Reviews with content warning for Dementia - Before the Ever After

I read this purely on the recommendation of a co-worker and I had no idea what it was about when I started reading it. What an emotional ride. The writing style and prose were an excellent choice for such an emotional story too. Very easy to read but not easy to forget.

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drraytay's review

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challenging emotional sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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terryegreen's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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mandkips's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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therainbowshelf's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This novel in verse follows a boy who's dad is a popular football player. We get to see the fun, loving moments his family shares, his friendships, and overall carefree life. Then we get to watch everything in his world change. His father's concussions catch up with him in the form of a cognitive degenerative disease. Not an easy read, but really well crafted and quite important. The end memo addresses the toll sports take on black communities.

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brookey8888's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Such an important middle(?) grade about a boy dealing with his father developing CTE. I really liked that this was written in verse. This honestly made me emotional because it’s just a horrible thing. I really loved how ZJ has a group of friends that are there for him and he for them. I do wish this was a little longer to really get to know ZJ’s family more and have a bit more about Zachariah(the dad) and going a little deeper into CTE, but it’s for a younger audience so it makes sense.

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Once again, perfection from Jacqueline Woodson. This is a short novel in verse, but it still packs a punch. ZJ has to watch as his father, a pro football player, slowly looses his memory and it is absolutely heartbreaking. Woodson's verse is beautiful as always, portraying the emotions ZJ feels throughout and everything that's happening to him and his family. The way his friends are changing, the way they're still there for him in difficult times. A gorgeous book all around.

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