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After You Died
Bisexual teen, Asher remembers nothing from the night in 1968 that the police found him covered in his girlfriend's blood. He knows he'd never hurt anyone, least of all her. But the only person who believes him is his twin sister. He's sentenced to five years at the Dozier Reform School. And like Asher's memory, Dozier hides violent secrets of its own.
Juvenile boys serving time for everything from truancy to murder are hidden away in the sinister School for Boys. Those who manage to escape its bounds with broken bones and scars are the lucky ones. Asher's afraid he may end up like many of the other students buried beneath unmarked graves. Worse, his fellow inmates may become his next victims.
In hopes of recovering the events from the night of the murder, Asher visits the school's psychiatrist. But when the memories return, he finds many aren't his own. Thoughts, feelings, and visions from another life, and another time, slip into his mind. And each new memory brings consequences. First days disappear, then weeks. As the weeks slip away, students follow. He starts seeing his murdered girlfriend Olivia in the woods around the school. One morning, after following her ghost into the forest the night before, he wakes up outside covered in blood with no memory, and fears he's killed someone else.
On top of that, he learns that his sister―who had feared she was being stalked by a boy from their school―has disappeared. Could Asher himself somehow be responsible?
As Asher's possible body count grows, he knows the answers he needs are trapped within his own mind, and in ghosts from the past. He needs to find out who he is and prove the murders aren't connected to him or risk losing his sanity and freedom forever.
AFTER YOU DIED is a paranormal thriller loosely based on true events.
Juvenile boys serving time for everything from truancy to murder are hidden away in the sinister School for Boys. Those who manage to escape its bounds with broken bones and scars are the lucky ones. Asher's afraid he may end up like many of the other students buried beneath unmarked graves. Worse, his fellow inmates may become his next victims.
In hopes of recovering the events from the night of the murder, Asher visits the school's psychiatrist. But when the memories return, he finds many aren't his own. Thoughts, feelings, and visions from another life, and another time, slip into his mind. And each new memory brings consequences. First days disappear, then weeks. As the weeks slip away, students follow. He starts seeing his murdered girlfriend Olivia in the woods around the school. One morning, after following her ghost into the forest the night before, he wakes up outside covered in blood with no memory, and fears he's killed someone else.
On top of that, he learns that his sister―who had feared she was being stalked by a boy from their school―has disappeared. Could Asher himself somehow be responsible?
As Asher's possible body count grows, he knows the answers he needs are trapped within his own mind, and in ghosts from the past. He needs to find out who he is and prove the murders aren't connected to him or risk losing his sanity and freedom forever.
AFTER YOU DIED is a paranormal thriller loosely based on true events.
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First published July 27, 2021
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About the author
Dea Poirier
13 books495 followersDea Poirier was raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she found her passion during a creative writing course. She studied computer science and political science at the University of Central Oklahoma. She later spent time living on both coasts and traveling the United States before finally putting down roots in central Florida. She now resides somewhere between Disney and the swamp.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 28, 2021
Mystical. Dark. Haunting.
A bisexual teen in 1968, sentenced to five years at a reform school because of the murder of his (girl)friend. But he doesn’t remember.
I requested this ARC at random. I read the above and didn’t even bother to read the blurb any further. I’m a curious person, and those words: bisexual, 1968, a dead girlfriend, murder immediately made me want to read the story. Choosing a book at random is risky. What if I wouldn’t like it?
I read this story within a day. The environment, the forests, the swamps, the heat, and the stickiness in Florida, made me experience this mystical and haunting story even more. The alternation between now and then, Asher’s life at Dozier, and his dreams left me constantly sitting on the edge of my seat. The story is so intriguing: not knowing what Asher’s dreams meant, Asher being watched, the line between what was real and what was not becoming blurry more and more. I’m glad I requested this book without reading the blurb any further!
I loved the writing. I’ve stated it more than once in my reviews, my favorite writing style is first person, present tense (even in a timeline in the past). It makes me feel part of the story.
