Review: Aftermath - Clara Kensie

Aftermath 
Clara Kensie
Series: n/a
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Merit Press
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

This book opens with Charlotte imprisoned, caged like an animal. She had been left for several days. She was hungry, thirsty, and sitting in her own waste. The only thing keeping her from giving up, was the memories of her family, especially her twin sister, Alexa, and all their plans and dreams, which she hoped Alexa was "doing double" for her. This was all quite painful to read, but the real tears started to flow when Charlotte was found, and we learn about the aftermath, of how her ordeal affected her family.

Given the subject matter, I knew this was going to be a tough read, and I struggle with the more difficult stories, but I found that Kensie did a good job balancing out the sad parts. My heart ached for each and every member of the family, but mostly for Charlotte. She lost four years of her life. She lost her innocence, her childhood, and when she is returned to her home, she finds her family shattered. As she heals, so does her family. Although they will never be the same family she left, they are able to move in a positive direction. They are able to pickup the pieces of their broken lives, and move on. So, I had hope for this family.

A big part of Charlotte's healing process was finding "The One Before". Her "Keeper" had apparently kept another girl prior to Charlotte, who he had made clear, was killed when she tried to leave him. This mystery is woven into the story, and drives Charlotte on her road to recovery. There are missteps and stumbles, as the universe works against Charlotte, but she keep hoping for this closure, and she kept trying to find out what happened to this girl for herself, and for the family that is left wondering about her.

This story is told from Charlotte's point of view, so some of the imagery is quite unsettling, but Kensie also conveyed her strength and spirit. She was always moving in the right direction, and although she is not completely whole at the end of this book, she is definitely on the mend.

This book focused on the family and how they were impacted by this nightmare, but Kensie also planted some great twists in there. Aside from the mystery surrounding "The One Before", there were other reveals about Charlotte's abductor, which was somewhat shocking, and when I learned the reasons behind some of the family gilt, I was quite taken aback. I enjoyed this slight shift in focus, and found it did not detract, but rather, enhanced the story.

Overall: A captivating tale of survival that explores the aftermath, which simultaneously broke my heart and filled it with hope, reinforcing my faith in the human spirit.

**I would like to thank Clara Kensie for my copy of this book.

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