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Every Moment After: A Young Adult Coming-of-Age Story of School Shooting Survivors and Friendship
Best friends Matt and Cole grapple with their changing relationships during the summer after high school in this impactful, evocative story about growing up and moving on from a traumatic past. Surviving was just the beginning. Eleven years after a shooting rocked the small town of East Ridge, New Jersey and left eighteen first graders in their classroom dead, survivors and recent high school graduates Matt Simpson and Cole Hewitt are still navigating their guilt and trying to move beyond the shadow of their town's grief. Will Cole and Matt ever be able to truly leave the ghosts of East Ridge behind? Do they even want to? As they grapple with changing relationships, falling in love, and growing apart, these two friends must face the question of how to move on—and truly begin living.
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2019
51 people are currently reading
9561 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Moldover
6 books178 followersJoe Moldover is a writer and clinical psychologist who lives and works in the Boston area. He has written a number of short stories (often under the name Joseph Sloan), as well as works of nonfiction focusing on issues of health and disability. He is the grandson of the novelist Sloan Wilson, author of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit.
Joe's second novel, Just Until, will be available through Holiday House in October 2024. His debut, Every Moment After, was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019.
Joe's second novel, Just Until, will be available through Holiday House in October 2024. His debut, Every Moment After, was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
November 30, 2018
Because my family lived in Sandy Hook when the shooting occurred, I was very reluctant to read this book. Thankfully, a colleague who knew my relationship to this event convinced me that I could handle it. She was right. This is, in my opinion, one of the few books that understands the grief, confusion, rage, discomfort, shame, and indifference that such trauma can yield... even years later. Once I started this story, I couldn’t stop. But as I neared the end, I found myself savoring the time I had left with these characters. For the record: there is so much more to this book than the shooting. (What is the opposite of a trigger warning? For those concerned, it isn’t depicted at all. I praise the author for this choice.) The book as a whole is about two teenage boys and their deep (while at times, complicated) friendship. It’s a ragged breath of fresh air.
November 10, 2018
I got an early reading copy - buying for kids in my family when it comes out. A good YA book for all kiddos (and adults - I loved it), but especially boys. Yes, it's about the traumatic aftermath of a school shooting (all too familiar - but the book doesn't feel like it was trying to be timely). The difference here, is it's not the immediate aftermath but several years later. It's the trauma that creeps up over time after the immediate media show. But more importantly, it's about boy's friendship. In an age of bro-culture and toxic masculinity, it's an honest look at boys friendships at a perilous time in life. I couldn't help but think of my best friend in high school and how we grew apart.
January 3, 2019
I had the unique opportunity to be an early reader for this amazing novel by Joe Moldover. Moldover has created a story that captures the lasting impact of what it means to be a survivor of a school shooting and the legacy that imparts on an entire community. The story is told in the two voices of Cole and Matt...two graduating seniors who survived a school shooting in elementary school. Moldover portrays both individual voices with incredible authenticity while also showing the depth of their shared friendship and the tragedy that connects them. However, this book does not dwell in this place of loss…the story unfolds as the two main characters are graduating (years after the shooting) and embarking on the first tentative steps of what it will mean to navigate the world as young adults. Both Cole and Matt struggle to find their best path (don’t want to spoil anything, so that is all I will say here), but find that their friendship is a critical source of support and solid ground when they both need it the most. This portrayal of male friendship is one of the most positive I have seen in contemporary YA literature and is an inspiring foundation to the entire story. I highly recommend this novel to both adult and YA readers…it will be one that stays you.
April 13, 2019
Cole and his best friend Matt are part of *that* class. You know, the one a shooter killed seventeen kids and their principal. Now they’re graduating with eighteen empty chairs draped in black. Matt feels guilty for being home sick from his diabetes, is self-destructive and tacitly suicidal, acts like a jerk sometimes and is thoughtful and kind. Cole was the boy in the picture than won the prize for best photo of the year, stone-faced, covered in blood, carried out by the cop. He still has PTSD, is grieving the recent loss of his father from cancer and desperately wants to ask Viola out.
Joseph Moldover hits the right notes of mental illness, without naming the conditions. Cole had therapy in the past but Matt is the one who played Russian Roulette with his diabetes. Several of his stunts could have killed him and I wondered whether he’d survive the book.
Told from Cole’s and Matt’s points of view, I was able to see the impact each had on the other. Both young men grew throughout EVERY MOMENT AFTER, though at times I wasn’t certain which way Matt was headed. His part of the story ended too quickly for me.
EVERY MOMENT AFTER is a sobering look at the aftermath of a school shooting eleven years later.
Joseph Moldover hits the right notes of mental illness, without naming the conditions. Cole had therapy in the past but Matt is the one who played Russian Roulette with his diabetes. Several of his stunts could have killed him and I wondered whether he’d survive the book.
Told from Cole’s and Matt’s points of view, I was able to see the impact each had on the other. Both young men grew throughout EVERY MOMENT AFTER, though at times I wasn’t certain which way Matt was headed. His part of the story ended too quickly for me.
EVERY MOMENT AFTER is a sobering look at the aftermath of a school shooting eleven years later.
December 7, 2018
I don't usually read YA, but I got an advance copy of this book, and the description just got to me right away. The premise of the story - what happens to the kids left behind after a school shooting? - was powerful and original.
The topic couldn't be more sensitive, but I'm both happy and relieved to say, the author pulled it off. You get your heart strings pulled, and you get to seriously engage a topic in a safe way.