There’s one thing, though, I didn’t understand at first. Why is this story set in 1968? I couldn’t find a lot of indications in the book that lead me to that time. The only reference was in the beginning about the war in Vietnam. And maybe because everyone was smoking cigarettes (but that could also apply to the fifties or seventies or eighties). To me, this story felt timeless. Then I found out that the Florida School for Boys, Dozier, really existed from 1900 until 2011, and in the fifties and sixties, the White House was the site of most beatings of students. I got goosebumps all over my body when I realized this school and the White House really existed.
The story is not over. There was a cliffhanger and bam, the end of book 1. So there’ll be a second book, and I hope Asher, Eden, and Sayid will return. I’ll definitely read it!
I received an ARC from Polis Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A bisexual teen in 1968, sentenced to five years at a reform school because of the murder of his (girl)friend. But he doesn’t remember.
I requested this ARC at random. I read the above and didn’t even bother to read the blurb any further. I’m a curious person, and those words: bisexual, 1968, a dead girlfriend, murder immediately made me want to read the story. Choosing a book at random is risky. What if I wouldn’t like it?
I read this story within a day. The environment, the forests, the swamps, the heat, and the stickiness in Florida, made me experience this mystical and haunting story even more. The alternation between now and then, Asher’s life at Dozier, and his dreams left me constantly sitting on the edge of my seat. The story is so intriguing: not knowing what Asher’s dreams meant, Asher being watched, the line between what was real and what was not becoming blurry more and more. I’m glad I requested this book without reading the blurb any further!
I loved the writing. I’ve stated it more than once in my reviews, my favorite writing style is first person, present tense (even in a timeline in the past). It makes me feel part of the story.
There’s one thing, though, I didn’t understand at first. Why is this story set in 1968? I couldn’t find a lot of indications in the book that lead me to that time. The only reference was in the beginning about the war in Vietnam. And maybe because everyone was smoking cigarettes (but that could also apply to the fifties or seventies or eighties). To me, this story felt timeless. Then I found out that the Florida School for Boys, Dozier, really existed from 1900 until 2011, and in the fifties and sixties, the White House was the site of most beatings of students. I got goosebumps all over my body when I realized this school and the White House really existed.
The story is not over. There was a cliffhanger and bam, the end of book 1. So there’ll be a second book, and I hope Asher, Eden, and Sayid will return. I’ll definitely read it!
I received an ARC from Polis Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2025
On my blog.
CWs: domestic abuse, suicidal thoughts, torture, mentions of csa, institutional abuse, attempted suicide, violence, gore, murder
Galley provided by publisher
After You Died is a strange book for me to try and review, mostly because for a lot of it, I truly had no idea what was supposed to be happening. I think, in attempting to write from Asher’s POV (a POV where the mc genuinely has no clue what’s going on, and keeps forgetting things, leading to a confusing, muddled first-person narrative), the author ended up making the book confusing and muddled for the reader too.
It’s not that that can’t be done well, but I just felt it wasn’t here. Yes, you want to show that Asher is confused, you want the reader to be equally confused, and curious as to what’s going on, but there also has to be some level of clarity that the basic plotlines can be followed, even as the details are obscured. And that’s where I think this fell down. It’s not tightly plotted enough to carry off that confusion. I wasn’t compelled to keep reading to find out what was going on, I was just bored.
I also found that, for all that the narrative says there are high stakes to this detention centre, it never really felt like there were for a lot of it. And then it’s like a switch is flipped, and suddenly Asher is being sent off to be tortured every few pages. There was never a real balance to those two things, and eventually the violence started to feel gratuitous and pointless. Those scenes never really felt like they moved the plot along. They were just… there. It’s like someone said, as I did at the start of this paragraph, that it didn’t feel like there were stakes. But those “stakes” never really integrated into the plot.
Which, speaking of, there was very little. For all that Asher is, according to the blurb, investigating his girlfriend’s murder, of which he is accused, there’s very little actual investigating. Okay, so maybe that ties into Asher’s confusion, that he keeps losing time, but this didn’t feel very integrated either. Also, kind of separate issue, but the losing time, in a first person POV, where it’s not clear that the mc has lost time, to himself or the reader, before someone else points it out for me, doesn’t really work? There needed to be a better way of indicating it in the narrative because you genuinely just can’t tell.
And then the ending comes and, I realise this was probably supposed to clarify things, but it really really didn’t. I’ve not read such a confusing ending in a while. It left me with more questions than answers (not necessarily a bad thing, sure), and yet also no inclination to find out what those answers would be. In a book that I expected to be simply a historical thriller, it turned into… God knows what. It’s not even very well telegraphed, to me, which comes again to the dichotomy of confusion/clarity that this book overall fails with.
In the end, then, I just gave up on understanding this book. The actual culprit was barely hidden, and the plot twists came out of nowhere, in a bad way. The writing wasn’t awful, I’ll admit, but that’s the highest praise I can really bring myself to give.
CWs: domestic abuse, suicidal thoughts, torture, mentions of csa, institutional abuse, attempted suicide, violence, gore, murder
Galley provided by publisher
After You Died is a strange book for me to try and review, mostly because for a lot of it, I truly had no idea what was supposed to be happening. I think, in attempting to write from Asher’s POV (a POV where the mc genuinely has no clue what’s going on, and keeps forgetting things, leading to a confusing, muddled first-person narrative), the author ended up making the book confusing and muddled for the reader too.
It’s not that that can’t be done well, but I just felt it wasn’t here. Yes, you want to show that Asher is confused, you want the reader to be equally confused, and curious as to what’s going on, but there also has to be some level of clarity that the basic plotlines can be followed, even as the details are obscured. And that’s where I think this fell down. It’s not tightly plotted enough to carry off that confusion. I wasn’t compelled to keep reading to find out what was going on, I was just bored.
I also found that, for all that the narrative says there are high stakes to this detention centre, it never really felt like there were for a lot of it. And then it’s like a switch is flipped, and suddenly Asher is being sent off to be tortured every few pages. There was never a real balance to those two things, and eventually the violence started to feel gratuitous and pointless. Those scenes never really felt like they moved the plot along. They were just… there. It’s like someone said, as I did at the start of this paragraph, that it didn’t feel like there were stakes. But those “stakes” never really integrated into the plot.
Which, speaking of, there was very little. For all that Asher is, according to the blurb, investigating his girlfriend’s murder, of which he is accused, there’s very little actual investigating. Okay, so maybe that ties into Asher’s confusion, that he keeps losing time, but this didn’t feel very integrated either. Also, kind of separate issue, but the losing time, in a first person POV, where it’s not clear that the mc has lost time, to himself or the reader, before someone else points it out for me, doesn’t really work? There needed to be a better way of indicating it in the narrative because you genuinely just can’t tell.
And then the ending comes and, I realise this was probably supposed to clarify things, but it really really didn’t. I’ve not read such a confusing ending in a while. It left me with more questions than answers (not necessarily a bad thing, sure), and yet also no inclination to find out what those answers would be. In a book that I expected to be simply a historical thriller, it turned into… God knows what. It’s not even very well telegraphed, to me, which comes again to the dichotomy of confusion/clarity that this book overall fails with.
In the end, then, I just gave up on understanding this book. The actual culprit was barely hidden, and the plot twists came out of nowhere, in a bad way. The writing wasn’t awful, I’ll admit, but that’s the highest praise I can really bring myself to give.
July 24, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions in this review are all my own.
After You Died follows Asher, a bisexual teen who supposedly murdered his best friend, Olivia. Asher knows he never could’ve committed this heinous crime but can't fully remember what happened. The only person that truly believes Asher is his sister, Eden, though she cannot prove it. Instead of going to prison, Asher will be shipped to a juvenile detention center where boys are routinely abused or murdered by guards and other residents. Will Asher get to the bottom of what happened before it's too late?
I’ve put this book off for months. Not for any significant reason or anything, but I put it off nonetheless. Now I'm split on how I feel about that decision. The upside to picking it up is that no part was boring. You grow to be invested in the two main characters because the dynamic is just that well-written. The negative aspect to reading it now is that this book is part of a series, and that wasn't something I knew going into reading this story. Now I'm sitting here knowing it's going to be a while until the next book. That's my second least favorite thing, though it may be close to my absolute hatred of carrots. I guess if I had one gripe, it would be the ending. Again, I know it's a series, but the conclusion was just so abrupt. I wanted just a bit more clarity from this novel. It is what it is, though.
After You Died is a 3.5-4 star read for me.
After You Died follows Asher, a bisexual teen who supposedly murdered his best friend, Olivia. Asher knows he never could’ve committed this heinous crime but can't fully remember what happened. The only person that truly believes Asher is his sister, Eden, though she cannot prove it. Instead of going to prison, Asher will be shipped to a juvenile detention center where boys are routinely abused or murdered by guards and other residents. Will Asher get to the bottom of what happened before it's too late?
I’ve put this book off for months. Not for any significant reason or anything, but I put it off nonetheless. Now I'm split on how I feel about that decision. The upside to picking it up is that no part was boring. You grow to be invested in the two main characters because the dynamic is just that well-written. The negative aspect to reading it now is that this book is part of a series, and that wasn't something I knew going into reading this story. Now I'm sitting here knowing it's going to be a while until the next book. That's my second least favorite thing, though it may be close to my absolute hatred of carrots. I guess if I had one gripe, it would be the ending. Again, I know it's a series, but the conclusion was just so abrupt. I wanted just a bit more clarity from this novel. It is what it is, though.
After You Died is a 3.5-4 star read for me.
December 17, 2021
Short Take: Haunting in a number of ways.
(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)
Hello my beloved nerdlings, and welcome to the apex of summer! It’s juuuuust starting to get insufferably hot out, but right now, we’re still in the place where watermelon, sparklers, cook-outs, and a dip in the pool are heavenly. And did I mention the cook-outs? Because I’m a sucker for a table loaded with grilled meats and chilled desserts and let’s not forget the fruity iced vodka drink. In a word… SUMMER.
Summer’s also the season of campfires, with ghost stories and s'mores, and it’s that feeling that After You Died evokes SO FREAKING WELL. It’s 1968 when we meet seventeen year old Asher, and he’s already been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Olivia. It’s tricky though, because although he was found next to her body, covered in blood, and holding the murder weapon, he has no memory of committing the crime. By all accounts, Asher’s been in love with Olivia since they were children, and would never have hurt her.
But the only person who really believes Asher is his sister Eden, and he soon finds himself being shipped off to the worst juvenile detention center in the country, where boys are routinely tortured and sometimes killed. Dozier is the stuff of nightmares except for one bright spot: Sayid, the kid with “sources” who can get everything from dirty magazines to drugs and booze if the price is right. Asher is happy to have Sayid’s friendship at first, but gradually, as the boys grow closer, their feelings deepen into more.
Despite the semi-idyllic setup I’ve described above, Asher is still carrying a heavy load. His memory hasn’t come back, and the blank spots seem to be growing. And there are hints that something older, darker, and hungrier is trying to revive a centuries-old curse.
Duckies, I have to just put the best thing first: Ms. Poirier is a poet. Her prose is lyrical and beautiful, and even the hell of Dozier holds a kind of dark enchantment. Asher is an incredible character - so wounded and lost, and still so vulnerable and kind. His relationship with Eden is perfect in its sibling-ness, and his blossoming romance with Sayid is utterly charming.
The multiple timelines were also a lot of fun - we get little bits and pieces, not quite the whole story, never just a meandering info-dump, but always a tantalizing loose end that kept me hanging till the very end.
And it’s the end that is giving me my only real quibble. It’s too abrupt. It’s all built up to this exciting crescendo, we’re about to get some final answers and then… The End. I get that this is the first book in a planned series, and I don’t even mind the occasional cliffhanger, but there was just TOO much left undone, and I was left feeling like I only got to read half of a book.
A beautifully written, intriguing, marvelously-paced half, but a half nonetheless.
The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and another smore, please!)
(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)
Hello my beloved nerdlings, and welcome to the apex of summer! It’s juuuuust starting to get insufferably hot out, but right now, we’re still in the place where watermelon, sparklers, cook-outs, and a dip in the pool are heavenly. And did I mention the cook-outs? Because I’m a sucker for a table loaded with grilled meats and chilled desserts and let’s not forget the fruity iced vodka drink. In a word… SUMMER.
Summer’s also the season of campfires, with ghost stories and s'mores, and it’s that feeling that After You Died evokes SO FREAKING WELL. It’s 1968 when we meet seventeen year old Asher, and he’s already been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Olivia. It’s tricky though, because although he was found next to her body, covered in blood, and holding the murder weapon, he has no memory of committing the crime. By all accounts, Asher’s been in love with Olivia since they were children, and would never have hurt her.
But the only person who really believes Asher is his sister Eden, and he soon finds himself being shipped off to the worst juvenile detention center in the country, where boys are routinely tortured and sometimes killed. Dozier is the stuff of nightmares except for one bright spot: Sayid, the kid with “sources” who can get everything from dirty magazines to drugs and booze if the price is right. Asher is happy to have Sayid’s friendship at first, but gradually, as the boys grow closer, their feelings deepen into more.
Despite the semi-idyllic setup I’ve described above, Asher is still carrying a heavy load. His memory hasn’t come back, and the blank spots seem to be growing. And there are hints that something older, darker, and hungrier is trying to revive a centuries-old curse.
Duckies, I have to just put the best thing first: Ms. Poirier is a poet. Her prose is lyrical and beautiful, and even the hell of Dozier holds a kind of dark enchantment. Asher is an incredible character - so wounded and lost, and still so vulnerable and kind. His relationship with Eden is perfect in its sibling-ness, and his blossoming romance with Sayid is utterly charming.
The multiple timelines were also a lot of fun - we get little bits and pieces, not quite the whole story, never just a meandering info-dump, but always a tantalizing loose end that kept me hanging till the very end.
And it’s the end that is giving me my only real quibble. It’s too abrupt. It’s all built up to this exciting crescendo, we’re about to get some final answers and then… The End. I get that this is the first book in a planned series, and I don’t even mind the occasional cliffhanger, but there was just TOO much left undone, and I was left feeling like I only got to read half of a book.
A beautifully written, intriguing, marvelously-paced half, but a half nonetheless.
The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and another smore, please!)
May 19, 2021
I love Dea Poirier's writing, and when I saw this was available for request, I quickly did just that and was thrilled to be approved. Solid title, beautiful working cover, I quickly dove in.
When Asher is found guilty of murdering his best friend/almost girlfriend Olivia, he's sent to Dozier, a reform school with a nefarious reputation. He wants to believe he's innocent, but he has no memory of that night. His sleep is plagued by horrible dreams, and as he dives into therapy trying to remember what happened, his grip on reality slips. With Sayid at his side, he hopes to survive Dozier, if only to find out the truth--a feat, he realizes, that becomes more dangerous than anything he could have anticipated.
I really enjoyed this book.
Asher is a wonderful narrator. Unreliable yet endearing, you root for him as he fights through his days. You assume his innocence because of his love for Olivia, and when the memories get murky, perhaps unearthing truths he may not want to hear, you're just as tormented by the revelations. His relationship with Sayid is probably my favorite aspect of this book. The intimacy and trust-building, it is impossible not to get wrapped up in their unrequited moments.
Poirier also does an amazing job with the setting. Dozier, the outskirts of swampy Florida, becomes its own character, loaded and unstable. Ominous, and it makes for excellent atmospheric suspense. And even though this is set during the Vietnam War, you wouldn't know that. The writing is timeless, the characters stand on their own without markers of eras. It is removed, its own time and space, and this really goes a long way in tying the parallel storylines together.
Overall, After You Died is a twisty, fast-paced, gruesome read and an excellent introduction to what should be a thrilling series. Brutal and beautiful, you want this book in your life.
Thank you to Agora/Polis Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.
When Asher is found guilty of murdering his best friend/almost girlfriend Olivia, he's sent to Dozier, a reform school with a nefarious reputation. He wants to believe he's innocent, but he has no memory of that night. His sleep is plagued by horrible dreams, and as he dives into therapy trying to remember what happened, his grip on reality slips. With Sayid at his side, he hopes to survive Dozier, if only to find out the truth--a feat, he realizes, that becomes more dangerous than anything he could have anticipated.
I really enjoyed this book.
Asher is a wonderful narrator. Unreliable yet endearing, you root for him as he fights through his days. You assume his innocence because of his love for Olivia, and when the memories get murky, perhaps unearthing truths he may not want to hear, you're just as tormented by the revelations. His relationship with Sayid is probably my favorite aspect of this book. The intimacy and trust-building, it is impossible not to get wrapped up in their unrequited moments.
Poirier also does an amazing job with the setting. Dozier, the outskirts of swampy Florida, becomes its own character, loaded and unstable. Ominous, and it makes for excellent atmospheric suspense. And even though this is set during the Vietnam War, you wouldn't know that. The writing is timeless, the characters stand on their own without markers of eras. It is removed, its own time and space, and this really goes a long way in tying the parallel storylines together.
Overall, After You Died is a twisty, fast-paced, gruesome read and an excellent introduction to what should be a thrilling series. Brutal and beautiful, you want this book in your life.
Thank you to Agora/Polis Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.
June 16, 2021
A haunting, dark mystery weaved with paranormal elements and an unreliable narrator. I enjoyed the pacing and the movement with the "Before" and "After" chapters. I also love the first person POV of Asher with his emotional state during this story.
I questioned who killed Olivia throughout the story. I am looking forward to the next book because I am invested. A few comments for my rating. The setting at an elusive reform school could have been more horrifying and foreboding - even a character in itself. I think I just wanted more!
TY to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I questioned who killed Olivia throughout the story. I am looking forward to the next book because I am invested. A few comments for my rating. The setting at an elusive reform school could have been more horrifying and foreboding - even a character in itself. I think I just wanted more!
TY to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
April 28, 2021
I loved reading this gripping, atmospheric supernatural thriller. I could really FEEL the Florida heat, the chill coiling at the base of my spine, and this sense of being watched. Asher is such an interesting main character and I adored Sayid. Definitely can’t wait for the next one!
Read
May 21, 2021I like this story a lot, and I love that the past mystery isn't spelled out--that always ruins it for me. The ending was interesting and a bit abrupt. There's some romance stuff here that's very believably done--the MC feels very differently but plausibly about two very different people. I also just really like the author's personality as revealed on Twitter.
May 30, 2021
The paranormal element here dragged the story down, imvho. How Olivia died and who killed her are enough of a mystery, particularly given the fact that Asher doesn't remember anything and there was the creepy incident with Dominic earlier (and that Dominic seems to be stalking both Asher and his twin sister). And the horrors of Dozier are enough to keep the suspense going--what is going on with the missing boys? how does anyone come out of that place sane (let alone physically in one piece)? The rest wasn't necessary! I did wonder about the dorm/cabin Asher and Sayid are in, because at times it feels like it's just them in the building and other times that there are more boys living there. And setting this in the 60s didn't really seem necessary, except it fits in with Dozier's timeline as a real place. But it's fiction, and this story could have been set at any time.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
June 17, 2021
Thank you Netgalley, for providing me with the opportunity to read and review After You Died, prior to the release date. This is my first novel by Dea Poirier , but it will not be my last.
After you died is a haunting thriller. After a bit of research, I realized this novel is based loosely on the Dozier school. Knowing that a bunch of boys really did suffer this type of cruelty hit me a bit harder .
This novel is filled with unsettling events, twists, turns and secrets you wont see coming. I was unable to put this book down once I started. It was well written and the characters were well developed and really came alive.
I was a bit annoyed with the ending as I still felt I had a bunch of questions unanswered, however, I do believe this could have a sequel?
I would love to see where Dea Poirier is heading .
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller.
After you died is a haunting thriller. After a bit of research, I realized this novel is based loosely on the Dozier school. Knowing that a bunch of boys really did suffer this type of cruelty hit me a bit harder .
This novel is filled with unsettling events, twists, turns and secrets you wont see coming. I was unable to put this book down once I started. It was well written and the characters were well developed and really came alive.
I was a bit annoyed with the ending as I still felt I had a bunch of questions unanswered, however, I do believe this could have a sequel?
I would love to see where Dea Poirier is heading .
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller.
June 21, 2021
Asher has just been found guilty of a crime he doesn’t remember committing. All he knows is he woke up covered in his girlfriend’s blood and now, with his fathers “help” he’s been sentenced to five years in the most terrifying reform school in Florida. But even the psychiatrist at the Dozier Reform School can’t help Asher make sense of his deeply buried memories. Using regression therapy, Asher uncovers memories from different places—even different lives—and those memories are interfering with his reality. As more bodies turn up, Asher realizes things are far more complex than he ever imagined, but what exactly is the truth? Does this crime defy logic or is Asher simply a murderer?
After You Die is the latest novel by Dea Poirier. If you’ve read anything by Poirier before, you know she can set a scene like nobody else. This time she drops you right into the muggy, sticky Florida backcountry. As you read you can feel the oppressive heat mingling with hoplessness, danger, and cigarrette smoke. The story is told in alternating timelines (Before and After) and those timelines stretch quite a bit in unexpected ways though it’s always easy to follow.
Archer is fantastic and unreliable as a narrator—he can’t even trust himself, how am I going to trust him? But even with that, I found myself rooting for him. He is achingly easy to empathize with even when you find yourself thinking he might actually be a killer. Some of my favorite moments are between Archer and Sayid, I only wish there’d been more of that blossoming relationship which manages to be both tender and steamy. Poirier manages to make you feel the presence of danger lurking on every page. I was so thrilled to get to the end of this book and realize there will be more! I truly can’t wait for the next book.
*I received an ARC copy of After You Died in exchange for an honest review*
After You Die is the latest novel by Dea Poirier. If you’ve read anything by Poirier before, you know she can set a scene like nobody else. This time she drops you right into the muggy, sticky Florida backcountry. As you read you can feel the oppressive heat mingling with hoplessness, danger, and cigarrette smoke. The story is told in alternating timelines (Before and After) and those timelines stretch quite a bit in unexpected ways though it’s always easy to follow.
Archer is fantastic and unreliable as a narrator—he can’t even trust himself, how am I going to trust him? But even with that, I found myself rooting for him. He is achingly easy to empathize with even when you find yourself thinking he might actually be a killer. Some of my favorite moments are between Archer and Sayid, I only wish there’d been more of that blossoming relationship which manages to be both tender and steamy. Poirier manages to make you feel the presence of danger lurking on every page. I was so thrilled to get to the end of this book and realize there will be more! I truly can’t wait for the next book.
*I received an ARC copy of After You Died in exchange for an honest review*
June 6, 2021
After You Died is a gripping, atmospheric, and haunting Paranormal/Supernatural Thriller. Poirier did a phenomenal job of pulling me into the setting so much so that I felt the mugginess and heat of the Florida air. I absolutely love that the primary setting for this novel was the Dozier School for Boys which was a real place full of horrific stories and unsettling events. I must admit, I fell down the rabbit hole of looking up the real Dozier school which made this story hit me especially hard because far too many boys had to go through these awful experiences.
The book follows the main character, Asher, back and forth through time as he tries to piece together whether or not he murdered his girlfriend. And, if he did, why? All of the characters were well-developed and believable. I especially adored Sayid.
I will admit that I wanted to throw the book across the room at the end because I still had so many questions. I'm hoping that Dea Poirier writes a sequel to answer some of them.
For a gripping, powerful, and unputdownable read, make sure to pick up After You Died.
Thank you to the author and Polis/Agora books for an advanced reader copy of this novel.
The book follows the main character, Asher, back and forth through time as he tries to piece together whether or not he murdered his girlfriend. And, if he did, why? All of the characters were well-developed and believable. I especially adored Sayid.
I will admit that I wanted to throw the book across the room at the end because I still had so many questions. I'm hoping that Dea Poirier writes a sequel to answer some of them.
For a gripping, powerful, and unputdownable read, make sure to pick up After You Died.
Thank you to the author and Polis/Agora books for an advanced reader copy of this novel.
