This was a beautiful book about grief, love, forgiveness, humanity, and family. It was much different than I expected. I think I thought there was a thriller aspect involved, however that was not the case and I’m glad for it. I loved the characters of Evangeline, Isaac, and Lorrie. It was interesting how the author told the backstory alternating between Evangeline’s and one of the dead boys voices,. This book did make me cry at one point which I was also not expecting! My only tiny critique is that the teen voices at times were more adult-like than they should have been. Overall, a great read. Grateful for the chance to read it.

Heartbreaking and hope giving, this is a love story about broken people who find love in unexpected loss.

Well paced thriller with an interesting cast of characters and a dip into the world of the contemporary Quaker religion. A great choice for book groups that discovers themes of grief, loyalty and love.

What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins is a beautiful story about loss and healing in a remote area of coastal Washington state. The story begins in the aftermath of the tragic deaths of two teenage boys. Both neighbors and single parents, Issac and Lorrie have recently lost their sons, one by murder and one by suicide. Evangeline, a mysterious teenage girl, who has appeared outside of Issac’s house pregnant and abandoned by her mother. Encouraged by his Quaker religious beliefs, he takes in Evangeline and cares for her. The story is told in multiple perspectives, that of Issac, Evangeline, and brief sections from Lorrie’s deceased son, Jonah. Slowly we learn about their past relationships, how and why Jonah and Daniel died, and why Evangeline has come to Isaac’s home. Each character is layered and complex. You don’t always like their actions or words, but you understand them. What Comes After was a heavy, but beautiful and moving story.

Thank you Penguin Group / Riverhead Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Not a mystery but a great character driven story

I liked the writing style and the characters created. I enjoyed learning about the Quaker religion. I found it very interesting (except in relation to the epilogue 🤨).

There is a lot of sadness crammed into this story. It also alludes to many mysteries that were fairly predictable. It definitely is a slow burn and perhaps unnecessarily longer than it needed to be. All that aside, I found myself looking forward to getting back to it each time I put it down. I will look forward to the next story by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and PENGUIN GROUP Riverhead for a copy in exchange for a review.

The heartbreaking story 9f the aftermath of 2 teenage boys --- one murdered, one suicide.
The characters left behind experience loss, grief, anger and forgiveness.
This is a very emotional and moving novel.

[4.5 stars]

This highly literary, but also propulsive debut novel begins immediately following the death of 2 teenage boys, which tore apart their Washington State community. In the aftermath, a pregnant teenager (Evangeline) becomes involved with the 2 boys’ families. Tompkins' background encountering trauma as a trial lawyer, judicial officer, and mediator inspired her to write this story exploring anger and grief, but also of growth and forgiveness. There is a suspenseful mystery, but it lies in the background of what is ultimately a character-driven story. And, reading this story felt a bit like going on a therapeutic journey without the actual therapy.

I cannot tell you how excited I was to get an early copy of this book to review. I loved the synopsis and the author really delivered with this novel. I thought the characters were amazing and so well-developed and I loved the setting, being from the PNW myself.

This is a truly impressive debut novel - and one that is a definite tearjerker! The book opens not long after the murder-suicide of two high school seniors - two boys who had been neighbors and friends in their small Washington state town. Split across three narrators, Isaac is a Quaker and the father of the murdered boy, Daniel, while Evangeline, a pregnant teen who encountered both boys just before their deaths is left abandoned in town and the third voice comes from Jonah - the other dead boy. But Jonah's not the only one to reveal the "before" leading up to the opening events.

It's genuinely an emotional read on many levels. There were sections that had me actually sobbing (dog-lovers beware, there are deaths here - and a lot on the frailties of an aging larger dog which is just heartbreaking all on its own). The book deals with complicated emotions, complex relationships and also reveals more about the Quaker faith than I was previously aware. It's a character-driven story of both the aftermath and the beforehand. It's about love, friendship and forgiveness. I can definitely see why this is an April Book of the Month Club choice - it would certainly make for a good discussion starter!

The book has an almost timeless feel to it in many ways, without many mentions of technology or pop culture. Although some of this makes the teen portions a little harder to believe, that's not the only thing that defies belief. Evangeline's non-official living status and other scenes with authorities, while explained away by the small town still seem unlikely. Health insurance issues alone seem like many red flags would be raised... but other than that, I really couldn't tear myself away from this. Parts of the plot are easier to see coming than others, it all builds with an emotional tension that makes these characters not only come fully to life, but also makes this a truly riveting read!

