A review by amandalorianxo
What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins

dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is another of a multitude of slice of life books I’ve been reading recently. Yet this is I believe the first time that I’ve read about a person who is a Quaker in the modern day timeline. Learning about Issac and his ties to this particular chosen faith was a cool learning experience for someone (aka me) who wasn’t familiar with the inner workings. Yet, this book is more than just Issac and his faith. This story encompasses Evangeline, (which means good news in its original Greek) who is sixteen and pregnant. Lorrie, who lost her husband and son to suicide. Jonah, the aforementioned dead son. Daniel, Isaac’s son who was killed by a person close to him. Although there is sadness and emotion, this is about a Pacific Northwest small community bringing themselves together to help each other, seek forgiveness and try to cope with the meaning of a higher power & what it means to live and let live. What Happens After is essentially revealing what people go through when they continue to live even after the people we love have been buried. The timeline does have flashbacks to give us further backstory but it’s intentional to the storyline.  
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