Cate's college plans are upended when she has to move her senior year to Miami following her mom's divorce. As she tries to figure out an entirely new class schedule and extracurriculars, she discovers an EMT course designed for high schoolers that draws her in and makes her rethink the trajectory of her life. She sees a different side of things as she joins the EMTs on the ambulance and meets her fellow EMT trainees and sees that there might be other options out there. Overall, a good look at what it can mean to change one's goals completely and the not-so-clear path to finding a career. The romance was the weaker part of the story and could have been left out, since the focus on Cate's progression towards EMT certification was the driving force.

I enjoyed learning about Cate's story: how her world fell apart, dealing with her parent's divorce & having to a life-changing move to Miami from Manhattan for her senior year. She took a leap of faith to try something completely unexpected to learn about the EMT program. It was fun watching Cate try to figure out where she belongs in the world. Definitely a YA book; I would have loved this book as a high schooler.

I found the premise of the story, with the junior EMT program and the different characters finding their ways into it in various ways, quite appealing. The emergency calls were intriguing, although I would have appreciated a little more follow-up on some of the more significant issues surrounding police interactions. However, I enjoyed watching Cate learn that it's okay to change her path. The romance between Cate and Adrian was okay, but in my opinion, it wasn't necessary. Cate's coming-of-age journey and her growth as a junior EMT were much more captivating than the romance. I enjoyed the secondary characters, particularly the hospital crew that Cate interacts with the most.

a powerful novel, greatly enjoyable

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

Overall this novel is pretty solid.

It's not super memorable, but I did enjoy reading it, I just can't imagine reading it again.

It's been a while since I read a YA book so grounded in a familiar world, but this definitely made the career-oriented high schooler in me very happy! These main characters are trying to figure out their place in the world, and their journey doing just that is a wonderful experience. Thoroughly enjoyed this easy read.

If you’ve ever pondered the idea of becoming a paramedic or an EMT, this book could help you in the decision. You’ll either think, “Wow, that’s for me!”, or “No way could I do that!”.
The novel follows the life of Cat, a seventeen-year-old who has been plucked from her life in Manhattan and dropped into Miami, Florida for her senior year, because of her parent’s divorce. She’s at loose ends, letting her mother push her from one activity to another, all of which would look good for college admissions. After assisting EMTs after a freak accident at a riding school, Cat thinks she’s found something that’s worth throwing herself into. She signs up to be a junior assistant in a rescue unit, with little idea what she will be experiencing on those late-night ambulance rides…

Red Flags/Trigger Warnings:
Frequent vulgar language, scenes of underage drinking, and suggestions of teen sex, though nothing is graphically described.
A main character’s sibling has committed suicide before the book starts, and details are discussed. Some of the situations the EMTs have to deal with are quite intense; suggested police brutality; some family members become combative when their relative dies. Might be disturbing for some readers.; this book is definitely not for younger readers.

Cate has been uprooted from New York and the only home and school she’s known to Miami with her mom after her parents’ divorce. She went from AP everything to unknown classes as a Senior and she finds herself floundering.

A short-lived volunteer job ends after Cate witnesses an incident where an ambulance is called and popular classmate, Adrian, is on scene as a junior EMT. She decides that’s it - she’s going to join the same program to shake things up.

This was an interesting book that was more skewed as YA than New Adult. The romance between Cate and Adrian was so-so and I don’t think it was as needed. Cate’s coming of age journey and being a junior EMT was so much better than the romance. I liked the secondary characters and especially her hospital crew that Cate interacts with the most.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this eARC. After the Sirens is out now.

This is such a cute YA romance novel that I wish I read in high school. I would love to see this as a tv show because Cate and Adrian are so cute and Cate's story of being uprooted from NYC to Miami senior year would be a perfect plotline. It was just sweet and cute and I would love a follow up book of Cate and Adrian a decade from now.

Book : After the Sirens
Author : Sharon Farrell
Pub Date: 13 Jun 2023

Thank you NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when going into this book. I am fairly new to reading YA books but I love romance so this book peaked my interest. I thought that the storyline was very appealing. The story follows the lives of two high schoolers who are attempting to navigate their lives and trying to figure out what they are going to do with their lives once they are done with high school. I love the slow burn relationship between the two of them, there’s something innocent about it in a way.

I love the EMS/EMT aspect of the storyline because I am a medical professional as well and I thought how the author helped the readers understand the jargon that is throughout the book. I didn’t personally feel like I related to either of the characters but they were well developed.

I would recommend this to friends and book buddies who love YA romances, my daughter sat and listened to me explain to her what happened throughout the book and as a 16/17yo high schooler she said that this would absolutely appeal to her groups of friends.

