Tara Hudson

Ok so here’s the deal…Hereafter was full of AWESOME. Once I picked it up, I loved the writing so much that I just didn’t want to stop. I loved the way Tara Hudson explains in detail Amelia’s nightmares, surroundings, and feelings. It did help that I am interested in ghost stories, but even if you didn’t have a prior interest in them, it doesn’t spoil this book at all.

Amelia was so lively…for a ghost. I absolutely loved her and loved reading from her perspective. Amelia is lost show more in the afterlife, not really sure why she has to stay by the river in which she drowned. But when she helps Joshua her whole after-”life” changes and he can see her. But Joshua is different and possibly dangerous for Amelia to be around and Amelia needs to figure out what happened to her and if she’s going to be in the in-between forever.

I love mysteries and I was completely absorbed by this one. I felt as though I was part of Amelia’s world and with all the clues rolling around, I just couldn’t put my finger on the answer. Multiple times I thought I figured it out, but it was just another twist in the story.

Hereafter intertwines a love story with the very realistic ghost and spirit world. My favorite part was that it wasn’t about love/lust at first sight, it was about learning about someone and gradually growing a relationship. Amelia and Joshua did have an initial connection, but I really enjoyed that it was a process of emotions and feelings for them. Not just BAM I LOVE YOU! You get my drift. ;)

Hereafter is a perfect, amazing and beautiful story! I feel like picking it up and reading it again. A fresh take and unique story line. I hope you all get a chance to read it. I am buying my copy as soon as I can!!

Review based on ARC copy show less

I used to not really be a fan of ghost stories, just because obviously to be a ghost you have to have died, and I seriously am afraid of the concept of death. Then I read The Ghost and the Goth, which kind of turned me on to ghost stories. So I decided to try Hereafter, because it was a title anticipated by many, and many of the early reviews I read liked it. Another thing that drew me to this initially was that it was paranormal without the vampires. I'm sorry, but vampires are so over show more done.

Hereafter starts off with a bang, with Amelia meeting Joshua at a critical moment. I loved the way the relationship between them develops. Slowly and with wonder, almost like discovering the fact that you can feel something for someone else. Not really insta-love, but insta-connection which develops nicely into love. And the writing is beautiful. I love when I come across writing as good as Tara Hudson's, because then I feel as though I'm a participant in the story, and not just an observer. It made me want to rip through the book, but also savor it at the same time.

And the story itself also did not disappoint. Watching Amelia develop even more as a ghost, becoming aware of what she can do, was fun. Especially when it came to confronting Eli. And that twist that explains everything that happened leading up to Amelia's death, WOW. I was not expecting something like that. I'm really looking forward though to seeing how Tara deals with the fact that she's a ghost and he's not in following sequels. That'll be very interesting to see.

This is one of those rare debut novels that doesn't read like a debut, you would think Tara Hudson had published many other books. Hereafter is a great beginning to what I'm sure will be one of my favorite YA paranormal series for quite a while to come. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who reads YA in general. show less

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: While dealing with the problems of a paranormal relationship, Arise has higher stakes than Hereafter did and uses Amelia’s nature to build more acute tension.

Opening Sentence: The entire world had gone dark, and I had no idea why.

The Review:

I don’t want to call the person who wrote the synopsis a liar…but I’m about to. Everything the synopsis describes happens, but totally not the way they’re making it sound. I don’t know why, show more either, since the book is way more interesting than the synopsis makes it sound. For one thing, they don’t go seeking out Joshua’s Seer relations. Amelia finds out the netherworld still wants her — desperately enough to take her by force if it has to. Nightmares Amelia shouldn’t even be able to have are creepy warnings, but she doesn’t know what of. All she can do is try to protect her loved ones — her mom, Joshua, anyone the demons of the netherworld could hurt to force Amelia’s hand.

The Mayhews go down to New Orleans for Christmas and Amelia tags along, needing to get as far away from High Bridge as she can. During their stay Joshua, Jillian and Amelia meet some Seer-cousins who haven’t had their events yet. They can’t see Amelia, but with the help of Alexander Etienne, they’ve learned how to hear her. They accept Amelia and Joshua easily, eager to learn more about their powers and see the dead. Alexander doesn’t want to exorcise Amelia, like Ruth and her cronies did, which makes for a change. He’s charming and smart.

