After
Amy Efaw
350 Pages
ISBN: 9780670011834
Read 5-3-12
Source: Library
Format: Audiobook
An infant left in the trash to die. A teenage mother who never knew she was pregnant . . . Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made, Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there’s only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer. And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible, she turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon’s unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption.
The synopsis of this book had me very intrigued, but unfortunately it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I wasn’t pulled in or overwhelmed by what happened and it didn’t get to me emotionally like I wanted it to. There were a few rare scenes that stirred me, but I felt it wasn’t as good as it could have been. I also felt it would have been much better has it been written in a first person POV. I am always able to give a bigger emotional connection in my writing if I write it from first person since I put myself in it as best as I can.
I listened to this book instead of reading it, and after hearing the reader for Daughter of Smoke and Bone, this reader was kind of flat. I also wasn’t a big fan of the main character, Devon. She hardly spoke through the whole book and she really annoyed me. I didn’t feel any sympathy for her and it seemed like all she did was have a bunch of excuses.
Some of the writing was okay, but it seemed to be very repetative. I can’t count how many times “orange jumpsuit” was used. There were things that I didn’t like about the way things were at the detention center in the book. I work at a detention center, and tehre was plenty I didn’t agree with. For starters, a male officer would never escort a female inmate, especially not a female juvenile, alone. Considering I work at a detention center, the setting didn’t feel quite right, so it just didn’t do it for me. Of course, it ws also a juvenile detention center in a state other than mine, so it really could be that different, but I don’t see a lot of what I disagree with happening. Sorry, bit I’m biased. It’s unfortunate I didn’t enjoy it because I really wanted to. The only part I can say I did for certain like was the way it ended, it was right.
Good ending, repetative, didn’t emotionally connect, didn’t favor the main character.
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