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After I've Gone
YOU HAVE 18 MONTHS LEFT TO LIVE . . . On a wet Monday in January, Jess Mount checks Facebook and discovers her timeline appears to have skipped forward 18 months, to a day when shocked family and friends are posting heartbreaking tributes to her following her death in an accident. Jess is left scared and confused: is she the target of a cruel online prank or is this a terrifying glimpse of her true fate?
Amongst the posts are photos of a gorgeous son she has not yet conceived. But when new posts suggest her death was deliberate, Jess realises that if she changes the future to save her own life, the baby boy she has fallen in love with may never exist.
Amongst the posts are photos of a gorgeous son she has not yet conceived. But when new posts suggest her death was deliberate, Jess realises that if she changes the future to save her own life, the baby boy she has fallen in love with may never exist.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2017
640 people are currently reading
2811 people want to read
About the author
Linda Green
77 books620 followersI was born in North London in 1970 and brought up in Hertfordshire. I wrote my first novella, the Time Machine, aged eight, shortly after which I declared that my ambition was to have a novel published (I could have been easy on myself and just said ‘to write a novel’ but no, I had to consign myself to years of torture and rejections). I was frequently asked to copy out my stories for the classroom wall (probably because my handwriting was so awful no one could read my first draft), and received lots of encouragement from my teachers Mr Roberts, Mrs Chandler (who added yet more pressure by writing in my autograph book when I left primary school that she looked forward to reading my first published novel!) and Mr Bird.
My first publication came when I was thirteen and my Ode to Gary Mabbutt won second prize in the Tottenham Weekly Herald ‘My Favourite Player’ competition. At fifteen I won the Junior Spurs Football Reporter of the Year Competition and got to report on a first division football match from the press box at White Hart Lane (I got lots of funny looks and none of the journalists spoke to me.)
At sixteen I embarked on ‘A’ levels and a journalism course at De Havilland College, Hertfordshire, and my college magazine interview about football hooliganism with local MP and football club chairman David Evans made a double page spread in Shoot! magazine (they never paid me) and back page headlines in several national newspapers (only a nice man at the Daily Star bothered to check the story with me).
I joined my local newspaper, the Enfield Gazette, as a trainee reporter at eighteen. During a ten year career in regional journalism I worked as a reporter on the Birmingham Daily News, news editor on the Birmingham Metro News and Chief Feature Writer on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, winning Highly Commended in the Feature Writer of the Year category of the 1997 Press Gazette Regional Press Awards.
I loved working on regional newspapers but by 1998 my features were getting too long and the urge to write a novel had become too great so I left my staff job to write my first novel and work as a freelance journalist. I have written for The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Times Educational Supplement, The Big Issue, Wanderlust and Community Care Magazine. I’ve also had a short story published in Best magazine
I found the writing and working from home a very solitary process so also worked as co-ordinator of the Birmingham Bureau of Children’s Express, a national charity which runs a learning through journalism programme for young people and taught journalism to schoolchildren for the National Academy of Writing. After I moved north in 2001 I qualified as an adult education tutor and taught creative writing classes to students aged between 18 and 82 for the Workers Educational Association across Calderdale, West Yorkshire.
After more than a hundred rejections from agents for my first novel (and more rewrites than I care to remember) I finally got an agent but still couldn’t get a publisher. I started work on my second novel I DID A BAD THING in 2003, finished the first draft and gave birth to my son Rohan in 2004, rewrote the novel and got a new agent in 2005, obtained a two-book deal with Headline Review in 2006.
I Did a Bad Thing was published in paperback in October 2007, made the top thirty official fiction bestsellers list (and number 3 in Tesco!) and has so far sold more than 77,000 copies. 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love was published in paperback in March 2009, reached no 22 in the official fiction bestseller charts (and no 4 in Tesco) and has so far sold more than 80,000 copies. Both novels were also long-listed for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award.
Following the success of my first two novels I got another two-book deal from Headline Review, with Things I Wish I'd Known being the first of these. I am currently working on my fourth novel.
I enjoy travelling.
My first publication came when I was thirteen and my Ode to Gary Mabbutt won second prize in the Tottenham Weekly Herald ‘My Favourite Player’ competition. At fifteen I won the Junior Spurs Football Reporter of the Year Competition and got to report on a first division football match from the press box at White Hart Lane (I got lots of funny looks and none of the journalists spoke to me.)
At sixteen I embarked on ‘A’ levels and a journalism course at De Havilland College, Hertfordshire, and my college magazine interview about football hooliganism with local MP and football club chairman David Evans made a double page spread in Shoot! magazine (they never paid me) and back page headlines in several national newspapers (only a nice man at the Daily Star bothered to check the story with me).
I joined my local newspaper, the Enfield Gazette, as a trainee reporter at eighteen. During a ten year career in regional journalism I worked as a reporter on the Birmingham Daily News, news editor on the Birmingham Metro News and Chief Feature Writer on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, winning Highly Commended in the Feature Writer of the Year category of the 1997 Press Gazette Regional Press Awards.
I loved working on regional newspapers but by 1998 my features were getting too long and the urge to write a novel had become too great so I left my staff job to write my first novel and work as a freelance journalist. I have written for The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Times Educational Supplement, The Big Issue, Wanderlust and Community Care Magazine. I’ve also had a short story published in Best magazine
I found the writing and working from home a very solitary process so also worked as co-ordinator of the Birmingham Bureau of Children’s Express, a national charity which runs a learning through journalism programme for young people and taught journalism to schoolchildren for the National Academy of Writing. After I moved north in 2001 I qualified as an adult education tutor and taught creative writing classes to students aged between 18 and 82 for the Workers Educational Association across Calderdale, West Yorkshire.
After more than a hundred rejections from agents for my first novel (and more rewrites than I care to remember) I finally got an agent but still couldn’t get a publisher. I started work on my second novel I DID A BAD THING in 2003, finished the first draft and gave birth to my son Rohan in 2004, rewrote the novel and got a new agent in 2005, obtained a two-book deal with Headline Review in 2006.
I Did a Bad Thing was published in paperback in October 2007, made the top thirty official fiction bestsellers list (and number 3 in Tesco!) and has so far sold more than 77,000 copies. 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love was published in paperback in March 2009, reached no 22 in the official fiction bestseller charts (and no 4 in Tesco) and has so far sold more than 80,000 copies. Both novels were also long-listed for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award.
Following the success of my first two novels I got another two-book deal from Headline Review, with Things I Wish I'd Known being the first of these. I am currently working on my fourth novel.
I enjoy travelling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 542 reviews
July 14, 2017
I have come across some very interesting subject themes and plots in my time as an avid reader then a reviewer for the past 7 years, this one will stand out in my memory as one that I have enjoyed so much I was either talking about it or anxious to get back to my Kindle to read more of it.
I actually read this in one day by the aide of sync on my Ipad and Iphone. I either had one in my hand or another whilst waiting in the car, waiting at the doctors, waiting for supper to cook.
I was glued.
Jess Mount is 22 years old. She lives a nice relatively quiet life with her dad. Her Mother passed away and Jess found this hard to deal with, she had a bit of a breakdown.
Sadie is Jess best friend, she is strong, loyal and loves Jess to bits very supportive and protective of her.
This is the age of cyberland, social media at its best. Namely, Facebook.
Whilst Jess posts normal stuff to her wall, there is something tragically puzzlingly wrong.
Her Facebook posts have skipped forward 18months, how can that happen? You can't go forward. This happens after she meets Lee, Mr Perfect.
She is now living side by side with Facebook, each time logging on to see her future unfolding.
Its unsettling, its made her anxious, of course it has, is this for real? Or is she having another breakdown.
She shows Sadie, only Sadie can't see it. No screen shots, nothing will show it up as proof.
Lee seems to be the perfect boyfriend, pays her lots of attention, compliments, kind, giving and supportive. Hes everything she needs right now.