Rest assured: the school shooting isn't presented in detail. It happened years before, and there isn't even a single scene of it in the book, though it haunts all the characters in their own unique ways.
The author finds a way to approach this (highly important and necessary topic) in an indirect, refracted way, so it allows the reader to think about it, without having to experience it head on.
Hopefully this book will help broaden the discussion of this subject nationally, and perhaps even give younger readers a safe framework in which they can address gun violence, and our tragic epidemic of school shooters.
My understanding is that the author is also a child psychologist--which probably helped him navigate this delicate matter.
Well done.
The topic couldn't be more sensitive, but I'm both happy and relieved to say, the author pulled it off. You get your heart strings pulled, and you get to seriously engage a topic in a safe way.
Rest assured: the school shooting isn't presented in detail. It happened years before, and there isn't even a single scene of it in the book, though it haunts all the characters in their own unique ways.
The author finds a way to approach this (highly important and necessary topic) in an indirect, refracted way, so it allows the reader to think about it, without having to experience it head on.
Hopefully this book will help broaden the discussion of this subject nationally, and perhaps even give younger readers a safe framework in which they can address gun violence, and our tragic epidemic of school shooters.
My understanding is that the author is also a child psychologist--which probably helped him navigate this delicate matter.
Well done.
May 28, 2019
Every Moment After follows the story of two teenage boys, Matt and Cole, in the summer after their high school graduation. When they were in first grade eighteen of their classmates were killed in a school shooting. In the summer after their senior year they’re still navigating guilt, grief, and what it means to move on.
This was an interesting take on a school shooting story that I haven’t seen before. Most of the other books I’ve read take place during the shooting itself or maybe one or two years later. So seeing this story set eleven years after the shooting was a welcome difference. I think the book does a good job of showing lingering trauma and how an event like this has ripple effects that continue to impact the town and the people in it.
I thought that Matt and Cole were two well fleshed out characters with their own voices. I thought that their reactions and feelings about the shooting were all believable. Matt has a great sense of guilt because he stayed home sick the day of the shooting and he feels like maybe he wasn’t supposed to live. Cole survived the shooting but has no memories of the event itself, but he has to deal with being “the boy in the picture” that made him the poster child of the shooting.
My two complaints about this book are that it was a little bit longer than it needed to be and that the romance didn’t seem necessary. I think if the book was shortened and focused more on Matt and Cole and their journey in figuring out how to try and move on, it would’ve been better.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. I think it brings something different to the table when it comes to books about school shootings.
This was an interesting take on a school shooting story that I haven’t seen before. Most of the other books I’ve read take place during the shooting itself or maybe one or two years later. So seeing this story set eleven years after the shooting was a welcome difference. I think the book does a good job of showing lingering trauma and how an event like this has ripple effects that continue to impact the town and the people in it.
I thought that Matt and Cole were two well fleshed out characters with their own voices. I thought that their reactions and feelings about the shooting were all believable. Matt has a great sense of guilt because he stayed home sick the day of the shooting and he feels like maybe he wasn’t supposed to live. Cole survived the shooting but has no memories of the event itself, but he has to deal with being “the boy in the picture” that made him the poster child of the shooting.
My two complaints about this book are that it was a little bit longer than it needed to be and that the romance didn’t seem necessary. I think if the book was shortened and focused more on Matt and Cole and their journey in figuring out how to try and move on, it would’ve been better.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. I think it brings something different to the table when it comes to books about school shootings.
November 11, 2018
An extraordinary book, with an important message, written and expressed so beautifully. Thank you for sharing these characters and this important story with us all, Joseph Moldover. Bravo!
August 11, 2019
Oh lord. This one hurts. Two stars is only because this book had important themes. And a nice cover.
Every Moment After follows Matt and Cole years after their class was shot, killing their best friend. Cole was a survivor; Matt was thankfully absent that day.
What does it follow them doing, you may ask? Well... nothing. At least, it felt like nothing. Plot what plot? is a tag on archive of our own - it should not be a part of a published, original novel. Matt and Cole have a friendship with each other, relationships (if you can call them that) and there's a friendship between Matt and Paul, their friend's autistic brother. I swear to god, I tried to care about any of them. I kind of succeeded with Matt and Paul; their friendship came from a real place. If the entire book was like that, I would have like it. But other than that, it was nothing.
That brings me to one of the main problems with this book. The writing. It wasn't bad writing, so to speak. It flowed well, the dialogue seemed authentic, I didn't want to gouge my eyes out looking at it etc. But there was absolutely no variation. Every scene's writing was in-differentiable; I felt no emotion (not just due to my robotic nature), not even when they were discussing and experiencing topics such as grief, mental illness and even the shooting itself. I would have been fine with little plot if it were a character driven novel, focusing on their struggles and experiences and how they cope. But a character driven novel would require writing that allowed me to give a damn about any of the characters and what they experienced. Every moment after just didn't do that for me.
You know the premise of this book? The one talking about the aftermath and moving on? You'd think there'd be some interesting themes. Maybe gun control? Letting go? Dealing with grief? Forming friendships? Literally anything to keep you reading? Think again. There's nothing.
Every moment after had so much potential. It could have been a book that touched my heart and made me cry. But the book didn't do it. It gave me 364 pages of uninteresting characters and writing with a non existent plot.
Negativity aside, I'd love to read anything else Moldover comes out with. He does appear to have an interesting mindset with good writing. His next book would inevitably better, and I honestly feel as though this book could have been amazing if it were given a different push in the origins of planning. And maybe a few touch ups to give the writing a more emotive feel.
