QUICK TAKE: kinda went in expecting a murder mystery, but this is more of an unconventional small town family drama. Not a bad thing, just know that going into this you're not going to get dark and twisty thrills. It's a slow burn story about a man grieving the loss of his son, and a mysterious young woman who comes into his life. I liked a lot about it, but it is not a fast-paced read by any means.

You know when you start a book and are immediately captivated? That was this book for me. The writing was SO GOOD. The prose was beautiful, and sucked me in from the start. I took my time with it because I wanted to savor the story and every word spoken.

I loved the multiple POV perspective and alternating timelines. I loved the themes of religion, especially of the Quaker faith, woven in which had underlying impacts on the characters and story as a whole. I’ve never read a book with that community featured, and enjoyed those themes integrated throughout. I think it could of been leaned into even more because I would of loved to see more from Isaac’s perspective how deeply his faith impacted his actions and community.

This is a story of unexpected tragedy on a small community of people, chosen family, and forgiveness. Isaac and Evangeline’s relationship was so special, and felt really real and honest the merging of two lonely souls that found each other when they needed it most. Rufus was one of the best characters.

Getting Jonah’s perspective throughout was one of my favorite parts of the novel and brought such depth and understanding to the events that occurred.

The more I think about this book, the more I know it’ll be one that sticks with me for a long time.

Would recommend for those who were fans of Ask Again, Yes!

Thank you to @netgalley and @riverheadbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! ✨

Nope, couldn’t finish this one. It sat in my NetGalley shelf for months, and I kept telling myself that I would eventually read it. But it just wasn’t interesting enough to make me want to read it or keep reading.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book started out very strong. The characters were well developed and the writing was very good, but as the book went on it started to weaken. At some points the story seemed to drag a bit and there was just so much going on. I liked the different points of view of the characters telling the story. I think that added to the story rather than making it more confusing. But, let me see that I absolutely hated the epilogue. They could have completely done without it and the book would have been fine. I actually think the confusion it added took this down a star for me.

Started slow then stayed that way. Characters seemed one dimensional. The book left me feeling burdened which is never good.

This is a solid character-driven novel and would definitely be a good book for a book club discussion group. The pace is rather slow, however. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What Comes After is very much a character-driven story (it is billed as a mystery, but there is no mystery). You find out in the first chapter that Daniel is murdered by Jonah and Jonah commits suicide. (Again: no mystery!). The book talks about what comes after (kind of... there are three points of view given and one of them is Jonah in the 24 hours or so before his death, but it also includes snippets of his past and life).

The other two narrators are Isaac, who is Daniel's father and Evangeline. Evangeline is a girl who is pregnant and lost (not literally, figuratively). Her mom kicked her out and she has nowhere to go. She had met both Daniel and Jonah and formed a brief connection with both, which is how she is tied to Isaac. She shows up on his doorstep and he takes her in (he's a Quaker and that is a theme throughout as well).

This book examines the relationships between the characters (as well as Lorrie, Jonah's mom). It talks about grief and moving on after loss. It talks about hope in a dark situation. I really liked the character of Evangeline and how she tied everyone together. The book is long but enjoyable.

It took me a while to get into this book. At first, I stayed just to figure out the mysterious bit but I was so glad that I stayed the course and listened to the whole thing.

Life is freaking hard and messy and we all make such terrible mistakes. The way that Lorrie and Isaac fiercely love and support Evangeline is something I will think about for years to come. That is what this world needs…People unselfish enough to see past their own grief and help who crosses their path, unconditionally. I know this is easier said then done…but wow, the way Lorrie and Isaac did it was just so inspiring.

I really enjoyed learning about the Quaker religion. I honestly don’t think I had known anything about them before and I found that absolutely fascinating.

This book and the characters were often very difficult to read. I was frustrated at time, but the depth in everything that was felt and explored was done so beautifully. I’m so glad I gave this book a try.

Beautiful prose, deep characters, and a suspenseful twisty plot, this novel is solid. However, it’s slow pace and hard to like characters didn’t make this book a top choice for me.

What an interesting and unusual story! I loved this slow-burn mystery and found the Quaker faith fascinating to little about.

4.75 ⭐️ For this Book of the Month selection. Atmospheric and beautifully written about healing after loss and trauma, and building trust and relationships. Trigger warning: suicide, mental health, rape. But actually ends with hope.

Amazing!

I really enjoyed this book! What a pleasant surprise. I was initially attracted to What Comes After for its cover, but it is so much more than that.

This was a great book. It had depth and emotion, which I wasn't expecting.

I'd highly recommend this novel. And I greatly anticipate what JoAnne Tompkins writes next.

I absolutely loved "What Comes After." While the description of the book gives you a good sense of what the general story is, I was unprepared for how much I felt for each of the characters.

This could have easily been just another tragic book about people who live unfortunate and unlucky lives, but JoAnne Tompkins somehow turns it into a hopeful story, even as it deals with subjects such as murder, rape, teenage pregnancy, and child abandonment. The key is in her characters, and how fully she fleshes out every single one of them to not only be protagonists, but real human beings with flaws that are easy to relate to.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

Not my cup of tea. I was disappointed that the "big reveal" came right away at the beginning, as I expected more a thriller from the blurb.

Thanks #netgallery. This is the best book I have read in a long time. I loved the characters and story.

This book crushed me. It was so heavy and emotional and gut wrenching. I wept like a baby near the end. What a terrific debut novel.

I was able to get this as a BOTM selection as well, and mostly enjoyed it. It's sort of a sad take on a part of life that all of us have to deal with at some point (maybe not all in the same way though) and it's heavy. I did enjoy the book. At times I found it weighing on me more than I thought it would or expected, but overall, it was good.

3/5 Stars

The debut novel from JoAnne Tompkins was an enjoyable read, but I would not put it in the Mystery category. This coming of age novel had beautifully done characters and it had me attached to every single one of them. And Rufus! The dog!
The entire book didn't go as fast as I would have liked it to and I felt as if the ending needed more... oomf.

interesting great read. totally engaged throughout. good book club read. lots to discuss. interesting characters. great book club book.

Solid book club pick as there is plenty to discuss. I do not think the mystery classification is fair and can be misleading.