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The Aftermath
Lured to a strange hotel populated by stranger guests, Tia unwittingly finds herself at the center of a conspiracy.
It's been almost five years since a wrathful extraterrestrial called Rex perpetrated a mass shooting that caused hundreds of millions of people to take their own lives. The world has mourned its losses and moved on, trying to adhere to The Pledge to save themselves from more violence. But when a solar storm conceals the dangerous activities being done at the hotel, Tia must figure out who these strangers are and what they are doing before the shooting's anniversary.
Are these strange and beautiful people adhering to The Pledge? Or are they creating their own violent and nefarious rules in order to change the world? Tia has only days to determine whose side they are on-not to mention, whose side she is on-but first, she must stay alive.
It's been almost five years since a wrathful extraterrestrial called Rex perpetrated a mass shooting that caused hundreds of millions of people to take their own lives. The world has mourned its losses and moved on, trying to adhere to The Pledge to save themselves from more violence. But when a solar storm conceals the dangerous activities being done at the hotel, Tia must figure out who these strangers are and what they are doing before the shooting's anniversary.
Are these strange and beautiful people adhering to The Pledge? Or are they creating their own violent and nefarious rules in order to change the world? Tia has only days to determine whose side they are on-not to mention, whose side she is on-but first, she must stay alive.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 1, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a cross between a sci-fi mystery and an environment drama. I loved seeing the world thru Tia’s eyes (the main character) as she marvels at the restoration of the planet and tries to understand what the strangers at the hotel are up to. I also learned a lot about solar flairs and their impact on our planet. And of course there are strong relationships between some of the characters (no spoilers). The book has a strong and explosive ending. Give it a try.
I received an ARC of this book.
I received an ARC of this book.
May 10, 2024
Another winner from CK Westbrook. The Aftermath is a suspenseful sci-fi novel where the main character tries to determine who can be trusted and what is going on in a world that is a mix of utopia and dystopia. There is a twist in the middle that I did not see coming.
I received an ARC of this novel.
I received an ARC of this novel.
July 3, 2024
The Aftermath by CK Westbrook
Coming soon! The Aftermath, which will be available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble on Friday, September the 13th, is well worth your wait.
CK Westbrook’s books are spellbinding and most enchanting. Just when you think you are reading a sci fi book filled with fantastical stories about extra-terrestrial characters who can control all things earthly, it dawns on you that the author is trying to convey something very important about our planet.
A woman of many talents—a mystery writer, an environment expert on space and space debris and someone with a superb imagination—CK Westbrook knows how to tell a story which is what makes her books come to life.
As she begins introducing new characters in The Aftermath who were not known to readers previously, I felt as though I knew what Tia was experiencing as she walked down the street with rowhouses in a neighborhood that was reminiscent of her childhood or was it? Where did she grow up and what does growing up mean in Tia’s world? As the story unfolds these questions become very relevant.
Will there be a fifth book? Will readers have an opportunity to learn more about Rex, Kate, Sinclair, Tia and Ian? I hope with great anticipation that there will be other “teachers” CK Westbrook introduces us to so we can learn more about ourselves, space and her fantasy world that is peppered with truth and fiction.
Karyne Messina, Ed.D. is an author, psychoanalyst, podcast host for The New Books Network and chair of the scholarship and writing committee of the American Psychoanalytic Association’s department of psychoanalytic education.
Coming soon! The Aftermath, which will be available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble on Friday, September the 13th, is well worth your wait.
CK Westbrook’s books are spellbinding and most enchanting. Just when you think you are reading a sci fi book filled with fantastical stories about extra-terrestrial characters who can control all things earthly, it dawns on you that the author is trying to convey something very important about our planet.
A woman of many talents—a mystery writer, an environment expert on space and space debris and someone with a superb imagination—CK Westbrook knows how to tell a story which is what makes her books come to life.
As she begins introducing new characters in The Aftermath who were not known to readers previously, I felt as though I knew what Tia was experiencing as she walked down the street with rowhouses in a neighborhood that was reminiscent of her childhood or was it? Where did she grow up and what does growing up mean in Tia’s world? As the story unfolds these questions become very relevant.
Will there be a fifth book? Will readers have an opportunity to learn more about Rex, Kate, Sinclair, Tia and Ian? I hope with great anticipation that there will be other “teachers” CK Westbrook introduces us to so we can learn more about ourselves, space and her fantasy world that is peppered with truth and fiction.
Karyne Messina, Ed.D. is an author, psychoanalyst, podcast host for The New Books Network and chair of the scholarship and writing committee of the American Psychoanalytic Association’s department of psychoanalytic education.
May 17, 2024
CK Westbrook has created an imaginative and surprising post-shooting world with suspenseful twists, while providing fascinating commentary on society through the revelations and choices Tia, the main character, confronts. Westbrook's fourth installment of The Impact Series is as fast-paced and thrilling as the others. I highly recommend The Aftermath. (I received an ARC of this book.)
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September 14, 2025I went into The Aftermath with high expectations, but the book left me disappointed. The plot, while promising at the start, quickly became confusing and predictable. Instead of feeling like a gripping post-apocalyptic thriller, much of the narrative dragged with unnecessary detail and uneven pacing.
The characters are supposed to be complex, but they often come across as inconsistent or unconvincing, which made it difficult to stay invested in their struggles. Dialogue that should have revealed depth or advanced the plot sometimes felt forced or repetitive.
Overall, the book lacks the tension and polish needed to truly hold a reader’s attention. For a story that should have been thrilling, it fell flat. I can’t recommend this one.
The characters are supposed to be complex, but they often come across as inconsistent or unconvincing, which made it difficult to stay invested in their struggles. Dialogue that should have revealed depth or advanced the plot sometimes felt forced or repetitive.
Overall, the book lacks the tension and polish needed to truly hold a reader’s attention. For a story that should have been thrilling, it fell flat. I can’t recommend this one.
May 23, 2024
Tia's predicament made me eager to keep returning to the book. Westbrook crafted a world that feels both post-apocalyptic and very real to the present. Lots of sci fi forces the reader to ask millions of what if questions to the point where it almost becomes inaccessible, but The Aftermath only has one, so even people who don't normally enjoy sci fi can pick this up and love it as much as the typical sci fi reader.
And oh man, when that big reveal hits... watch out.
This is a book 4 in a series, but my first time reading any of them. I never once had to scratch my head about the previous books' events: all the explanation and recap felt natural and relevant.
And oh man, when that big reveal hits... watch out.
This is a book 4 in a series, but my first time reading any of them. I never once had to scratch my head about the previous books' events: all the explanation and recap felt natural and relevant.
May 30, 2024
I love this story. Much of the inspiration for The Aftermath came from readers of the first three books in “The Impact Series”, The Shooting, The Collision, and The Judgment. Readers had thoughts and questions about what the world would be like after a global mass shooting. What would the world be like without guns? Would it be dystopia? Would it be paradise? This book, The Aftermath, takes place five years after the mass shooting and attempts to answer some of the questions, in a creative, suspenseful, and thought-provoking way. I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
May 27, 2024
A totally unexpected and thrilling story following the Impacts Series trilogy. A must read and a page turner.
When we thought the people on Earth had finally come to terms and were adhering to The Pledge, living a better life of togetherness. A fearless young woman uncovers a conspiracy and starts to learn who she is and who she wants to be.
When we thought the people on Earth had finally come to terms and were adhering to The Pledge, living a better life of togetherness. A fearless young woman uncovers a conspiracy and starts to learn who she is and who she wants to be.
September 29, 2024
I really enjoyed The Aftermath. Real life issues…CK Westbrook brings these issues to the surface. Imagine if we had a Pledge to sign. The world would be a much better place.
October 7, 2024
What a page turner! Loved the new characters and the twist on the story and world created in the first three Impact books. It kept me guessing right up until the last chapter.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews