Publication Date: March 4, 2025
In an unnamed city, a young woman deals with an unspeakable tragedy, and her boyfriend’s subsequent hospitalization.
Torn from her normal routines—coffee, sex, barhopping, and disc golf—she finds herself in an unfamiliar world of hospital visits and doctor’s appointments, all while navigating an unexpected move to a new apartment and enduring the disapproval of her boyfriend’s mother, as well as the gossip of her friends and coworkers. (Plus the suspicious looks of strangers, and the unbearable strain on her credit card…and did we mention the gossip of her friends and coworkers?) Along the way, she meets every obstacle with…well, not grace, exactly. In fact, pretty much the opposite of grace. Maybe more like bitchiness, truth be told. And all the while, the aftereffects of the tragedy cast a pall over everything she does—and threaten to destroy everything she has.
Bristol Vaudrin’s fascinating debut novel is an engrossing and darkly comedic read with an unforgettable narrator/protagonist. Watching her struggles—real, imagined, and in-between—we too must choose between kindness and judgment, between condescension towards someone who simply doesn’t have a clue, and empathy with a person struggling to deal with something we all must face: the desire to hold on to the things we enjoy when the world around us changes in ways we didn’t expect.
Lauren Delgado’s happy life gets upended by a terrible tragedy involving her boyfriend.
Author Bristol Vaudrin illustrates the impact of Kyle’s actions in Afterward. As Lauren’s formerly happy life gets replaced by hospital visits, her relationship starts to shift.
Anyone who has dealt with a hospitalized loved one knows navigating family and friends can be somewhat messy, especially if you aren’t ready to share details. Lauren is a low-key sort of character who has poured much of her identity into being Kyle’s girlfriend.
How she processes grief serves as a key point of the story. Her adamant refusal to return to their beloved apartment is incredibly sad, especially when she struggles to find another suitable home.
The exact circumstances leading up to the incident are never revealed. In fact, the author drops clues for readers without going into elaborate detail. The aftermath proves to be painful for both characters.
While Afterward is not supposed to be a “warm and fuzzy” book, it delivers a powerful message packed with emotion.
Bristol was born in Alaska, and named after Bristol Bay, where her parents fished commercially. Later, she was raised in Southcentral Alaska, splitting time between her family’s off-the-grid homestead at Flat Horn Lake, and attending school in Anchorage.
She now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, dog, and way too many books.
Dang, I knew this one was going to be good!