Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

From Goodreads. com

This story starts out with Amelia and her wanderings. She is a girl who lost her life and is now stuck as a ghost in the mortal world. She struggles with memories of who she is and where she comes from. The one memory she does not struggle with is her death. She can’t remember it but she ‘relives’ her watery demise in her dreams. 

Enter Joshua. She saves him from the same fate that befell her and finds out that Joshua can see her. For a girl who has lost her ability to touch, it seems that she can feel Joshua. The story unravels in a way that introduces Amelia and Joshua in a wonderful light. Amelia is a girl who is beautiful but dead, trying to find her place in the world. Joshua, a sweet and considerate boy who pulls Amelia into the land of the living. The connection between the two is solid and wondrous. Tara brings the characters to life with her remarkable writing. Every word seems to jump off the pages, pulling you into a world where life after death, and love beyond the possible is real. 

This is a beautiful story of love and self discovery. This book will leave you wanting more! I cannot wait to find out what happens to these characters. Will they withstand the obstacles in their path? Will their love service the many challenges thrown their way? These questions are answered in “Hereafter” but they are also asked, because Tara leaves us with an ending that is just a beginning. 

This book hits the shelves June 7th, 2011. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! Let me know what you think!

Happy reading,

Valia