Can a book be both heart warming and heart breaking? If so, that’s what Byrne ha created here. Part sapphic love story, part afterlife fantasy, the plot follows Ash after she dies in an accident and becomes a reaper, as she tries to connect with her living girlfriend, Poppy, one more time. This was sweet and funny and poignant. A lovely book.

THE LESBIAN LOVE STORY YOU'VE BEEN DYING TO READ…

I can’t begin to explain how beautifully brilliant and unique this book by Tanya Byrne is. I really struggled to put the book down; I was captured within the story after that very first page!

There was more to this book than the description makes out; it is about Ash becoming a Reaper but it is also about the life she led, the death she has to deal with and everything in between. I wished this book could have been even longer because I would have loved to have delved into more parts of Ash and even Poppy’s life and afterlife.

I was honestly so blown away by the novel and wish I could re read it again for the first time because it was such a unique book full of emotion, fun and loving plots, with heartbreak and grief. I did shed a couple of tears. You don’t know sometimes what you’ve got until it’s gone and this book really brings that home!
’ You don’t need to be better than anyone else, you just need to be better than who you used to be’

This book was so beautiful and so pure.

There was something so compelling and pure about the relationship between Ash and Poppy and it was so clear that they were destined to be together no matter what. Byrne's characters are individual and equally well developed. I love the setting of the novel being in Brighton and them visiting London as I love reading books set in England as it's home to me. I loved the interpretation of the grim reapers and the way that they fit into the narrative, I adored how we were able to see two sides to Poppy and Ash's love story as well. I loved Esen, she was so real and relatable.

This book was such a quick read, I didn't want to put it down until I knew the end. I'm so glad I found and read this book but I wish the ending had been more clear but then at the same time I don't think it needed to be, it was perfect.

Though totally not the target audience, I enjoyed this book and would have loved it as a teenager.

It's a queer love story with a fantastical edge and I really enjoyed it!

*thank you to NetGalley for providing an eArc in exchange for an honest review*

Afterlove is the story of Ash and Poppy and so powerful is their love for each other that it can transcend everything, even death!

I have mixed feelings about this book.

Ash and Poppy were likeable characters who Byrne depicts authentically with gorgeous, small details which helped to bring them to life. However, there were aspects of them that were opaque and I felt that some of the events they shared needed to be explored in more depth as sometimes I felt it made them seem a little shallow. For example, their family lives are explored in certain parts of the book but it felt to me like they were ignored when it was convenient for the author.

Their relationship was at times beautifully depicted, yet I also felt it had a tinge of Romeo and Juliet to it where it felt a little bit too all-consuming, too tragic and didn't reflect the other parts of who Ash and Poppy really were. I think love stories that constrict the meaning of a person's life to this one relationship can feel a little unrealistic and over-simplistic. I would have preferred to have the complexity of the grief the characters must have felt for the the loss of life explored more broadly than just how it related to the love of each other.

It was obvious that Byrne had a lot to say about grief and loss in this book and this was handled well, exploring their pain with tenderness and the emptiness loss leaves with hope. However, whilst the device of Ash becoming a grim reaper was novel I felt it left me a little dry and, along with the conclusion of the novel it did not adequately cover the depths of loss or what it can feel like to be left alone when someone dies.

I'm sure that there are many readers who will enjoy this YA book both for its exploration of teenage lesbian romance and for the way it grapples with grief and loss. Overall, I found the book enjoyable and engaging, but with a few flaws which led to the plot not quite melding with the themes it was trying to explore.

Dark, terrifying, and yet wonderfully romantic! Have never read anything like it before, wonderful book!

I've had Afterlove on my #NetGalley shelf forever & yet it still isn't publishing until July...couldn't resist it any longer though @tanyabyrne, & don't regret it. I'll be honest, romance usually leaves me cold, but Ash & Poppy were 🥰. & what a journey! #UKYA #LGBTQ https://t.co/FKyIVscYBa

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder Children’s Books for this wonderful ARC. My
favourite LGBT YA book of the past two years. The Henna Wars meet Scythe!

When I started reading this book I wasn’t completely sure I was going to like it because
the story is about two sixteen year-olds experiencing their first love, which for me is an
experience long in the past. However, I was completely wrong! This book by Tanya
Byrne is written with absolute honesty and I saw myself immediately immersed in this
story, devouring the book in barely a week, something that hadn’t happened in a long
time.

In spite of what the synopsis says, I believe this book isn’t mostly about Ash becoming
a reaper. For me this book is about how life and death are only some of the stops in a
long journey. And most of all, love is what drives this book. This youthful drama will
show you the streets of Brighton through Ash Persaud’s eyes, experiencing life, death
and the first love with her. Also learning that death really happens the moment you stop
remembering all the love you have in your life.

