I am always impressed by (yet I do not envy) writers who tackle difficult and contentious topics in their books. I am further impressed when they handle situations well. This is what Natalia Gomes has done with After the Rain - a YA novel which focuses on the devastation after a terrorist attack.

Jack and Alice were both in Leicester Square when the attack took place and the story follows them both as they deal with the aftermath of the attack, as they try to come to terms with the effects - both physical and mental.

The dual-perspective novel gives the reader a chance to see different reactions to the same event and although the subject matter is quite dark there is a kernel of hope that runs throughout the story.

Trigger warnings must be given because it does deal with a dark subject and if you are easily upset then this novel will have an impact

After the Rain by Natalia Gomes is available now.

For more information regarding Natalia Gomes (@nd_gomes) please visit her Twitter page.

For more information regarding HQ (@HQstories) please visit www.hqstories.co.uk.

Ah this book had me gripped from the start. I couldn't put it down I wanted to know how it would end. The short chapters differently helped with the pace I read this book, they were easy to get through.

The perspective changing each chapter really helped build the relationship and how each of them were feeling about their situations.

Alice and Jack are just teenagers caught up in a terror attack in London. Their lives are altered differently but ultimately they are both changed forever.

Jack loses both his lower legs. Alice suffers from PTSD. The representation of disability in this book is refreshing because it has both mental and physical and neither is worse than the other. They both struggle and you try and watch them navigate their old lives.

They help each other with overcoming their new difficulties and they know their lives may be different but they should be grateful they are alive.

I wouldn't have been mad if this book was longer and there was more to the end. Like it's fine but I would have loved to have seen how their friendship lasted.

I wish I had read this book sooner! I thought it was going to be sad when it is mildly but also it is uplifting.

✨Thank you to the author and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this lovely book. ✨

I had a few download issues with the book and by the time it was sorted, the file had unfortunately been achieved. Happy to re-review if it becomes available again.

After the Rain is a beautiful read. it explores the bond of friendship, shines a light on PTSD and is just so well written. It's one that lingers with you awhile after you've finished reading.

After the Rain follows Jack and Alice as they try to cope in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Leicester Square, which changes both of their lives drastically. Alice, caught up in the attack but physically unharmed, suffers severe emotional and mental impacts of the attack, whilst Jack finds his entire life turned upside down as a physical injury leaves him unable to pursue any of his life goals and existing interests.

This was an interesting read. Both characters are deeply traumatised by the attack, and I found this to be a believable representation of the real-life experiences of survivors. The way we get to see them navigate life in the aftermath and learn to deal with everyday situations again makes for a reassuring story, with a lot of emotional elements.

I personally didn’t connect with Jack and Alice’s friendship as much as I would have hoped, but it was really nice to see how they came to rely on each other, despite their drastically different backgrounds. The chemistry didn’t seem quite there for the majority of the book and I found that their conversations and connection seemed a little forced, but towards the end, this became much more believable, as it began to develop into a much deeper relationship.

Although I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I hoped, it was a quick, emotional read that I’m sure others would enjoy more. The characters were both fairly complex and the struggles that they faced felt very real, so it definitely is an interesting read, and insight into survivor guilt and the real impact of tragic events.

Wow
This book is an incredible young adult book.
The author really explores post traumatic stress disorder and the impacts it can have
The book is told through different viewpoints each character sharing their traumatic experiences
I felt so let in by the characters. I felt part of their world and also honoured to share their Journey
The book was emotional and overall a great moving book

After the Rain looks at the physical and emotional aspects of recovery, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Two teenagers who met each other seconds before their lives were changed forever, Now their lives are inextricably linked forever. It is a beautiful book, despite it’s harrowing subject matter, and manages to be both heartwarming and hopeful.

