Review: The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Summary:Anyone who's had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It's all about Before and After. What I'm talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.
Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss--a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.
Jennifer Castle's debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

The only thing I can remember about this book is its gorgeous cover and it being really boring and laborious to finish.

My friend calls me a "sap" because I love sappy romances. I was expecting this one to be a good rom dram, but David left for a majority of the book and comes back for the end. I couldn't get attached to him, and he is supposed to be a main character.
You know those characters that you know have had rough pasts, but still manage to have a little sparkle despite their troubles? I didn't think that either Laurel or David had that in them.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Buddy, don't waste your time on this one. When the plot has been done before, the characters need to stay with the reader. Before looking at the summary to do this review, I couldn't even remember these characters' names.

View all my reviews