This book holds a lot within its pages, but inside all of that lot, there’s also so much human struggling and truth, and it was also deeply satisfying in a number of ways.

What comes after starts in the shadow of Daniel and Jonah, two teenage boys and friends who are now dead. Daniel’s father and Jonah’s mother and sister are neighbors and Evangeline a girl who knew both boys before their death.

These three are unlikely to be close, and yet Evangeline shows up and forces questions to be asked. Isaiah, Daniel’s father is a Quaker and that spirituality informs his journey through grief and understanding and self-awareness. Lorrie brings her own pain and history. Every character in this story brings brokenness and trauma into the story, and that trauma is allowed to exist within the pages, yet hope is always there as well. I really enjoyed this book.

I fell in love with these characters and didn't want the story to end! I really enjoyed the writing style on this one too.

This had a great storyline but i just felt out of touch with the characters that it took away from my reading experience.
Not a bad book just didnt work for me.

This book is right in my "reading wheel" and it really grabbed me in the beginning with a murder/suicide. However, I had a difficult time staying focused on the story because it just dragged on. Many readers who have patience will enjoy this book, but sorry, I didn't.

This book takes you on a journey through the grief and anger that comes after loss and then to the hope and forgiveness that follows. What Comes After is a character-driven novel with several well-written characters that are easy to understand and empathize with. I did find parts of the story over-done and struggled to keep reading halfway through. It did pick up again by the end, but I'm not totally sure I am satisfied with the ending.

"What Comes After" is an interesting novel, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. I'm very picky when it comes to my reading tastes, so I think the majority of avid readers will enjoy this book. The main problem I have with this genre are the plot and outcome are always very predictable. I wasn't blown away by the ending, I was pretty much anticipating it, and not in a good way. I still think it's worth a read. The cover art is stunning.

Thank you, Netgalley and Riverhead for the digital ARC.

One teenager kills his best friend in a fit of rage, then later kills himself. Left behind are two grieving single parents, and a homeless teenage girl who knew both boys. When the girl ends up pregnant, she shows up at the home of one of the dead boys, and the boy's father welcomes her in. This book is a tangled weave of human relationships where the focus is on uncertainty, healing, forgiveness, and becoming whole. It's a balm for the soul!

A beautifully-layered novel told in three character voices, What Comes Next will stay with me for a long time. Subjects include identity and love and family and forgiveness of others and yourself. I found the pacing to be perfect and the characters complex and relatable. I was fascinated by the Quaker beliefs and want to learn more. More thoughts later. This book is lovely and well-worth your attention.

What a beautiful, heartbreaking story. If you loved "Where the Crawdads Sing", I think you'll really enjoy this one! This is more than just a typical "coming-of-age" story and not quite a mystery novel. I think that's what I like best about it. The writing is breathtaking, especially for a debut author! This is one of those books that will stick with you for a long time. Highly recommended!

This book blew me out of the water. It was incredibly dark, but somehow not depressing. It looked at relationships, religion and feminism, all wrapped up in a little bit of a mystery. I would recommend this to people who like literary fiction and thrillers.

5 stars - no question.

This was an extremely powerful book and I'm kind of scratching my head at how brilliant it was. It's a debut no less! With that said, I want to make my book friends know that while I enjoyed this book immensely, it is very dark at times and there are a lot of trigger warnings. (Please feel free to reach out to me if you're concerned and would like to know a little more before you read.)

At first, I thought this was a literary mystery, but now that I've finished I wouldn't consider it one and would put it solidly in the literary fiction genre. I finished this book almost two weeks ago, but I've wanted to sit with my thoughts for a little while before I wrote my review. As you're reading it, you have such a sense of increasing foreboding as you go and there were times when I almost needed to take an emotional break before I pressed on. I cringed a lot too because there are things the characters do and say that made me uncomfortable. (Which is okay.)

I don't want to give away anything with the plot, but I will say that despite the slower pacing (which didn't bother me), the payoff was huge at the end. I'm very down right now on what I see happening to our country as a whole. We're divided, turning against one another and lack an overall sense of looking out for others like we do ourselves. I think this book is an extension of all of these themes. Good people who are struggling with demons and for one reason or another turn on their neighbor. I think the author did a fantastic job balancing this fact with that of how we come out on the other side.

I cannot wait to read this author's next book! Thanks to Netgalley and Riverhead Books for the advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review. Another home run for Riverhead Books.

Review Date: 04/27/2021
Publication Date: 04/13/2021