I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me access to this book. Unfortunately my tastes have changed and I am no longer interested in this book but once again thank you so much for the opportunity!

I really enjoyed this, it was an emotional and enjoyable read and made me smile. Great for these autumnal nights

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

This book represented grief and PTSD in a brilliant way, which made it difficult to read at times. I loved the boarding school setting, and the isolation of it. I loved the mystery and the friendships. This was a really great book.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book for an honest review!

I had started to read this book a few months ago but the first few chapters didn't grab me so I put it down for a while until now. This time I pushed through the first 4 or 5 chapters which I feel don't do the book justice! I also put this book down because I had just lost my Grandma and it was hard to read about somebody else's grief when mine was so raw.

I really loved this book and it really does explore all the different sides of grief. I lost my best friend 4 years ago to cancer and had similar feelings of guilt that Cara does in this book. It really helped me to evaluate my feelings and pushed me to understand that things happen and you can't always blame yourself. The characterisation in this book is brilliant! I loved all the different characters, mainly Cara and Hector.

I am pleased with how the book progressed and it was a real journey that we travelled on together. This book isn't as depressing as I make it sound but I really do recommend those who like YA to read this!

3.5 stars

Cara's life was changed forever nine months ago when her best friend Georgina (G) died in an accident. The sole survivor, Cara struggles with her grief and guilt.
Then Cara's mother sends her to Hope Hall, a boarding school in the Swiss Alps.
Will Cara be able to let down her defences and make new friends?
Can she make peace with what happened and forgive herself?

First off, I love the cover for The Year After You. The colours are beautiful.
I thought Cara was a good protagonist, unreliable at times but that added to the mystery of what happened. She wasn't a perfect person and struggled to deal with what happened to her and her role in it. I felt sorry for Cara and I can't even begin to imagine how hard it would be to go through what she went through.
Ren was probably my favourite character, but I liked Hector too. He was quite a complex character and I just wanted to give him a hug.
The plot was interesting and held my attention, but nothing that happened particularly surprised or shocked me.
The themes were handled well and I did tear up a few times at some scenes that I found particularly heart-wrenching.
The setting was interesting. I quite like the idea of going to a boarding school in the Swiss Alps.
I liked the writing style - it was easy to follow - but I wasn't gripped. I would, however, be interested in reading more from the author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book that I would recommend.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this at first, just because the synopsis starts with something I thought would be extremely emotionally draining. I'm glad I started it though. I was so interested in everything, and especially what happened nine months ago. It was so perfectly unraveled.

The side characters were written beautifully, I really loved them and could relate to certain aspect so much! I was honestly a bit surprised as teenagers are sometimes written very.. well.. not realistic to me.

The only thing I didn't like was of a cliché trope. Damaged boys/girls is just done one too many times and I'm just over the saving someone story.

Cara was an amazing character and I could really feel her throughout the book, she didn't feel that she deserved a second chance and it wasn't fair that she lived whereas her friend died. Survivors guilt is something not many of us think about but for some people it's a reality and this book captured it. I also liked how it showed triggers for Cara that were unexpected such as a dress taking her back to the night. I loved the characters of Ren and Hector and found they complimented Cara and loved that they each had their own struggles but it didn't take away from Cara rather allowed them to find common ground with her.
The setting for this book was magical and I loved the whole idea of a boarding school hidden in the hills and found it was the perfect backdrop for the story carry out.
This book is well worth a read and I highly recommend it.

There are a lot of young adult books about grief, and this is probably not one of the best ones. It’s perfectly readable and the setting is beautiful - a boarding school in the Swiss mountains - but the plot is stretched too far, and the protagonist doesn’t deal with anything very well. I understand that it’s important for characters to go on journeys but really the only reason she started to talk about what happened was because her friends found out elsewhere, or she was just so racked with guilt she couldn’t keep it in. Not the best example to set, and the good points don’t outweigh the rest unfortunately. I do love a good boarding school though, so I’d love to read more set in that school.