But....
alongside this is the revelation that she is dead, yes DEAD. On facebook at least. What's happening, who is doing this, how could this happen, is she going mad?
Tributes from her Father
Heartfelt pour outs from Sadie, its all there. But how did she die.
This plays on her mind all the time. She refuses to look at her Facebook wall. But come on, its tempting right? Even if it scares you witless.
I just had to keep on reading and reading, who or what is happening and is this really going to happen to her?
I got so annoyed at Jess, I wanted her to just see what was happening in front of her eyes as the story unfolded. I wanted to grab her and shake her WAKE UP....
You can change this, you do have the power to change this.
I enjoyed this so much its shot up my charts of what I have read this year, for sure.
My thanks to Quercus Books via Net Galley for my early copy.
I actually read this in one day by the aide of sync on my Ipad and Iphone. I either had one in my hand or another whilst waiting in the car, waiting at the doctors, waiting for supper to cook.
I was glued.
Jess Mount is 22 years old. She lives a nice relatively quiet life with her dad. Her Mother passed away and Jess found this hard to deal with, she had a bit of a breakdown.
Sadie is Jess best friend, she is strong, loyal and loves Jess to bits very supportive and protective of her.
This is the age of cyberland, social media at its best. Namely, Facebook.
Whilst Jess posts normal stuff to her wall, there is something tragically puzzlingly wrong.
Her Facebook posts have skipped forward 18months, how can that happen? You can't go forward. This happens after she meets Lee, Mr Perfect.
She is now living side by side with Facebook, each time logging on to see her future unfolding.
Its unsettling, its made her anxious, of course it has, is this for real? Or is she having another breakdown.
She shows Sadie, only Sadie can't see it. No screen shots, nothing will show it up as proof.
Lee seems to be the perfect boyfriend, pays her lots of attention, compliments, kind, giving and supportive. Hes everything she needs right now.
But....
alongside this is the revelation that she is dead, yes DEAD. On facebook at least. What's happening, who is doing this, how could this happen, is she going mad?
Tributes from her Father
Heartfelt pour outs from Sadie, its all there. But how did she die.
This plays on her mind all the time. She refuses to look at her Facebook wall. But come on, its tempting right? Even if it scares you witless.
I just had to keep on reading and reading, who or what is happening and is this really going to happen to her?
I got so annoyed at Jess, I wanted her to just see what was happening in front of her eyes as the story unfolded. I wanted to grab her and shake her WAKE UP....
You can change this, you do have the power to change this.
I enjoyed this so much its shot up my charts of what I have read this year, for sure.
My thanks to Quercus Books via Net Galley for my early copy.
October 20, 2017
I listened to this book on audible and really enjoyed it. Only problem was the narrator was so slow.. so I had to speed it up to 1.5!
June 29, 2017
This is the kind of story that keeps me up at night and gives me nightmares because I can’t stop thinking about it and it roots itself firmly into my pea-sized brain!
Imagine waking up one morning, checking Facebook, and seeing posts on your timeline dated 18 months from now, from people utterly heartbroken because you passed away. Now, I don’t know about you but a) I’d rather not know upfront about my untimely demise and b) even if I did, I would most likely do whatever it took to postpone said unfortunate event. But our main character, Jess, realises that if she tries to change the future, her baby son will never be born.
What a genius idea for a plot! That in itself already blew my mind. I was glued to the pages and completely engrossed. For the first time ever, I had to resist the urge to flip to the last page to see how this story would end. I was that curious and impatient. It’s like a whodunnit with a difference and incredibly compelling.
I love that the reader gets to know Jess before these Facebook posts start. I warmed to her immediately. She has a wonderful sense of humour and many a moment between her and her best friend, Sadie, made me chuckle. The transformation Jess goes through after the Facebook posts is that much more interesting because you know the kind of person she used to be. But despite the lighter moments, this book deals with some serious topics that I won’t mention to avoid spoiling it for everyone else.
The author mentions a reviewer in her acknowledgements who vowed never to pick up any of her books again. This is the second book I’ve read by Linda Green and unlike that reviewer, I’ll definitely be picking up another one!
Imagine waking up one morning, checking Facebook, and seeing posts on your timeline dated 18 months from now, from people utterly heartbroken because you passed away. Now, I don’t know about you but a) I’d rather not know upfront about my untimely demise and b) even if I did, I would most likely do whatever it took to postpone said unfortunate event. But our main character, Jess, realises that if she tries to change the future, her baby son will never be born.
What a genius idea for a plot! That in itself already blew my mind. I was glued to the pages and completely engrossed. For the first time ever, I had to resist the urge to flip to the last page to see how this story would end. I was that curious and impatient. It’s like a whodunnit with a difference and incredibly compelling.
I love that the reader gets to know Jess before these Facebook posts start. I warmed to her immediately. She has a wonderful sense of humour and many a moment between her and her best friend, Sadie, made me chuckle. The transformation Jess goes through after the Facebook posts is that much more interesting because you know the kind of person she used to be. But despite the lighter moments, this book deals with some serious topics that I won’t mention to avoid spoiling it for everyone else.
The author mentions a reviewer in her acknowledgements who vowed never to pick up any of her books again. This is the second book I’ve read by Linda Green and unlike that reviewer, I’ll definitely be picking up another one!
June 23, 2017
This is the nightmare scenario of the digital age! You log into Facebook and find memorial posts in your honour 18 months in the future!! But nobody else can see them! Are you going mad?! Is this a new form of Cyber Bullying? Jess finds herself in this exact predicament and it makes for some very nervy reading as her story unfolds.
Jess is your typical 20 something! Loving life working with her BFF Sadie at the local cinema, living a simple life with her Dad whilst missing her mum who she sadly lost a few years earlier - and she's feisty and very funny! I loved her attitude at the start of the book! Standing up for herself and her life seemed to be perfect, especially when a man she met on the train buys her flowers!
And then things change! The new man in her life, Lee, seems to be the perfect guy! Good looking and attentive and she seems to be living the dream! And then the Facebook posts appear! Of how her friends and family are missing her since her death, how her son is missing her, how her perfect wedding seems such a long time ago....... it can't be real surely?! And if you saw posts from the future, how does that change the way you behave?! Trying to figure out how she died begins to play on her mind and she has nobody to turn to for help. Things begin to happen in her life that she seemingly has no control over no matter how hard she tries to alter and this tension really adds to the intrigue with this story.
But as things unfold it became very clear as a reader that things were just not adding up and my initial fascination with the future posts began to disappear and my connection with Jess fell apart as she became a completely different character, quick to forget about family and friends and quite selfish. Certain aspects of the storyline were never really explained and it all became a little rushed towards the end.
I liked the way it tackled a very sensitive topic in a completely different way although I'm not sure it worked as well as the character still made the same mistakes as others do in her position and I was just left wondering if knowing the future took away a key element in the impact on the reader as the plot was revealed. All I wanted to do was just shout at Jess and make her wake up to herself!!
I found the first half of the book to be really well paced and full of intrigue but just felt it a shame the 2nd half didn't quite live up to the same standard. Was still a really interesting read though and one very current with the use of social media and how we are quick to rely on it - good and bad!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced e-copy in return for a fair and honest review.
Jess is your typical 20 something! Loving life working with her BFF Sadie at the local cinema, living a simple life with her Dad whilst missing her mum who she sadly lost a few years earlier - and she's feisty and very funny! I loved her attitude at the start of the book! Standing up for herself and her life seemed to be perfect, especially when a man she met on the train buys her flowers!
And then things change! The new man in her life, Lee, seems to be the perfect guy! Good looking and attentive and she seems to be living the dream! And then the Facebook posts appear! Of how her friends and family are missing her since her death, how her son is missing her, how her perfect wedding seems such a long time ago....... it can't be real surely?! And if you saw posts from the future, how does that change the way you behave?! Trying to figure out how she died begins to play on her mind and she has nobody to turn to for help. Things begin to happen in her life that she seemingly has no control over no matter how hard she tries to alter and this tension really adds to the intrigue with this story.
