The After Girls by Leah Konen

The After Girls deals with the grief and guilt felt by survivors when a friend or loved one commits suicide.  Ella, Astrid, and Sydney have been best friends for years, but soon after their high school graduation, Astrid commits suicide.

Stunned, Ella and Sydney manage their grief differently, but both girls wonder why they didn't know anything was wrong and wonder if they could have done something to prevent Astrid's death.

Then Ella gets a message from Astrid on her computer.  Since the message disappears, Ella can't prove it existed and after some other strange experiences, she finds her friends, especially Sydney, think she is unstable.  Is Ella really receiving messages from beyond the grave?

I'm not entirely certain how I feel about this book, although I read with interest.  As long as Ella and Sydney knew Astrid, it feels a little strange that they were so self-involved that they were totally unaware of recent changes.  The guilt emerges as they think back and realize that there were times they could have questioned Astrid's remarks or moods.

The After Girls is Leah Konen's first novel, and I suspect she will become a popular author in the YA genre.  In fact, on Goodreads the reviews were generally very positive.

If you've read The After Girls, what did you think?

This was an ebook from Net Galley/ Merit Press/Adams Media, and there were some editing problems in this version.

YA. April 18, 2013.  print version 304 pages.
ISBN-10: 1440561087