Exploring the themes of grief, loss and survivors guilt, this touching novel explores how deep the damage of losing someone in an accident can be. It deals heavily with the responsibility that someone can attribute to themselves when something like this happens and how moving on can feel like betraying the person you lost.

The best thing about this book for me was how it showed that fears can sometimes not seem logical to an outside viewpoint. Cara is terrified of going in lifts and cars, because her mind tells her that if it crashes then it's her responsibility because she got in the car. This is the way that the mind can twist things based on past experiences, but de Pass when deeper, exploring the fact Cara is completely fine with planes. I've experienced this kind of logic in my own condition with my OCD a lot. People don't understand why this is fine but /this/ isn't. It's something that's hard to understand. So it made me feel really understood to see a similar twisting of logic and fear shown in The Year After You.

I loved Cara so much as a character. I loved her interactions with Hector and with Ren. It was heartbreaking to see her story and the way that her fears and grief from the past controlled her. It all felt very real and well thought out.

There's so much more I haven't said in this review, but these are the parts that really touched me. I really, really recommend getting a copy and seeing Cara's story for yourself.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital proof in exchange for an honest review.

I did notice a few people I follow on IG post about this earlier this year (and possibly towards the end of last year) so it had been on my radar for a while and when I saw it on Netgalley I just had to request it so I was super happy to be approved.

When we meet Cara at the beginning of the novel she is not particularly pleasant, she definitely gave off spoilt little rich girl vibes, but there was something about her character that made me want to keep reading.

Upon arriving at Hope we are introduced to Ren and Fred and then shortly after that Hector. It was inevitable that there would be a romance at some point but I didn’t feel like it was pushed on the reader or forced in order to play the “they saved each other” card.

Cara and Hector managed to find something within each other without actively looking for it, and I think that is why their progression worked so well, there was a lot of push and pull between them.

This novel was truly heart breaking, and while I do think that Cara should feel guilty for some of her actions, it was so hard to see her blame herself for her friends death.

Everyone deals with grief in different ways and I did like how realistic Cara’s reactions were, she pulled away from her family and friends, she kept people at a distance. I get the impression that she had altered the events of that New Years Eve in her mind because she already felt guilty enough about being the driver of the car, but ultimately she would never have been able to forgive herself if she could not admit the full truth to anyone.

I was happy to see her start making more of an effort with Ren and her time at Hope, by the end of the novel Cara had been able to finally forgive herself and let go of the past without forgetting G.

Definitely heartbreaking and heart warming all at once. I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this novel soon.

I think Nina De Pass is an author to keep an eye out for.

Almost a year after a car accident that derailed Cara’s life, her mother enrolls her into Hope Hall, for her final year. Miles away from anyone who knows her, on a secluded boarding school in the Alps, Cara intends to keep her past a secret. But the one thing she didn’t account for was the students of Hope Hall.

When I think random boarding school in the Alps, there’s a very stereotypical expectation I had constructed around this setting, but The Year After You utilizes the setting very well which very much complimented the story. The way everything is trapped in this one mountain made the story more intense.
Cara, our main lead, was brilliantly frustrating. I personally didn’t like her, but when we got to the end, I did feel for her. Her pain and confusion as she blames herself for the death of her friend while trying to keep her new friends at an arm’s length were honestly heart-breaking.

The side characters were extremely brilliant. Without them, I don’t think I would have enjoyed this book very much. Ren is everything you want in a friend; caring, supportive and patient. Hector is a hero with a chip on his shoulder and story of his own. He’s rather mysterious with an extremely interesting backstory. Fred, I have to admit, took a while to understand. He immediately sees Cara as a threat to his friendship group and I didn’t particularly enjoy seeing him gang up on her. Everyone in this school reminds me of my own secondary school days, we’re all on edge and even stuff that seems irrelevant now, really crumbled your world back then, so I get the fear of losing everything that you’ve known.

