Aftershock

by Alison Taylor

“Alison Taylor’s debut novel is a riveting exploration of two tough women, a mother and a daughter, on a separate but similar journey, to figure out who they want to be and how to love each other again.” —Zoe Whittall, author of Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist The Best Kind of People.

Shared trauma has driven them a world apart; they will need to find each other again to begin to heal.

Nightmares still haunt Chloe thirteen years after a fatal tragedy led to the disintegration of her family. Her mother, Jules, has a busy tech career, a long history of chronic pain—and little time for Chloe. After Chloe drops out of university to travel for a year, Jules’s OxyContin dependency quickly worsens. Aftershock follows their parallel journeys: Jules struggles to regain control of her life, while Chloe, after a rocky visit with her estranged father in New Zealand, resolves to go off the map and spend some time alone, travelling. When Jules suddenly can’t find her daughter, the feeling is all too familiar. Mother and daughter will need to address old secrets and the emotional impact they have wrought before they can reconcile with each other, and, finally, with themselves.

Genres: Fiction, Queer, Literary Fiction

317 pages, ebook

First published August 11, 2020

About the author

Alison Taylor was fired from jobs as a babysitter, a chambermaid, a barista and a farm hand, before spending twenty years as a television editor in Toronto, Ontario. They have previously published in Exile Literary Quarterly and Broken Pencil Magazine, performed deadpan stand-up on various comedy stages and made several internationally screened experimental short films. They now live in Fredericton, New Brunswick with their partner and two bossy felines. Aftershock is their first novel.

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Shock is a coming of age story about a young woman dealing with her mother’s addiction, the death of her sibling and her absentee father. Chloe leaves university, disappointing her mother Jules to go traveling and to reconnect with her father in New Zealand.

The plot and action of the story itself was interesting and relatable. It goes between Chloe’s life travelling and Jules’ life at home and the parallel personal conflicts. However, the real strength of this novel is the incredible characterization of a young person in Chloe’s position. Her absolute swings of emotion, her sullen teenage narcissism, her self consciousness, guilt, desire to be contrary, but need to fit in and finally her over-confidence set against her naivete. Chloe is so well drawn, she is likable, the reader feels for her and understands her.

Taylor creates all characters with care and depth, even the second tier characters are well rounded.

This book is a very good read.

[Stephanie Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely blown away and really impressed with this novel. I purchased this book on a whim and I’m so glad I did. The story and plot were well-developed with great dynamic characters. I felt the struggles of both Chloe and Jules, and this book was a great story about familial relationships- plus it’s set in Toronto. Taylor is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more work by them. I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Yijing Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was slightly confused why the daughter’s side of the story was using the first person but the mom’s third, though it didn't impact my understanding. Also confused about where dialogues began or ended because the author seemed to hate to use quotation marks; probably only ESL readers like me have this problem. I also didn't understand the mom’s gesture with her eyes and elbows in the end, though I could guess what she might have wanted to express.

But overall, I enjoyed the book. I especially love how Chloe’s flashbacks to Lizzie’s death were depicted, as well as at the end, how the three of them finally revealed their long-buried emotions to each other and reconciled to an extent. The whole story, in a way, resonates with my childhood trauma and its gradual healing process, as well as my reconciliation with my parents and their parenting.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this.

I loved the characters, I loved the mother/daughter stories and seeing from each POV. I thought the writing was so good and the story was so well told.

The way in which Taylor wrote about past trauma was very real. It felt real in the ways the characters dealt with it differently, and how it impacted their relationship with the people around them.

[Karolyn Feichtenbiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taylor’s choice of not using quotations was not something great for me. I do not like this stylistic choice because it makes the book harder to understand since thoughts vs talk is hard to tell. The story was interesting for me, but it was not special. I am glad I read this book and it made me think about some stuff, but I think it just wasn’t written as well as it could be.

[A Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read went through it in two days.

[SR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two strong women a mother and daughter who both had secrets and conflicts. They work hard to understand and come together. Set in Canada and New Zealand. I enjoyed it.

[sabina04 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent the first half of the book thinking it would be a max. 3 star review, and was pleasantly surprised that these characters had realistic and human character developments, whilst also becoming likeable people. I tend to dislike books if the characters are terribly unlikeable - but I found it wholly redeemable.

Would recommend to a friend.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story; I was torn between reading quickly to find out what happens next, and slowing down to fully appreciate the writing. I found it a moving and realistic examination on the impact unresolved grief and shame have on our psyche and on our relationships.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that there are no quotations for dialogue made it difficult to keep up sometimes but it isn't a deal breaker.