Every Moment After follows Matt and Cole years after their class was shot, killing their best friend. Cole was a survivor; Matt was thankfully absent that day.
What does it follow them doing, you may ask? Well... nothing. At least, it felt like nothing. Plot what plot? is a tag on archive of our own - it should not be a part of a published, original novel. Matt and Cole have a friendship with each other, relationships (if you can call them that) and there's a friendship between Matt and Paul, their friend's autistic brother. I swear to god, I tried to care about any of them. I kind of succeeded with Matt and Paul; their friendship came from a real place. If the entire book was like that, I would have like it. But other than that, it was nothing.
That brings me to one of the main problems with this book. The writing. It wasn't bad writing, so to speak. It flowed well, the dialogue seemed authentic, I didn't want to gouge my eyes out looking at it etc. But there was absolutely no variation. Every scene's writing was in-differentiable; I felt no emotion (not just due to my robotic nature), not even when they were discussing and experiencing topics such as grief, mental illness and even the shooting itself. I would have been fine with little plot if it were a character driven novel, focusing on their struggles and experiences and how they cope. But a character driven novel would require writing that allowed me to give a damn about any of the characters and what they experienced. Every moment after just didn't do that for me.
You know the premise of this book? The one talking about the aftermath and moving on? You'd think there'd be some interesting themes. Maybe gun control? Letting go? Dealing with grief? Forming friendships? Literally anything to keep you reading? Think again. There's nothing.
Every moment after had so much potential. It could have been a book that touched my heart and made me cry. But the book didn't do it. It gave me 364 pages of uninteresting characters and writing with a non existent plot.
Negativity aside, I'd love to read anything else Moldover comes out with. He does appear to have an interesting mindset with good writing. His next book would inevitably better, and I honestly feel as though this book could have been amazing if it were given a different push in the origins of planning. And maybe a few touch ups to give the writing a more emotive feel.
April 21, 2019
4.5! I loved this book! Having 3 sons, I wasn’t sure I could read a story about a school shooting, but it wasn’t about the shooting...it was about the aftermath (or the “every moment after” which is the aptly named title). The relationship between Cole and Matthew was so touching and genuine and more importantly realistic. The dialogue between the two of them is exactly how 18 year olds speak to each other. I also loved the interactions with the other characters, especially the autistic surviving brother, Paul.
This book makes you think about things you probably never think about...the far reaching, long term effects of a school shooting, without being political. It is powerful and poignant insight into survivor’s guilt and grief in all its forms, the wreckage left in the wake of such unspeakable violence. I am so glad the author chose to leave the details of the shooting out of the narrative, as it was not necessary to the story. But as sad as a story as this is, you are left with a sense of hope...that although each character holds within them a deep wound that can never fully heal, their will to survive, to connect, to love and to grow will carry them through their next chapters...and that they will always be supported by each other and by their community. I loved this book from the beginning and from every moment after.
This book makes you think about things you probably never think about...the far reaching, long term effects of a school shooting, without being political. It is powerful and poignant insight into survivor’s guilt and grief in all its forms, the wreckage left in the wake of such unspeakable violence. I am so glad the author chose to leave the details of the shooting out of the narrative, as it was not necessary to the story. But as sad as a story as this is, you are left with a sense of hope...that although each character holds within them a deep wound that can never fully heal, their will to survive, to connect, to love and to grow will carry them through their next chapters...and that they will always be supported by each other and by their community. I loved this book from the beginning and from every moment after.
February 15, 2019
I received an advance copy of this book and am so glad I did. Every Moment After is one of the most genuine and insightful stories of friendship I’ve read. Set a decade after a devastating incident, it examines the repercussions of that event, looking most closely at how it has bound the survivors to one another. The two main characters, Cole and Matt – both of whom have rich and distinct voices – are tied to one another through a mix of love, need, guilt, and resentment; their mutual dependency is set in stark relief as they spend their final summer together and face the need to let go and move on. I can’t think of another book that depicts so accurately the conflicting facets of friendship, nor one written in such an approachable, compassionate tone. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I’ve marked its release date on my calendar so that I can buy copies for my friends and family.
April 12, 2019
Best friends Matt and Cole grapple with their changing relationships during the summer after high school in this impactful, evocative story about growing up and moving on from a traumatic past.
Surviving was just the beginning.
Eleven years after a shooting rocked the small town of East Ridge, New Jersey and left eighteen first graders in their classroom dead, survivors and recent high school graduates Matt Simpson and Cole Hewitt are still navigating their guilt and trying to move beyond the shadow of their town's grief. Will Cole and Matt ever be able to truly leave the ghosts of East Ridge behind? Do they even want to?
As they grapple with changing relationships, falling in love, and growing apart, these two friends must face the question of how to move on—and truly begin living.
Ya'll, this one was SO. GOOD.
♥ I don't even know how much the synopsis does the book justice. Matt and Cole are one of the best friendships I've ever seen. In our world of toxic masculinity, boys will be boys, and bro-culture, Cole and Matt are the most supportive friends, even when they don't entirely understand each other. Matt has never had the problems Cole has with talking to the girl he has a crush on, but Matt isn't here to make him feel bad about it. Matt is here to help create opportunities for Cole to interact with his crush, and to encourage him the whole time. Cole would never take the risks that Matt does with his Type 1 diabetes, but he knows that Matt is going to keep on doing it, so Cole learned everything he could years ago to help keep his buddy safe. They're just there for each other, day in, day out.
