doing things that are painful for us.” ❞

And then there was also Skye and Jesse’s relationship in general, which was another one of the reasons I felt so attached to this book. I was rooting for them to overcome their personal obstacles and reconnect throughout the whole book. Their friendship was so supportive and brought out the best in one another. I really enjoyed seeing how they made that journey back to being more like themselves. I think it’s hard to say they fully recovered but they picked up some pieces and recreated themselves.

And of course, there was the mystery element that kept me guessing until the end. There were things that didn’t make sense about the shooting, questions that begged to be answered, and just strange things happening to Skye that kept me glued to every page. I liked that there was a balance between the mystery and Skye’s struggle to adjust to coming back home.

As for the plot itself, I loved the direction it took! As I said, there were so many issues going on in this book–from Skye dealing with harassment, personal character development, self-healing, etc–but there was always a good balance among them. I liked that the plot kind of sneaked up on you in a way. At first, it stepped aside to focus on the characters and their struggles, then slowly things escalated and with it, the plot took more of the foreground.

The ending was partly expected–especially with how Skye felt about her brother–but it was still one I could enjoy. I liked that we got to see her old self really shine in the ending and that we got some resolution between the past and present. And I also loved the irony of the ending because if not for the antagonist taking matters into their own hands, Skye might never have been able to grow as much as she did throughout the story.

Overall, I think this a book that deals with some sensitive topics (i.e. school shootings), but I think it’s about more than just tragedy, it’s about friendship, love, and self-healing. I would highly recommend this book for people that enjoy more serious YA books or that like psychological/emotional elements.

Aftermath was just released today, May 22nd! Go check it out!

I liked Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld paranormal series a lot, so I’ve been sampling her thrillers. This one is a reasonably good YA suspense novel, although it does have a few flaws, in my opinion.

The premise: Three years after her brother was killed while participating in a school shooting, Skye comes back to the town where it happened to live with her aunt. Needless to say, not everyone is happy to have her back as a reminder, particularly some of the people who had family and friends injured or killed. Skye assumes that includes her old friend (and almost boyfriend) Jesse, whose brother died in the shooting. However, Jesse never blamed Skye for her brother’s crime, and he finds himself drawn to her again, even though both of them have been changed by what happened. When Skye becomes the target of strange and frightening incidents, she and Jesse work together to figure out who is threatening her, and why.

One thing that I really appreciated about this book is that Armstrong tackles the topic of school shootings partially from the perspective of the shooter’s family. People often seem to blame the families of perpetrators for not stopping them, but I’ve always thought that was unfair and ignored the fact that they are also suffering. Skye’s first person narration allows the reader to get into her head and experience what it might be like to be both grieving someone you loved and ashamed of your grief because that person did something horrible.

The novel has other strong points, too. The pace is quick, and the plot sucked me in and kept me reading. Armstrong introduces plenty of suspects, and I wasn’t able to guess the real villain of the story. I also liked the way Skye and Jesse’s friendship was handled, although it took them a little too long to actually talk to each other. Once they finally did, though, I really enjoyed their rekindled relationship.

However, a few things about the story bugged me. At times, I thought some of what was described was over the top; the setups for things that were done to Skye were way too elaborate in a few cases, for example. Also, this is one of those books where the adults are largely clueless about what’s going on. Only Jesse’s parents are dialed in and supportive. The school administrator who doesn’t really care I can sort of accept, although he’s almost too bad at his job to be believable, but the aunt Skye is living with is first stereotypically absent and then almost hostile in her disregard of anything Skye tells her. Seriously, I couldn’t figure out why she would have wanted to be Skye’s guardian in the first place, given that she seems to have absolutely zero interest in actually dealing with her in any meaningful way.

Overall, though, Aftermath was a decent read, and I’d recommend it to people who enjoy YA thrillers.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Aftermath:
With everything that's going on right now, this book is both important and timely. That doesn't mean it's any easier to read.
Librarian: Yes. I will be buying a copy of this book for my library. The topic is too important not to discuss loudly and frequently. Any book that can get the discussion going in a way that's less than deadly is worth having in the collection. So yes, I will be buying it, and I will be recommending that students and teachers read it. As a librarian I can't recommend it enough.
Reader: I didn't like it. There I said it. It never really drew me in, and there were some moments I found positively cringe worthy especially as a school librarian. (The fire scene springs to mind.) I also felt like the way that the end of the book focused so heavily on romance diluted a lot of the books powerful, important message. So as a reader, I won't recommend it as one I personally enjoy.