Do you ever hear a song on the radio (or Spotify or Apple Music) and it just fits? Fits the mood you’re in, fits what’s going on in your life at the moment, fits the traffic. I’m sure you have; it happens to me all the time. I’m guilty of hearing a song, album or artist I like so much, I constantly listen to the same thing for a period of time. I listen while I work, while I commute, while I cook, while I clean. Recently, it happened with the In the Heights soundtrack, then before that, I listened to Pink because I watched her documentary, before that a song that came up in Dream Spinner. Now, you all know my music listening habits. Soon, the playlist will strictly be All Time Low… have to be ready for my first in person concert in almost 2 years.
Book Read: Everything After
Author: Jill Santopolo
2021 Book Count: 31
Fifteen years ago, Emily Gold lost the two most important things in her life - music and her boyfriend Rob. With the help of a psychologist and her journal, Emily begins to move on and finds herself wanting to help others just like her.
Today, Emily is a psychologist at NYU. She and her husband, Ezra, have a great life and are looking to start a family. But tragedy strikes. Emily’s life is suddenly colliding with her past. Then she hears a song on the radio that turns her life even more. It’s a song about the woman who got away. The voice is familiar.
Suddenly, Emily’s past is in the present, and so are her past passions. She finds herself drawn to the music. Emily finds herself in a tough position. Choices will need to be made. A choice about who she is meant to be. A choice about with whom she is meant to be.
I will say one definite thing about Jill Santopolo’s books. They sure move fast. This is the third one I have read, and not a single one has taken me longer than three days to read. Each one moves fast because it sucks you in and keeps you there.
Everything After was no exception. It sucked me in (the main character’s name being Emily certainly didn’t hurt). Mixing the present with the past was the perfect blend. Emily’s journal entries gave you so much background into why Emily was reacting the way she was to everything going on in the present. They didn’t make the story choppy; instead, they gave it more depth. The journal ended up playing a very important role in Emily’s story.
This book is predictable. I had a hunch about how it would go. I was right with my hunch. Yes, it was predictable, but I didn’t mind one bit. I liked Everything After. It was modern, emotional, and all about the choices we make.
Looking for a solid, fast read? Everything After is just that. It won’t take much time, but it will be worth it. (Ignore the part of the synopsis on Amazon where it says there is a touch of Daisy Jones and the Six. I didn’t get that vibe at all.)
Next Read: Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
