After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Let me just start by saying I absolutely love Jordan Sonnenblick's work.  I can always count on it to be honest and insightful without being preachy, and he always manages to somehow deal with life's ups and downs with a perfect dose of humor.

In this companion novel to Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie (also a Lone Star in a previous year) Jeffrey has grown up a bit and is now in 8th grade.

*side note--if you have never read D G & D P it is a MUST READ.  An all-time fave. You don't have to read it to understand After Ever After, but it is an excellent read in and of itself.*

After Ever After features two middle school boys who have been friends since the 4th grade.  They have a lot in common, including the fact that both have had cancer. 


Middle school can be tough stuff.  I remember it like it was yesterday, perhaps because I still work with that age group.  Waking up feeling awkward in your own skin and worrying endlessly about what others thought--is my hair styled okay? do my jeans look stupid?  does he think I'm cute, too?  will people laugh at me?  Sonnenblick handles this age with such an honest voice.  I feel like I'm listening in on conversations taking place at my own school. 

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this book and fell in love with it immediately.  I've passed it (and my new copies) of it on to both boys and girls in every grade level at my school.  It simply resonates with them all.  While the main characters have both experienced cancer, this isn't a "cancer" book.  It is a book about friends...real, true friends.  It is a book about the perils of middle school.  About feeling puppy love and about growing up. 

I cannot recommend this book enough.  I feel so privileged that this book will be the very last booktalk I ever give at TLA as a member of the Lone Star list.  We got to choose one book to booktalk this year, and I chose After Ever After immediately. 

Get it. Read it. Love it.

Read on, gentle readers, read on...

Mrs. S.

p.s. on the eve of Thanksgiving I'd like to mention how very thankful I am for friends, family, and fabulous books.  I am also thankful for each and every one of you that takes a moment to read my little blog.  I appreciate you more than you know.  I'll leave you with a  photo of my two biggest reasons to be thankful this season.