♥ Eleven years after a school shooting that devastated their first grade class, Cole and Matt are finally graduating from high school with the rest of their class.
“People want to forget. No one would ever say it, but I think this town will be glad to see our class leave. They put up all the memorials you’d expect, but there was no need: we’re living reminders.”
This book is about the aftermath, the toll that being one of the living can take. There's little talk about the shooting itself. And as often as they mention the shooter himself, there's no discussion of why he did it, or if there was a trial later. This book is about the survivors, the way the parents of the dead chose to grieve, the injuries that still plague some of the children. Graduation day is handled with grace and respect for the students who died, even as they all hope that this is the last time that the media will be so involved.
♥ Cole and Matt both suffer from some major undiagnosed PTSD and survivors guilt (I thought I was very smart for diagnosing them both on my own and wondered how the author never figured it out until I read his bio and realized he's a psychologist sooo...yeah. Undiagnosed on purpose, Katie, duh). Cole is The Boy in the Picture, after a photo of him being carried out of the classroom by a police officer was widely circulated, even winning a Pulitzer prize. But Cole also can't remember a thing about the shooting. He knows what happened from the accounts of others, but has no memories of his own. This is endlessly frustrating to Matt, who was kept home from school the day of the shooting due to his diabetes. He's always wondering where he would have been sitting that day, what might have happened to him, if he would have lived or died. He doesn't really know if he should still be here or not.
"Still, I don't move. I wait, though I don't know what I'm waiting for, other than for this summer to be over, for life to move on, and for me to find out whether I'm supposed to be a part of it or not."
People say how lucky he was, but Matt can't see staying home sick as lucky. He sees not being there that day as unfinished business. He's got major, major survivor's guilt, and he and Cole so desperately need someone to help them both through their emotions from that day. ♥ Look, there is so much else that I can't even get into because this review would go on forever, but it's all just incredible. The Type 1 diabetes rep, which I so rarely see in books, is woven throughout the story without taking over. There's a lot of information presented, and the disease definitely impacts Matt's life. It isn't just mentioned a few times before fading into the background. Cole is also still grieving the death of his father only a year ago, and Matt is trying to connect with the autistic twin brother of he and Cole's friend, Andy, who died in the shooting.
Final Thoughts: There is a LOT going on in this one, and I really really recommend it. I went into it not expecting much, because there have been a lot of books with school shootings as a background and very few that have done them well. But this was so compelling, the voices were distinct, and I wanted so badly to savor every page and make it last forever, but in the end I sped through it in a day because it was just so good. Favorite Quotes: "Maybe they'll forget about us after this, and then we'll know whether it's worse than being remembered." "Show. The. Fuck. Up. Like, all the way." "There's a difference between what we want and what we get." All quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof of the book
♥ Cole and Matt both suffer from some major undiagnosed PTSD and survivors guilt (I thought I was very smart for diagnosing them both on my own and wondered how the author never figured it out until I read his bio and realized he's a psychologist sooo...yeah. Undiagnosed on purpose, Katie, duh). Cole is The Boy in the Picture, after a photo of him being carried out of the classroom by a police officer was widely circulated, even winning a Pulitzer prize. But Cole also can't remember a thing about the shooting. He knows what happened from the accounts of others, but has no memories of his own. This is endlessly frustrating to Matt, who was kept home from school the day of the shooting due to his diabetes. He's always wondering where he would have been sitting that day, what might have happened to him, if he would have lived or died. He doesn't really know if he should still be here or not.
"Still, I don't move. I wait, though I don't know what I'm waiting for, other than for this summer to be over, for life to move on, and for me to find out whether I'm supposed to be a part of it or not."
People say how lucky he was, but Matt can't see staying home sick as lucky. He sees not being there that day as unfinished business. He's got major, major survivor's guilt, and he and Cole so desperately need someone to help them both through their emotions from that day. ♥ Look, there is so much else that I can't even get into because this review would go on forever, but it's all just incredible. The Type 1 diabetes rep, which I so rarely see in books, is woven throughout the story without taking over. There's a lot of information presented, and the disease definitely impacts Matt's life. It isn't just mentioned a few times before fading into the background. Cole is also still grieving the death of his father only a year ago, and Matt is trying to connect with the autistic twin brother of he and Cole's friend, Andy, who died in the shooting.
