Series and Book #: Hereafter Trilogy #3
Pages: 404
Summary:
Can there truly be love after death?
Drifting in the dark waters of a
mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she’s dead. With
no memories of her past life, she’s trapped alone in a nightmarish existence.
But everything changes when she tries to rescue a boy from drowning in the
river. Because even though she can’t do anything to help, Amelia somehow wills him to survive. And when he wakes
up, Joshua can see her.
Together, Joshua and Amelia begin to
uncover the strange circumstances of her death, and the secrets of the dark
river that has held her captive. But even as they grow ever closer, there are
those in both worlds—the living and the dead—determined to tear them apart….
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Despite the great potential this book had, the writing ruined it. The villain was lame, the romance was so gooey it gave me cavities, and some of the decisions the characters made were skeptical. The villain (Eli) was so typical. He was constantly cocky and smirky and smug and love sick over Amelia. The whole "we were fated to be together" and "I chose you Amelia" was so tired. Amelia and Joshua's relationship was okay at first, but it got to the point where they'd known each other for three days and they already acted as if they'd been together three years. I get that they made a lasting impression on one another, being that she saved his life and she was a ghost. But that didn't warrant the whole star-crossed lovers spiel so common among teen paranormal romances. Their love made me giggle with how sincere they were. I found myself saying, "Take a step back and realize you're eighteen years old." Finally, their decisions were terrible. Amelia had a hero complex and Joshua was always "I love you Amelia I must keep you safe" blah blah blah. Amelia went charging into terrible situations all the time which is cute on the right character. Also, her witty banter with the enemy was too forced. She wasn't a funny character to begin with so I don't understand why Hudson felt the need to make her one. I'm just very tired of these young adult novels giving the main characters little depth other than their relationships with one another. Amelia never made a choice without consulting Joshua or without thinking about him. She'd known him for three days. You know, sometimes selfishness is a good thing. Joshua's apparent Seer heritage was unnecessary. Ruth, his grandmother and Seer extraordinaire, had it out for Amelia. It was just an unnecessary element, especially the hostility Ruth directed at Amelia. I have no idea how Hudson plans on continuing that particular plotline. I won't be reading the sequels anytime soon but I'm not cancelling them off my reading list.
The Cover: I love the colors and the apparition and the lettering. It's a very beautiful cover.
