After ~ Amy Efaw

Title: After
Author: Amy Efaw
Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 350 pages
Copyright: 2009


School Library Journal:
Grade 8 Up—Through flashbacks, listeners learn that 15-year-old Devon has been a good student and an outstanding soccer player, and her life is all about control and not messing up. But as the story (Viking, 2009) by Amy Efaw opens, Devon is found by the police lying on her family sofa, bloody after giving birth to a baby which was found in the dumpster by a passerby. The story moves through Devon's arrest, her confusion about what is happening to her, and the preliminary court proceedings to determine whether she will be tried as an adult for attempted murder or in juvenile court. Rebecca Soler does a fine job of varying her voice to reflect Devon's various states of consciousness and conscience. Most prominent is the flatness of Devon's voice as she responds to the demands and interactions of those around her, such as her lawyer, who loses patience at Devon's resistance to assist in her defense. Soler also captures the teen's softness as Devon recollects the romantic encounter that led to her pregnancy and then quickly switches to a harsher tone as Devon reflects that she doesn't want to be like her own irresponsible mother. This is an emotional, compelling listen, as the details of the birth are told in great detail and Devon often seems like an observer rather than a participant.—Edith Ching, Washington Latin Public Charter School, DC 


Review:
Devon Davenport had a lot of good things going for her. In school, she was a straight A student and a gifted soccer player. Growing up with a mom that was rarely there for her, she became self-reliant and responsible for her own well-being. It comes as a big surprise when Devon finds herself being admitted into the Tacoma Juvenile Detention Center. 


One dreary morning, Devon's neighbor finds a newborn baby thrown in a garbage bag and tossed in the trash. The police become involved and canvass Devon's neighborhood for clues and eventually interview Devon about the baby in the trash can. After a sudden and unexpected discovery in Devon's apartment, Devon is arrested for attempted murder, assigned an attorney, Dom, and entered into a Juvenile Corrections Center where she must learn how to interact and live with a population of juvenile criminals. 


The rest of the book is an exploration of how this could happen to a girl such as Devon.  Efaw takes her readers on an emotional journey as Devon is arrested and incarcerated in a juvenile facility. Constantly thinking that the nightmare is going to end and she'll go home, Devon has difficulty accepting what she has done. Efaw peels back the layers of Devon's story as Devon's lawyer fights and works with her to save her from being tried as an adult. 

Reading Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Suggested Audience: Recommended for readers ages 15/16 and up