But as things unfold it became very clear as a reader that things were just not adding up and my initial fascination with the future posts began to disappear and my connection with Jess fell apart as she became a completely different character, quick to forget about family and friends and quite selfish. Certain aspects of the storyline were never really explained and it all became a little rushed towards the end.
I liked the way it tackled a very sensitive topic in a completely different way although I'm not sure it worked as well as the character still made the same mistakes as others do in her position and I was just left wondering if knowing the future took away a key element in the impact on the reader as the plot was revealed. All I wanted to do was just shout at Jess and make her wake up to herself!!
I found the first half of the book to be really well paced and full of intrigue but just felt it a shame the 2nd half didn't quite live up to the same standard. Was still a really interesting read though and one very current with the use of social media and how we are quick to rely on it - good and bad!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced e-copy in return for a fair and honest review.
April 23, 2024
This book on one hand follows the love story of Jess - a feisty, take-no-prisoners, kind of girl in her early 20s - and Lee, a little older, working in PR, sophisticated and relatively well-off. And at first it seems like an amazing, whirlwind romance but suddenly Jess starts to see strange posts on Facebook, dated 18 months in the future, full of outpourings of grief. What shocks her is that her friends and family are grieving for her death. In their posts she can see the remains of her life mapped out before her - marriage, a beautiful baby and then, suddenly, a brutal, and possibly suspicious death. But no-one else can see the posts, she can't even take a screen shot or photo of them: is she losing her mind? She has a history of mental health problems - having a breakdown after the death of her beloved mother when she was just 15 - but she is sure that this message from the future is real.
This book touches on issues of parental love, domestic violence, public mourning via social media and mental health. It certainly made me think about whether the course of our lives is fixed. Do we move blindly into our future or can we shape it ourselves? Even as the book drew to its conclusion I couldn't tell if Jess would succumb to the life that Facebook was showing her or whether she would find the strength to fight for herself and for her beloved baby.
This book touches on issues of parental love, domestic violence, public mourning via social media and mental health. It certainly made me think about whether the course of our lives is fixed. Do we move blindly into our future or can we shape it ourselves? Even as the book drew to its conclusion I couldn't tell if Jess would succumb to the life that Facebook was showing her or whether she would find the strength to fight for herself and for her beloved baby.
March 5, 2018
This novel had an intriguing premise and it was that which initially drew me to the story. The idea is that in January, Jess Mount finds her timeline on Facebook appears to have skipped ahead 18 months. But that is not the most alarming thing. For her family and friends are posting tributes to her after her death. How can that be? Is it an online prank? Or is this showing her what is to come? In among the posts are photos of her son, who has not even been conceived in the current time. Can she change her fate? If she does what about the life of her son or will that child never exist? And what about Lee, the guy she ends up me a relationship with? How does he fit into this picture?
The novel relies a lot on Facebook and social media which is so much a part of many people’s world now. As seems to be the trend these days the story is peppered with the f word and a couple of sex scenes. It raises some questions designed to keep the reader guessing about Jess, her mental state and the past. The book deals with issues like domestic violence, how women get taken in by an abuser and why they stay in such a relationship.
I found this a reasonably easy, interesting read, and was curious to see how it would play out and be resolved even though I wasn’t overly enamoured with any of the characters , that included Jess, Lee, and Lee’s mother Angela. However the ending in my opinion was a cop out, for reasons which I can’t explain without giving too much away. It seems the author was aware this could be an issue for she raises in as the first of her book club questions at the end of the book. Other people may not think it is important that not all the questions are answered. But, for me it was a deal breaker that pulled my rating down.
The novel relies a lot on Facebook and social media which is so much a part of many people’s world now. As seems to be the trend these days the story is peppered with the f word and a couple of sex scenes. It raises some questions designed to keep the reader guessing about Jess, her mental state and the past. The book deals with issues like domestic violence, how women get taken in by an abuser and why they stay in such a relationship.
I found this a reasonably easy, interesting read, and was curious to see how it would play out and be resolved even though I wasn’t overly enamoured with any of the characters , that included Jess, Lee, and Lee’s mother Angela. However the ending in my opinion was a cop out, for reasons which I can’t explain without giving too much away. It seems the author was aware this could be an issue for she raises in as the first of her book club questions at the end of the book. Other people may not think it is important that not all the questions are answered. But, for me it was a deal breaker that pulled my rating down.
December 14, 2017
I've actually had an ARC of this for quite some time but wasn't sure if I'd like it so I kept passing it by in my endless TBR stack. I was afraid I wouldn't buy the whole receiving Facebook posts from the future only to find out that you, will not only be married with child, but also dead in 18 months time.
Our main character Jess lost her Mom when she was just 16 to cancer and she has a bit of a break down after that requires a brief hospitalization.
At 22 Jess is a bit snarky and not all that fancy. She prefers leggings and Doc Martins to silk and heels. Yet at a train station a very handsome man strikes up a conversation with her and from here a relationship instantly develops. After their first date Jess goes home and does what every 22 year old girl would do and logs into Facebook only to see, to her surprise, that she has gotten married to Lee and has had a child. But even more horrifying it appears that Jess has been killed in an accident. When checking the dates of the posts they are 18 months in the future. When she tries to show her best friend they magically disappear. Jess is beginning to wonder if she's having another breakdown.
Lee seems like a dream come true. Fancy dinners, fancy clothes, fancy vacations. What more could a girl ask for? Only Jess always feels like she doesn't quite measure up. Her low self-confidence has her constantly questioning what he see's in her.
She meets Lee's mother, Angela, and while she seems nice there is just something a bit off that Jess can't quite put her finger on. Meanwhile, the Facebook posts keep coming in and they seem to be warning her of her tragic future. Is Lee the knight in shining armor she thought him to be or does he have more sinister intentions?
I'll admit that I enjoyed this far more than I was expecting. I found this to be a very emotional read. I also lost my Mom to cancer and maybe that is why I would find myself weepy at times. Not to mention Jess, her Dad Joe, and her best friend Sadie are amazing characters. I felt an emotional connection to each of them and felt as if I could feel their individual pain.
My thoughts on the ending that you can read if you choose to below:
I would like to than NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Our main character Jess lost her Mom when she was just 16 to cancer and she has a bit of a break down after that requires a brief hospitalization.
At 22 Jess is a bit snarky and not all that fancy. She prefers leggings and Doc Martins to silk and heels. Yet at a train station a very handsome man strikes up a conversation with her and from here a relationship instantly develops. After their first date Jess goes home and does what every 22 year old girl would do and logs into Facebook only to see, to her surprise, that she has gotten married to Lee and has had a child. But even more horrifying it appears that Jess has been killed in an accident. When checking the dates of the posts they are 18 months in the future. When she tries to show her best friend they magically disappear. Jess is beginning to wonder if she's having another breakdown.
Lee seems like a dream come true. Fancy dinners, fancy clothes, fancy vacations. What more could a girl ask for? Only Jess always feels like she doesn't quite measure up. Her low self-confidence has her constantly questioning what he see's in her.
She meets Lee's mother, Angela, and while she seems nice there is just something a bit off that Jess can't quite put her finger on. Meanwhile, the Facebook posts keep coming in and they seem to be warning her of her tragic future. Is Lee the knight in shining armor she thought him to be or does he have more sinister intentions?
I'll admit that I enjoyed this far more than I was expecting. I found this to be a very emotional read. I also lost my Mom to cancer and maybe that is why I would find myself weepy at times. Not to mention Jess, her Dad Joe, and her best friend Sadie are amazing characters. I felt an emotional connection to each of them and felt as if I could feel their individual pain.