Told through the eyes of Alice and Jack, in two separate narratives, these two teenagers are so different from each other, After the Rain is deeply emotional and I keep finding myself thinking about it, that I have not yet fully managed to move on from. Jack is a very lively and energetic character, and the author makes it clear that running is incredibly important running to his sense of freedom and his personality. Gomes manages to make him real so quickly, in the seconds before the explosion. My heart broke for him, when I found out what was going to happen. Alice is introverted and her love of books was something I could really identify with. Watching her struggle in the aftermath was so difficult. It felt like I was watching someone I knew, and I was really invested in her journey. It’s probably a good point to say I have an acquired disability and have worked for years with people struggling in the aftermath of trauma and injury.

I was moved by this story and watching Alice and Jack's friendship develop on their journey towards their new lives felt so familiar. I loved that these two people helped each other find their way back from something so horrible, and it makes for an uplifting read.

This was a heartbreaking, emotional and powerful story, but it is a story of hope and learning to cope and adapt with the physical and mental affects of a life-changing event. This story will stay with you as it is one of only a few I've read that manages to broach difficult subjects in a realistic but very sensitive way. A heartbreakingly beautiful story

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I really enjoyed ‘After the Rain’; I will admit I am always sceptical when a YA book says ‘for fans of John Green’ because for me John Green is one of my comfort writers but in this case I actually agree with the tagline.
Warning this book does contain themes of trauma and PTSD.
The book begins with a terror attack in London’s Leicester Square and the brief encounter between two teenagers; Jack and Alice. Jack is a typical, privileged jock character and Alice is an introverted and bookish but these are just their surface personalities because right at the beginning Gomes begins to reveal their deeper individualities and how they are irrevocably altered after the bombing.
I so loved the fact that this is not a YA romance and Gomes doesn’t romanticize recovery after such trauma; there are several highs and lows for both of the main characters in their journey to life beyond what happened on that awful day. It is a story of hope and connection and learning to adapt with the physical and mental after effects of a life-changing experience.
This book is one of those that really stays with you but also reminds me why I love YA as a genre because it is one of the few that can broach difficult subjects like this in a realistic but moving way. The way Jack and Alice have to form their unlikely friendship is heartbreaking but the way it is necessary for them to recover is vital and heartwarming.
A beautiful story I was really couldn’t put down.

Sadly not for me. The main event at the start was too upsetting for me to carry on reading unfortunately

I raced through this. Nice to come across a YA that doesn't involve relationships. Beautiful writing. Full review to follow.

After The Rain follows the story of teenagers Jack and Alice. Alice is a quiet, intelligent girl who would much rather curl up at home with a good book on a Friday night than be out partying. Jack on the other hand is the opposite – he is a sporty guy who is always looking for his next opportunity to compete.

This unlikely pair are thrown together when a bombing in Leicester square leaves them both wounded. Both of them are injured in different ways – Jack is left with physical injuries, where as Alice is struggling on a mental level, but one thing that they both have in common is their journey to recovery following the most traumatic of events.

This book was overflowing with emotion from the moment It began. Tackling some rather difficult subjects including PTSD alongside Anxiety and Depression, which understandably both Jack and Alice are having to deal with following that traumatic day that changed their lives in ways they couldn’t begin to imagine possible.

On top of all of this, both of them are struggling with a real sense of survivors guilt, as despite how difficult they are finding things at times they didn’t lose their lives as so many others did. What follows is their journey to recovery, and the many people that play a pivotal role in helping them heal on various levels.

The story is told from the perspectives of both Alice and Jack who each tell the story from their own experiences, and we get a much deeper insight as to how it has all impacted upon their lives as individuals. This provides us with some really emotional moments that make you feel such a raw connection to these characters and all they have survived. Both Alice and Jack have complex, unique personalities and are given their own voice by the author, something which I thought was fantastic.

A gripping, emotional story that will stay with me for quite some time.

Oh my this book will hit you right in the feels with two wonderful characters and their collision into catastrophe.

It starts with the sweet, introverted and bookish Alice. She has moved a lot due to her father’s job so doesn’t bother making friends as she knows as soon as she does it will be on to the next school.

Then we have Jack, athlete extraordinaire out on one of his runs when he collides straight into Alice, scattering her books to the ground and covering her in her coffee. Angry at having his pace affected he flees straight into an explosion.

