3.5★s
The World After Alice is the first novel by Lauren Aliza Green. On an icy February night, twelve years ago, sixteen-year-old Alce Weil went missing. CCTV from a nearby store showed that she stepped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River. No trace of her was ever found. After the tragedy, her parents’ marriage broke up.

Now, Alice’s younger brother, Benjamin, and her best friend, Morgan Hensley have invited family and friends to their wedding, revealing that they have been seeing each other for three years. The news gets quite a mixed reaction from their families.

Morgan’s mother Sequoia isn’t even coming, instead staying at her ashram in Goa; her father, Peter strongly feels it’s not a good idea (the Weil family aren’t over their grief), but he is a little nervous about seeing Benji’s mother, intending to reveal his true feelings for her; Benji’s dad, Nick acts like he’s happy about it, but paying his share of the wedding on top of supporting a much younger wife and their daughter is a problem now that he’s lost his job, a state of affairs about which he’s told no-one.

After divorcing Nick, Linnie went back to her maiden name of Olsen, and she’s a bit anxious about her plus-one, the college philosophy lecturer she’s been dating; Ezra Newman has told Linnie he knew Alice when he was teaching at Manhattan Tech, but hasn’t been entirely honest about that relationship; and most people there will remember what happened at the memorial service held two weeks after Alice disappeared.

And the happy couple? Benji is always upbeat, optimistic, but is he ignoring the potentially tense interactions between them all? Morgan is a bit concerned about the fact that Benji still searches online for his sister. She’s also disturbed to see Ezra Newman here. And Benji’s grandmother, Judith, with her dementia can be a bit unpredictable, often candid and sometimes unpleasant.

All bar Judith and Sequoia contribute to the narrative and their concerns, past and ongoing, are gradually revealed in musings and flashbacks. Each adds some insight that may help understand the troubled teen who stepped off the bridge, and what may have contributed to such a desperate act.

Green paints a very realistic picture of the effects on those left behind of a teen suicide: grief, guilt, blame and, maybe, eventually, recovery. Her characters have depth and her descriptive prose is evocative: “the long years when each hour was tendrilled by an ache so intense, she feared it would strangle her in her sleep” is an example. The epilogue is good, but something is still lacking in the resolution. A worthy debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin Group/Viking

The World After Alice has an intriguing premise, but it never quite delivers on its potential. The pacing felt uneven, and the characters lacked the depth needed to make me truly invested in their journey. While there were moments of beautiful writing, the story itself felt disjointed, making it a frustrating read that didn’t fully come together for me.

I kind of wish I hadn't finished this book... This ended up being a 2 star read for me. nothing really happened, but it seemed like we were building up to bigger things. I also felt like the author used big words for no other reason that to show us that she could.

The World After Alice had lots of twists and turns and surprises along the way. It was a great read, which I consumed quickly.

A beautifully written story with a rich cast. Im not even sure who the true main characters were. Morgan and Benji or Alice or their parents?
Where I struggled was with some of the descriptions of the small things. I felt like I wanted to skim over some paragraphs to keep things moving.
I struggled to find a rhythm, maybe because I wasn't cheering for any of the characters.

The World After Alice by Lauren Aliza Green is a reflective novel that delves into grief, healing, and the ripple effects of loss. Green crafts a poignant exploration of how life shifts in the wake of tragedy, with emotional depth and moments of genuine introspection.

The character-driven narrative offers thoughtful reflections on love, family, and resilience, but the slow pacing and predictable plot points occasionally lessen the emotional impact. While beautifully written in parts, it sometimes struggles to maintain momentum.

3 stars — a tender, introspective read with heartfelt moments, though it may not fully resonate with readers seeking a more dynamic narrative.

I went in to this one without knowing anything about it -- and I ended up enjoying it and feeling for all the flawed characters.

Benji's sister Alice committed suicide when she was a teenager, and the book jumps around between that time period and the present day, where Alice and Benji's family is gathering for Benji's wedding to Alice's childhood best friend. Their parents have divorced, they have brought new partners, and there is quite a lot of tension and drama.

As always, I love books set in New York and this one has great descriptions of the city.

As with any books about this subject matter, there are some hard parts to listen to.

I will definitely check out more by Lauren Aliza Green in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The World After Alice by Lauren Aliza Green!

The World After Alice by Lauren Aliza Green is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that delves into grief, family dynamics, and the complexities of love. Morgan and Benji, a young couple deeply in love, decide to surprise their families with a wedding invitation to Maine—twelve years after the tragic death of Alice, Benji's sister and Morgan's best friend. The event becomes the catalyst for a reunion of fractured families, bringing to light long-held secrets, unresolved tensions, and unspoken regrets.

Green’s writing skillfully captures the emotional weight of the weekend, as each family member grapples with their past and present. The tension is palpable, with characters like Morgan's father, Peter, and Benji's mother, Linnie, carrying personal baggage that complicates the celebration. The book weaves in themes of loss, redemption, and the question of how well we truly know the people closest to us. As the weekend unfolds, secrets are unearthed, and the carefully planned wedding becomes a backdrop to revelations that could alter everything.