Final Thoughts: There is a LOT going on in this one, and I really really recommend it. I went into it not expecting much, because there have been a lot of books with school shootings as a background and very few that have done them well. But this was so compelling, the voices were distinct, and I wanted so badly to savor every page and make it last forever, but in the end I sped through it in a day because it was just so good. Favorite Quotes: "Maybe they'll forget about us after this, and then we'll know whether it's worse than being remembered." "Show. The. Fuck. Up. Like, all the way." "There's a difference between what we want and what we get." All quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof of the book
March 4, 2019
This book is so devastating sometimes in the depths of grief and guilt that these teens experience in the wake of a childhood school shooting, each young man affected in different ways. There were elements of the story that would hold me back from recommending this to younger YA readers—a sexual relationship between an adult and a teen, rather casual attitude toward illegal use of drug prescriptions. I don’t think the author meant to be cavalier about them, but the teens don’t seem to grasp the enormity of it. That may be realistic, but the real dangers of those activities could be hinted at. Still and all I was drawn in and felt like I really experienced the pain along with the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2019
I actually ended up liking this book a lot more than I thought I would. It’s obviously relevant with the current gun control debate in the US, but it’s also just a really good, well-written book. Rather than looking at the immediate trauma of a mass shooting, the book focuses on the long term trauma of a mass shooting for the survivors and their families and even the whole community. It’s about two boys graduating high school and figuring out how to navigate relationships, starting college, and family issues, while still dealing with the trauma of surviving a mass shooting when they were in first grade and learning how to...move on with their lives. And in a world of toxic masculinity bro culture in so much of the media, it was refreshing to see a realistic and nuanced friendship between two guys
April 15, 2019
Too many children know exactly how it feels to be present at a school shooting, or to be the kid-who-stayed-home-sick. This novel takes on this heavy topic in a readable yet challenging way. Told in two voices, the plot develops over the summer after high school, when two friends are struggling with what it means to be a survivor and where there life will take them when they are no longer bound to the place it all happened. The character development is strong, and the voices authentic. There are moments when the reader fears it will not end positively. “Everything works out in the end. if it hasn't worked out yet, then it's not the end.” -Terry McMillan
April 16, 2019
What a story. Written in the frame of mind of the event being in the past, and the outlook of the survivors. What the story does not have is descriptions of the actual school shooting, or the shooter. What is does have is stories of the the survivors...the main characters and their families and community. I think it does justice to not only the kids that survived, but the town that survived. It offered insight that I don't know I had thought about too much. And I appreciated that the insights were portrayed through the eyes of teenage boys who not only have growing up to contend with, but the realities of survivorship as well. Well done and thought out.
June 8, 2019
Read it in a day! What a powerful book.
May 11, 2019
It's been awhile since I've read a young adult realistic fiction novel that is centered upon teen boys. Every Moment After is Joseph Moldover's debut novel, and I'm glad I selected it....it left a large impression. The book is very well-written, with sensitivity toward the complex emotions of teens. Moldover does a strong job with dialogue....something that, in my opinion, is hard to do when crafting teen conversation. A few of my thoughts (I'm going to do my best not to reveal any spoilers):
1) This book deals with the long-term impact and effects of trauma and grief. It starts with the high school graduation ceremony of a group of kids who were involved in a school shooting when they were in elementary school. We are never taken inside the actual shooting in any detail, but the ongoing impact on individuals and the community is dealt with in a very real way. I found this part of the book very compelling.
2) The best feature of this book for me is the friendship between teen males, specifically Matt and Cole. Having been around many teen boys in both my personal and professional lives, the author does a great job in this area and I found it refreshing to read a story that handled the relationship so realistically. Teen boys may try to hide it, but they are very sensitive individuals, and male teen friendships are often some of the strongest, longest-lasting relationships experienced.
There were a few minor weaknesses, very minor, for me with this book. A money-making scheme that Matt and Cole engage in so that Cole can take a girl on a balloon ride seemed to go a bit too far, but it didn't diminish my overall enjoyment of the book. I also wrestle with the depiction of teen sex in novels written for teens. There is nothing graphic in this book, but sexual activity is part of the story. I have an inner debate on this. Part of me feels that teens are obviously sexually curious, and sometimes sexually active, so having a sexual component to the story makes it realistic for many teens. However, in "real life", many teens are very confused and conflicted about sex, and having so many young adult books feature sexually active teens does make some teens feel like they are "different" if they are having non-sexual relationships with people they date. Just an inner debate I have about young adult/teen books in general, not specific to this book.
The author is a psychologist who works with children, teens and families, and he did a fantastic job putting to paper what he obviously has learned through his work. Moldover is not just knowledgeable about teens and their emotions, and about trauma and grief, but he is also a gifted writer, which made this book so strong for me. I look forward to more from this author. Recommended.
1) This book deals with the long-term impact and effects of trauma and grief. It starts with the high school graduation ceremony of a group of kids who were involved in a school shooting when they were in elementary school. We are never taken inside the actual shooting in any detail, but the ongoing impact on individuals and the community is dealt with in a very real way. I found this part of the book very compelling.
2) The best feature of this book for me is the friendship between teen males, specifically Matt and Cole. Having been around many teen boys in both my personal and professional lives, the author does a great job in this area and I found it refreshing to read a story that handled the relationship so realistically. Teen boys may try to hide it, but they are very sensitive individuals, and male teen friendships are often some of the strongest, longest-lasting relationships experienced.
There were a few minor weaknesses, very minor, for me with this book. A money-making scheme that Matt and Cole engage in so that Cole can take a girl on a balloon ride seemed to go a bit too far, but it didn't diminish my overall enjoyment of the book. I also wrestle with the depiction of teen sex in novels written for teens. There is nothing graphic in this book, but sexual activity is part of the story. I have an inner debate on this. Part of me feels that teens are obviously sexually curious, and sometimes sexually active, so having a sexual component to the story makes it realistic for many teens. However, in "real life", many teens are very confused and conflicted about sex, and having so many young adult books feature sexually active teens does make some teens feel like they are "different" if they are having non-sexual relationships with people they date. Just an inner debate I have about young adult/teen books in general, not specific to this book.
The author is a psychologist who works with children, teens and families, and he did a fantastic job putting to paper what he obviously has learned through his work. Moldover is not just knowledgeable about teens and their emotions, and about trauma and grief, but he is also a gifted writer, which made this book so strong for me. I look forward to more from this author. Recommended.