My thoughts on the ending that you can read if you choose to below:
I would like to than NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 27, 2017
Twenty two year old Jess has found herself caught up in a living nightmare.She has just discovered condolence messages on her Facebook timeline from her Dad,her bff Sadie and other family members and people that she knows.It seems that in eighteen months time Jess will be killed in an accident.Is this a cruel online prank or a glimpse into her actual future?.
Amongst the posts are pictures of a gorgeous baby boy that she has not yet conceived.When the posts reveal that Jess`s death might not have been an accident after all,she finds herself caught in a confusing dilemma.If she changes the future to save her own life then the baby that she has fallen so deeply in love with Will never exist.
At the start of the story our heroine Jess is a very likeable character who has a wicked sense of humour and I loved the interactions between her and Sadie.As the story unfolds and she struggles of understand and believe what the posts are revealing and with other things that are happening in her life,the changes in her behaviour are scary and realistic.As a reader you like to try and sympathize with the main character but considering what she knew was going to happen,some of her actions were incredibly frustrating.
The story flowed well considering it was narrated by more than one character and set in the past,present day and the future.I liked the unique idea of using posts on Jess`s timeline to narrate the parts set in the future.The cast were a mixed bag of well developed,some likeable,some not so likeable characters although one character did redeem themselves a bit by the end of the story.
I thought the first part of the story was very intense and intreguing and my favourite parts of the book were the timeline chapters.Once a certain character is introduced its not hard to work out where the path of Jess`s life is going.Some elements of the story are left unexplained but then not everything in life is explainable.It's not a fast paced story but some parts are tense and intreguing.This is the first book that I have read by this author and it most definitely won't be my last.
Many thanks to publishers Quercus for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
Amongst the posts are pictures of a gorgeous baby boy that she has not yet conceived.When the posts reveal that Jess`s death might not have been an accident after all,she finds herself caught in a confusing dilemma.If she changes the future to save her own life then the baby that she has fallen so deeply in love with Will never exist.
At the start of the story our heroine Jess is a very likeable character who has a wicked sense of humour and I loved the interactions between her and Sadie.As the story unfolds and she struggles of understand and believe what the posts are revealing and with other things that are happening in her life,the changes in her behaviour are scary and realistic.As a reader you like to try and sympathize with the main character but considering what she knew was going to happen,some of her actions were incredibly frustrating.
The story flowed well considering it was narrated by more than one character and set in the past,present day and the future.I liked the unique idea of using posts on Jess`s timeline to narrate the parts set in the future.The cast were a mixed bag of well developed,some likeable,some not so likeable characters although one character did redeem themselves a bit by the end of the story.
I thought the first part of the story was very intense and intreguing and my favourite parts of the book were the timeline chapters.Once a certain character is introduced its not hard to work out where the path of Jess`s life is going.Some elements of the story are left unexplained but then not everything in life is explainable.It's not a fast paced story but some parts are tense and intreguing.This is the first book that I have read by this author and it most definitely won't be my last.
Many thanks to publishers Quercus for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
January 3, 2018
This book gripped me like a vice. One of the most enjoyable pageturning psycho thrillers I've read this year.
July 24, 2017
"You Have Eighteen Months Left To Live!"
This is the message that Jess Mount reads when she opens her Facebook page and even worse......only she can see it!
Jess is working at the local cinema with her best friend Sadie, she is grieving the loss of her mum and has a very close relationship with her dad. She thinks her life has turned around when she meets the handsome Lee and they start a relationship. However, the message on her social media page continues to update with more information about Jess's sad demise and that time is approaching, fast.
Is this her mind playing tricks or is there someone responsible for a cruel hoax?
As the days pass, and the date of her death comes closer, Jess becomes aware from the social media post that a baby features in her future. If she tries to change the outcome of her life she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice
Lee is charming and sweeps Jess off her feet in the beginning only to subtly change over time to a controlling and bitter man.His mother defends the actions of her son, which makes you question if there is a reason from the past which would explain his behaviour.
Jess's dad and best friend are a good support network but even they remain vaguely disconnected and oblivious to what is happening, and you desperately want one of them to step up and help,
The book first contains the genre of romance, which quickly leads to a murder mystery with glimpses of supernatural throughout. The social media aspect is a unique and compelling storyline. Just imagine opening your own Facebook page to see an outpouring of grief from your loved ones following your death, which is eighteen months in the future.
After I've Gone highlights controversial subjects in a sympathetic way. It is a good example of how the deeply strong bond of love can overrule the brains messages when mental health is compromised.
I was desperate to finish the book and find out the conclusion, but bereft that the story had come to an end. It is not often that a book makes you think so deeply about the path your life can take. There are not many books I would describe as 'unforgettable' but this is one of them.
A gripping read, which turned quite chilling and sinister at times, Linda Green does not disappoint with this book and I will be eagerly awaiting her next publication.
After I've Gone is published in paperback on 27th July 2017 by Quercus.
About the author, LINDA GREEN
Her previous novel While My Eyes Were Closed was a previous bestseller about a four-year-old girl who goes missing during a game of hide-and-seek. She has always loved writing and was an award winning journalist before she became an author.
She comes from West Yorkshire and names Margaret Attwood as her favourite author and likes listening to Adele. Two of her least favourite things are candyfloss and tan coloured tights.
I was sent this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This is the message that Jess Mount reads when she opens her Facebook page and even worse......only she can see it!
Jess is working at the local cinema with her best friend Sadie, she is grieving the loss of her mum and has a very close relationship with her dad. She thinks her life has turned around when she meets the handsome Lee and they start a relationship. However, the message on her social media page continues to update with more information about Jess's sad demise and that time is approaching, fast.
Is this her mind playing tricks or is there someone responsible for a cruel hoax?
As the days pass, and the date of her death comes closer, Jess becomes aware from the social media post that a baby features in her future. If she tries to change the outcome of her life she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice
Lee is charming and sweeps Jess off her feet in the beginning only to subtly change over time to a controlling and bitter man.His mother defends the actions of her son, which makes you question if there is a reason from the past which would explain his behaviour.
Jess's dad and best friend are a good support network but even they remain vaguely disconnected and oblivious to what is happening, and you desperately want one of them to step up and help,
The book first contains the genre of romance, which quickly leads to a murder mystery with glimpses of supernatural throughout. The social media aspect is a unique and compelling storyline. Just imagine opening your own Facebook page to see an outpouring of grief from your loved ones following your death, which is eighteen months in the future.
After I've Gone highlights controversial subjects in a sympathetic way. It is a good example of how the deeply strong bond of love can overrule the brains messages when mental health is compromised.
I was desperate to finish the book and find out the conclusion, but bereft that the story had come to an end. It is not often that a book makes you think so deeply about the path your life can take. There are not many books I would describe as 'unforgettable' but this is one of them.
A gripping read, which turned quite chilling and sinister at times, Linda Green does not disappoint with this book and I will be eagerly awaiting her next publication.
After I've Gone is published in paperback on 27th July 2017 by Quercus.
About the author, LINDA GREEN
Her previous novel While My Eyes Were Closed was a previous bestseller about a four-year-old girl who goes missing during a game of hide-and-seek. She has always loved writing and was an award winning journalist before she became an author.
She comes from West Yorkshire and names Margaret Attwood as her favourite author and likes listening to Adele. Two of her least favourite things are candyfloss and tan coloured tights.
I was sent this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
July 21, 2017
ARC from Netgalley.
This book has a great concept, but the whole thing didn't really hang together for me. The facebook posts felt contrived, especially as the book tries to make them look like facebook posts, complete with dates and times and the profile picture of the person posting. It wasn't that I didn't believe people would
I felt that the story was very predictable. Oh, sure, there was a twist at the end, but even that was something that was signposted a long time before. There were also very large plot-holes - not just the facebook messages, but things like
The bookclub questions at the end seem to suggest that the reader is supposed to be left not knowing whether the facebook posts are really from the future or whether it's all in Jess's mind, but if this was part of what the author was trying to achieve, I don't think it has worked. The progress of the story hangs on the reader's acceptance of the reality of these posts. Without them, Jess would not have known about the
All of that said, the writing was very good in places, and I really did love the concept. I just wish the execution hadn't been so disappointing.
