{Blog Tour} Aftermath - Clara Kensie (Review)

Aftermath
by Clara Kensie
Publisher: Merit Press
Release: November 15th 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

Synopsis:

Charlotte survived four long years as a prisoner in the attic of her kidnapper, sustained only by dreams of her loving family. The chance to escape suddenly arrives, and Charlotte fights her way to freedom. But an answered prayer turns into heartbreak. Losing her has torn her family apart. Her parents have divorced: Dad's a glutton for fame, Mom drinks too much, and Charlotte's twin is a zoned-out druggie. Her father wants Charlotte write a book and go on a lecture tour, and her mom wants to keep her safe, a virtual prisoner in her own home. But Charlotte is obsessed with the other girl who was kidnapped, who never got a second chance at life--the girl who nobody but Charlotte believes really existed. Until she can get justice for that girl, even if she has to do it on her own, whatever the danger, Charlotte will never be free.

Review

This book follows Charlotte who has been kidnapped when she was a young child.  Charlotte kept going at her kidnapper's house by thinking of her loving family assuming they were doing great and had moved on without her.  When Charlotte is finally found and released she has found out that her family has completely changed from when she was abducted.

First I love Charlotte as a character.  The author did an amazing job creating a teenager who has been abducted and found.  I felt like the emotions that Charlotte was going through were very well represented by the author.  I loved how the author would describe what Charlotte was doing as well as thinking because sometimes you want to put on a front to move forward.   Also, I liked how the author handled all the gruesome acts that must have happened to Charlotte, we get to see bits and pieces of what happened to her and it is not overwhelming to read.   Charlotte is a very strong character even if she doesn't always see it, the author did a great job showing the strength that Charlotte possess.

I could not believe the twist towards the very end of the book.  I did not see that coming at all and it tore out my heart and stomped all over it.  I felt so connected with Charlotte at that moment in the book I wasn't sure how she was going to go on with her life.  It felt like the entire book was building up to a large event and the book did not disappoint. 

The side characters in the book where perfect.  I enjoyed reading about Charlotte's twin sister as well as her parents.  They each suffered in different ways when Charlotte disappeared and handled the situation differently.  The author did a great job showing how each coped with what happened and how guilty they each felt.  I loved by the end of the book we get to see 180 degrees in all of these relationships.

Things I didn't love in the book was I felt like the author could have expanded more upon Charlotte's recovery.  I felt like the author picked a few major issues to talk about, which probably kept the book shorter, but I felt like she was going through so many emotions I would have love to read more about what was going on Charlotte's brain and how someone can recover from such a trauma. 

I would suggest this as a weekend read or a vacation read.  I found this book hard to put down.  I wanted to know what was going to happen in the end and if Charlotte would be able to succeed in life.   This story was so gripping I couldn't put it down.  It is a book that you need time to digest and think through.

I received a copy of this book from the Fantastic Flying Book Club for the purpose of providing an honest review.  This does not effect my opinion of this book.

My Rating:  5/5

Winner of the 2015 RITA Award for Best First Book

Clara Kensie grew up near Chicago, reading every book she could find and using her diary to write stories about a girl with psychic powers who solved mysteries. She purposely did not hide her diary, hoping someone would read it and assume she was writing about herself. Since then, she's swapped her diary for a computer and admits her characters are fictional, but otherwise she hasn't changed one bit. 

Today, Clara is the author of dark fiction for young adults. Her debut, the super-romantic thriller RUN TO YOU BOOK ONE: DECEPTION SO DEADLY is the winner of the prestigious RITA Award for Best First Book.

The RUN TO YOU series was named to several Best Books of 2014 lists, including RT Magazine Editors' Pick. The two-book series was originally published as a six-part serial by Harlequin Teen in 2014 (First Sight, Second Glance, Third Charm, Fourth Shadow, Fifth Touch, and Sixth Sense). By popular demand, the six-part serial is now available as two full-length books: DECEPTION SO DEADLY and DECEPTION SO DARK.

Her next book is AFTERMATH, a dark, ripped-from-the-headlines contemporary about a girl who returns home four years after being kidnapped, only to find her family has fallen apart in her absence. To fix her broken family--and help find the body of her captor's first victim--the girl must first heal herself. AFTERMATH is a story of hope, healing, and triumph over tragedy, perfect for fans of ROOM and THE LOVELY BONES. Available November 15th 2016 from Merit Press.

Clara's favorite foods are guacamole and cookie dough. But not together. That would be gross.