The aftermath is harrowing for both, with Alice affected mentally and Jack physically. There is something unique that happens between people who have faced difficulties together. Overcoming the challenge forges a different kind of bond between them, one that is stronger and deeper than any friendship between people who have only ever gone through the easy and fun stuff. A mutual understanding and togetherness as they take the road to recovery.

This is a beautifully written book that somehow manages to not only portray two completely different viewpoints, but does so with emotion, humour and complete authenticity. I loved both Alice and Jack and their story is one that will stay with me.

Despite the blurb I was expecting this to be a light easy read and in parts it was, describing the beautiful story of a unlikely friendship borne out of a traumatic shared experience. Within the pages however Gomes also explores some heavier subjects: PTSD, Mental Health, Physical Disability etc. These are handled with sensitivity and although speaking with limited insight felt insightful and authentic. The descriptions of Alice’s panic attacks for example had so many details I could personally relate to.

Cleverly this story being told through the dual perspective of both Jack and Alice brilliantly explored both the physical and mental affects of trauma and how recovery is almost certainly not linear nor definable as one or the other.

Throughout reading all I could think was this reminded me so much of one of my favourite books: Me Before You (JoJo Moyes) and I think this would be perfect for other fans of hers.

Thank you to @hqstories for inviting me onto the blog tour for this wonderful book ❤️

Alice and Jack go to the same school, but other than that they have nothing in common. Jack is social and sporty and loves his marathons, climbing mountains and anything fitness related. Alice is more of an introvert and is happy with her books and her own company. She’s moved away so many times that she no longer even tries to make friends. Jack and Alice couldn’t be more different, except for one day in Leicester Square, they’re in the same place at the same time, at the scene of a bombing. On that day, both their lives change forever, and only hope will see them through.

After the Rain by Natália Gomes is a beautiful and moving young adult novel where true friendship shines through in the aftermath of a terror attack. The bombing sees both Alice and Jack left with health issues – Jack has a serious physical injury and Alice begins to struggle with her mental health, anxious and panicky due to her memories of the attack – the sounds, the weather, the claustrophobia… The way the author merges the story of these two characters, who would have paid no attention to each other before the bombing, was lovely to read and their blossoming friendship is tender and emotional. It had its setbacks, but this simply made it all the more real.

The narrative is set at a fast pace with short chapters alternating between the perspectives of Alice and Jack. The storytelling from both characters was engaging and they were easy people to care for, seeing the trauma they were going through due to a selfish and horrific attack. The book progresses quickly. I do think that at times some of the chapters could have been a bit longer. There were moments in the book that could have been expanded on, and maybe could have progressed a bit slower. However, I do think that the quick pacing gave the book more light, and helped the author to represent mental health and disability in a honest way without it becoming too difficult a read. I read this book in two sittings and found myself still thinking of Alice and Jack when I had finished.

Rather than focus too much on the bombing itself, in After the Rain, Natália Gomes explores the impact an event like this could have on the rest of your life. The author writes with real honesty and somehow manages to make this an uplifting read despite not hiding away from the gritty reality of such a tragic, life-changing attack. Just like the stunning cover image portrays, through friendship there is always hope. I found myself moved by every chapter as Jack and Alice try and come to terms with a future they would not have chosen. As they attempt to face up to their individual feelings of guilt, regret and loss, and learn how to rebuild their lives, this poignant tale shows that whilst life is not perfect, with hope, everything may just turn out okay in the end.

Sera Milano's This Can Never Not Be Real, despite being a harrowing read, has been one of my favourite books so far this year, meaning that I approached After the Rain with a little trepidation, unsure if my heart could take what was to come. Where This Can Never Not Be Real deals with the horror of being in the midst of a terror attack, After the Rain looks at the devastating emotional and physical aftermath through the eyes of two teenagers who met just seconds before and whose lives are inextricably linked from then on. It is a beautiful book that somehow manages to be both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Told in alternating chapters through the eyes of Alice and Jack, two teenagers who couldn't be more different from each other, After the Rain is a deeply emotional book that I have not yet fully managed to move on from, despite having finished reading it a couple of days ago. In Jack, Natalia Gomes has created a character so full of life and energy, and she somehow manages to make clear in just a couple of paragraphs just how important running and the sense of freedom it gives are to Jack. In just the very short space of time I met him before the explosion, he felt so incredibly real to me, and my heart shattered with the thought of what I suspected was to follow. Similarly, introverted Alice with her love of books and constant search for the perfect reading spot was a character that I felt instantly connected to, meaning that watching her struggle in the aftermath felt like watching a friend, and I was rooting for her every step of the way.

