About the Book
-
Author:
- Tanya Byrne
- Genres:
- Fantasy
- Girl-Girl Romance
- Voices:
- Cis Girl
- Indian Diaspora
- Lesbian
Cover Story: Purple Rain
BFF Charm: Big Sister
Talky Talk: Before / After
Bonus Factor: Dead Like Me
Anti-Bonus Factor: Harry Potter
Relationship Status: Insta-love
Cover Story: Purple Rain
I never meant to cause you sorrow… This cover is gay and I love it. Two girls kissing among a plethora of purple moths, bathed in purple light—it’s gorgeous!
The Deal:
Ashana Persuad is tired of being the girl that other girls “experiment” with. She wants to find her One—someone who is out and wants to be with her publicly. When Ash meets Poppy on a school field trip, they fall instantly in love. Only a few months into their relationship, however, Ash is hit by a car and killed. As the last person to die on New Year’s Eve, Ash becomes a grim reaper, and is destined to walk among the living, ferrying souls to Charon. What happens, then, when Poppy recognizes Ash after her death? What does this mean for Poppy? Ash is determined to find out.
BFF Charm: Big Sister
I could feel Ashana’s hope when she first meets Poppy, and the love that comes with their relationship is palpable. When they are separated by death, I wanted to give Ash a big hug, and tell her everything is going to be okay – even though it’s not. I mean, she’s dead! But when they meet again after Ash becomes a grim reaper, I wanted to believe that things will work out.
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
This is a romantic story, y’all, even with the sad theme. Poppy and Ash’s relationship is electric. You could easily imagine them living for years together, marriage, babies, the works. They are that in love. And the book shows us their highest highs, which makes for a swoontastic read.
Talky Talk: Before/After
Ash and Poppy live in England, so their language is spotted with all sorts of fun Britishism stuff such as trains and mini-marts and rubbish. It was cool to rewire my brain to acclimate to the accented voice. I could sense the sea spray of Ash’s small town near the shore, and hear the clanking of the train when Ash and Poppy go to London to visit the Tate Modern.
The book is laid out as before and after Ash’s death: Ash and Poppy’s beginnings, and then Ash’s new identity as a grim reaper. But we know that Ash is a grim reaper from the prologue, so I was waiting for half the book for her to die, as her and Poppy’s relationship surged forward. It was hard not to feel bad for the two, destined to be separated by death.
Bonus Factor: Dead Like Me
Did anyone else love this Bryan Fuller show about a girl named George who dies and becomes a grim reaper? I can’t help but suspect that it influenced this book, especially with Deborah, the head grim reaper of her group, using Post-It notes to deliver reaps. The parallel to the show is what drew me into this book in the first place and on that count it didn’t disappoint.
Anti-Bonus Factor: Harry Potter
I get that Harry Potter is a huge influence on readers and authors alike, but in the year 2022 do we really need to have multiple mentions of HP in young adult books, especially after YEARS of JK Rowling’s transphobia on her social media? Like, don’t give Jo any more publicity! We can make Rosh, Ash’s little sister, nerdy-cool in some other way. Maybe she could be a Neil Gaiman fan.
Relationship Status: Insta-love
From the moment I started this book, I felt that I would love it: and I did! Though there are a few slower spots to wade through, my overall impression of the book was very favorable and I would read more by this author.
Literary Matchmaking
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera also deals with teen death and an impending sense of doom.
Emily X.R. Pan’s The Astonishing Color of After deals with parent death, not self-death, but the themes are similar.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a real FYA throwback, has Death as a tangible character too.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Godwin Books, but got neither kittens nor money in exchange for this review. Afterlove is available now.