There are many remarkable things about this book. Like I mentioned, the author speaks
from her truth and in spite of the characters youthful age, their actions and
conversations are completely believable and sincere. The author has been able to
perfectly reflect the sincerity of her words in the pages of this fiction novel, and that is
one of the reasons I couldn’t stop reading from the very first moment I laid eyes on
Byrne’s words.

On the other hand, this book is comprised of a cast of diverse characters. Not only Ash,
who is part of a strict Indo-Guyanese family, but also many other characters from
different religious backgrounds and races, which makes this portrait of Brighton feel
even more real and closer to the reality of the city. The secondary characters are well
constructed and placed inside this story, making Ash and Poppy’s relationship stand out
as the central piece of this novel.

My favourite character is Esen, one of the reapers who accompany Ash. Despite of the
author not giving us as many details about this girl, I felt like I knew her from the very
first moment she appears. She’s a tough, funny and sarcastic girl, who tries to lead her
new life by pushing away all memories of her old life. Her development is something
worth mentioning too, because in just a few pages, this character who in the beginning
was perceived as annoying by both the reader and Ash, later on becomes an essential
part of the story. Esen watches Ash’s love story from afar, but she also intervenes when
she’s needed, a truly reliable and loyal friend. She’s the only one of the reapers who
makes us understand more clearly the tough reality these girls are living when they have
to leave everything behind and still wander through the places they used to call home
but now being complete strangers; not the normal girls they used to be but reapers
leading souls to Charon’s boat.

Another thing I loved about this book is how Ash’s sexuality is portrayed. It was one
the things that kept me hooked to this book, the sixteen year-old version of me that still
exists somewhere within, felt understood and represented in these words. As I
mentioned before, the author speaks from her undeniable truth, making this book feel
real and honest. Ash is a queer sixteen year-old girl who lives in one of the most
inclusive cities in the UK: Brighton. However, the reality is that when you’re a queer

teenager, finding a date, no matter where that is, it is still a nightmare. And when you
finally have one, most of the times it doesn’t go as expected. We can see through Ash’s
thoughts how her heart has been broken many times in spite of her age and how she
thinks she will never find love. It is never easy to admit who you are and accept
yourself as you are but it is even harder if you’re not what society expects you to be.
Regardless of all that, Ash finds Poppy, the person that takes her breath away and
makes her heart beat faster. The one who shows her that despite of all the obstacles she
has found in her path, in the end she can be happy next to the person she loves.
The only things that I didn’t love about this book were the rhythm and the structure.
There are too many interesting details in the second half of the book that don’t get
enough attention. Charon’s appearance, how the reapers become different people and
the consequences they would have to face if someone recognized them, are only some
of them. Everything related to being a reaper is like a sweet that you savour for too
short a time. I do think these ideas are properly explained and developed, but I would
have liked to know even more about them. And about the secondary characters like
Esen, Dev and Deborah. I would have really liked to learn more about their previous
lives as well.

I can’t help but think that if I had read this book as a teenager, when my problems
seemed never-ending, perhaps my life would have been different. The representation of
a healthy relationship between two teenage girls is something that I missed, but I’m glad
that many other teenagers will now be able to read this story and feel heard. They will
be able to hold onto this book when things are difficult for them. This is the main reason
I have felt this book so close to my heart and why I would recommend it to everyone
who has experienced growing up as a queer teenager.

We all deserve stories that make us feel seen and understood. Tanya Byrne’s story
makes us think about the meaning of life and she does that with a queer couple and a
diverse character ensemble as the voices of this story. What else could we ask for?
This book with make you forget the outside world for just a few hours and you won’t be
able to stop smiling at this beautiful and endless love story.

This was equal parts delightful and heart-breaking. Afterlove is an emotional ride and a unique tale of love and loss. I found myself quickly enthralled and couldn’t put this book down. Tanya Byrne’s writing is really lovely, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of reading it. And the way the atmosphere is captured through the writing is pure excellence. This is not one to miss!

Rating: 5 Stars!

I read a lot of teen and YA fiction and thought this looked really interesting. I have spoken eith my students about the lack of F/F protagonists in teen fiction. Most of the LGBTQ+ books are M/M so I was interested to read this and it was set in the UK - also in its favour.

Sadly, I was not impressed. THe story was slow and I felt often bogged down in the geographical details of Brighton, this added little to the story unless you know the town well.

I was really enjoying the book until the midway point when Ash dies and then I found the world building too weak. I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief and I didn't build a good relationship with the characters.

Overall I found this very disappointing.