Want to read
March 6, 2019Every Moment After by Joseph Moldover
Every Moment After is such a fitting title for this book. While it mentions and discusses a bit about the shooting, it doesn’t focus on it. Told in the alternating voices of Matt and Cole, the story is about the two, who have recently graduated, and are survivors of a school shooting that happened in first grade. Though it was many years ago, the young men still deal with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. They are very close friends and this story explores the bond that males share as friends. I loved that aspect. They depend on each other so much, as they suffered the same trauma together. They are growing up, so to speak, and going forward with their lives, and perhaps depending on each other less and less. They still struggle with their feelings even though it has been years ago. The past haunts them both.
The writing was impactful and sensitive, considering the subject matter. Moldover did an amazing job at telling the story and expressing the trauma through the boys’ eyes. The author didn’t rely on the atrocity that occurred, but rather, he really touched on the relationships that boys and men form and how they can sometimes grow apart though they still feel that they need each other for support. It is a magnificent work and well worth the read.
The characters were relatable and likeable. You could easily sympathize with them from the start. Their growth from boyhood to manhood is so very touching. Their dependency and need for one another’s support was so heartfelt. The plot was ingenious, IMHO. The way Moldover handled the delicate base topic was so impressive.
This was an easy and enjoyable read for me, though it was emotional and made me sad and tear up at times. It was very moving. You don’t want to miss this one! It will tug at you heart strings and give you pause to think of the aftermath that leaves its mark long after such a tragedy occurs. 5/5.
I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review, or portions thereof, will be posted (when able) on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Kobo, IG, FB, Pinterest, Litsy, and my own blog.
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide links to all sites as I am using my phone.
On various sites I am:
Pinterest~ Pinterest.com/katskraps
Barnes & Noble~ Karyl-Ahn-white_7
Litsy~ Karylahn or Karyl White
Every Moment After is such a fitting title for this book. While it mentions and discusses a bit about the shooting, it doesn’t focus on it. Told in the alternating voices of Matt and Cole, the story is about the two, who have recently graduated, and are survivors of a school shooting that happened in first grade. Though it was many years ago, the young men still deal with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. They are very close friends and this story explores the bond that males share as friends. I loved that aspect. They depend on each other so much, as they suffered the same trauma together. They are growing up, so to speak, and going forward with their lives, and perhaps depending on each other less and less. They still struggle with their feelings even though it has been years ago. The past haunts them both.
The writing was impactful and sensitive, considering the subject matter. Moldover did an amazing job at telling the story and expressing the trauma through the boys’ eyes. The author didn’t rely on the atrocity that occurred, but rather, he really touched on the relationships that boys and men form and how they can sometimes grow apart though they still feel that they need each other for support. It is a magnificent work and well worth the read.
The characters were relatable and likeable. You could easily sympathize with them from the start. Their growth from boyhood to manhood is so very touching. Their dependency and need for one another’s support was so heartfelt. The plot was ingenious, IMHO. The way Moldover handled the delicate base topic was so impressive.
This was an easy and enjoyable read for me, though it was emotional and made me sad and tear up at times. It was very moving. You don’t want to miss this one! It will tug at you heart strings and give you pause to think of the aftermath that leaves its mark long after such a tragedy occurs. 5/5.
I was given this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review, or portions thereof, will be posted (when able) on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Kobo, IG, FB, Pinterest, Litsy, and my own blog.
Unfortunately, I am unable to provide links to all sites as I am using my phone.
On various sites I am:
Pinterest~ Pinterest.com/katskraps
Barnes & Noble~ Karyl-Ahn-white_7
Litsy~ Karylahn or Karyl White
December 24, 2019
Very good read. We never seem to think about shooting survivors every day lives following tragedy except maybe on 10th or 20th anniversaries. This book gave insight into the thoughts and lives of two young men who were involved in a school shooting when they were very young. It was very good. However I wanted more. More, like Matt, about the shooter and the other victims. I understand that this book was just really about the two main characters, Cole and Matt, but since Matt had such a thirst for more understanding it would have been so much better to give the reader the same understanding. Overall though, very good book.
August 6, 2019
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review originally posted here at Booked J. I was sent a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not change my view in any shape or form.
This novel was a different kind of heartbreaking than I expected. Every Moment After is filled with many emotionally charged moments; underlying beneath the story of survival and moving on, is one of coming of age. It is, of course, a timely release and one that will speak to its target audience in various ways.
Joseph Moldover doesn't take actual events and cheapen them by dramatizing and fictionalizing them. Instead, he takes on the very real grief of surviving something so traumatizing. This isn't something that was haphazardly thrown together to create something relevant--it is something that is relevant to the times we are living in.
While many readers might see this novel as another fictional school shooting, the events at hand are connected to the aftermath only. Every Moment After fits as a name because it deals primarily with everything that comes after. The bonds that are made or complicated. All the classic coming of age honesty, with a tragic center as the before.
And honestly, this makes it all the more powerful.
Every Moment After deals with the many emotions that come with survivor's guilt, with living through something so horrible at such a young age, and provides an image of how to keep moving. There wasn't a better time for a novel with such a topic be released.
This is definitely one of the most moving YA releases of 2019 and should be at the top of your reading list. No matter your age.
This novel was a different kind of heartbreaking than I expected. Every Moment After is filled with many emotionally charged moments; underlying beneath the story of survival and moving on, is one of coming of age. It is, of course, a timely release and one that will speak to its target audience in various ways.
Joseph Moldover doesn't take actual events and cheapen them by dramatizing and fictionalizing them. Instead, he takes on the very real grief of surviving something so traumatizing. This isn't something that was haphazardly thrown together to create something relevant--it is something that is relevant to the times we are living in.