Overall, The Year After You is a moving debut about a girl sent to boarding school after her best friend in a car accident. Personally, this book wasn’t for me. It starts off rather slow, but towards the end, it really packs a punch.

Can we all take a moment to highlight how beautiful this cover is? Along with the personal title, Nina de Pass definitely leaves you wondering...

I really liked the writing, especially the descriptive language—at times I thought I was in Switzerland lost in another dimension of Harry Potter (school, uniform, facilities, etc.) because it was easy to visualize. The building of suspense was used well in a way where I didn’t say ‘ugh get on with it!’ as i sometimes do. Everything just flowed naturally at a good pace, I was instead left with ‘okay, now what? What’s more to come’ and what came, left me, jaw dropped. When that progression ended, it became a bit draggy where it’s like a chase situation—the only thing that turned me off about the plot but other than that I enjoyed it.

The characters were unique. At first, I wasn’t sure on Hector because I already knew his purpose. When he was introduced, it’s like a sign above his head that explained his aim. I liked him throughout the novel, but when he ignored Cara, and they were both confused, I was annoyed. It’s like that space between them were filter chapters. However, it was a way in which Cara grew closer to Ren and Fred. I thought Fred was irrelevant, maybe just to even out the two girls, two boys?

Onto the main character, she was different from other grieving main characters which I admire. It wasn’t all just drab and mourning. It made me feel what she felt. Or perhaps, all the emotions someone might feel when going through grief. At times she was irrational where I even picked up what was happening or what other characters thought that she couldn’t get. Cara was too self-absorbed at times, some times even too hard on herself. Though, it’s what made her character so raw and intriguing.

Grief was the central theme shown, and I like how de Pass viewed it from Cara’s perspective and someone else. It showed that everyone has their own way of grieving. It gave Cara reassurance that she wasn’t alone. Many people have lost at least someone, so it didn’t seem new that Cara was the only one in the book.

Thoroughly, I enjoyed this book and the different setting. It definitely made me curious about boarding schools as I always loved to read and watch them. The originality of these characters really stood out, not just on their appearances (even though they all wear the same uniform lol!) but mentally and what they are thinking, going through, etc. I’m happy to rate this beautiful book four out of five stars!

2.5 stars

This was a cute debut. I had never read a young adult book set in the Swiss mountains before this one and I loved the atmosphere. The cover is particularly spectacular and sets the mood of the book perfectly.
Still, this book wasn't really my thing. It read a lot like Anna and the French Kiss with the foreign boarding school setting, the group of friends, the love interest, the themes. I know that a lot of people will love The Year After You as much as they love Anna and the French Kiss. I was one of those people when I read Anna back in 2015, but my taste in books has changed drastically since then.
The entire book read as a 2012 young adult book so that is probably why I didn't enjoy it that much.

The beginning was a bit slow so it was hard for me to care for the characters right away, but 50/70 pages in I finally started to like Hector a lot. He was my absolute favorite character in the book: he's arrogant, smug and gets away with everything, but that's his charm. However, the more I went on reading, the less I cared about him. He changed more or less at the halfway point and started acting too immature for his age. For example, when he wanted to leave without notice or during the elevator scene with Cara.

On the other hand, I had trouble connecting with Cara for the entirety of the book. I don't really know why, but she felt more distant than Hector even if she is actually the main character and the book is told from her perspective. Her backstory was really interesting and I liked the mental illness representation, but I didn't enjoy how the plot twist involved a particular thing that I can't mention because of spoilers.

The other two characters, Ren and Fred, were alright. The book is more about Cara and Hector than about them, even if friendship is a big part of this book. The friendship was handled very well, but it was hard for me to get to know Ren and Fred. Fred was barely there and he was mean to Cara for no logical reason for the majority of the book. Ren was more part of the story but it still felt like I didn't get to read enough about her.

Nina de Pass' writing style I really liked. It's simple and poetic. Nonetheless, there is still something that extremely bugged me because it was in every bit of dialogue. When talking, every character would always, always, always refer to the character they're talking to.
Examples:

"Cara, you need to calm down"
"It doesn't change anything, Ren"
"I can't do this, Ren"
"We all have baggage, Cara. I know that as well as anyone."
"I can't be a friend to you, Cara. I tried. It's just too difficult."
"You don't need to say it, Fred"
"Cara, he's the one who told you he wanted distance."

It wasn't bad at the beginning of the book, but it gradually got worse and to the point where I couldn't overlook it anymore and it straight up annoyed me and distracted me from the story. Imagine reading a book with dialogues where everyone always begins or ends their sentences with the other person's name.

So, I actually recommend this book if you liked Anna and the French Kiss. I just personally found it okay and a bit forgettable, but I'm sure a lot of people are going to love it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Black & White for the free copy.

This YA novel takes place in a Swiss boarding school in the mountains of the Alps. The setting is wonderful and made me want to travel to a place like that immediately. The Year After You is narrated by Cara, our main protagonist, and we follow her journey during the year after a terrible car accident in which her best friend died. Cara survives the accident but not without scars and finds herself struggling with depression. In hopes of helping her daughter find peace and offering her a clean slate, Cara’s mom sends her to Hope Hall, a boarding school in Switzerland where Cara finds herself experiencing new emotions and her boundaries are pushed.

Possible trigger warnings: guilt, homophobia, mental illness, suicide.

The characters in this book have a very real feel to them, they make it easy to feel compassionate for them or to understand their struggles. Because Cara is so secretive, this book will definitely keep you guessing and even might confuse you since Cara isn’t the most reliable narrator.
My only problem with this is that it quickly became very predictable. The story is quite slow paced and for me it started becoming too predictable for my liking, especially because there are a few parts in the book where nothing seems to happen at all.
In the end, I think the author did an outstanding job in portraying these characters struggles and emotions in a beautiful and meaningful way. A very sweet story on how family and friends can be the very best support organism there is and play a vital part in our everyday life.

Thank you Black and White Publishing for providing me a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book. This glorious, gorgeous book. It broke my heart and lifted my soul and I really don't think I can put in to words how much I loved it.

I think I'll start with the setting. I am a sucker for boarding school settings, the way that everything is so much more intense in close quarters, how relationships run at a different pace, the family-like quality of the people around you even (especially) if you don't like them or like them more than you think you should. And The Year After You absolutely excelled at manipulating the setting into emphasising the story. All at once the place is remote and lonely, crowded and loud, passions were heightened and everything held a new level of drama.

Hope Hall is like a motley collection of broken people finding themselves and learning to love themselves.

I really enjoyed reading this book and sharing Cara’s headspace.
The writing style was easy to follow and I found myself becoming emersed in the plot.
Grief is never an easy emotion and I expect it is even harder to write about, it affects people in different ways and they all have ways and means of coming to terms with it and accepting it.
This is what I liked about this book.
It was real, there was no quick and easy fix for any of the problems presented. It took time. It took a lot of self exploration and steps forward and backwards and even at the end it wasn’t neatly tied up.
There was the beginning of closure, sure but I didn’t feel disappointed with the ending, like it had been tied up neatly in a bow or something.
So yes I am really happy that I got to read such a well written and thought provoking book.

Despite this book being set within grief of teenagers it was a really uplifting read. Focussing on both grieving the loss of of loved ones and the loss of potential futures the characters were well developed and believable as teenagers who had seen too much loss in their young lives. Yes there were typical teenage concerns, however that is what made it realistic,

In this book we meet Cara a 17 year old girl who lost her best friend in an accident. She is sent to a boarding school called Hope in Switzerland by her mother to make a fresh start. At Hope Cara meets new people but because of her trauma she has trouble letting them into her life.
This book deals with grief, guilt, friendship and family. I loved the way the friendships were build and how Cara developed herself after her trauma. I loved how Hector and Cara developed their romance and how Cara was able to cut through Hectors thick wall of emotions.
The book was nicely written and I hope to her more from Nina de Pass in the future.