Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen returns from the dead in emotional, complex fantasy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
AFTER LIFE opens with 17-year-old Amber arriving home from school on her bike just like she's always done—which freaks out her loved ones quite a lot, as she died seven years earlier in a hit-and-run accident. The tragedy has changed quite a lot of things over the years: Her parents and younger sister are now seven years older, once loving family members are estranged, and they're all struggling. The guy she called her forever love is nowhere to be found. Nobody, including Amber, has any idea why any of this is happening, but the family settles uneasily into the new reality.
Is It Any Good?
Teens grapple with life, death, love, betrayal, and the meaning of it all in Gayle Forman's complex, emotional tale of a 17-year-old who returns home seven years after she died in a hit-and-run. After Life finds Amber trying to discover what happened to her and why she's here now. And, along with her family, how to repair some of the wreckage and deal with a new reality none of them expected. It's a relatable, thought-provoking dive into an age-old storytelling theme, with strong, appealing lead characters, mysteries to unravel, and lives to mend.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories where people return from the dead to their old lives. Why do you think this is such an enduring theme over the centuries, and how do you like the way After Life deals with it?
Have you read any of Gayle Forman's previous books? How do you think After Life compares?
Do you have things you regret in your own life that you'd like to go back and make right, if only you could? Does it make you see things differently today?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Empathy , Gratitude
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Quill Tree Books
- Publication date : January 7, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate