The Aftermath

by Lyn Coffin

A young woman is drugged and raped on New Year's Eve 1999. Her history of childhood abuse ensure her inability to remember what happened. When she has sex with her boy friend on Valentine's Day, and later discovers she is pregnant, she thinks that the child is her boy friend's and has fantasies of waltzing off into the sunset with him. When the doctor she eventually consults informs her of the approximate date of conception, and she realizes the truth, she enlists the help of a retired police officer to track down her assailant....
This is about how one heals from trauma, about a woman learning to be brave, learning to love in ways she never considered.

311 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Liya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book about the aftermath (obviously) of being raped. I liked the characters, but I think that the language and writing style is this book's core strength. The dialogue was realistic and the narration was poetic without being dense or relying on unnecessary metaphors.

My main issue with this book was how quickly the central romantic relationship developed. It seemed rather unrealistic, and I don't think the reasons for why these two characters liked each other were ever adequately explained.

Overall, I really enjoyed it!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyn Coffin cleverly tells the inciting event in third person so that the reader understands what has befallen the protagonist, drugged by the villain. Then she switches to first person, and for the bulk of the novel we learn the repercussions in the intimate voice of the young waitress Susan. The premise distressed me. And it should distress. But the unexpected survivor's story involved me in a wide and satisfying emotional range.