GUEST WRITER MALKIT KAUR RECOMMENDS AFTER LIFE BY GAYLE FORMAN
What if you were given a second chance at life only to discover that the hardest part wasn’t coming back, but facing what your absence left behind? Author Gayle Forman takes this powerful question and turns it into a touching, unforgettable story in After Life, a story that readers will remember long after they finish the book.
Amber Crane is a kind and strong seventeen-year-old who dies in a hit-and-run accident. Seven years later, she suddenly returns, still the same age, while everyone else has grown older. Her younger sister is now also seventeen, her friends have moved on, and her family has been deeply changed by grief. Amber is thoughtful and brave but also confused and hurt as she faces how much has changed, as well as the truths about her past that surface when she returns. She learns that her boyfriend and best friend betrayed her, her mother struggles to accept her return, haunted by the fear of losing her all over again., and her father has found peace by forgiving the boy who caused the accident. Through all this, Amber begins to forgive others too and realizes that her second chance is not about reliving the past but it’s about healing old wounds and helping her loved ones find peace.
Gayle Forman, the award-winning author of If I Stay and Where She Went, often explores themes of love, loss, and resilience. Her stories connect deeply with young adult readers, offering both emotional depth and hope. In After Life, she again delves into grief and forgiveness, but with a fresh focus on what it means to find meaning after tragedy. Amber’s story reminds us that even after great loss, there is always hope, healing, and the chance to make things right. This story is more than just a page-turner: it’s a heartfelt reminder of the power of second chances.
Malkit Kaur is a Bachelor of Education student at UNB who believes that every story can teach a lesson and every learner has a voice that deserves to be heard. Malkit enjoys reading books, listening music and playing Badminton in her free time. She hopes to guide her students to discover their strengths through curiosity and creativity.