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The World After Alice
Available to pre-order now - the gorgeous and poignant debut novel from Lauren Aliza Green, for fans of Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Strout, and Claire Lombardo.
One of Forbes’s 2024 '30 Under 30' in Media
One of Lit Hub’s 'Most Anticipated Books' of 2024
'Glimmers with fine writing and notes of human insight. There's a quiet beauty to Lauren Aliza Green's work, and I am now a fan' -Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful
'I loved this book. Such a fascinating portrayal of secrets, deceit, the complicated nature of family relationships and societal expectations. I will be recommending to everybody I know' Reader Review *****
When Morgan and Benji surprise their families with a wedding invitation to Maine, they’re aware their relationship will come as a shock.
Twelve years have passed since the loss of sixteen-year-old Alice Weil, Benji’s sister and Morgan’s best friend. No one is quite the same. As the headstrong young couple brings the two families together for the first time since the funeral, they can old wounds truly be mended?
When the guests descend upon the tranquil coastal town for the whirlwind nuptials, it soon becomes clear that these estranged families are not ready to move on. Rekindled old flames, new lovers, and deep resentments abound. Even the bride harbours delicate secrets about her friend’s death that threaten the happiness she has worked so hard for.
Will the fragile peace the wedding offers survive the sunny weekend?
Or are these two families about to find out that the darkest secrets always come to light in the end?
One of Forbes’s 2024 '30 Under 30' in Media
One of Lit Hub’s 'Most Anticipated Books' of 2024
'Glimmers with fine writing and notes of human insight. There's a quiet beauty to Lauren Aliza Green's work, and I am now a fan' -Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful
'I loved this book. Such a fascinating portrayal of secrets, deceit, the complicated nature of family relationships and societal expectations. I will be recommending to everybody I know' Reader Review *****
When Morgan and Benji surprise their families with a wedding invitation to Maine, they’re aware their relationship will come as a shock.
Twelve years have passed since the loss of sixteen-year-old Alice Weil, Benji’s sister and Morgan’s best friend. No one is quite the same. As the headstrong young couple brings the two families together for the first time since the funeral, they can old wounds truly be mended?
When the guests descend upon the tranquil coastal town for the whirlwind nuptials, it soon becomes clear that these estranged families are not ready to move on. Rekindled old flames, new lovers, and deep resentments abound. Even the bride harbours delicate secrets about her friend’s death that threaten the happiness she has worked so hard for.
Will the fragile peace the wedding offers survive the sunny weekend?
Or are these two families about to find out that the darkest secrets always come to light in the end?
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2024
216 people are currently reading
11924 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews
June 25, 2024
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Alice took her own life twelve years ago. Her best friend and brother are now to be wed, they have been secretly dating and got engaged without their parents' knowledge and spring it on them at the last minute. The story takes place over a weekend and we also have flashbacks to the "before" leading up to the event where Alice tasks her own life.
Alice is a main character of this story, even though she is dead and not physically represented, because she is in the other characters' consciences throughout. This is a very character-driven story and they are written wonderfully, flaws and all. I could look past all their faults because of what they went through.
The writing of this tale is very dry so I can understand the low ratings BUT I also found the writing to be very engaging. I was intrigued right away, I wanted to see how all this would play out, and because of that, I liked this a lot more than most reviewers.
This is such a sad story and how Alice's death affected everyone in her inner circle and continues to do so. There are a lot of secrets and grudges held because of past hurts. These characters are going through pain, loss, grief and guilt. These feelings were almost characters as well. Everyone is trying to look and get past these feelings to go forward with a celebration. This was such a great debut and I have always loved a good family drama as long as it isn't my own family.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
The Book Review Crew Blog
Alice took her own life twelve years ago. Her best friend and brother are now to be wed, they have been secretly dating and got engaged without their parents' knowledge and spring it on them at the last minute. The story takes place over a weekend and we also have flashbacks to the "before" leading up to the event where Alice tasks her own life.
Alice is a main character of this story, even though she is dead and not physically represented, because she is in the other characters' consciences throughout. This is a very character-driven story and they are written wonderfully, flaws and all. I could look past all their faults because of what they went through.
The writing of this tale is very dry so I can understand the low ratings BUT I also found the writing to be very engaging. I was intrigued right away, I wanted to see how all this would play out, and because of that, I liked this a lot more than most reviewers.
This is such a sad story and how Alice's death affected everyone in her inner circle and continues to do so. There are a lot of secrets and grudges held because of past hurts. These characters are going through pain, loss, grief and guilt. These feelings were almost characters as well. Everyone is trying to look and get past these feelings to go forward with a celebration. This was such a great debut and I have always loved a good family drama as long as it isn't my own family.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
April 29, 2024
3.5 stars
The bride puzzling over the tricky seating plan is Morgan Helmsley, the groom is Benji Weil, an eternal optimist. However, in the ensuing days darkness threatens the nuptials about to take place in Maine. It’s twelve years since the death of 16 year old Alice, Benji’s older sister and Morgan’s friend and in that time Benji‘s parents, Nicholas and Linnie have separated, divorced and rarely meet. Hopefully, Maine will be neutral ground. Nicholas is hiding much from his second wife Caro and behind the scenes is scheming to secure a new job before she learns he has lost his old one six months ago. It seems too, that Morgan is harbouring secrets with the potential of disrupting the weekend, whilst Benji tries to hold it all together and bring harmony before it implodes in their faces. The story is told in the present day and via flashbacks from the perspectives of the key characters.