AFTERLOVE is a beautiful, sad story full of joy and hope.

Byrne’s writing is fantastic. The 350+ pages fly in quickly and you really get the sense the author has felt the grief and loss she’s writing about.

The characters are bright and likeable, but I felt there were a couple I would have like to know a bit more about (the reapers’ mentor and the reapers), or to have seen again in the second part of the book (Ash’s family and her best-friend, Adara).

I enjoyed the romance between Ash and Poppy. At times it felt a little ‘too-much-too-fast’ and a little overly cute but, within the context of the story, it worked really well. You really get a sense of how young the girls are, like real teenagers, and how whirlwind, all-consuming first love can be. It makes what’s coming all the more poignant.

I was a little surprised by the pacing/ balance of action in AFTERLOVE.

From the summary and just the general idea of the story, I expected Ash to become a reaper relatively early on. Instead, the first 40% of the book is set previous to the accident and follows Ash and Poppy’s developing relationship. The story of the two girls is very much the focus of the story, far more so than the supernatural aspects, and in many ways, this feels more like YA Contemporary. Although the balance of the story surprised me (and the difference with the summary might be off-putting for some readers) I think this was for the best. While the reaper world-building is interesting, having spend so much time with Ash before the accident, you really get the trauma of having it all ripped away so suddenly.

A touching YA romance, that looks at queerness, race and grief.

A really sweet queer YA novel about death, family and relationships.

The premise is like nothing I’d ever read - what would happen if you died, became a reaper and then found out you could still see your girlfriend (but only because she might die)?

Kind of like Dead like Me, but gay. Would recommend!

With thanks to Hodder and NetGalley.

Afterlove is a beautifully written, semi-fantastical queer romance with a big old heart. It follows the first love of Ash Persaud - both before and after Ash's death. And it's pretty exemplary of Ash's character that she refuses to let a little thing like death get in the way of her life with Poppy Morgan.

It's pretty clear from the premise, but this book just isn't like other YA contemporaries. Byrne has somehow managed to create an entire mythology - one with a clan of badass girl-reapers who exist somewhere between life and death, among other equally mind-boggling things. But the fantastical elements are woven so well into the fabric of the story that it still isn't about anything other than love.

For me, what makes this book truly special is the characters. It's rare to find such a large, well-formed cast in a book that centres on two teenagers making doe eyes at each other, but Afterlove will pleasantly surprise you. From the stone-faced reaper who lights up when you mention Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Ash's little sister who wants to read everything all at once, there are no filler characters in sight and it's a joy. My one critique of the book is that there are some sections that drag on a tad in terms of plot developments, but that wasn't much of an issue when you're in such good company.

If you're looking for a book to be swallowed up by while you sit somewhere cosy, Afterlove is your gal. The prose absolutely shines, full of that good sort of eloquence that cuts right to the heart of things. There are discussions around class, race, and particularly coming out that are insightful and affecting. Afterlove - like Ash - doesn't shy away from anything. Bold, loving, and at times absolutely heartbreaking, it's a YA love story to die for.

Afterlove is one of those books that really delivers on it's premise. It starts off as this really cute love story. We get to see a lovely relationship develop between the two female leads. Then it all goes a bit wrong in the middle and a bit supernatural-y. Although the supernatural element still doesn't take the focus away from the girls relationship, it just adds another complex layer to it. Really enjoyable read, that will tug on your heart strings.

I absolutely loved Afterlove. It's the first book I've read by Tanya Byrne, but it certainly won't be the last! I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but I fell in love with Ash and Poppy, and really felt their struggles - and their love, I loved the concept of the book as well - some people become Reapers when they die, and guide others (usually people who have died unexpectedly) to their afterlife. Afterlove wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be from the blurb, but it was so cleverly constructed and well written, I was with it all the way nevertheless. The way that we got to explore Ash and Poppy's developing relationship made it all the more tragic when it was ripped away. Grief is ever present in this book - Ash is grieving her own lost life and potential, but we also get to see how her death has affected others - particularly Poppy.

I adored the relationship between Ash and Poppy. YA books with a relationship between two women as the focus still seem so rare, so it's good to see one at all, but when it's this well written, it's a real treat. I can't wait untl Afterlove comes out and I can buy a finished copy!

rep: british indo-guyanese lesbian m/c, lesbian love interest, british indo-guyanese side characters

content warnings: death

Afterlove follows the bittersweet love story between Ash and Poppy, a journey of first love, but also a journey filled with tragedy, but also one full of hope. It's a sad story for sure, but it is also hopeful and heartwarming too.

