Ever wonder about the possibility of past lives and soul mates who find each other in each life? In Aftermath, the first book in the Afterworld series by Sandy Goldsworthy, Ben, an undercover agent for the Afterworld’s Bureau of Investigation, has been waiting for his soul mate for what seems like forever. He soon finds her in Emma, a senior in high school. After she suddenly loses her father and is forced to move into her aunt’s house, she finds comfort in new friends, including Ben, but he seems distant and preoccupied, so she finds herself turning to Lucas, the boy other people are warning her about. Instead of being able to focus on the love of his life, Ben has duties and responsibilities that he needs to take care of. In order to keep her safe, he may lose her in the process.

What a unique plot! I really like the idea of an afterworld agency where you work after you die until you get a new life contract. While it sounds nice to know that you still exist in some form after your death, it gets complicated when you miss your loved ones who are still in your former life or who have whole new lives. Even though the story was a bit longer than it should have been and I wasn’t a fan of the end, the book as a whole kept me interested and wanting to finish it to see what happens to the characters I grew to care for. I also really liked the alternating points of view. It was nice to see two different perspectives. Being equally suspenseful, romantic, and eerily magical, Aftermath is an enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of young adult and paranormal fiction. Sandy Goldsworthy is a great storyteller with a vivid imagination that is clearly reflected in her writing. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

Aftermath (Book one in The Afterworld Saga series) by Sandy Goldsworthy is an entertaining young adult paranormal read. The story follows high school senior Emma Bennett as she attempts to recover from the tragic loss of her father. She finds comfort and instant attraction with local guy Ben Parker, but things get complicated when he suddenly seems preoccupied with things other than her. Unbeknownst to Emma, though, Ben is actually an undercover agent for the Afterworld’s Bureau of Investigation (yeah, like I said things are complicated!). Not using her better judgment, Emma looks for attention from town bad boy Lucas Crandon, which turns out to definitely be a bad idea! Readers will enjoy following along to see if Emma and Ben can finally find happiness, what is the real deal with Lucas Crandon, as well as how all the paranormal, supernatural, and unexplained elements weave seamlessly into the plot.

I found Aftermath to be an exciting and engaging young adult book. I thought Emma was a very likeable heroine, and although she did lack good judgment from time to time, it happened in a realistic and believable way. I thought her relationship with Ben was just adorable in an “epic love story” kind of way. I was really rooting for them to overcome all the obstacles and be together in the end. The author did a superb job of seamlessly weaving all the supernatural elements into the story line, resulting in a page-turning read. I would recommend Aftermath by Sandy Goldsworthy to all young adult paranormal fans.