This book has a great concept, but the whole thing didn't really hang together for me. The facebook posts felt contrived, especially as the book tries to make them look like facebook posts, complete with dates and times and the profile picture of the person posting. It wasn't that I didn't believe people would
I felt that the story was very predictable. Oh, sure, there was a twist at the end, but even that was something that was signposted a long time before. There were also very large plot-holes - not just the facebook messages, but things like
The bookclub questions at the end seem to suggest that the reader is supposed to be left not knowing whether the facebook posts are really from the future or whether it's all in Jess's mind, but if this was part of what the author was trying to achieve, I don't think it has worked. The progress of the story hangs on the reader's acceptance of the reality of these posts. Without them, Jess would not have known about the
All of that said, the writing was very good in places, and I really did love the concept. I just wish the execution hadn't been so disappointing.
July 30, 2017
Review can also be found at:
https://overtherainbowbookblog.wordpr...
I really enjoyed this book, it will definitely be on my list as one of the best books I have read this year. I was drawn into the story straight away and found it very hard to put down. The author has a great style that just flows beautifully which makes it very easy to read.
I absolutely loved the main character Jess. She is feisty, independent and just seems to really enjoy life. I liked that she seemed really human and that she had flaws which did cause her some problems in her day to day life. It was quite poignant to read about her past problems and to see her struggle with her choices for the future. At times these struggles were almost tangible and you really felt for her with the decisions she had to make.
The story was quite realistic, especially as it involved the use of social media which we all know the dangers of and are aware of what some people might be capable of on it. The inclusion of Facebook status’s, complete with profile pictures, helped to bring the story to life and seem more realistic.
This isn’t a fast paced, twisty thriller it’s a lot more subtle than that. The author reveals the clues slowly giving the reader plenty of time to get to know the characters. You get a feeling early on that something is not quite right and this general feeling of unease builds up to a brilliant, climatic ending!
I did guess fairly early on who had killed Jess but I think this was actually the authors intention and if anything actually added to my enjoyment of the book as I willed Jess to figure it out and have the happy ending I felt she deserved.
I think this book would be perfect for fans of The Girl Before and One Little Mistake as I felt the styles were similar, though it would suit anyone who loves just a great book with a fabulous story line!
This is the first book by Linda Green but it definitely won’t be the last and I will look forward to reading more from her in the future!
https://overtherainbowbookblog.wordpr...
I really enjoyed this book, it will definitely be on my list as one of the best books I have read this year. I was drawn into the story straight away and found it very hard to put down. The author has a great style that just flows beautifully which makes it very easy to read.
I absolutely loved the main character Jess. She is feisty, independent and just seems to really enjoy life. I liked that she seemed really human and that she had flaws which did cause her some problems in her day to day life. It was quite poignant to read about her past problems and to see her struggle with her choices for the future. At times these struggles were almost tangible and you really felt for her with the decisions she had to make.
The story was quite realistic, especially as it involved the use of social media which we all know the dangers of and are aware of what some people might be capable of on it. The inclusion of Facebook status’s, complete with profile pictures, helped to bring the story to life and seem more realistic.
This isn’t a fast paced, twisty thriller it’s a lot more subtle than that. The author reveals the clues slowly giving the reader plenty of time to get to know the characters. You get a feeling early on that something is not quite right and this general feeling of unease builds up to a brilliant, climatic ending!
I did guess fairly early on who had killed Jess but I think this was actually the authors intention and if anything actually added to my enjoyment of the book as I willed Jess to figure it out and have the happy ending I felt she deserved.
I think this book would be perfect for fans of The Girl Before and One Little Mistake as I felt the styles were similar, though it would suit anyone who loves just a great book with a fabulous story line!
This is the first book by Linda Green but it definitely won’t be the last and I will look forward to reading more from her in the future!
July 7, 2017
This book resonated with me so much. I got married at 20 to a man 10 years older than me, suffered abuse (verbal and emotional rather than physical in the book) and had a child before finding a way to leave. Jess, is 22 suffers physical abuse and thanks to the weird Facebook messages knows she will have a child but die at the husbands hand rather than leave. She chooses to carry on with the relationship knowing what will happen to ensure the baby is born. It made me think. Knowing what I do now if I could tell my past self what happens would I still go through with it? Being a mother is a powerful thing. As is mentioned in the book a few times there's nothing a mother wouldn't do for their child. I can totally identify and understand her actions.
Everything in this book is wonderfully woven together, the story broken up by Facebook messages from Jess' dad, best friend and future mother-in-law. As well as Jess' own story we get bits of story of the mother in laws life I wondered at first the point but it very quickly becomes apparent. Another victim of abuse, with her own ending to share which becomes a very important plot point towards the end.
I just loved everything about this book. Based in 2016 and includes very on point mentions of the mass of celeb deaths we had last year mean whenever you read this book (and you should) it will always be easy to picture the timelines. it's an excellent read and a strong thumbs up
Free arc from netgalley
Out now
September 3, 2017
This is a surprise book I recently received from Hachette. I knew nothing about it, had never read anything by this author, and was a bit confused about the cover because it didn't seem to fit the blurb. But, I'm a sucker for a good thriller and am always willing to give books with an interesting concept a chance.
I picked it up the other day to get a taste and before I realised it, I was several chapters in. And wanted to keep reading because I loved the narrator's voice. After that, I was hooked!
Now, let's talk about the story.
Jess Mount leads a simple life. She's twenty-two and still lives at home with her father. She works at a cinema with her childhood best friend. And she doesn't take shit from assholes. So when she meets Lee, a nice looking older guy who is totally into her, she gets swept off her feet.
It doesn't take long for her to get excited about where her life is heading with her new boyfriend. He's charming, has a good job and buys her nice things. She's totally smitten. But when she stumbles on a bunch of Facebook future messages from friends and family missing her after her death, her life is turned upside down.
Now Jess is living in the present while sampling a bleak future. The only positive is finding out she has a son. A baby she can't wait to meet. Yet, chasing her unborn child means her life starts to spiral out of control, sending her down a one-way road to death...
Wow. What an amazing story!
On the surface, this book comes across like a standard love story gone wrong. The tale of a woman who falls in love so hard and fast that she's blinded to the obvious truth. But it's so much more. It's also the story of a headstrong young woman who is happily coasting through an uncomplicated life because of the scars losing her mother at a young age left behind.
The story was interesting enough when Jess is telling it, but the addition of Angela gave everything an even better perspective. Not to mention that the future Facebook messages add a suspenseful narrative to the already bleak events slowly unfolding. And catching glimpses of a much younger Jess helped get inside her head.
I also loved how Jess was a huge Harry Potter fan and that she loved movies. Her friendship with Sadie was touching, and her relationship with her father is so sweet. Not to mention how well some of the 2016 shocking celebrity deaths were included in the narrative. All of this added an even deeper level of sadness to an already emotionally-heavy story.
After I've Gone hooked me in from the very beginning. It was so addictive I struggled to put it down. I just wanted to keep reading, to find out what was going to happen next. And it didn't disappoint. From start to finish, there isn't a dull moment because the writing is exceptional.
I loved this book. A lot. Even when I was frustrated about where things were going. Even when I was scared about what was going to happen next. And even as the true horror of abuse darkened every page and filled me with so much sadness.
This is a very powerful book, and I'm very glad to have read it. Thank you, Hachette Australia, for sending me a copy.
I picked it up the other day to get a taste and before I realised it, I was several chapters in. And wanted to keep reading because I loved the narrator's voice. After that, I was hooked!
Now, let's talk about the story.
Jess Mount leads a simple life. She's twenty-two and still lives at home with her father. She works at a cinema with her childhood best friend. And she doesn't take shit from assholes. So when she meets Lee, a nice looking older guy who is totally into her, she gets swept off her feet.
