Hereafter by Tara Hudson

I found Hereafter through NetGalley and was curious about the plot. I haven’t read much in the realm of ghosts and the books that are love stories always get me. That’s probably why I enjoy reading YA literature so much. The story of first love is always breathtaking. Here’s the summary from Amazon:

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.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

I had some trouble getting into the story. Hereafter is a star crossed lover story with a ghost twist. I typically shy away from the ghost story line but the summary really intrigued me. Once I got past the first few chapters the story really began to draw me in. The love between Amelia and Josh grows very quickly and Tara does a great job describing their joint story.

Hereafter almost reads a little like a horror story. The things that Amelia deals with after her death are definitely of the horror quality. Also, the story behind her own death has a nightmarish quality. The story is definitely dark outside of the love between Joshua and Amelia.

I think this book is better suited to readers that liked stories like Fallen and Beautiful Creatures. If you like stories with a dark side to them then you will love this novel. It is well written and the plot flows in a flawless manner. However, it is definitely dark. I am not as big of a fan of the dark side of the paranormal genre so I would give it a 3/5 for that reason.