Eh, I don't think I can actually say that there is anything <em>inherently</em> bad about Marisa Reichardt's <em>Aftershocks</em> as a novel. That said, I really <em>hated</em> this one. Believe me when I say I did not <em>want</em> to hate it. But I think the problem really lies in the fact that the reason the author wrote this novel is not the reason I picked it up. Thus, the final direction that Reichardt took with her story was not one that I ever could have liked. There's nothing <em>wrong</em> with it, but it wasn't what I wanted.

<b>Why Do You Pick Up a Story? </b>

I don't know about you, but <em>very</em> often I read stories to get away from the horrors of reality. And despite the general premise of this novel, I guess a part of me was expecting a happier ending than the one that I got. And sure, I could say that this book is a study in human resiliency. I could say that the book's ending was still somewhat happy. I could even say that the book sends a good message about living life to the fullest.

But I hated it.

<b>How to Write a Heartbreak</b>

For me, honestly, the issue I had with this is very much attached to one event within the novel, but it ties closely together with the manner in which the author wrote it all. You see, there's a way to write a tragic even that captures your readers' hearts and simultaneously breaks it. <em>Aftershocks</em> was not it.

You see, a reader needs to <em>deeply</em> care about a character for the events that occur in this novel to matter as much as they should. And as much as I liked these characters, I didn't <em>love</em> them. I wasn't quite there yet. And a big part of that reason was because I didn't get to spend enough time with the important ones. We're barely introduced to the characters when the disaster strikes, resulting in very little time to get to know and like them in a normal setting.

Next thing you know, the amount of time we spend with these characters within the setting is minimal because half the story is filled with <em>flashbacks</em> for one of the two main characters. And honestly? This just irked me so much. I get that it can be hard to write about characters who are trapped under fallen debris, but so much was lost when the author decided to spend minimal time with the trapped characters and focus the majority of her book's introduction on flashbacks.

<b>Tragedy Minus Emotional Investment</b>

When I think of a novel that had an amazing amount of emotional investment in it that resulted in complete heartbreak, I think of <em>Me Before You</em>. And that is what I would consider an adequate way to write it. With <em>Aftershocks</em>, you don't get to spend a sufficient amount of time with the characters before tragedy strikes. Thus, you don't really have the emotional investment necessary to be deeply impacted by the hardships and misfortunes.

And so, instead of being heartbroken as I should have been, I was just annoyed that these were the events I was reading about. And, yes, I can say that there is merit to a story about human tragedies. There's also merit to experiencing the harsh realities of them through a novel. But I'm not the sort of person who reads to go through tragic events because they really happen in life.

In fact, I read to get away from all that.

Thus, not only did I not have the emotional investment necessary for me to be upset in the ways I should have been, I <em>hated</em> the story I was reading.

<b>I Wasn't Looking for Tragedy</b>

Ultimately, I guess this book just wasn't a match for me. I wasn't looking for something that was going to focus on deeper aspects of a tragedy and rather something about two human beings connecting over shared trauma and tragedy. And sure, we got a little of that connection, but then Reichardt threw it all away rather quickly. This book really isn't about building connections with people because of a shared trauma. Instead, it's about one girl's journey through regular struggles in her life that happen to coincide with a natural disaster.

This isn't a bad book. But it's not the kind of book I wanted to read and the author didn't give me enough time in the beginning to love the characters.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

This review will be live on the Reader Fox blog on September 26, 2020.

This book was nothing like I expected. In a good way, though. I thought I would be reading a book equivalent to a disaster film, like San Andreas starring The Rock. I.....ahem, admire The Rock. To be honest, I love a good disaster adventure. The regular Jane (or Joe) always triumphs, no matter how many obstacles. Aftershocks was about a devastating earthquake, but it was far from the popcorn action I had expected. It was introspective and quiet much of the time, but no less powerful for that. It's not just about Ruby in the aftermath of "The Big One", it's a journey of many strings woven together. And there are some deep issues tackled, which you wouldn't expect, but make so much sense. So, if you're just wanting an apocalyptic action story, Aftershocks may not be for you. If you let yourself be open to a bit of a more meandering path, you just might come away amazed all the same.
4 stars

I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Amulet Books and Netgalley.