It doesn't take long for her to get excited about where her life is heading with her new boyfriend. He's charming, has a good job and buys her nice things. She's totally smitten. But when she stumbles on a bunch of Facebook future messages from friends and family missing her after her death, her life is turned upside down.
Now Jess is living in the present while sampling a bleak future. The only positive is finding out she has a son. A baby she can't wait to meet. Yet, chasing her unborn child means her life starts to spiral out of control, sending her down a one-way road to death...
Wow. What an amazing story!
On the surface, this book comes across like a standard love story gone wrong. The tale of a woman who falls in love so hard and fast that she's blinded to the obvious truth. But it's so much more. It's also the story of a headstrong young woman who is happily coasting through an uncomplicated life because of the scars losing her mother at a young age left behind.
The story was interesting enough when Jess is telling it, but the addition of Angela gave everything an even better perspective. Not to mention that the future Facebook messages add a suspenseful narrative to the already bleak events slowly unfolding. And catching glimpses of a much younger Jess helped get inside her head.
I also loved how Jess was a huge Harry Potter fan and that she loved movies. Her friendship with Sadie was touching, and her relationship with her father is so sweet. Not to mention how well some of the 2016 shocking celebrity deaths were included in the narrative. All of this added an even deeper level of sadness to an already emotionally-heavy story.
After I've Gone hooked me in from the very beginning. It was so addictive I struggled to put it down. I just wanted to keep reading, to find out what was going to happen next. And it didn't disappoint. From start to finish, there isn't a dull moment because the writing is exceptional.
I loved this book. A lot. Even when I was frustrated about where things were going. Even when I was scared about what was going to happen next. And even as the true horror of abuse darkened every page and filled me with so much sadness.
This is a very powerful book, and I'm very glad to have read it. Thank you, Hachette Australia, for sending me a copy.
September 22, 2017
Half-way decent holiday read. I originally rated this three stars because I got through it pretty quick, but more things keep coming to me that I really didn't like about this novel. Too many for three stars.
Jess seems to think love is all about how impressed she is by someone showering her with expensive gifts and holidays. There is very little substance to her relationship with Lee, I didn't understand it at all and hence didn't understand why she continued to see him, even though she was desperate to make sure her baby existed.
A pretty easy beach read, though.
Jess seems to think love is all about how impressed she is by someone showering her with expensive gifts and holidays. There is very little substance to her relationship with Lee, I didn't understand it at all and hence didn't understand why she continued to see him, even though she was desperate to make sure her baby existed.
A pretty easy beach read, though.
July 6, 2017
Probably closer to a 4.5* rating.
I was hooked from the start and didn't want to put it down.
The book was nothing ground breaking in the genre (psych thriller? What's the term for the last crime/drama pageturners?). But it kept me entertained.
Recommended.
I was hooked from the start and didn't want to put it down.
The book was nothing ground breaking in the genre (psych thriller? What's the term for the last crime/drama pageturners?). But it kept me entertained.
Recommended.
January 25, 2018
Love Jess Mount, Joe and Sadie. A beautiful story.
December 31, 2017
Hooked from the first few lines, I realised this was going to be a fabulous book and I wasn't in the slightest bit disappointed.
In a rather strange turn of events, Jess discovers she can view facebook posts from the future, 18 months time to be precise, of friends and family mourning her death.
As time goes on we see what appears to be a dual time line story as Jess struggles to work out what do do about all the future information she is seeing about herself, while at the same time, setting in motion what appears to be the same chain of events that will lead to her downfall.
If that sounds confusing, then don't worry as it isn't and the author is far more eloquent than Iam and everything just works incredibly well.
This was compulsive unputdownable storytelling at its finest, and a bit different to other books I've read in the genre. It isn't the first book I've read by Linda Green, but it is the first I've read since she changed genres and thankfully she is just as good if not better with this sort of book.
I loved every second of this story and was open mouthed in shock at the end of it. Clearly well researched it deals with tricky topics in a sensitive manner, not overtyl shocking, but in ways that you feel a great deal of sympathy for Jess.
Fantastic book that i would happily recommend to anyone that is even slightly intrigued by the blurb.
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
In a rather strange turn of events, Jess discovers she can view facebook posts from the future, 18 months time to be precise, of friends and family mourning her death.
As time goes on we see what appears to be a dual time line story as Jess struggles to work out what do do about all the future information she is seeing about herself, while at the same time, setting in motion what appears to be the same chain of events that will lead to her downfall.
If that sounds confusing, then don't worry as it isn't and the author is far more eloquent than Iam and everything just works incredibly well.
This was compulsive unputdownable storytelling at its finest, and a bit different to other books I've read in the genre. It isn't the first book I've read by Linda Green, but it is the first I've read since she changed genres and thankfully she is just as good if not better with this sort of book.
I loved every second of this story and was open mouthed in shock at the end of it. Clearly well researched it deals with tricky topics in a sensitive manner, not overtyl shocking, but in ways that you feel a great deal of sympathy for Jess.
Fantastic book that i would happily recommend to anyone that is even slightly intrigued by the blurb.
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
July 31, 2017
*3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This one stands out due to its current, very creative and refreshing plot idea. Bravo to Linda Green for such an original concept!
I would categorise the book as a suspenseful family drama, which covers the emotional topics of parent / child relationships and what we will do to protect that relationship, mental health, friendship, death and the future to name a few.
We discover from the first few pages of this book that Jess could likely die in a few months, due to the very unique inclusion of some Facebook posts by friends and family to Jess. It is through these Facebook posts, dated 18 months in advance, that we learn bit by bit what could possibly become of Jess.
I loved that the posts displayed a profile picture, providing me with a face to tie up to the character. I also like the idea of still being able to leave Facebook posts on the wall of someone who is no longer with us, even if the communication is one sided, it's a means of communication none the less.
I enjoyed getting to know Jess, and warmed up to her wit and humour from the get go. It made for entertaining reading as we uncover the easy going relationship she had with Sadie, her best friend. The reader then gets to witness Jess' transformation over a short space in time, since she first receives the future-based Facebook posts that only she can see. This drastic personality change bothered me initially, but thinking about it, I suppose in reality, this change probably happens many a time for those in a similar situation.
As much as I enjoyed the book, there were a few kinks in the armour that need mentioning :
- It frustrated me that, although Jess was aware of her possible future, she still allows herself to fall into the same trappings. With her personality, one would've thought she would have done some investigating to set any doubts aside or made some alternative arrangements in order to sidestep her possible fate.
- Jess was selective in what she chose to believe from the Facebook posts, which didn't work that well for me. You don't get to pick and choose the bits that you believe with all your heart, and then hope the bits that you don't like won't affect you.
- Her primary reason for staying in her situation is for her son's sake, so that he would be conceived. Yet even after his conception, she still hangs around.
Despite these issues, it does not take away from the fact that this was an original, entertaining and emotional read that I would recommend to anyone looking for something unique.
Thank you to Netgalley, Linda Green and Quercus for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
This one stands out due to its current, very creative and refreshing plot idea. Bravo to Linda Green for such an original concept!
I would categorise the book as a suspenseful family drama, which covers the emotional topics of parent / child relationships and what we will do to protect that relationship, mental health, friendship, death and the future to name a few.
We discover from the first few pages of this book that Jess could likely die in a few months, due to the very unique inclusion of some Facebook posts by friends and family to Jess. It is through these Facebook posts, dated 18 months in advance, that we learn bit by bit what could possibly become of Jess.
I loved that the posts displayed a profile picture, providing me with a face to tie up to the character. I also like the idea of still being able to leave Facebook posts on the wall of someone who is no longer with us, even if the communication is one sided, it's a means of communication none the less.
I enjoyed getting to know Jess, and warmed up to her wit and humour from the get go. It made for entertaining reading as we uncover the easy going relationship she had with Sadie, her best friend. The reader then gets to witness Jess' transformation over a short space in time, since she first receives the future-based Facebook posts that only she can see. This drastic personality change bothered me initially, but thinking about it, I suppose in reality, this change probably happens many a time for those in a similar situation.