It’s Joshua’s Christmas present that really gets the ball rolling as far as the plot goes. A little voodoo goes a long way with ghosts. Joshua’s present does more than change Amelia’s afterlife — it has massive consequences on their relationship. Gaby teaches Amelia the rules of her new afterlife, but the danger she escaped in High Bridge has followed her to New Orleans.

There are a lot of new characters in Arise that come with the new setting. Hudson does a great job of tossing in bits of setting here and there to set the atmosphere, but every new character required an explanation of their backstory. For the most part, the pacing was fine despite these large blocks of exposition — and most of it comes back around later to be relevant to the plot. The plot of Arise is very different from Hereafter because it’s the motivation for the entire story. With Hereafter, the plot seemed much more secondary to Joshua and Amelia getting to know each other. Not the case with Arise. Tension and angst follow Amelia through the whole book, which makes it a page-turning read. Arise isn’t a “middle book” like you see in many series, but in my opinion where the series’ overarching plot really takes off. Since Hereafter and Arise were very different books, I can’t wait to read Elegy and see what Hudson has in store for us.

Notable Scene:

“Yeah, I had to celebrate No-Shave November.”

And now you’re celebrating…what? Don’t-Get-Any-Play December?”

“Dude,” O’Reilly protested, “like you have any room to talk. You haven’t had a girlfriend in, like, forever.”

Joshua’s eyes met mine for just a second. Then he looked back at the fire. “Whatever, Grizzly Adams. You look like a bear died on your face.”

O’Reilly boomed out a deep guffaw and, before he had time to remember how distant they’d been, punched Joshua roughly on the shoulder. Joshua laughed, too, the sound gusting out of him like a sigh of relief.

Boys, I thought, shaking my head. An insult and a punch and all is forgiven.

Then I grinned broadly, feeling no small amount of relief myself when they began to talk as if the past few months hadn’t even happened. Maybe, if the two of them kept this up, I wouldn’t have to worry about Joshua getting lonely.

Because you are going to leave him, aren’t you?

FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Arise. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less

Amelia is a spirit, lost in the mortal world. Destined to relive the night of her death over and over. Not exactly the most pleasant existence. That is, until the night that she happens to rescue Joshua.

I know that there are plenty of paranormal romance stories out there, but I'd be lying if I said that this one doesn't stand out. Amelia's character is so perfect. She's sweet and lost, but downright fierce when she needs to be. I loved watching her wake up from the fog and become more aware show more of herself as the story progressed. Amelia's story has the perfect balance between being utterly heartbreaking, and yet full of hope at the same time. It will tug at your heartstrings, that's for sure!

Then there is Joshua. Wonderful and persistent Joshua. Want a guy who manages to be adorable without even trying? Here's your man. Dead set on being a part of Amelia's afterlife, apparently whether she wants it or not, he holds his own. The banter between these two and the stolen moments of closeness were too sweet for words. There were times when it was just so honest. Sure, they may be from two different planes of existence, but that doesn't stop them from being a perfect match for one another. Be warned, swoon worthy moments ensue.

Lest you think that Hereafter is just a book filled with romance though, let me sate your need for action! As Amelia remembers more about her past, the book really picks up pace. Ghosts who are "unclaimed" are apparently a no-no in Tara Hudson's ghostly afterlife. This allows her to weave a wonderful romance that pits two very different worlds against one another. Amelia's life becomes a tug of war between the living, and the dead. I cannot say enough how much this added to the overall story! Love is great, but love that is fated to fail? Even more delicious.

Let's be honest, I could go on about Hereafter for hours. However I'll wrap it up with the fact that while this may not be a new concept, Tara Hudson takes a story that has been done before and still manages to put her own gorgeous twist on it. Amelia and Joshua will make your heart soar, and then have you rooting for their continued existence together. Couple that with some all out action, and you have a book that is well worth your time. show less