The Afterwards by AF Harrold is a touching tale of friendship, the power of love, and the pain of loss. 

‘I am Cat, and I walk alone, and all paths are open to me.’

December and Happiness are the best friends. They do everything together. Then one day, Ember arrives at school and Ness isn’t there. She learns at an assembly that Ness has died. A terrible truck by another shows Ember the way to the Afterwards, the place souls go to wait until they are freed of memory. Animals go here too, and each species stays a certain amount of time, some only moments, others days. Humans longest of all. Guided by a mangy alley cat who travels, as all cats do, wherever he pleases, Ember finds Ness in the Afterwards. And she finds someone most unexpected. But the living aren’t meant to be in the twilight realm of resting souls, no more than the dead are meant to cross back over. 

This was a touching story, dark and sad, yet full of promise. It speaks to love- of family and friendship. I adored the fact it played off my favourite of Kipling’s ‘Just So Stories’. Scattered throughout are gorgeous pencil sketches. The sidestory with Ember’s uncle was kinda f’d up. Like, how did no one notice the dog? I did like how the Afterward was presented. No heaven or hell. It was simply a place of resting that allowed the energy to be returned to the universe. This fit quite well with my own spiritual beliefs.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.