This is undoubtedly well written and insightful, it is obvious too that the author is erudite but the novel never truly grabs me although I can admire much about it. The undercurrents are undeniable, here sharp words pierce hearts and it’s full of questioning about not only the wedding, but what came before it, in the world after Alice. The grief and loss of Alice is palpable with the novel examining how it affects them and continues to do so. There’s a weight of guilt and the deep cut of pain. Alice is like the spectre at the feast and it overhangs all and that comes across strongly. What Morgan knows about Alice feels like a millstone around her neck and the presence of one guest definitely rattles her and the reasons for that emerge a bit at a time. There’s bitterness and venom from a number of directions and the knowledge of Nicholas’s behaviour at the time of Alice‘s death doesn’t help the situation much.
This is a character driven novel and concerns the dynamics between them. The characterisation is good, they’re flawed and not necessarily likeable and as the novel develops you grow to understand just how intertwined their lives are and not always in a positive way. Your heart breaks for some, others earn some distain and some are admirably resilient.
Although some scenes stand out either for their drama or the raw sadness, the pace is slow for the most part, although that does serve to make any revelations or secrets stand out as they bubble their way to the surface.
Overall, this is a promising debut and an ambitious first novel. I like the fact the author has set the unravelling at the wedding which should be a joyous occasion, but in this case the baggage is just too great for the happiness to be the primary feeling. I’m not so keen on the back-and-forth storytelling which makes it not quite so easy to follow the narrative and it feels a bit disjointed. The ending/epilogue deserves a final mention as that is very good.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
The bride puzzling over the tricky seating plan is Morgan Helmsley, the groom is Benji Weil, an eternal optimist. However, in the ensuing days darkness threatens the nuptials about to take place in Maine. It’s twelve years since the death of 16 year old Alice, Benji’s older sister and Morgan’s friend and in that time Benji‘s parents, Nicholas and Linnie have separated, divorced and rarely meet. Hopefully, Maine will be neutral ground. Nicholas is hiding much from his second wife Caro and behind the scenes is scheming to secure a new job before she learns he has lost his old one six months ago. It seems too, that Morgan is harbouring secrets with the potential of disrupting the weekend, whilst Benji tries to hold it all together and bring harmony before it implodes in their faces. The story is told in the present day and via flashbacks from the perspectives of the key characters.
This is undoubtedly well written and insightful, it is obvious too that the author is erudite but the novel never truly grabs me although I can admire much about it. The undercurrents are undeniable, here sharp words pierce hearts and it’s full of questioning about not only the wedding, but what came before it, in the world after Alice. The grief and loss of Alice is palpable with the novel examining how it affects them and continues to do so. There’s a weight of guilt and the deep cut of pain. Alice is like the spectre at the feast and it overhangs all and that comes across strongly. What Morgan knows about Alice feels like a millstone around her neck and the presence of one guest definitely rattles her and the reasons for that emerge a bit at a time. There’s bitterness and venom from a number of directions and the knowledge of Nicholas’s behaviour at the time of Alice‘s death doesn’t help the situation much.
This is a character driven novel and concerns the dynamics between them. The characterisation is good, they’re flawed and not necessarily likeable and as the novel develops you grow to understand just how intertwined their lives are and not always in a positive way. Your heart breaks for some, others earn some distain and some are admirably resilient.
Although some scenes stand out either for their drama or the raw sadness, the pace is slow for the most part, although that does serve to make any revelations or secrets stand out as they bubble their way to the surface.
Overall, this is a promising debut and an ambitious first novel. I like the fact the author has set the unravelling at the wedding which should be a joyous occasion, but in this case the baggage is just too great for the happiness to be the primary feeling. I’m not so keen on the back-and-forth storytelling which makes it not quite so easy to follow the narrative and it feels a bit disjointed. The ending/epilogue deserves a final mention as that is very good.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 1, 2024
Love, loss, family dynamics, marriage and secrets. The World After Alice is a character driven book about the events leading up to and years following the death of 16 year old Alice. The families of Morgan and Benji will be brought together for their shocking wedding in Maine.
Alice was Morgan's best friend and Benji's sister. Benji and Morgan fell in love and have been in a secret relationship for years. Everyone is shocked to be invited to their wedding as their relationship was kept so secret. Alice will also be in attendance. Not in person, but her loss has affected everyone in this book, and she remains in their thoughts. Everyone has been affected by her loss and had their lives changed in some way.
Although this book is about a new beginning in the form of marriage, as I mentioned loss lingers throughout this book. I could feel the grief and sadness oozing from the pages. As I mentioned above, this is a character driven book which is told through past and present timelines.
I found the characters’ reactions to losing Alice and dealing with their grief for her to be realistic and believable. Her parents split after her death which is common; however, they had issues in their marriage prior to her death.
The pace is on the slow side but fits with the tone of the book. While I hoped that this book would pack more of an emotional punch for me, I did enjoy it. Having said that, others are enjoying this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking | Viking and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Alice was Morgan's best friend and Benji's sister. Benji and Morgan fell in love and have been in a secret relationship for years. Everyone is shocked to be invited to their wedding as their relationship was kept so secret. Alice will also be in attendance. Not in person, but her loss has affected everyone in this book, and she remains in their thoughts. Everyone has been affected by her loss and had their lives changed in some way.
Although this book is about a new beginning in the form of marriage, as I mentioned loss lingers throughout this book. I could feel the grief and sadness oozing from the pages. As I mentioned above, this is a character driven book which is told through past and present timelines.
I found the characters’ reactions to losing Alice and dealing with their grief for her to be realistic and believable. Her parents split after her death which is common; however, they had issues in their marriage prior to her death.
The pace is on the slow side but fits with the tone of the book. While I hoped that this book would pack more of an emotional punch for me, I did enjoy it. Having said that, others are enjoying this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking | Viking and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
May 13, 2024
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Literary Fiction
This is the author’s debut novel and tells the story of the Weil family members after the tragic death of sixteen-year-old Alice. The book starts with Alice’s brother Benji and her best friend Morgan getting married.