All Ruby is trying to do at the laundromat is find an over-21 “loser” who might be willing to go to the liquor store next door and buy her some beer. But that’s when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hits. Ruby and the other person doing their laundry dive underneath the folding tables as the windows break and the roof falls in around them. Ruby and her new companion are pinned underneath the rubble. Ruby soon learns that the guy is named Charlie and they work to keep each other going as they hope for rescue.

This book was quite hard to put down, mainly because the reader is wondering how much longer the pair will need to wait for help or if they will live that long. But this survival story has alternating chapters where Ruby’s story unfolds. Ruby’s a water polo player for her high school who was having a bad day after breaking up with her best friend and badly handling the fact that her mom wants to date her coach. We learn about Charlie too. He has dropped out of Stanford after a tragic event happened to a friend.

There were a few unexpected surprises in this story, which I really appreciated. I thought that I knew where this story was going and I definitely did not. This book will appeal to a wide variety of readers, not just the ones who like survival stories.

My students love adventure/survival novels, and this one is right up their alley. Though I felt it had a slow start and some elements were a bit convenient, overall, this book was an enjoyable read that kept me engaged. We will most likely purchase this title for our collection.

Aftershocks follows a teenage water polo player, Ruby, as she struggles to survive "The Big One". Ruby is trapped during a catastrophic earthquake. With no idea if help is ever coming Rudy mentally and physically battles to free herself from the rubble.
I loved the realistic details of this story. The aftershocks, and what comes after an earthquake, can be the most devastating part of the story. On top of survival this book also delves into topics like substance abuse, survivor's guilt, and family relationships.

Ruby is struggling with issues in her personal life she wants to forget, and so she skips water polo practice to go to a nearby laundromat where she hopes someone older can be convinced to buy her some beer. At the laundromat she meets Charlie, a college dropout dealing with demons of his own. When a large earthquake hits, “the big one” that everyone has been waiting for, they wind up trapped together in the laundromat. They keep each other company, forming a bond as they confess their worries and regrets to each other. But as the hours pass by they begin to worry they won’t make it out alive.

This book tackles everything from complicated friendships and family changes to the fight to survive in the aftermath of an earthquake. There are a lot of emotional moments, and the story handles the heavier elements well. It also takes on learning to find hope in the wake of tragedy and the aftershocks that continue emotionally after such a traumatic event and the loss of loved ones. While this is a survival story, this is more about the characters and emotional journey of such an event that brings people together rather than tense action.

Aftershocks
by Marisa Reichardt
Pub Date: 29 Sep 2020
read courtesy of http://netgalley.com

⭐⭐⭐⭐Very enjoyable.

At first I wondered how the author was going to have a whole book told by someone caught in the rubble of an earthquake, but I was pleasantly surprised by the use of flashbacks and storytelling by the trapped characters. Then the narration changed as the story changed (I don't want to tell how, since that would be a spoiler. I'll just say that flashbacks were no longer needed.)

I loved everything about the book with the exception of the lead character's (Ruby) 'best friend' Mila. No one handled her situation well - not the adults (her school, her parents) nor her friends. True, sometimes it takes a literal Earth-shattering event to wise up, but it's a shame the character was allowed to get so far gone that only a natural disaster helped her. I'm reluctant to say it, but I felt that the Mila character was there just so Ruby could have something in common with Charlie. Though, I will admit, alcohol is a major problem with teenagers, so it's quite possible that any two teens would have a Mila or a Jason in common. And if it weren't for the alcohol, Ruby and Charlie never would have met.

The characters were real and developed. Though I'm someone who has never experienced a natural disaster, the author's clear and descriptive writing allowed me to sympathize with the characters' ordeals; I was able to ebb and flow with their hopes and despairs. The author was also realistic in developing the characters' experiences and growth. This was truly realistic fiction not watered down with magical thinking. I can't wait to put this into my high school library.

In this gripping young adult novel set in Los Angeles just as ‘the big one’ hits the San Andreas fault, two strangers trapped together in the rubble of a laundromat find themselves sharing their deepest secrets as they wait to be rescued. Marisa Reichardt has created an intensely captivating story that centers around Ruby, a teenaged water polo star, and Charlie, a Stanford dropout. Charlie was at the laundromat to do his laundry. Ruby was there, avoiding water polo practice after she found out that her coach and her mother had recently started dating, and hoping that she could talk Charlie into buying her some beer at the liquor store next door.

Then the earthquake hits, and Charlie and Ruby are each trapped beneath a table, with mountains of debris atop them. They can’t see each other, but they can hear each other, and the thin connection of their voices is all that is keeping them sane and alive as the days drag slowly by.

