Though I can't think of many times the words tender and thriller would go together, a tender thriller is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of how to describe AFTER ELIAS. Through learning of the tragedy that ruins Coen's perfect wedding day, we fall in love with some characters, fall out of love, then fall back into a more complicated sort of love with them. AFTER ELIAS is ultimately a story of healing and realizing that all our loved ones are far more complicated than we would like to think. The narration shifts between past and present, letting us see all the reasons Coen fell in love with Elias in the first place, even as his reputation falls apart in the present and doubt creeps into even Coen's steadfast hope.

I didn't know what to think for most of this. I knew that I was loving the novel and I knew that I adored Coen as a protagonist and just wanted the best for him, but I had no idea what to think about whether Elias was guilty or about the people who surround Coen. I started to question whether Elias was ever even a good person to begin with. But as the novel continued, I saw that was the point. It's hard to ever know anyone fully and when we take off our love tinted lenses, everyone has flaws. Coen's lesson, and one we could all do with, is that healing requires us to confront our pain.

Tan's writing does a wonderful job of transporting us to Mexico and Vancouver and providing a window into Coen's pain, so we all join him on his downwards spiral. The whole cast of characters serves a purpose, whether to steer Coen to the road of recovery or to show us who Coen and Elias really are without Coen's clouded judgement. My absolute favorite part of Tan's writing, and what I think helps create such a riveting plot and setting, was his characterization and how he sets all these characters in motion with each other. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more from Tan after such a stellar debut!

Some content warnings for future readers: there is a brief, fade to black rape scene and a similar suicide attempt, as well as a pretty explicit conversation where the victim is blamed for his actions. These are there to bring the plot along and explain some of the character's actions, not for senseless shock value, but please take care of yourselves while reading this, as I know it can be difficult to come across such scenes.

Overall, I would give AFTER ELIAS four and a half stars. I'm rounding up to five, because the lost half a star is due to my personal preference that scenes like the ones mentioned above be warned about whether proceeding the book or, to give an option to those who would like to avoid spoilers, in a section at the end. However, I know that's a practice that's not entirely widespread right now and often falls on publishers, so I don't fault the novel or the author for it.

I would definitely recommend this to any reader looking for a novel featuring queer characters, that doesn't revolve around their identity.

Okay. First of all stop what you’re doing and read this book. Wow. I honestly only chose to read this because of the cover (I love planes) but what a surprise. I read the whole thing in 2 days. After Elias tells the story of Coen who is Elias’s fiancé dealing with the aftermath of Elias’s sudden death in a plane crash. The scenes in Vancouver gave me nostalgia for the time I spent living there a few years ago. It was really interesting to delve into the complexities of Elias and Coens relationship due to their individual tragic pasts and how it affected them and their relationships with others. This story isn’t a happy one but it is beautiful and heartbreaking and really you should stop reading this and read After Elias.

I enjoy reading ARCs and I enjoy even more reading a debut novel. I usually read romance and I didn't really know what to expect from this book, even if I didn't find the cover alluring, I was intrigued by the blurb. The writing is very good, I liked the setting and idea behind the book. The story is heartbreaking and touched me deeply, maybe it is because of my own demons but I didn't cry so much reading a book in a long time.

★★★★✰ 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)

From its heartbreaking first pages, to its lump-in-your-throat epilogue, After Elias is an emotionally charged novel.

“People can bring you pain, but nothing will hurt more than the pain you inflict on yourself.”


Grief, guilt, regret, and fear dominate Tan’s narrative. Coen Caraway and Elias Santos are meant to have a fairy-tale wedding and live happily ever after. One week before their big day, the airplane piloted by Elias crashes into the Arctic Ocean, leaving Coen, who had just arrived on the idyllic Mexican island that was meant to host their wedding, bereft.
When the authorities begin speculating whether the crash wasn’t accidental, Elias becomes a prime suspect. His cryptic final words, “Pronto dios” (“soon god”) disconcert an already grieving Coen.
While his family and friends plead for him to return home, to Vancouver, Coen refuses. His stay on the island however does not keep his doubts at bay. In spite of his insisting that “he is fine”, Coen finds himself spiralling. In the passing days he tries to make sense of this unimaginable tragedy and of his own relationship with Elias.
As the narrative moves from past to present, readers begin to gain a picture of both Coen and Elias.

“Life is nothing more than an elaborate house. It starts out small, a simple shelter. Then we build upon it, room by room, believing in the necessity of every expansion, every renovation. By the time we realize it is no longer a shelter but a tomb, it’s too late.”


Coen's grief, confusion, and uncertainties feel strikingly authentic.Tan allows his readers to witness and understand the depth and magnitude of Coen's discordant feelings. Coen’s thoughts, emotions, and impressions are articulated in a subtle yet lyrical language.
I was often surprised, and spellbound, by Tan’s arresting imagery.

“The only sounds in the room are my pounding heart and fitful breathing. I am Lazarus returning from the land of the dead, a corpse trapped by life.”


Tan renders Coen's pain with exceptional compassion, without sensationalising Coen's—and other characters’—grief and desperation. What particularly struck me was how ‘real’ Coen felt. His fears and anxieties are depicted with incredible authenticity. The way he simultaneously wants and doesn’t want to confront the darkest aspects of his relationship with Elias, his dormant yet inherent conviction that he will never be happy, his inability to express how he feels...everything about him felt real.
Other characters, such as his two best friends, Vivi and Decker, his brother, Clark, the hotel’s bartender, Gabriel, are just as believable. Decker in particular has a complex relationship with Coen, one that will undoubtedly make some readers tear up (I certainly did). These characters are flawed yet capable of change. While readers may not come to know them as well as they do Coen, they will get an impression of what kind of person they are (or want to be).

Although Tan doesn't provide lots of descriptions when it comes to the appearance of his characters or the island itself, his narrative is remarkably atmospheric. Tan's discerning prose relays the mood or quality of a certain conversation or moment.
The distinctive and deceptively dream-like setting of the island, as well as Coen's own dreams, reminded me of certain novels by Ann Patchett, in particular State of Wonder and The Magician's Assistant. The way in which Tan approaches painful themes bear resemblance to Benjamin Alire Sáenz's own approach in his more adult novels, such Last Night I Sang to the Monster and In Perfect Light.

Through his prose, which is in turns lucid and opaque, Tan showcases his capacity for empathy and compassion. He offers insights into grief, loneliness, abuse, mental illness, and trauma.
After Elias is an artful and heart-wrenching novel. Although it doesn’t make for ‘easy’ reading material, its cathartic narrative and underlying message of hope are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

PS: I'm so grateful to NetGalley for having accepted my request to read After Elias. I'm not sure I would have ever read this novel if I hadn’t spotted on NetGalley’s ‘recently added’ page.