The present time is about twelve years after the death of Alice, and the book occasionally goes into the past period to show how this tragic death has affected all the members of the family. Nick, Benji’s father, has been fired from his job, and he doesn’t want his second and younger wife, Cara, who used to be his secretary and mistress, to find out. On the other hand, his first wife, Linnie, has a new boyfriend with a disturbing past.
Each and every person there is confronted with a multitude of challenges. I believe that the author did an excellent job of developing the characters by revealing both their previous selves and their current personalities. The characters had a genuine and believable feel to them. This debut novel reinforces the idea that nobody is perfect and that people should stick together in harsh and difficult times.
There were times when the pace was a little slow, but I believe that is to be expected for a story of this nature. The story is told from the perspective of a third person, which is a good choice because the viewpoint continues to shift from one character to another throughout the narrative. The author's decision to stick to this style rather than using first-person narration is something I sincerely appreciate. This ended up being a nice and fascinating read. All in all, a good debut novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
Genre: Literary Fiction
This is the author’s debut novel and tells the story of the Weil family members after the tragic death of sixteen-year-old Alice. The book starts with Alice’s brother Benji and her best friend Morgan getting married.
The present time is about twelve years after the death of Alice, and the book occasionally goes into the past period to show how this tragic death has affected all the members of the family. Nick, Benji’s father, has been fired from his job, and he doesn’t want his second and younger wife, Cara, who used to be his secretary and mistress, to find out. On the other hand, his first wife, Linnie, has a new boyfriend with a disturbing past.
Each and every person there is confronted with a multitude of challenges. I believe that the author did an excellent job of developing the characters by revealing both their previous selves and their current personalities. The characters had a genuine and believable feel to them. This debut novel reinforces the idea that nobody is perfect and that people should stick together in harsh and difficult times.
There were times when the pace was a little slow, but I believe that is to be expected for a story of this nature. The story is told from the perspective of a third person, which is a good choice because the viewpoint continues to shift from one character to another throughout the narrative. The author's decision to stick to this style rather than using first-person narration is something I sincerely appreciate. This ended up being a nice and fascinating read. All in all, a good debut novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
May 8, 2024
Haunting…
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Morgan and Benji surprise everyone with a secret engagement-wait-nope-a-wedding set at an idyllic cottage on the East coast. 12 years ago, Benji’s sister died. She was friends with Morgan. Alice seems to be on everyone’s minds… and in their memories. Morgan’s dad seems to not want the marriage while Benji’s trying to survive with his mom (and her new boyfriend) alongside his dad and mistress/wife/secretary. Phew this is a pile of fascinating you just stepped into…
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This is one of those books that doesn’t fit a category, that makes its own way. It’s a hybrid contemporary literature-psychological-mystery? Whatever you want to put on the label, I’m buying it. It’s riveting, yet I felt relaxed reading it. It’s full of twists, but also full of questions.
I would say if you’re looking for something different and intriguing, give this a whirl. Vocabulary is solidly upped (contemporary fiction-ish) but not unattainable hey-I-went-to-Harvard vocab. Enjoyable slower pace with enough interest to keep those pages turning.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Fiction meets kinda-psychological meets a mystery
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Those ready for new and different!
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: those looking for quick paced. This is character driven.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Penguin/Viking Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for giving me something NEW which as an English teacher, I humbly appreciate.
(I follow back bookish peeps!): IG @ ScrappyMags
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Morgan and Benji surprise everyone with a secret engagement-wait-nope-a-wedding set at an idyllic cottage on the East coast. 12 years ago, Benji’s sister died. She was friends with Morgan. Alice seems to be on everyone’s minds… and in their memories. Morgan’s dad seems to not want the marriage while Benji’s trying to survive with his mom (and her new boyfriend) alongside his dad and mistress/wife/secretary. Phew this is a pile of fascinating you just stepped into…
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This is one of those books that doesn’t fit a category, that makes its own way. It’s a hybrid contemporary literature-psychological-mystery? Whatever you want to put on the label, I’m buying it. It’s riveting, yet I felt relaxed reading it. It’s full of twists, but also full of questions.
I would say if you’re looking for something different and intriguing, give this a whirl. Vocabulary is solidly upped (contemporary fiction-ish) but not unattainable hey-I-went-to-Harvard vocab. Enjoyable slower pace with enough interest to keep those pages turning.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Fiction meets kinda-psychological meets a mystery
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Those ready for new and different!
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: those looking for quick paced. This is character driven.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Penguin/Viking Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for giving me something NEW which as an English teacher, I humbly appreciate.
(I follow back bookish peeps!): IG @ ScrappyMags
June 29, 2024
Twelve years after the tragic loss of 16 year old, Alice; her brother, Benji and best friend, Morgan are about to say "I do." Benji and Morgan's families are brought together again for the first time since Alice's funeral for this surprise wedding. As they are trying to wrap their heads around the upcoming nuptials, Benji and Morgan's families are reminded of Alice and the events surrounding and leading up to her death. They are all harboring secrets, wounds, and deep regrets. How will these feelings affect the wedding and will they come out on the other side unscathed?
Review:
The summary of The World After Alice really pulled me in and I was excited to read this story. However, I can simply say that this book was not for me, but I do think it could be for others. This story is extremely well written, but a little too well written for me. I was often pulled out of the story by words that I was unsure how to pronounce and even what they meant. I read for enjoyment not for literary masterpieces, but I know that others do so I am sure they will love this story. It is extremely character driven, so I felt it was slow. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters. It was also hard to pinpoint what POV I was reading at the beginning of a chapter because they were not clearly labeled and all sounded pretty similar. I do think that the storyline was interesting and that it could have been a great book, the execution was just lacking for me sadly.
The World After Alice publishes on 7/2/2024.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Aliza Green, and Penguin Group Viking for this ARC of The World After Alice in exchange for an honest review!
