THE BEGINNING OF AFTER- Strong Contemporary Debut from Jennifer Castle

Oh Contemporary fiction, how you do wiggle your pages so alluringly at me, and call to me to read you!  Add a beautiful, intriguing cover to an enticing premise and that's it! Heart-wrenching and witty? I'm done.  Hand the book over!

And, just look at this beautiful cover for THE BEGINNING OF AFTER. Can't you just relate to the girl's expression? Can't you just feel her thoughts? Don't you want to give her a hug and listen to her story? Tell her everything will be all right?

Well played, Jennifer Castle, well played. (okay I realize you probably didn't choose the cover yourself, but you wrote the book that inspired it, so kudo's are deserved) Add to this an exquisite story outline that promises to play with your emotions:

 Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.
Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

Jennifer Castle’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.


Wow! Everything about this novel appeals to me.  Emotional stories with wit are my thing.  THE BEGINNING OF AFTER is a novel that is at the top of my to read pile. I am so looking forward to this book!!! And good news for me, it released YESTERDAY!  Guess what I'm picking up on my trip to the bookstore?



Jennifer Castle received her B.A. in Creative Writing at Brown University and worked as a celebrity publicist’s assistant, an advertising copywriter, and a struggling screenwriter (yes, that’s an actual job) before falling into a niche producing websites for kids and teens. "The Beginning of After" is her first novel. She lives with her husband and two young daughters in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Visit Jennifer at her website: http://www.jennifercastle.com/



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh, I've been looking forward to this one for awhile, thanks for the reminder that it's out!

I Want To Read That said...

I've read this and it's awesome! Definitely recommend it:)

Lisa Schroeder said...

Yay, another one I can't WAIT to read!!

Denise Jaden said...

You're right, Janet. That cover is something else. I'd pick this up on the cover alone, but the synopsis sounds great too!

Janet Gurtler said...

So excited to read this one! Have been hearing great things about it! And yes, Denise, the synopsis is as beautiful as the cover!

Jennifer Castle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jennifer Castle said...

Thanks for this, Janet! I can't take any credit for the gorgeous cover (I was actually the bonehead who didn't like it at first), but I hope the book lives up to your expectations. It's a panicky thrill to finally see it out in the world.

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