Afterlove is also a 'paranormal' book, but in a really subtle sense, but also not in a subtle sense. It's kind of hard to describe. The first half of the novel is completely regular, it follows this beautiful and blossoming love between Ash and Poppy, but halfway through, the paranormal aspect is introduced, but it still takes a backseat to this love story. Ash becomes a grim reaper but struggles to leave her old life, and struggles to let death separate her from the girl she loves. I really loved this paranormal aspect - not really dead but not really alive, and like, grim reapers? More of this in YA, please.

It's a really subtle blend of contemporary romance with the paranormal, and Byrne does it splendidly.

Afterlove is a captivating love story filled to the brim with emotion, and an absolutely brilliant addition to the ukya market. It has a beautiful cover, and a beautiful story inside to match.

This book is such a fun and unique read! It was pitched as 'the lesbian love story you've been waiting for' AND IT TRULY WAS!!!! This book gives you two lesbians who unexpectedly meet and we get to see their messy, fun and heartwarming journey as they fall in love, up until one of them suddenly dies. Ash is so confused and in denial when she wakes up after the accident to 3 strangers in a place she's never been before; and it doesn't help when they try to explain to her that she's now a grim reaper, because they don't exist, right!? Well, actually they do, and what ensues is a mix between Ash being in disbelief that she's died, and us slowly getting to know the other reapers, who slowly but surely form a family and help Ash deal with her grief. Ash is heartbroken, and completely lost, only then does she learn that trying to connect with her loved ones like she had planned will result in their early death. So Ash begins her new life as a reaper, until one day, her girlfriend sees her. Actually sees her, and recognises her!!
This is such a fun (and very raw and emotional at times) love story and book in general. I adored the group of reapers and also almost all of the character we got to meet? Although this was a 350 page book, it seemed so short and I flew through it. I wish we had gotten a bit more of Ash when she were alive before she met her girlfriend so we got to see her personality shine through, but overall, I really enjoyed this book!!

<i>Afterlove</i> has a brilliant-sounding premise and a copy line to die for: "Ash Persaud is about to become a reaper in the afterlife, but she is determined to see her first love Poppy Morgan again, the only thing that separates them is death." The concept really made me prick up my ears and I couldn't wait to read it. I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations.

To start with the positives: Ash is immediately a great protagonist. She's earnest and passionate, and her warm-hearted descriptions of her family build a strong sense of character. Byrne also has a good writing style, highly readable and poetic without getting too purple about things.

However, I felt the pacing and world-building were very weak. I don't think it makes sense to dedicate 50% of the novel to Poppy and Ash's love story - while it was cute, it felt odd given the promised grim reaper plot. I wouldn't have minded if it had been a really well-written love story, but it felt like a lot of telling rather than showing as their relationship developed. Then, when Ash finally does become initiated into the reaper ranks, the transition is rushed over and much is left unexplained. I wish Byrne had built this part of the novel a lot more. The other reaper characters were hard to get to know and the rules of Ash's new profession felt arbitrary and under-developed. Plus the sheer number of tragic teen deaths within a couple of weeks was absurd - I really find it hard to believe that this many young adults die in Brighton every day!

So, a book that didn't quite deliver on its enticing premise. But I do have to say that Sarah Maxwell's cover is gorgeous.

I'm loathe to leave too long a review for this book as I really don't feel able to do it justice. To put it simply, it's sublime on so many levels. The love story is so wonderfully told, the instant connection and resulting dreamy romance between Ash and Poppy was beautifully rendered. Then there's the mythology involving teenage Grim Reapers - which was so inventive and carefully constructed. And then there's the representation, which was seamless. A hypnotic and bittersweetly hopeful read.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Afterlove follows Ash on her journey into a new life, leaving her family and first love Poppy Morgan behind.

It’s sweet, there is no doubt about that but it’s almost saccharine and that is where I had problems. I loved Ash and I felt her plight but, and it’s a decently big but, I wasn’t invested in her story because it was so light and fluffy. I just ultimately didn’t care. And when the book is about death, you should care.

It is clear that Tanya Byrne understands the intricacies of losing someone that matters and how you rationalise that but it felt like it was someone else’s way of dealing with their grief and therefore, I just didn’t connect with it. The end was also oddly predictable from the first five minutes of reading so I was just waiting for it all the way through.

I don’t want to be mean, or discredit her efforts as an author. It is well written and the story flows nicely so it’s an easy read. I just.. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t affected by what was happening. That made me sad in a wholly different way and not the way the book wanted me to.

There are some great themes also that are trickled past you - being LGBT in a catholic, Guyana family, when do children become objects etc - that are just left behind the ‘great love story’ that... isn’t.

Maybe I’m the wrong audience, I don’t know.