Review:
The summary of The World After Alice really pulled me in and I was excited to read this story. However, I can simply say that this book was not for me, but I do think it could be for others. This story is extremely well written, but a little too well written for me. I was often pulled out of the story by words that I was unsure how to pronounce and even what they meant. I read for enjoyment not for literary masterpieces, but I know that others do so I am sure they will love this story. It is extremely character driven, so I felt it was slow. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters. It was also hard to pinpoint what POV I was reading at the beginning of a chapter because they were not clearly labeled and all sounded pretty similar. I do think that the storyline was interesting and that it could have been a great book, the execution was just lacking for me sadly.
The World After Alice publishes on 7/2/2024.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Aliza Green, and Penguin Group Viking for this ARC of The World After Alice in exchange for an honest review!
May 29, 2024
I was invited to read this by the publisher, and decided to do so per the synopsis. I am a melancholy soul and gravitate towards poignant plots in books. This book centers upon a sixteen year old girl named Alice who commit suicide twelve years ago. The story's pendulum swings back and forth, slowly revealing events leading up to this tragedy and all the changes that occurred after Alice's death. Alice's parents divorced and her father married the younger woman he had been cheating with. Alice's younger brother Benji is now set to marry her best friend Morgan, a shocking revelation as they kept their relationship secret until the wedding was practically upon them. Morgan's father Peter has the hots for Alice's mother, while Alice's mother is in an intimate relationship with a younger man Ezra- who just so happened to have been Alice's controversial teacher.
When I first picked up the book I had to read slowly and sometimes re-read back a few sentences to grasp the interwoven families scarred by Alice's suicide, now reunited at Morgan and Benji's impromptu wedding, and experience the slow fallout of all these tricky relationships. I do find that the setting of a family wedding is an interesting focal point for emotional drama. The story kept my interest with the web of grief and mystery that held the promise of unfolding. However, there weren't any mind-blowing revelations at the end, and it just was a sort of pleasant, quiet read exploring how life can be messy, complicated, and tragic.
Thank you to the publisher Penguin Group / Viking for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
When I first picked up the book I had to read slowly and sometimes re-read back a few sentences to grasp the interwoven families scarred by Alice's suicide, now reunited at Morgan and Benji's impromptu wedding, and experience the slow fallout of all these tricky relationships. I do find that the setting of a family wedding is an interesting focal point for emotional drama. The story kept my interest with the web of grief and mystery that held the promise of unfolding. However, there weren't any mind-blowing revelations at the end, and it just was a sort of pleasant, quiet read exploring how life can be messy, complicated, and tragic.
Thank you to the publisher Penguin Group / Viking for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
August 13, 2024
I don't rate many books with 5 stars but when I say this book had me gripped and I did not want to put it down, it is earned! I woke up this morning and finished it because I could not begin my day until I did.
I was pulled in by Alice, Linne, Nick and Peter but Morgan and Benji were the ones I was rooting for. I pulled for these two like they were real people. Invested! They were the only characters, other than Alice that I was with the whole time. The story centers on how people pick up the pieces after a suicide and remake their lives around the pain and loss. It was quite a journey to join them on and I felt satisfied with how everyone came out on the other side of the wedding weekend. I kept feeling like if not for the big event, so many of the family members would not have crossed the expanse to their better selves and better lives.
I picked this up on a whim and this is pretty much the kind of read I love to take to the beach in the summer. I saved some great lines here. The sort that just kind of lightning bolt off the page. I will read another by Green, no question. Highly recommended.
I was pulled in by Alice, Linne, Nick and Peter but Morgan and Benji were the ones I was rooting for. I pulled for these two like they were real people. Invested! They were the only characters, other than Alice that I was with the whole time. The story centers on how people pick up the pieces after a suicide and remake their lives around the pain and loss. It was quite a journey to join them on and I felt satisfied with how everyone came out on the other side of the wedding weekend. I kept feeling like if not for the big event, so many of the family members would not have crossed the expanse to their better selves and better lives.
I picked this up on a whim and this is pretty much the kind of read I love to take to the beach in the summer. I saved some great lines here. The sort that just kind of lightning bolt off the page. I will read another by Green, no question. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2024
DNF at 10%. If I hadn't been a bit interested in the premise, and if a Goodreads friend hadn't enjoyed it, I wouldn't have made it that far.
I think the characters and the story are probably going to do what they are supposed to do and get from beginning to end satisfactorily. The storytelling must be okay, or it wouldn't be collecting the good reviews that it has.
But the language! The author is hailed as a poet, and the phrases I find annoying might be great in a poem. Unusual words can be fun, but the novel itself isn't poetic in nature (so far), so they sound out of place here.
I love descriptive passages - goodness knows, I quote enough of them. And I like an interesting turn of phrase, and quote them, too. This just rubbed me the wrong way - I'm sure there are plenty of fans out there who will love it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the copy for review. Sorry I didn't finish it for you.
I think the characters and the story are probably going to do what they are supposed to do and get from beginning to end satisfactorily. The storytelling must be okay, or it wouldn't be collecting the good reviews that it has.
But the language! The author is hailed as a poet, and the phrases I find annoying might be great in a poem. Unusual words can be fun, but the novel itself isn't poetic in nature (so far), so they sound out of place here.
I love descriptive passages - goodness knows, I quote enough of them. And I like an interesting turn of phrase, and quote them, too. This just rubbed me the wrong way - I'm sure there are plenty of fans out there who will love it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for the copy for review. Sorry I didn't finish it for you.
April 13, 2025
Thank you to the publisher for the free ebook through NetGalley. I opted to listen to this instead on Libby.
At some point, we hear from, I believe, every one of the characters' perspectives. Thoughts on Alice at her funeral and then at the wedding of her brother Benji to her best friend Morgan.
Alice was a troubled teenager when she jumped off a bridge, and all involved feel some deep-seeded responsibility for her death. The characters are mostly so unlikeable that I blamed most of them as well. But the author, I think, missed the mark and I felt disappointed in not knowing the many characters' personalities better and the actual motivation(s) behind Alice taking her own life. What finally broke her or was it a combination of everything?
At some point, we hear from, I believe, every one of the characters' perspectives. Thoughts on Alice at her funeral and then at the wedding of her brother Benji to her best friend Morgan.
Alice was a troubled teenager when she jumped off a bridge, and all involved feel some deep-seeded responsibility for her death. The characters are mostly so unlikeable that I blamed most of them as well. But the author, I think, missed the mark and I felt disappointed in not knowing the many characters' personalities better and the actual motivation(s) behind Alice taking her own life. What finally broke her or was it a combination of everything?
March 4, 2024
When Morgan and Benji announce they are getting married, it comes as a big surprise to their families, as they had kept their relationship secret. Twelve years before, the suicide of Benji’s sixteen year old sister Alice, Morgan’s best friend/arch rival, had devastated thise who knew her, and the mystery about what happened and why hangs over the wedding and brings old wounds back to the surface. Alice and Benji’s parents had divorced after her death, her father has a new family but struggles with the past and her mother has started a new relationship with a man she did not know had been Alice’s teacher. Guilt, blame, confusion and love all come to the fore as some new understanding is reached about Alice and the relationships of the main guests with her and with each other. A lovely, poignant book, full of pain, regret but also hope. The complexity of life, the difficulties surrounding the choices we make and their consequences, and the need to snatch the chance for happiness are all dealt with sensitively, and the characters are all portrayed sympathetically despite their flaws and sometimes appalling behaviour. It explores how truly terrible it is to lose a child, an experience from which you can never recover, but yet life does still continue. A bittersweet read which will linger in my mind.
April 13, 2024
What a depressing, clunky tale. I struggled to keep track of all the characters for the first third of the book and once I had them all straight, found most of them unlikeable. The use of little known, "intellectual" words scattered throughout felt forced and snobby. None of this worked for me.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2024
There are moments in our lives that dive deep and create a landmark. . .the befores and afters of that moment, that event. Before that first time, and after; before siracha and after; before your first gig and after; before that dance, that car, that win, that crash, that acceptance, that job. . .but its the comings and goings that hit the hardest. In a busy tribe, all the olders, the elders, the youngers, the cousins, aunts, the friends-so-tight-they're-family, those gatekeeping professionals-who-know-all-the-family-secrets-dirt-and-sorrows. . .with all those movers and shakers there are many opportunities for a loss. A loss that can FREEZE every.one in a moment. In a year. In a day. In an hour. Amber encases it for easy revisiting all the rest of your whole, long, life.
Lauren Aliza Green has captured that in this book. It is a tangle of families at cross-purposes, and people exercising their rights to a fully engaged life, and through that cross over each other, and back again. I had to review and reread more than a few times. ?!she said what? Wait! What did I miss? Backtracking happened. But as it unfolded I carried with me my landmark moments, comparing and recognizing the same in these characters. Feeling the familiarity of those moments and how they either totally paralyze OR they fill the affected parties with an adrenaline that removes all common sense and creates desperate environments that can burn it all down, or finally wave flags and sound out the alarms that clear and present dangers need immediate addressing. . .
Concerned that it was never going to end. . .I was dismayed when it did; yet the author gave relief of a sort that has me still thinking about Alice. About all the Alices out there, about my Alices, not yet at their landmarks and for whom I could (and should if they'll have it) provide a better space in which to process this old life of ours. . .
As is noted in the book and is so very, very true: Mozart said: The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between. Amen to that.
Looking forward to the next work by Lauren Aliza Green.
*A sincere thank you to Lauren Aliza Green, Penguin Group Viking, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 52:42
Lauren Aliza Green has captured that in this book. It is a tangle of families at cross-purposes, and people exercising their rights to a fully engaged life, and through that cross over each other, and back again. I had to review and reread more than a few times. ?!she said what? Wait! What did I miss? Backtracking happened. But as it unfolded I carried with me my landmark moments, comparing and recognizing the same in these characters. Feeling the familiarity of those moments and how they either totally paralyze OR they fill the affected parties with an adrenaline that removes all common sense and creates desperate environments that can burn it all down, or finally wave flags and sound out the alarms that clear and present dangers need immediate addressing. . .
Concerned that it was never going to end. . .I was dismayed when it did; yet the author gave relief of a sort that has me still thinking about Alice. About all the Alices out there, about my Alices, not yet at their landmarks and for whom I could (and should if they'll have it) provide a better space in which to process this old life of ours. . .
As is noted in the book and is so very, very true: Mozart said: The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between. Amen to that.
Looking forward to the next work by Lauren Aliza Green.
*A sincere thank you to Lauren Aliza Green, Penguin Group Viking, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 52:42
December 7, 2024
“How far into oneself could a person recede? The answer lay somewhere in the infinite. You could halve a number over and over and still stave off nothingness. You could recede until you were only surface and still find further to go.”
———————-
The opening scene, Alice‘s suicide on the bridge, is such a bold open and really sets the tone for this novel. In this spectacular debut novel, Green kept me moving with continual unveiling of hard truths and hidden realities.
Right away, she makes it clear that everyone has a part in letting Alice down, and the way they each misunderstand each other and misrepresent themselves has led to deep emotional pain for each of the characters.
There was an interesting parallel between Linnie’s description of Nick‘s sharp edges that he pared down with her, and Benji developing his own sharp edges as he ages. It implied some learned character flaws that fell in line with the generational difficulties of this book.
I really liked the flashbacks to the time just after Alice‘s passing and the way the present moments either continued the drama or healed it. I thought the descriptions of grief were beautiful, especially the comparison to trails of light in overexposed photography. Green embodied each of the characters and their inner lives so well.