While many readers might see this novel as another fictional school shooting, the events at hand are connected to the aftermath only. Every Moment After fits as a name because it deals primarily with everything that comes after. The bonds that are made or complicated. All the classic coming of age honesty, with a tragic center as the before.
And honestly, this makes it all the more powerful.
Every Moment After deals with the many emotions that come with survivor's guilt, with living through something so horrible at such a young age, and provides an image of how to keep moving. There wasn't a better time for a novel with such a topic be released.
This is definitely one of the most moving YA releases of 2019 and should be at the top of your reading list. No matter your age.
March 18, 2019
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC.
I really liked this book. It’s a simple storyline in many ways, yet lots of complex themes and issues thread their way throughout. This is a realistic fiction YA telling the story through two male POVs. It’s the summer after graduating from high school, but what makes this story unique is that both MCs were a part of a 1st grade class that suffered a school shooting. The story does not focus on the shooting itself, rather the aftermath, even a decade later for the boys and others around them.
I definitely felt connected to the main characters, and I appreciated the transparency and realness of them. They are both very flawed and there are even times where the reader may dislike the characters, but because of the honest portrayal, you end up rooting for their best interest.
While this is a YA, I would caution this getting into younger classrooms: there’s a sexual relationship between an adult and 18 year old, quite a few scenes dealing with prescription drugs, and characters dealing with heavy feelings including depression and anxiety.
I really liked this book. It’s a simple storyline in many ways, yet lots of complex themes and issues thread their way throughout. This is a realistic fiction YA telling the story through two male POVs. It’s the summer after graduating from high school, but what makes this story unique is that both MCs were a part of a 1st grade class that suffered a school shooting. The story does not focus on the shooting itself, rather the aftermath, even a decade later for the boys and others around them.
I definitely felt connected to the main characters, and I appreciated the transparency and realness of them. They are both very flawed and there are even times where the reader may dislike the characters, but because of the honest portrayal, you end up rooting for their best interest.
While this is a YA, I would caution this getting into younger classrooms: there’s a sexual relationship between an adult and 18 year old, quite a few scenes dealing with prescription drugs, and characters dealing with heavy feelings including depression and anxiety.
March 14, 2019
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to read and advance copy of EVERY MOMENT AFTER and once I began reading I couldn't put it down. Schoolchildren today are painfully aware of the risks and stories of school shootings. This tells the story of a group of good friends who are preparing to graduate from high school. These friends were all in first grade when there was a deadly school shooting at their school. The author does a masterful job of avoiding graphic or upsetting descriptions and crafting a story that is relatable for anyone who has lived through the last decade or so. The actual facts of the incident only come out in bits and pieces as the two main characters face resumed public attention as they graduate and move on to the beginning of adult lives. A great read sure to spark discussions on how ANYone copes with tragedy, unwanted publicity and fame, much less doing so approaching a huge transition in their lives and relationships. The author deftly draws us into these very relatable characters and although the ending is satisfying, leaves us wishing for more.
May 22, 2019
I got this book in my May YA Unplugged box.
I loved the premise of this book. I really did. And I wanted so badly to love it, but I just came away from it saying meh and I'm glad it's done. I think it might be due to the fact I thought it would be different. I knew going in that there wouldn't be much about the school shooting, but I wanted just a little bit then what was given. And I hate to be like this but this was kind of boring.... It started out good, but fell flat.
Cole and Matt were good characters. At first, I thought I liked Cole more than Matt, but now I feel different. Matt was way more complex and realistic. I felt more for him in this situation then I did for Cole. That guilt has to be so rough.
The side characters weren't that great... especially.. Wow, I can't even remember their names... Cole's crush and Matt's whatever she was. They felt pointless to me and were just there as plot device and nothing else. Shit, is his name even Matt? I better quit while I'm ahead...
I'm just gonna post this for the challenge... *flies off*
I loved the premise of this book. I really did. And I wanted so badly to love it, but I just came away from it saying meh and I'm glad it's done. I think it might be due to the fact I thought it would be different. I knew going in that there wouldn't be much about the school shooting, but I wanted just a little bit then what was given. And I hate to be like this but this was kind of boring.... It started out good, but fell flat.
Cole and Matt were good characters. At first, I thought I liked Cole more than Matt, but now I feel different. Matt was way more complex and realistic. I felt more for him in this situation then I did for Cole. That guilt has to be so rough.
The side characters weren't that great... especially.. Wow, I can't even remember their names... Cole's crush and Matt's whatever she was. They felt pointless to me and were just there as plot device and nothing else. Shit, is his name even Matt? I better quit while I'm ahead...
I'm just gonna post this for the challenge... *flies off*
April 11, 2019
Told in alternating viewpoints this story takes a topical issue - school shooting - but does it in a way that is really quite unsettling.
The shooting in question took place when the kids were in first grade. They are now 18 and about to graduate. With Matt kept at home because of a diabetic episode and Cole unable to recall the event, there’s very little detail given about the shooting which I’m grateful for. The story focuses instead on the little details, the small parts of the story that show the true extent to which lives are affected by such an event.
There were a lot of peripheral characters within the book which fleshed out the town/setting, but did - on occasion - meant I feel less connected to some of the key events. However, it was the kind of story that really got under my skin.
A definite must-read. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read in exchange for my thoughts.
The shooting in question took place when the kids were in first grade. They are now 18 and about to graduate. With Matt kept at home because of a diabetic episode and Cole unable to recall the event, there’s very little detail given about the shooting which I’m grateful for. The story focuses instead on the little details, the small parts of the story that show the true extent to which lives are affected by such an event.
There were a lot of peripheral characters within the book which fleshed out the town/setting, but did - on occasion - meant I feel less connected to some of the key events. However, it was the kind of story that really got under my skin.
A definite must-read. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read in exchange for my thoughts.
January 24, 2019
4.5 rounded up
It's so hard to rate a book like this. Although both main characters were unlikable at times...Matt rather more so, I felt...they were never anything less than real. For a story about a shooting, showing the actual shooting is neatly avoided by having one POV character be absent when it happened and the other suffering complete amnesia. Therefore, the shooting is never directly described, but the little bits we get are plenty enough to paint the scene.
I loved the friendship between these two boys. Neither was afraid to show the other how he felt. It's a relief to read a relationship like that.
I enjoyed reading this and I'll be on the lookout for more books by this author.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
It's so hard to rate a book like this. Although both main characters were unlikable at times...Matt rather more so, I felt...they were never anything less than real. For a story about a shooting, showing the actual shooting is neatly avoided by having one POV character be absent when it happened and the other suffering complete amnesia. Therefore, the shooting is never directly described, but the little bits we get are plenty enough to paint the scene.
I loved the friendship between these two boys. Neither was afraid to show the other how he felt. It's a relief to read a relationship like that.
I enjoyed reading this and I'll be on the lookout for more books by this author.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
December 9, 2018
An extraordinary book, with an important message, written and expressed so beautifully. Every Moment After wonderfully depicts the effect that one moment can have on someone's life even years later.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader's copy.
April 16, 2019
Very moving portrayal of teen boys struggling to find themselves in the aftermath of a school shooting. As the mother of teens so much rang true in the depiction of kids trying to find their way. Well done!
June 3, 2019
this book was just. so good. matt and cole’s friendship just warmed my heart. i really appreciated the angle the author took and the raw and emotional approach to the way this event impacted the character’s lives. i am thoroughly impressed and was shocked to find out it was a debut novel.
January 14, 2020
Over the past year and a half, I have struggled with YA. I've always loved YA, but recently, I have found myself struggling with it and not wanting to read it, because I've been burnt out on it. Every Moment After doesn't change that feeling, but it does capture everything I want in a YA novel right now.
Every Moment After is a beautiful story. It's a nuanced look at the complexity of grief and trauma and how people who experience both move through their lives. It doesn't offer solutions; rather, it shows us the impact traumatic events can have on people, and how those events can affect them and their relationships even years later. Every Moment After doesn't explore only how grief is different for everyone, though we certainly see how Cole and Matt have very different types of grief; it also explores how grief shits and changes and shows up in a myriad of ways for each character.
School shootings aren't easy to write about, and though I haven't read many YA novels that focus on them, I've felt like most of the YA books I've read that are about school shootings haven't gotten it quite right. Joseph Moldover got it right. Instead of focusing on the shooting itself, or the shooter, which he easily could have done, he focuses on the lives of two survivors years later, on how they're grieving but moving forward, and navigating friendships, other relationships, the end of high school, and the beginning of college and adulthood. Moldover wrote about these things carefully and thoughtfully, and it all felt authentic.
I loved the friendship between Matt and Cole. I connected with both characters and their stories right away, and I was so happy to see a strong, healthy friendship between two male characters who were loyal to each other and weren't afraid to say "I love you" to each other. We don't get these kinds of male friendships in YA very often, but here, Moldover presents us with a friendship that is strong but complex, that endures the changes Cole and Matt go through, while also showing us every side of Cole and Matt's friendship, and not just the good side, or the side people want to see.
Every Moment After is the best YA book I've read in a long time. It's an incredible debut. I loved it and can't wait to read more of Moldover's work.
Every Moment After is a beautiful story. It's a nuanced look at the complexity of grief and trauma and how people who experience both move through their lives. It doesn't offer solutions; rather, it shows us the impact traumatic events can have on people, and how those events can affect them and their relationships even years later. Every Moment After doesn't explore only how grief is different for everyone, though we certainly see how Cole and Matt have very different types of grief; it also explores how grief shits and changes and shows up in a myriad of ways for each character.
School shootings aren't easy to write about, and though I haven't read many YA novels that focus on them, I've felt like most of the YA books I've read that are about school shootings haven't gotten it quite right. Joseph Moldover got it right. Instead of focusing on the shooting itself, or the shooter, which he easily could have done, he focuses on the lives of two survivors years later, on how they're grieving but moving forward, and navigating friendships, other relationships, the end of high school, and the beginning of college and adulthood. Moldover wrote about these things carefully and thoughtfully, and it all felt authentic.
I loved the friendship between Matt and Cole. I connected with both characters and their stories right away, and I was so happy to see a strong, healthy friendship between two male characters who were loyal to each other and weren't afraid to say "I love you" to each other. We don't get these kinds of male friendships in YA very often, but here, Moldover presents us with a friendship that is strong but complex, that endures the changes Cole and Matt go through, while also showing us every side of Cole and Matt's friendship, and not just the good side, or the side people want to see.
Every Moment After is the best YA book I've read in a long time. It's an incredible debut. I loved it and can't wait to read more of Moldover's work.
July 19, 2019
This was good.
Gave a great insight into the trauma that school shooting’s can cause and the lasting effects had on survivors and families.
3.5/5 stars ! ✨✨✨
Gave a great insight into the trauma that school shooting’s can cause and the lasting effects had on survivors and families.
3.5/5 stars ! ✨✨✨
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