As much as I enjoyed the book, there were a few kinks in the armour that need mentioning :
- It frustrated me that, although Jess was aware of her possible future, she still allows herself to fall into the same trappings. With her personality, one would've thought she would have done some investigating to set any doubts aside or made some alternative arrangements in order to sidestep her possible fate.
- Jess was selective in what she chose to believe from the Facebook posts, which didn't work that well for me. You don't get to pick and choose the bits that you believe with all your heart, and then hope the bits that you don't like won't affect you.
- Her primary reason for staying in her situation is for her son's sake, so that he would be conceived. Yet even after his conception, she still hangs around.
Despite these issues, it does not take away from the fact that this was an original, entertaining and emotional read that I would recommend to anyone looking for something unique.
Thank you to Netgalley, Linda Green and Quercus for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2018
What a strange concept. It started quite well and is very thought provoking, that after one dies, Facebook comments continue. Do they ? But then it got very silly indeed as the comments were more descriptive and detailed. In the end they were all wrong anyway!
It was an OK book and different from what I would normally read but it would be fine for a holiday throwaway.
It was an OK book and different from what I would normally read but it would be fine for a holiday throwaway.
December 29, 2022
This book was so easy to get into, I genuinely couldn’t put it down and was so excited to read it. The story flowed really well, and I wasn’t bored at any point. I loved it but all I’ll say is the ending felt a little rushed, and I thought there would be a huge plot twist but there wasn’t… Enjoyed it though.
November 17, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this review copy.
Jess Mount checks her facebook account one morning and finds that her timeline has skipped forward 18 months. Her friends and family are leaving sympathy messages and tributes on her timeline as it is now the day, 18 months later, that she has died. No one else can see these messages other than Jess. She has no idea what is going on, but it gives her a scary insight into her future – a future where she leaves behind her husband, Lee and her baby son, Harrison. Slowly she begins to realise how she dies in the future and wonders if there is any way to alter this in the present.
I was excited to read this book as I loved the author’s previous book, While My Eyes Were Closed. From reading the blurb, I guessed it was going to be a bit of a weepy, and came at it prepared with tissues! It was at the beginning very sad, but then it slowly started to turn from a ‘weepy, how do people cope after I’ve gone’ book to a ‘oh my god, what the hell is going on’ book. Without giving away any spoilers, as time moves on Jess begins to realise that all is not what it seems with people in her present life. Little snippets of what really happened are given away in messages that she reads from 18 months later and she begins to find out more and more about how she actually dies. The book suddenly turns into a scary, on the edge of your seat thriller. The actual part of the book where the first twist was revealed had me actually saying out loud that I wasn’t expecting that!
The story flows well, alternating between messages from the future, present time and a glimpse of what had happened to Jess in the past. I have to admit, I did feel slightly frustrated with Jess at times to the point of wanting to shout at her when you can see what is happening, she knows what is happening but she still lets it happen!
For me though, the only down side of the book was I felt that things weren’t explained very well and I was left a bit disappointed with the very last chapter. No spoilers again, but I was happy that it ended the way it did, but felt some parts were left hanging – I needed more explanation!! Apart from that, I enjoyed the book and sped through it in a couple of days (which is always a good sign!).
I would definitely recommend, although just be aware that the book might not be all it seems! Oh, and I’m definitely deactivating my facebook account from today…… ;-) ;-) ;-)
Jess Mount checks her facebook account one morning and finds that her timeline has skipped forward 18 months. Her friends and family are leaving sympathy messages and tributes on her timeline as it is now the day, 18 months later, that she has died. No one else can see these messages other than Jess. She has no idea what is going on, but it gives her a scary insight into her future – a future where she leaves behind her husband, Lee and her baby son, Harrison. Slowly she begins to realise how she dies in the future and wonders if there is any way to alter this in the present.
I was excited to read this book as I loved the author’s previous book, While My Eyes Were Closed. From reading the blurb, I guessed it was going to be a bit of a weepy, and came at it prepared with tissues! It was at the beginning very sad, but then it slowly started to turn from a ‘weepy, how do people cope after I’ve gone’ book to a ‘oh my god, what the hell is going on’ book. Without giving away any spoilers, as time moves on Jess begins to realise that all is not what it seems with people in her present life. Little snippets of what really happened are given away in messages that she reads from 18 months later and she begins to find out more and more about how she actually dies. The book suddenly turns into a scary, on the edge of your seat thriller. The actual part of the book where the first twist was revealed had me actually saying out loud that I wasn’t expecting that!
The story flows well, alternating between messages from the future, present time and a glimpse of what had happened to Jess in the past. I have to admit, I did feel slightly frustrated with Jess at times to the point of wanting to shout at her when you can see what is happening, she knows what is happening but she still lets it happen!
For me though, the only down side of the book was I felt that things weren’t explained very well and I was left a bit disappointed with the very last chapter. No spoilers again, but I was happy that it ended the way it did, but felt some parts were left hanging – I needed more explanation!! Apart from that, I enjoyed the book and sped through it in a couple of days (which is always a good sign!).
I would definitely recommend, although just be aware that the book might not be all it seems! Oh, and I’m definitely deactivating my facebook account from today…… ;-) ;-) ;-)
February 12, 2018
Linda Green was an author that was once on my radar but has fallen off in the last few years. Her chic lit books are ones that I immensely enjoyed so when I spotted her name on After I’ve Gone I had to have a look. With the tag line Status Update; You have 18 months to live on the blurb, I was immediately sucked in. Linda has successfully made the move to thriller writer with her latest novel and it is both unique and contemporary. It is enough to say that the themes are most relevant to today, one being technology. Saying more though will be to spoil the story so I’m leaving it at that!
After I’ve Gone is set in Leeds, London with a split timeline. Told in four parts through the eyes of Jess Mount, the timeline alternates between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Other chapters are told through the voice of the mysterious Angela. The majority of the chapters begin with a Facebook message or post which allowed me to get into the heads of the other characters, Jesse’s father and her best friend. Intriguingly the messages and the posts are from 2017 and 2018 (The future!), while Jesse herself begins her story in 2016. Jess’s life has not been an easy one with the death of her mother as a teenager and I felt for her as I gradually learnt about the effects this had on her. While it did colour my view initially of the strange events happening on Facebook I came to one conclusion; How these messages and posts arrived for Jess to read was not important. What was important was what Jess did with this knowledge she had been given. Until the very end, I held my breathe as I hoped and prayed that Jess would make the decision that would change her life.
If this short review has got your attention, my job is done! Get out there and read this thought provoking book any way you can. It will not be what you expect!
After I’ve Gone is set in Leeds, London with a split timeline. Told in four parts through the eyes of Jess Mount, the timeline alternates between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Other chapters are told through the voice of the mysterious Angela. The majority of the chapters begin with a Facebook message or post which allowed me to get into the heads of the other characters, Jesse’s father and her best friend. Intriguingly the messages and the posts are from 2017 and 2018 (The future!), while Jesse herself begins her story in 2016. Jess’s life has not been an easy one with the death of her mother as a teenager and I felt for her as I gradually learnt about the effects this had on her. While it did colour my view initially of the strange events happening on Facebook I came to one conclusion; How these messages and posts arrived for Jess to read was not important. What was important was what Jess did with this knowledge she had been given. Until the very end, I held my breathe as I hoped and prayed that Jess would make the decision that would change her life.
If this short review has got your attention, my job is done! Get out there and read this thought provoking book any way you can. It will not be what you expect!