June 19, 2021
Aahhh! Wow. I got an ARC copy and I'm so glad I got to read this. I'll try not to do too many spoilers, but let me just say that I love Sayid, he is my new book crush. Seeing a bisexual MC in Asher was nice, especially since his feelings for Olivia and Sayid are very different but there's no competition of which matters to him more. Sayid never feels like second place. The abuse at Dozier's is awful and you really feel as helpless as Asher when it happens. I'm not very good at figuring out whodunnit's etc so I was super confused at the 'before' parts but it made it hard to put down the book! The ending was a bit abrupt so I'm hoping this cliffhanger means that there will be a sequel. One point, in case there are any grammar fanatics out there, there are a few typos in the book here and there which I noticed but honestly the story was so good I didn't really care beyond mentally correcting.
June 4, 2021
As Asher's possible body count grows, he knows the answers he needs are trapped within his own mind, and in ghosts from the past. He needs to find out who he is and prove the murders aren't connected to him or risk losing his sanity and freedom forever.
AFTER YOU DIED is a paranormal thriller loosely based on true events. This was a fun book to read and I highly recommend getting a copy of it!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book!
AFTER YOU DIED is a paranormal thriller loosely based on true events. This was a fun book to read and I highly recommend getting a copy of it!
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book!
September 7, 2021
I am seriously going back an forth from a 2 and 3 but sticking with the 2 since there are so many outstanding questions. The ending was entirely flat not giving any detail as what tied everything together. I had a lot of hopes going in on this one and was really disappointed. It had you turning those pages to get those questions answered and nope, nothing. Frustrating to say the least.
April 19, 2022
I read it and still don’t understand it. Regenerating characters. A comment on death and torture in a Florida boys prison. Bodies stacked up in a dilapidated mansion? The story just jumps and doesn’t close loops. I got lost in the constant flash backs and forwards. Just a confusing book, not well written.
October 14, 2021
The story wasn't as scary anymore after I realised what kind of book it was (didn't read the synopsis until halfway through), yet another fantastic story by Dea Poirier. I really enjoy her books and look forward to the next one she wrote.
January 28, 2025
This is now one of my all-time favorites. It was dark and interesting, and I really could not put it down. The author perfectly balanced the flashbacks and the present, and the characters were so developed that is was really exciting to read.
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August 4, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Child sexual abuse mentioned
Domestic abuse
Attempted suicide
Suicidal ideation
Murder
Torture
Child sexual abuse mentioned
Domestic abuse
Attempted suicide
Suicidal ideation
Murder
Torture
October 31, 2021
The depiction of life inside the Dozier School alone is harrowing enough. Then wind in a murder mystery and relationships with soul, and it’s a beautiful tale. Well worth your time!
Read
May 19, 20223.5/4 out of 5
December 19, 2022
i’m highly confused tbh 🤨
okay so how are eden & asher immortals ? huh ? i thought i was reading a psychological thriller/ murder mystery NOT a fantasy book ? i’m so confused. also what the hell is dominic? like is he creating these immortal creatures im confused because he’s always been the one who’s killed eden and asher every time they’re “reincarnated,” like sorry what ? another thing is olivia dead? is olivia alive? is olivia even a person? is olivia an emotion ? is she a place ? (lol did you catch my little harry styles moment) okay back to the book is she dead or not ? like was asher actually seeing olivia in the flesh or was he hallucinating? ALSO every freaking time that he woke up and didn’t remember shit, what the hall was that about? i’m just so so confused.
i will say that i’m very interested in learning more about the dozier school and the white house
oh and i love sayid and asher lol
okay so how are eden & asher immortals ? huh ? i thought i was reading a psychological thriller/ murder mystery NOT a fantasy book ? i’m so confused. also what the hell is dominic? like is he creating these immortal creatures im confused because he’s always been the one who’s killed eden and asher every time they’re “reincarnated,” like sorry what ? another thing is olivia dead? is olivia alive? is olivia even a person? is olivia an emotion ? is she a place ? (lol did you catch my little harry styles moment) okay back to the book is she dead or not ? like was asher actually seeing olivia in the flesh or was he hallucinating? ALSO every freaking time that he woke up and didn’t remember shit, what the hall was that about? i’m just so so confused.
i will say that i’m very interested in learning more about the dozier school and the white house
oh and i love sayid and asher lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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