This was a really strong debut. Lovely verse, and a really thoughtful job of dealing with heavy topics, like domestic abuse and family court.

__
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of this title. This review contains my honest thoughts.

An amazing novel in verse from debut author, Rebekah Lowell. You'll root for these characters as you also cry for them. Lacey and her family have dealt with many years of abuse from her father. When her grandparents come to save them from the situation, things become a bit more difficult than she expected. This story of triumph over such a hard situation will pull at your heartstrings from the very beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Reader Publishing Group for the review copy of The Road to After by Rebekah Lowell. The cover of this book was the first thing to catch my eye. When I found out it was a novel in verse about a young girl who escapes domestic abuse, I was very intrigued.

While her father is at work on day, Lacey's grandparents rescue Lacey, her mom, and her sister from the house. In the aftermath of the escape, Lacey must deal with how she feels about her father, and her mother having to go to court. It is a chilling exploration on the effect of domestic abuse on young children, whether they are physically hurt or not. This would be a difficult book to put in the hands of a highly sensitive reader, but I would highly recommend it for its beautiful verse and conversation potential alone.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

This book was a wonderful novel in verse. A quick read, it does a great job dealing with domestic abuse, and the aftermath of being "free." I loved this and look forward to seeing it in readers' hands.

I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of this book and as soon as I can get my hands on a physical copy, I will. I need to read, experience and live with this beautiful book written in verse again. Lowell introduces us to Lacey and her family, a family literally kept hostage in their home by an abusive father for many years. Propelled by a frightening chain of events, Lacey’s mother finds the courage to leave with the help of family and Lacey is suddenly thrust into a new, unrecognizable life. She moves cautiously with her father’s words haunting her mind yet the pull of art and nature invites her forward into new experiences and opportunities. Lowell so beautifully captures this frightening and heartbreaking time with a sense of hope and unquestionable love. It’s heart-breakingly beautiful.

Good book, but while I do like some novels in verse, I probably would have preferred this one to not be. Somehow it just never grabbed me, despite the content being good and having a solid storyline.

In spare prose, "The Road to After" leads the reader from the "before" times to the "now" and possible future times for a family shattered by spousal abuse. Seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl, Lacey, we experience the frighteningly mad rush to leave the house before "Daddy" comes home. Lacey and her nonverbal younger sister, Jenna are confused as Daddy's rules say to never leave the house without him, never go outside and never raise the window shades. Lacey is torn between the security of knowing the rules and the knowledge that her Mama takes the abuse to save Lacey and her sister. When Daddy buys a drill and says he will "take care of the girls' teeth", Mama reaches her breaking point and reaches out to her parents to rescue them. Life in the outside world is scary, it is unpredictable and the rules don't apply. Mama is scared too, even as she tries to make "normal" life normal for the family. Life in a shelter, therapists, finding work, going to school are all new experiences as is making friends and being able to trust that they won't tell Daddy where you are. Heart wrenching, especially as the reader will know that this is more than a story, this is reality for so many families. A difficult subject, handled with grace. A must-read.