February 23, 2021
I listened to this book on Audible. The narration was really good by Emmy Rose and Helen Lloyd. I was hooked from the start of this story. What a brilliant concept! The close bond and deep protective love between father and daughter was the thing that struck me most. The shared, impassable, searing grief over the loss of his wife and her mother was what united them both and I as a reader felt that desolation and heartache. Jesse's sisterly bond of love and crazy, friendship with her childhood friend Stacy is an unpenetrable force to be reckoned with. The way this story emerged from the ordinary to the most extraorcinary was exciting and gripping. I'm trying to avoid spoilers by saying this, but I saw what was coming right from the start. That's all I'll say. This is the second book I've read by this Author. It was a Brilliant story and I'm definitely going to read more by Linda Green.
January 12, 2018
When you are barely holding things together and, just about getting on with life, only just going through the motions and living your life, things are hard. However for Jess Mount things are even harder. She has suffered trauma, stress and anxiety but she's getting there. Then, her Facebook starts playing up. Strange messages leak onto her timeline from ... the future! What's happening? Jess, already vulnerable, tries to make sense of these strange notifications whilst simultaneously falling in love and trying to keep her sanity.
Green, through flashbacks and future Facebook posts, narrates a chilling story of vulnerability, love , consequences and what if's. Bit by bit, I was drawn into the narrative and, bit by bit, I kept thinking what if this was real? The premise of Facebook and all the complexities of social media opens up an entire new world in which to frame a damn good story.
Linda Green has lifted something we all take for granted and turned it on its head. Rather than the harmless, playground of social interactions most of us experience, in Green's hands Facebook becomes a dangerous, sullen and insidious world where death is waiting, just round the corner to catch us. Dealing with human emotion and frailty, Green explores mental health, our reliance on social media and societies expectations of us as individuals. An enjoyable read from start to finish!
Green, through flashbacks and future Facebook posts, narrates a chilling story of vulnerability, love , consequences and what if's. Bit by bit, I was drawn into the narrative and, bit by bit, I kept thinking what if this was real? The premise of Facebook and all the complexities of social media opens up an entire new world in which to frame a damn good story.
Linda Green has lifted something we all take for granted and turned it on its head. Rather than the harmless, playground of social interactions most of us experience, in Green's hands Facebook becomes a dangerous, sullen and insidious world where death is waiting, just round the corner to catch us. Dealing with human emotion and frailty, Green explores mental health, our reliance on social media and societies expectations of us as individuals. An enjoyable read from start to finish!
January 29, 2019
I hated this...
-Infuriatingly dumb protagonist and extremely wishy washy.
-Not enough focus on the future baby and I did not care about him.
-Infuriatingly dumb protagonist and extremely wishy washy.
-Not enough focus on the future baby and I did not care about him.
August 21, 2017
4.5 stars Really interesting storyline and very easy to read. Tugged on my heartstrings a lot & also made me really angry. Half a star taken off just as I thought the ending was a tiny bit flat.
November 16, 2017
Back to another 5* read from this author. The first I read by her was as well, then I read one I didn't like anywhere near as much and with this we revert to 5 !! I'm a bit baffled as to why she's messing around changing covers, though. I hate authors doing that and hers are nice ones....
The story got better and better as it went on and I had no idea where it was going to end up but I was up into the early hours dying to know !! I posted my "finished" Tweet between 2 and 3am this morning. A clever, different and pretty fascinating story. Some very sad moments but also some laugh-out-loud comments, too. I did like Jess' pal Sadie, she was such a good friend and at times I felt Jess really didn't deserve her. The whole premise of the story is pretty unique and at first I wasn't sure about the ending so look forward to reading reviews once I've finished this one.
I found it peculiar that, in an Italian hotel, she describes empty gold picture frames in the suite. How odd. I'd no idea this was a "thing".....
There weren't hundreds of mistakes, either, which was good. She wrote drop-dread gorgeous as opposed to dead and didn't capitalise Marigolds. A couple of times speechmarks were missing along with the odd apostrophe....and this occurs in almost every e-book I've read !!
It was at the end when the author was telling us how the idea for the book came to her that I quite strongly disagreed with what she wrote about feminists and their lack of humour. Her editor was right and I'd say that still applies....yes, he made a crass joke but the way she goes on to castigate him on paper and states that 'we need to go on challenging them in an effort to ensure that violence against women is one day eradicated' and to associate his joke with said violence is ridiculous, I'd say. And for me, this is a prime example of how feminists get my back up and do their causes no good in the least. As soon as one of the mumsnet lot or their ilk kick off on Twitter I glaze over and just scroll on past but there are MANY incidents where I wish Women's Liberation never existed !!
Anyhow, I digress.....do read this, it really is a great story.
The story got better and better as it went on and I had no idea where it was going to end up but I was up into the early hours dying to know !! I posted my "finished" Tweet between 2 and 3am this morning. A clever, different and pretty fascinating story. Some very sad moments but also some laugh-out-loud comments, too. I did like Jess' pal Sadie, she was such a good friend and at times I felt Jess really didn't deserve her. The whole premise of the story is pretty unique and at first I wasn't sure about the ending so look forward to reading reviews once I've finished this one.
I found it peculiar that, in an Italian hotel, she describes empty gold picture frames in the suite. How odd. I'd no idea this was a "thing".....
There weren't hundreds of mistakes, either, which was good. She wrote drop-dread gorgeous as opposed to dead and didn't capitalise Marigolds. A couple of times speechmarks were missing along with the odd apostrophe....and this occurs in almost every e-book I've read !!
It was at the end when the author was telling us how the idea for the book came to her that I quite strongly disagreed with what she wrote about feminists and their lack of humour. Her editor was right and I'd say that still applies....yes, he made a crass joke but the way she goes on to castigate him on paper and states that 'we need to go on challenging them in an effort to ensure that violence against women is one day eradicated' and to associate his joke with said violence is ridiculous, I'd say. And for me, this is a prime example of how feminists get my back up and do their causes no good in the least. As soon as one of the mumsnet lot or their ilk kick off on Twitter I glaze over and just scroll on past but there are MANY incidents where I wish Women's Liberation never existed !!
Anyhow, I digress.....do read this, it really is a great story.
June 4, 2020
Ce roman coup de poing est un vrai coup de coeur ! Tous les ingrédients du thriller psychologique sont là, et une fois le livre ouvert, il m'a été impossible de le lâcher. C'est le premier roman que je lis de Linda Green, et certainement pas le dernier !
L'histoire débute avec Jess, une jeune femme au caractère bien trempé, qui se laisse séduire à la sortie du métro par Lee, un homme bien sous tous rapports, ayant pris sa défense face à un rustre. Mais Jess découvre, sidérée, des messages de ses proches, postés 18 mois plus tard sur son mur Facebook, laissant entendre qu'elle est décédée. Le récit va et vient entre le présent et ce futur funeste qui semble inéluctable : Jess va-t-elle mourir ou saura-t-elle modifier le cours de son destin ?
Bravo à l'auteure Linda Green pour ce thriller à ne pas manquer. Je remercie les éditions Préludes et Netgalley de me l'avoir fait découvrir.
#NetGalleyFrance
#Quandjeneseraipluslà
L'histoire débute avec Jess, une jeune femme au caractère bien trempé, qui se laisse séduire à la sortie du métro par Lee, un homme bien sous tous rapports, ayant pris sa défense face à un rustre. Mais Jess découvre, sidérée, des messages de ses proches, postés 18 mois plus tard sur son mur Facebook, laissant entendre qu'elle est décédée. Le récit va et vient entre le présent et ce futur funeste qui semble inéluctable : Jess va-t-elle mourir ou saura-t-elle modifier le cours de son destin ?
Bravo à l'auteure Linda Green pour ce thriller à ne pas manquer. Je remercie les éditions Préludes et Netgalley de me l'avoir fait découvrir.
#NetGalleyFrance
#Quandjeneseraipluslà
December 23, 2022
The premise of this story sounded very interesting to me, but unfortunately it did not deliver. There were certain “rules” that were established earlier in the book that suddenly were broken in the end. Disappointing overall but at least it’s one less unread book in my Kindle library.
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