The reader will be engrossed as Ruby shares her worries about her mom and her water polo teammates, and Charlie tells her about the fraternity night that went so terribly awry. Reichardt does a brilliant job balancing the immediate terror that Ruby and Charlie face with the mundanity of their pre-earthquake lives. Not to be missed, Aftershocks is a wonderful, nuanced look at exactly what is lost in the wake of a terrible tragedy; and the sheer power of storytelling against incredible odds.

This book hurts my heart, like suffocating, crippling despair, when I think of what Ruby goes through in this book. I am pretty much speechless. With that said, I think this book will hold a place in my heart for a long time. It is gripping, heart-wrenching, and shows both tragedy and strength in a way that only those who live through this type of trauma can explain.

Ruby is living through the "big one" the earthquake that all Californians talk about- the one they all know is coming sometime. While being trapped under debris and collapsing walls, Ruby makes an unlikely friendship that will stay with her for the rest of her life. This book explores the trauma of natural disasters, triviality of everyday life even when you think you are prepared, and the strength of character to make it through such unthinkable situations.

This book made me bawl, which hasn't happened in some time. Tread lightly if you have experienced a trauma from natural disaster, as it can reawaken those feelings. This will be a great read- cathartic for some and traumatic for others, but important nonetheless.

Aftershocks by Marisa Reichardt will be coming out Sept. 29, 2020. http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/aftershocks-by-marisa-riechardt

Aftershocks by Marisa Reichardt was a gripping read. I don't live in California, or in a place that deals with common earthquakes - I have only dealt with one earthquake in nearly thirty years, and it was barely a blip on the radar. Due to that, this was a situation I did not fully understand, and I had to trust the author to lead me through.

After this point in the review, there may be spoilers.

Marisa did a wonderful job leading the reader through the reality of earthquakes and their aftermath, and what it's like when things go very wrong. I expected Aftershocks to be set in one place, but it wasn't. It came as a shock, but one that I enjoyed. I did not see the plot twists coming.

I thought the character growth with Ruby's feelings towards her coach were very well done. In the face of death and trauma, the things that were important before do not feel the same way later. It felt very relevant to the world right now, in the midst of COVID-19.

I will definitely be recommending this novel to the teens in my library.

Anyone that enjoys a good natural disaster or survival story would appreciate Aftershocks. My fourth graders love reading everything having to do with earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes. etc. and I would share this book with them if it wasn't for the more mature subplots. I like how the book was organized by time so you can see the events unfolding over the course of a week. I was surprised by the graphic content as the author did not shy away from the often violent and morbid details surrounding a disaster of this magnitude. I enjoyed reading about how the two main characters supported each other and were able to reveal their darkest secrets through an unlikely and unexpected companionship. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the book beyond the earthquake (loss of a parent, alcoholism, fraternity hazing) and the understanding that the title does not only refer to the literal aftershocks of an earthquake but the lasting impact and affect it has on individuals and a community as a whole. A quick and fast read perfect for a middle school and early high school reader.

Best part was living through The Big One with The two MCs. Lots of narrative; light on dialogue. Would be great for lower level readers, if the lack of high action will hold their attention. Quick read.

When two young adults are trapped in the rubble of a laundromat following a devastating earthquake, they develop a special bond while sharing personal stories told in flashbacks. Interesting premise and a quick read. I'd recommend it for young fans of disaster/survivalist fiction.

My 13 year old daughter read this book over the summer... She really enjoyed the book. There was enough suspense to keep her wanting to read, while still enjoying the characters and the plot.

Aftershocks is an emotionally charged story about Ruby a teenage girl who is stranded in a collapsed laundromat after the "Big One" hits Southern California. I really enjoyed this book especially the scenes with Charlie and Ruby they were real, emotional, and just very well written. This story pulls you in and you can't help but feel like you're going through this disaster with Ruby.

This was an incredibly powerful and touching story about a young woman's determination to survive horrible situations. Some of the descriptions in this book were hard to read, but that added to the gravity of the story. Ruby's guilt over surviving and her desperation to find her mom felt real and believable; the way that the author used time was really powerful and helped to keep the plot moving and also show some of the desperation and delirium that Ruby was feeling as well. I did feel that the friendship issues wrapped up a little too neatly at the end of the story but otherwise this was a solid read that I highly recommend.