After Life by Gayle Forman

One spring afternoon after school, Amber arrives home on her bike. It’s just another perfectly normal day. But when Amber’s mom sees her, she screams.

Because Amber died seven years ago, hit by a car while on the very same bicycle she’s inexplicably riding now.

This return doesn’t only impact Amber. Her sister, Melissa, now seven years older, must be a new kind of sibling to Amber. Amber’s estranged parents are battling over her. And the changes ripple farther and farther Amber’s friends, boyfriend, and even people she met only once have been deeply affected by her life and death. In the midst of everyone’s turmoil, Amber is struggling with herself. What kind of person was she? How and why was she given this second chance?

This magnificent tour de force by acclaimed author Gayle Forman brilliantly explores the porous veil between life and death, examines the impact that one person can have on the world, and celebrates life in all its beautiful complexity.

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Gayle Forman’s After Life is an emotional powerhouse of a novel, tackling life, death, and the rippling consequences of our actions. It begins with an electrifying and surreal moment: Amber, who died in a tragic bike accident seven years ago, inexplicably returns to her family’s doorstep as if no time has passed. From there, the story unravels into a moving exploration of grief, healing, and second chances.

Forman excels at delving into the messy emotions of her characters. Amber’s return throws her family into turmoil, forcing them to confront the fractures her death left behind. Melissa, Amber’s now much-older sister, struggles with suddenly being a sibling again. Their parents, long since estranged, find themselves unwillingly reunited by Amber’s presence, with old wounds surfacing alongside new conflicts. Each of these dynamics is written with an unflinching honesty that makes the story all the more poignant.

What’s especially compelling is Amber’s journey of self-reflection. Her struggle to piece together who she was before her death—and how she wants to move forward in this second life—forms the emotional core of the novel. Her relationships with friends, her boyfriend, and even near-strangers from her past paint a vivid picture of the ways one life can touch so many others.

Forman weaves a touch of the supernatural into this contemporary story, but the focus remains firmly on the human experience. Themes of regret, forgiveness, and rediscovery resonate throughout, making the book feel both deeply personal and universally relatable.

For readers who enjoy thought-provoking stories with complex characters and emotional depth, After Life is a must-read. It’s a celebration of life’s messy, beautiful complexity and a reminder of how deeply we can impact those around us, even in ways we might not realize.

Recommended Reading and Viewing

• If you enjoyed After Life, try The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, another poignant exploration of life after death and the lasting influence of one person’s existence.
• For a cinematic take, the film Ghost Town (2008) blends humor and heart as it explores themes of redemption, connection, and the lingering effects of the past.

After Life publishes on the 14th of January, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.