This was a good book primarily geared towards young adults.

My favorite part about this book is it tells kid (really anyone who reads it) that is OKAY ago change your plans. If your world is falling apart and a new plan seems like a better fit go for it!

I also liked the EMT aspect of this book. Very interesting to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

The premise of this book is what drew me in. I have not read a book centered around EMTs before, and honestly, I learned a lot! The author clearly did her research or is a professional because the lingo was explained seamlessly. Although the EMT world she built was fun and fast-paced, the characters seemed to need to be more fleshed out. There were far too many essential side characters that made random appearances throughout. Because of the character dump, I never got into the love connection. I immensely disliked Adrianne for 90% of the book. The plot was all over the place as well. I know the author was trying to hit on some ethical issues, but they fell short due to the need for more cohesiveness of the different subplots. With some edits, this book could be excellent, but as it is, it was not for me.

After the Sirens is the perfect YA novel that blends high school angst with the mature and real world pressures of EMS and EMT. Fans of YA will enjoy Cate as she grows through her new family dynamic, adjusts to a new state, and prepares for life after high school. I especially appreciate the author incorporating her own unique background in emergency services. The realistic medical storylines of nighttime ambulance rides in some way mirror the various transitions the characters experience during the day and after the sirens.

This wasn't quite what I expected, and it seems like a young adult novel vs. a new adult. The romantic storyline felt unnecessary, and it might have been a stronger book without it. Adrian's character was underdeveloped. Parts of the story were quite realistic and enjoyable, such as the ending, but I would've liked more on Cate.

Fascinating peek behind the scenes of EMT's and EMT training. I believe it's billed as an adult book but I would call it YA. A good coming of age story with a sweet romance. Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for an ARC of this

This was good! I really liked the premise, with the junior EMT program and the different characters all finding their ways into it in different ways. The calls were interesting; I know it's how EMS works -- that you don't always find out the end of the story -- but I'd have liked to see a little more followup on some of the bigger issues at play with the police interactions. That said, I did enjoy watching Cate learn that it's OK to change her path. We need more stories telling people it's OK to do that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advanced reader's copy!

I wouldn't necessarily classify this as new adult, I think it's pretty firmly in the young adult category.

Cate is uprooted during her senior year of high school after her parents have divorced. Her mom has taken her from NYC to Miami. On her first day she's already garnered the attention of popular boy Adrian, who punches out one of his friends after he makes a joke about Cate killing herself.

After this incident Cate's mom makes her join an afterschool activity at a local horse camp. It's there that she witnesses an incident where an ambulance is called. Once the ambulance gets there she notices Adrian as one of the EMTs. Cate decides her parents aren't the only ones who can blowup her life and she decides to shake things up by joining the Junior EMS program.

The program ends up changing her perspective on life and what she wants out of it. The story is really a coming of age about breaking out of your expected path.

In all honesty it was a good book, but I think it would have been stronger without the romantic storyline. Adrian honestly just felt like fodder and it just didn't feel fleshed out to. I felt the ending was realistic and I enjoyed the friendships she made along the way, I just felt like the story could have explored Cate's familial relationships and future more.

This was a very satisfying read. Cate is forced to move to Miami with her mother after her parents' divorce. She doesn't understand why she couldn't live with her dad to finish up her senior year in New York. To make things worse her new school does not offer the same academic and extra-curricular activities that her old school did. With no friends and nothing to look forward to Cate decides to step completely out of the box and live a life that she never dreamed of. She decides to join the junior EMT program and quickly learns how fascinating and exhilarating it can be to ride along on ambulance runs. She gets into a text competition with another junior EMT from her school, Adrian, to see who could share the most interesting stories from their shifts. After a slow burn the romance between the two develops and strengthens. This coming-of-age novel has a strong and well researched story line that will appeal to teens. It's easy to connect with the characters in this book and it's a joy to watch the resolutions unfold at the end. Thanks Net Galley for allowing me to access an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As EMS in my background I thought that this book was pretty good. It did hit on several things that most don't. It was a good book and I would definitely read it again.
I just reviewed After the Sirens by Sharon Farrell. #AftertheSirens #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Do you know what you want to do with your life? Cate, an over-achieving high schooler from Manhattan, gets transplanted to Miami with her recently divorced mom and instead of wallowing in her absence of friends and extracirriculars takes the dive into EMS training. The complexities of being a high school senior get intertwined with extremely realistic and gritty accounts of overnight EMT work in a major city. Cate finds herself wondering if her abilities in field hockey or school orchestra really matter when people need medical attention from severe injuries throughout the night. A story of empathy, soul-searching, and fitting in that gives the reader a glimpse into a life that few people know really well.