Title: After
Author: Amy Efaw
Pages: 350
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: August 11th, 2009

via Goodreads:

An infant left in the trash to die. A teenage mother who never knew she was pregnant . . .

Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made—Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there’s only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer.

And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible— she turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon’s unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption

I grabbed this book to read for a few minutes before bed and I got so engrossed that I had to finish it... sometime in the wee hours of the morning. This book was incredibly powerful, but at the same time, I had conflicting emotions.

Select characters, such as Karma and Devon's mother, I wanted to punch in the face. Other characters had such strong personalities and attitudes throughout everything. Though I'm not much for law and court cases, the few scenes that took place in court rooms and meeting houses were flawless in their execution and legal jargon.

This story was so powerful, the issue alone is such a controversial topic, but the way that Efaw's book covers Devon's take on her experience is so.. powerful.

Devon, terrified of following in her teenage mother's footsteps, hides an entire pregnancy from both herself and everyone around her. This book covers the eleven days after Devon is found by police and paramedics, taken to court, a juvenile facility called Remann Hall, and the court case to decide her future.

The information presented in the story was gathered by Efaw from real court cases and newspaper articles. When I read that at the end of the book, I was floored. The statistics presented are unbelieveable. But after reading this book, I can see how such an event can occur.. Devon's story is powerful and influential, and I highly recommend it.

Cover: 3

Characters: 4

Writing Style: 5

Plot: 4

Ending: 4

Overall: 4