After Life
After Life by Gayle Forman, published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2025, is a 272-page novel that delves into themes of love, loss, and the complexities of memory. The story begins with Amber, who returns home on her bike, only to be met with shock as her mother realizes that Amber died seven years ago in a tragic accident. This unexpected return not only affects Amber but also transforms the dynamics within her family and among her friends, as they grapple with the implications of her second chance at life.
Readers will find a thought-provoking narrative that examines the impact of Amber’s life and death on those around her, including her sister Melissa, who must navigate a new relationship with her sister, and their estranged parents, who are caught in conflict. The book explores social and family issues, as well as elements of magical realism, inviting readers to reflect on the connections that define us and the ways in which one person’s existence can resonate throughout a community.
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A Good Morning America Book Club YA Pick
“Gayle Forman has an uncanny ability to create characters in which we see ourselves, and her latest–which looks at where love goes, after a loss–is an honest, heartbreaking elegy to how memory makes relationships eternal.” –Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“I was consumed by this thought-provoking, deftly written, multilayered novel. Gayle Forman reigns as the queen of breaking hearts with a touch of magic.” –Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End
One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.
Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.
This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther out: Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance?
This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death, examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.
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