A truly remarkable and captivating debut. I’m really looking forward to reading her future works.
———————-
The opening scene, Alice‘s suicide on the bridge, is such a bold open and really sets the tone for this novel. In this spectacular debut novel, Green kept me moving with continual unveiling of hard truths and hidden realities.
Right away, she makes it clear that everyone has a part in letting Alice down, and the way they each misunderstand each other and misrepresent themselves has led to deep emotional pain for each of the characters.
There was an interesting parallel between Linnie’s description of Nick‘s sharp edges that he pared down with her, and Benji developing his own sharp edges as he ages. It implied some learned character flaws that fell in line with the generational difficulties of this book.
I really liked the flashbacks to the time just after Alice‘s passing and the way the present moments either continued the drama or healed it. I thought the descriptions of grief were beautiful, especially the comparison to trails of light in overexposed photography. Green embodied each of the characters and their inner lives so well.
A truly remarkable and captivating debut. I’m really looking forward to reading her future works.
May 6, 2024
To lose a child to suicide is unimaginable. Alice was a teen when she unexpectedly ended her life. This is a story of how this tragedy affected her parents, her brother any many others who knew her. All these people’s lives were dramatically changed forever. Grief, guilt and memories remained strong many years after Alice’s death.
This story was moving and rather sad. As a reader I came away with a new perspective on grief and a better understanding of the long lasting effects suicide can bring to those left behind.
This story was moving and rather sad. As a reader I came away with a new perspective on grief and a better understanding of the long lasting effects suicide can bring to those left behind.
July 9, 2024
Perfect for the beach and just in time. All the elements that make it so -- many characters, all with secrets and regrets; intertwined coincidences, romance and a whiff of a thriller.
May 14, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
The World After Alice centres around a wedding weekend in Maine. Benji and Morgan are getting married. Benji and Morgan met through Benji's sister, Alice, who jumped off a bridge in her teens. The plot spans from the time before Alice's death, to the current day of the wedding. As one continues to read, one gradually learns more about each of the characters, and how their lives are complicatedly intertwined.
I loved this book. Such a fascinating portrayal of secrets, deceit, the complicated nature of family relationships, societal expectations, and a lot of philosophical contemplations (beyond the official theories put forward by Peter).
I will be recommending this book to everybody I know!
The World After Alice centres around a wedding weekend in Maine. Benji and Morgan are getting married. Benji and Morgan met through Benji's sister, Alice, who jumped off a bridge in her teens. The plot spans from the time before Alice's death, to the current day of the wedding. As one continues to read, one gradually learns more about each of the characters, and how their lives are complicatedly intertwined.
I loved this book. Such a fascinating portrayal of secrets, deceit, the complicated nature of family relationships, societal expectations, and a lot of philosophical contemplations (beyond the official theories put forward by Peter).
I will be recommending this book to everybody I know!
March 10, 2025
3.5★s
The World After Alice is the first novel by Lauren Aliza Green. On an icy February night, twelve years ago, sixteen-year-old Alce Weil went missing. CCTV from a nearby store showed that she stepped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River. No trace of her was ever found. After the tragedy, her parents’ marriage broke up.
Now, Alice’s younger brother, Benjamin, and her best friend, Morgan Hensley have invited family and friends to their wedding, revealing that they have been seeing each other for three years. The news gets quite a mixed reaction from their families.
Morgan’s mother Sequoia isn’t even coming, instead staying at her ashram in Goa; her father, Peter strongly feels it’s not a good idea (the Weil family aren’t over their grief), but he is a little nervous about seeing Benji’s mother, intending to reveal his true feelings for her; Benji’s dad, Nick acts like he’s happy about it, but paying his share of the wedding on top of supporting a much younger wife and their daughter is a problem now that he’s lost his job, a state of affairs about which he’s told no-one.
After divorcing Nick, Linnie went back to her maiden name of Olsen, and she’s a bit anxious about her plus-one, the college philosophy lecturer she’s been dating; Ezra Newman has told Linnie he knew Alice when he was teaching at Manhattan Tech, but hasn’t been entirely honest about that relationship; and most people there will remember what happened at the memorial service held two weeks after Alice disappeared.
And the happy couple? Benji is always upbeat, optimistic, but is he ignoring the potentially tense interactions between them all? Morgan is a bit concerned about the fact that Benji still searches online for his sister. She’s also disturbed to see Ezra Newman here. And Benji’s grandmother, Judith, with her dementia can be a bit unpredictable, often candid and sometimes unpleasant.
All bar Judith and Sequoia contribute to the narrative and their concerns, past and ongoing, are gradually revealed in musings and flashbacks. Each adds some insight that may help understand the troubled teen who stepped off the bridge, and what may have contributed to such a desperate act.
Green paints a very realistic picture of the effects on those left behind of a teen suicide: grief, guilt, blame and, maybe, eventually, recovery. Her characters have depth and her descriptive prose is evocative: “the long years when each hour was tendrilled by an ache so intense, she feared it would strangle her in her sleep” is an example. The epilogue is good, but something is still lacking in the resolution. A worthy debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin Group/Viking
The World After Alice is the first novel by Lauren Aliza Green. On an icy February night, twelve years ago, sixteen-year-old Alce Weil went missing. CCTV from a nearby store showed that she stepped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River. No trace of her was ever found. After the tragedy, her parents’ marriage broke up.
Now, Alice’s younger brother, Benjamin, and her best friend, Morgan Hensley have invited family and friends to their wedding, revealing that they have been seeing each other for three years. The news gets quite a mixed reaction from their families.
Morgan’s mother Sequoia isn’t even coming, instead staying at her ashram in Goa; her father, Peter strongly feels it’s not a good idea (the Weil family aren’t over their grief), but he is a little nervous about seeing Benji’s mother, intending to reveal his true feelings for her; Benji’s dad, Nick acts like he’s happy about it, but paying his share of the wedding on top of supporting a much younger wife and their daughter is a problem now that he’s lost his job, a state of affairs about which he’s told no-one.
After divorcing Nick, Linnie went back to her maiden name of Olsen, and she’s a bit anxious about her plus-one, the college philosophy lecturer she’s been dating; Ezra Newman has told Linnie he knew Alice when he was teaching at Manhattan Tech, but hasn’t been entirely honest about that relationship; and most people there will remember what happened at the memorial service held two weeks after Alice disappeared.
And the happy couple? Benji is always upbeat, optimistic, but is he ignoring the potentially tense interactions between them all? Morgan is a bit concerned about the fact that Benji still searches online for his sister. She’s also disturbed to see Ezra Newman here. And Benji’s grandmother, Judith, with her dementia can be a bit unpredictable, often candid and sometimes unpleasant.
All bar Judith and Sequoia contribute to the narrative and their concerns, past and ongoing, are gradually revealed in musings and flashbacks. Each adds some insight that may help understand the troubled teen who stepped off the bridge, and what may have contributed to such a desperate act.
Green paints a very realistic picture of the effects on those left behind of a teen suicide: grief, guilt, blame and, maybe, eventually, recovery. Her characters have depth and her descriptive prose is evocative: “the long years when each hour was tendrilled by an ache so intense, she feared it would strangle her in her sleep” is an example. The epilogue is good, but something is still lacking in the resolution. A worthy debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin Group/Viking
July 9, 2024
Unfortunately, The World After Alice had potential but fell flat for me. I never found myself connecting with the characters or really caring about them enough to make this character driven plot work for me.
Adding one star for Jewish representation.
Thank you to Viking for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Adding one star for Jewish representation.
Thank you to Viking for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
May 7, 2024
3.5 stars that I'm rounding down instead of up because of the writing style. The story itself was well done. But hear me out on this...I read for enjoyment, to forget, to get lost in another's world. I couldn't do that here simply because of this author likes to use lots of words and the bigger the word with the more syllables, the better. I was never able to forget I was reading when I'd have to constantly look up words in the dictionary feature just to make sure I understood what that word really means or it's one I've simply never come across. I like to think I'm relatively smart with a decent grasp of vocabulary. I am, however, very aware that I don't know ALL the words so it's going to happen from time to time. But take this sentence. "She was so close, he could smell the hairspray ballasting her coiffure, yet her eyes were faraway - turbid pools on whose surface reflections of the wedding scene floated. Umm dude, can't you just say you were close enough to smell her hairspray and her eyes were distant and cloudy? I just don't want to have to work hard to get through the pages and have it pointed out that I'm not as smart as I think I am!!
Now on to the characters...not a single one of them was very likeable save for Grandma and little Avery because they get a pass just for being old and senile or young and still learning . The rest of them were all self-serving while not being self-aware, if that makes sense. Perhaps that's the point of the whole story. Two families, touched by grief, muddling through life from their own perspectives, coming together and let the chips fall where they may. This is definitely a character driven storyline and while I enjoyed the destination, I can't say I loved the journey getting there as much.
Now on to the characters...not a single one of them was very likeable save for Grandma and little Avery because they get a pass just for being old and senile or young and still learning . The rest of them were all self-serving while not being self-aware, if that makes sense. Perhaps that's the point of the whole story. Two families, touched by grief, muddling through life from their own perspectives, coming together and let the chips fall where they may. This is definitely a character driven storyline and while I enjoyed the destination, I can't say I loved the journey getting there as much.
June 26, 2024
I enjoyed this one but it won't be for everyone. Reading about the death of a child can be hard. Morgan and Benji are getting married but they did not even tell their families they were dating so the invitation comes as a shock to everyone. Morgan's best friend and Benji's sister, Alice, died 12 years prior. The families have not gathered together since the funeral. We flash back to when Alice was alive and see how all of these people are interconnected. Alice was sixteen when she died. Her parents divorced after her death. We see how Alice's brother coped, her father, her mother. We see Morgan's parents and even one of Alice's teachers. We get different points of view from everyone involved. Also, her body was never found so what if... This is definitely a character driven novel which I am normally plot driven, but I found the pacing great and the different twists really kept my interest. The epilogue made me cry. (I did have to use my Kindle dictionary several times)
-Just because someone isn't grieving how you want them to doesn't mean they aren't doing it.
-The most human instinct: to make meaning out of chaos.
-Just because someone isn't grieving how you want them to doesn't mean they aren't doing it.
-The most human instinct: to make meaning out of chaos.
April 20, 2025
This book had so much potential, that never materialized. While reading, I kept waiting for the pace to pick up and focus on a point.
The story was rich with details to expound upon, with just a hint of mystery. What secrets did Alice take with her to the grave. How is her family coping, all these years later.
For me, this story just never blossomed and it's too bad. The characters had depth and believable passion, but the story just had little direction and a disappointing end.
The story was rich with details to expound upon, with just a hint of mystery. What secrets did Alice take with her to the grave. How is her family coping, all these years later.
For me, this story just never blossomed and it's too bad. The characters had depth and believable passion, but the story just had little direction and a disappointing end.
April 4, 2024
The World After Alice is an exposition on family dynamics after Alice takes her own life as a teen. The book centers around a weekend in Maine where family and friends have gathered for the wedding of Benji, Alice’s brother, and Morgan, Alice’s best friend. The wedding is the first time the family will be together since Alice’s funeral. This is a very sad story that is very beautifully written.
Through love and loss, we see a family coming together in their grief for Alice and their love for the bride and groom. It’s an amazing debut novel and I’ll be watching for other books by this author.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the advanced copy.