Every page of this beautiful book moved me, and had me reaching for the tissues on more than one occasion, for reasons both happy and sad. Watching Alice and Jack's friendship grow as they struggle to find their way back to "normal," or at the very least to their individual new normal was lovely and devastating in equal measure.

After the Rain is a story of two people helping each other find their way back from horrific events. It is a heartbreaking and moving, and yet somehow uplifting read that I would thoroughly recommend to everyone.

”We’re alive. So let’s start living.”

After the Rain follows two teenagers, Jack and Alice. Alice is a smart, quiet, bookish girl who prefers to stay home on a Friday night and study instead of going to parties. Jack on the other hand is a sporty enthusiastic boy, who spends every waking moment thinking about his next marathon.

Their worlds get merged when a bombing in Leicester Square leaves them wounded. They are both injured from the horrific event, for Jack physically and Alice mentally. After the Rain shows how they heal and recover from the trauma they experienced that day.

I really enjoyed reading After the Rain, it wasn’t what I expected, to say the least. Going into the book I thought it was going to be a sweet romance book, that was not the case. After the Rain is with filled subjects like PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression. The book was very emotional at times and as it went on I started writing a running commentary in the notes on my kindle.

As a Christian, I kept wondering what would happen if they both went to Church and found healing in Jesus. That was my ideal ending and I thought it would have been so cool if that had happened, sadly it didn’t but I still really enjoyed the ending. :)

I was so glad that by the end Jack had started to embrace his situation and make the best of it - the ending made me very proud of him. I hugely related to Alice as I also have anxiety and have had it for quite a while, this made me love the book even more because of how personal it was to me. After the Rain is such a good book and an enjoyable read leaving you attached to the characters by the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and HQ Young Adult for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Anxiety, PTSD, Depression, Panic Attacks, etc.

After The Rain by Natalia Gomes is a powerful, contemporary YA novel that will sink deep into your heart and soul.
The book follows two teens who are caught up in a terrorist bombing leaving both with deep-seated traumas. Sometimes the injury is to our physical body and sometimes it is a mental injury – invisible to others but very real.
PTSD is a major theme. Natalia Gomes has sensitively portrayed characters in deep emotional pain. We witness triggers that paralyze a character. Support groups, therapists, love and care are needed to heal. Those who were there offer huge support as they can empathise.
Fear has infected lives as characters no longer feel safe. “Where it’s safe… But nowhere’s safe. Not here and not in my mother’s arms. Not anymore.” The after effects of the terror attack have far reaching arms.
Life changing injuries are sustained. Old dreams are dead. New ones need to bud. When our identity is found in our activities, depression may move in. “Never again will I be able to do all the things that define me, that make me ‘Me.’ “
Survivor’s guilt looms large. Some lived. Some died. It was all pure chance but still the guilt remains.
The novel is written in alternating chapters between Jack and Alice. We witness events from the two differing points of view. Both characters are realistic and likable.
I adored After The Rain and read it in just one sitting. It was such a powerful, emotional read. I cannot wait for more by Natalia Gomes.
I received a free copy from Harper Collins via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

This is a really sweet and enjoyable read, dealing with the after effects of trauma - both physical and mental. It was refreshing to read a young adult novel with a male and a female protagonists who form a friendship, with no romance involved. Definitely recommend this one.

Unfortunately, After The Rain just wasn't for me. I think I was expecting more from this book that I just didn't get. I didn't really connect with the characters and that's what I need from a book.