The narrative explores the fragility of happiness and how the past often casts long shadows on the future. Green’s vivid portrayal of the characters’ inner lives, combined with her insight into family dynamics, makes The World After Alice an emotionally rich and captivating read. It’s a story about love in all its forms—romantic, familial, and the enduring love that remains even after loss. This is a compelling and heartfelt novel, perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven stories that explore the messiness of life and relationships.

This book is a little too bloated for me. I wish it was about 85 pages shorter. Writing style was pretty. But otherwise I didn’t love it,

I was not able to read and review this book before it’s publishing date but now that I have read it, I gave it three stars

While I enjoyed this, I ultimately didn’t feel like it was super special or memorable. The concept of grief after a child’s suicide was something that could have been more explored. I understand the decision to set this some time after the event to show how life has gone on since, but this look back approach ended up leaving me feeling like I was being kept at arms reach.

I think the Ezra storyline was also pretty underdeveloped, as well as Morgan’s relationship with Alice. I think these both had potential to create tension and heavy conversations with some of the other characters but what we did get was pretty run of the mill.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a ride. The World After Alice takes place during the wedding weekend of Benji and Morgan, Alice's brother and her best friend/rival. Alice commited suicide twelve years ago when she was sixteen years old. The book goes back and forth in time, describing Alice's last days alive and how every person close to her experienced grief, even several years after her death. This book is extremely well written, it's beautiful and heartbreaking yet hopeful at the end, even though we know what happens since the first page. I enjoyed the portrayal of all the characters with their virtues and flaws. There are a lot of secrets that unveil and plot twists that make this book a very entertaining experience. I highly recommend it.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Lauren Aliza Green. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Morgan and Benji surprise their family with their wedding invitation to Maine. Their families have been fractured since Alice, Morgan's best friend and Benji's sister, killed herself 12 years ago. All the family members have secrets they are holding themselves, making a potential powder keg of an event. Just how well does anyone know their loved ones?

I'm a sucker for family drama and this one had it in spades. Benji's family imploded after Alice's death, with dad Nick remarried with another daughter and mom Linnie bringing a date along with his own secrets. But at the heart of it all is grief. How does the world go on after someone we love dies, especially by suicide? So much unresolved guilt, blame, and pain. While not all the characters are very likable, I felt for so many of them, especially Benji who just wanted to fix his family and make everyone okay. The writing was beautiful and the epilogue amazing. Wonderful debut - looking forward to more from this author.

The World After Alice is an emotional story that takes place a dozen years after the death of the title character, at the wedding of her best friend and brother. Morgan and Benji kept their relationship secret (for 3 years) from everyone until the invitations were printed. What follows is the story of how the two families react when forced together after so many years as well as when so many secrets from the past are revealed. The characters are nuanced but it is sometimes hard to figure out just who is who. As the story moves back and forth in time, the time shifts can be a little jarring to the reader. Overall though, it is an interesting read.

One could easily misrepresent The World After Alice by fixating on the flaws of its characters. In the novel, set more than a decade after teenage Alice’s suicide, her best friend and younger brother gather their families once more for a surprise wedding, with everyone’s wounds and faults on full display. Yet even as a reader might try to assign blame to one of the many characters still reeling with grief, every narrator emerges as a sympathetic figure.

Lauren Aliza Green weaves together points of view with a haunting suspense reminiscent of a thriller and a gentle luminosity that tempers the inherent melancholy of the story.

"Many children might have been bored by the tedium and rigor of these lessons. Not Alice. . . . Alice did not cry. She improved at remarkable speed. . . . Talent was not enough - a musician needed grit. A musician needed to play until the music pervaded her veins and marrow."

This book is so multifaceted. It's dark, nostalgic, hurt and healing, Like every family finding a way through loss, there's so much baggage here in this book. It's not sunshine and roses.

Please be aware of content warnings. This story is a whole lot Alice, and a lot after Alice. It's, well, a lot.

I thought there would be a sweet love story woven throughout, But for me, there was more bitter than sweet.

"And then she went. She went but she didn't go."

This story is a beautifully written blend of whimsy and deep emotion, exploring loss, resilience, and self-discovery. The characters are rich and relatable, and the magical setting is both nostalgic and refreshingly original. It’s a heartfelt, thought-provoking journey that lingers with you—perfect for anyone who loves a touch of magic mixed with real, human depth.

“The World After Alice” by Lauren Aliza Green might be the most slept on book of the summer!

It is a slow-burning, character-driven family drama

Benji and Morgan have kept their relationship under wraps, and now they’re getting married. It’s been 12 years since the loss of Alice, who was Benji’s sister and Morgan’s best friend, and the families are definitely not on good terms. But Benji and Morgan are pressing onward with their wedding weekend in Maine, for which their families were given about a month’s notice.

This is a deep, dark family drama that’s so intimate, you almost feel like you know too much about these (fictional) people. It is largely character-driven, so keep that in mind. The drama stems from the relationships in the book, not so much the plot itself. I found it DELICIOUS. It’s not a book I think everyone would love. But if you enjoy character-driven family dramas you will be absolutely consumed by this book.