Through love and loss, we see a family coming together in their grief for Alice and their love for the bride and groom. It’s an amazing debut novel and I’ll be watching for other books by this author.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the advanced copy.
February 25, 2024
You have to accept this is straight up a sad story. My heart broke for the characters in different ways yet I found them so infuriating. I think Morgan and Benji were the only ones I genuinely liked at the end. The writing style was beautiful but sometimes thought unnecessary words or sentences could’ve been cut out. These were elaborate words that you wouldn’t use in daily conversation so it just didn’t feel necessary to implement in the story.
September 1, 2024
12 years after Alice goes missing, her parents have divorced and now her brother and her best friend are getting married. The wedding turns into discovering all the secrets, wounds and regrets that the people closest to Alice had after her disapperance.
This book was not for me. I've read similar novels where you live through the prospective of the others left behind. This one felt short. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I felt like the jumping of time lines and POV's didn't help with that. I would also have loved to know more about Alice herself. We don't really learn much about her.
Thank You to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the free e-galley.
This book was not for me. I've read similar novels where you live through the prospective of the others left behind. This one felt short. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I felt like the jumping of time lines and POV's didn't help with that. I would also have loved to know more about Alice herself. We don't really learn much about her.
Thank You to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the free e-galley.
July 3, 2024
While I found the story to be okay, the book itself was overly burdened with unnecessary vocabulary - my husband's words - since I would occasionally question him if he knew what a word meant. I tired of having to highlight words to have my kindle app tell me what the words meant. For those who enjoy literary fiction, maybe you will find it a more felicitous read. I used a thesaurus for that word! I received an ARC and this is my honest and voluntary review.
September 17, 2024
This novel was just not for me. Totally unlikeable characters, pretentious wording. Kept wondering why I didn’t stop reading.
July 25, 2024
The World After Alice
By Lauren Aliza Green
A story about the ripples that grief sends out following the death of a loved one. Alice was 16 when she went missing off the George Washington Bridge. Since then, her parents have divorced and her brother is now marrying her best friend.
With it's themes of unrequited loss, marital infidelity and questionable teacher/ student relationships, and it's Upper West Side and Maine settings, this could have been a hit out of the park for me, but it didn't quite make the impression I expected. I enjoyed the reading experience, but I never really felt like Green revealed any of the characters. Each felt like an unreliable narrator, and while it's always interesting to compare perspectives, I felt as though I was being kept at arms length throughout, and that never resolved into anything that felt like a narrative arc.
Having recently read, and loved, a similarly themed book, "After Annie", by Anna Quindlen, I couldn't help but compare and contrast both novels, and unfortunately for Alice, recency bias was probably at play.
I will say that the story is highly readable, with lovely prose, and so much potential, but it lacked something in the denouement.
Publication date: 1st August 2024
Thanks to #netgalley and #penguinrandomhouse for the ARC
By Lauren Aliza Green
A story about the ripples that grief sends out following the death of a loved one. Alice was 16 when she went missing off the George Washington Bridge. Since then, her parents have divorced and her brother is now marrying her best friend.
With it's themes of unrequited loss, marital infidelity and questionable teacher/ student relationships, and it's Upper West Side and Maine settings, this could have been a hit out of the park for me, but it didn't quite make the impression I expected. I enjoyed the reading experience, but I never really felt like Green revealed any of the characters. Each felt like an unreliable narrator, and while it's always interesting to compare perspectives, I felt as though I was being kept at arms length throughout, and that never resolved into anything that felt like a narrative arc.
Having recently read, and loved, a similarly themed book, "After Annie", by Anna Quindlen, I couldn't help but compare and contrast both novels, and unfortunately for Alice, recency bias was probably at play.
I will say that the story is highly readable, with lovely prose, and so much potential, but it lacked something in the denouement.
Publication date: 1st August 2024
Thanks to #netgalley and #penguinrandomhouse for the ARC
July 11, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twelve years after 16 year old Alice dies, her families gather together for a surprise wedding of her brother and her best friend.
This book is sad, no way around it. The aftermath of suicide is unimaginable, not just for the family but also close friends and acquaintances. Grief, guilt, loss and many unanswered questions make it difficult for them to move on. I was intrigued by the premise, but this book feel short for me, but I believe others will enjoy it. This book is well written, but the author lost me with her focus on writing a great novel. I found myself using my dictionary so many times, that I found it hard to get back into the story. While I could fully empathize with the situation, I could not connect with any of the unlikeable characters, although you could feel Alice’s pain. There just seemed to be no depth to most of them. The timeline was very disjointed, each chapter was jumping back and forth for different characters with no warning. This was the saddest wedding ever. Even the resolution at the end left me with questions. I’ve definitely come to realize that novels that are heavily character driven, may not be for me. This was an ambitious debut novel that could have been edited better.
Thanks to Viking Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
Twelve years after 16 year old Alice dies, her families gather together for a surprise wedding of her brother and her best friend.
This book is sad, no way around it. The aftermath of suicide is unimaginable, not just for the family but also close friends and acquaintances. Grief, guilt, loss and many unanswered questions make it difficult for them to move on. I was intrigued by the premise, but this book feel short for me, but I believe others will enjoy it. This book is well written, but the author lost me with her focus on writing a great novel. I found myself using my dictionary so many times, that I found it hard to get back into the story. While I could fully empathize with the situation, I could not connect with any of the unlikeable characters, although you could feel Alice’s pain. There just seemed to be no depth to most of them. The timeline was very disjointed, each chapter was jumping back and forth for different characters with no warning. This was the saddest wedding ever. Even the resolution at the end left me with questions. I’ve definitely come to realize that novels that are heavily character driven, may not be for me. This was an ambitious debut novel that could have been edited better.
Thanks to Viking Books and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
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