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After
CJ has been banished to the country to live with his grandparents. His attempt to fade into the background at his new school is thwarted when Luke Bennett, a boy suffering from a brain injury, befriends him. Here he learns that no matter how hard you try to run from the past it is always right there in front of you, waiting.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
About the author
Sue Lawson
50 books70 followersSue Lawson is an award winning young adult and junior fiction author, with a passion for
young people, writing and reading. Her books are recognized for the sensitive way they
explore the exciting and heartbreaking complexities of adolescence.
A former teacher, Sue has also worked for both ABC and commercial stations and currently
works part time for Geelong's BAY FM.
Her book Pan’s Whisper was shortlisted for the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards,
Young Adult Fiction, won the 2012 Australian Family Therapist Award, Children’s Literature
and was shortlisted for other awards.
Her latest young adult novel, based on real events, is Freedom Ride.
young people, writing and reading. Her books are recognized for the sensitive way they
explore the exciting and heartbreaking complexities of adolescence.
A former teacher, Sue has also worked for both ABC and commercial stations and currently
works part time for Geelong's BAY FM.
Her book Pan’s Whisper was shortlisted for the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards,
Young Adult Fiction, won the 2012 Australian Family Therapist Award, Children’s Literature
and was shortlisted for other awards.
Her latest young adult novel, based on real events, is Freedom Ride.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 6, 2009
Initially, this was a book that didn’t really grab me; Callum started out as an annoying and difficult character, whose actions and behaviours made no sense. Gradually, however, as snippets of the past were revealed (‘Before’), his attitude changed. I think about a third into the novel, I really started to enjoy it. I think Callum’s initial behaviour is necessary, as he grows a lot as a character through the book.
The story was suspenseful and well-written – even though Callum’s day-to-day life living with his grandparents and attending a new school were mundane, I continued reading so that I could find out what it was that had changed his life so much and why he was sent to live with his grandparents.
There are a lot of books in the teen fiction market with the premise of ‘A Big Bad Thing Happened and now everything has changed’. I think After pulled this off really well, without making it seem stale, and though I figure out the Big Bad Thing early on, there were so many other things that I didn’t see coming.
This book felt distinctly Australian, and I really loved that. Overall a fantastically written novel, which I think teenagers will relate to, and which packs a powerful ending.
The story was suspenseful and well-written – even though Callum’s day-to-day life living with his grandparents and attending a new school were mundane, I continued reading so that I could find out what it was that had changed his life so much and why he was sent to live with his grandparents.
There are a lot of books in the teen fiction market with the premise of ‘A Big Bad Thing Happened and now everything has changed’. I think After pulled this off really well, without making it seem stale, and though I figure out the Big Bad Thing early on, there were so many other things that I didn’t see coming.
This book felt distinctly Australian, and I really loved that. Overall a fantastically written novel, which I think teenagers will relate to, and which packs a powerful ending.
June 14, 2012
I picked up After when I found a new love for Sue Lawson’s Pan’s Whisper.
Figuring the author was graciously talented, I found myself engrossed in yet another book. It has a similar plot to Pan’s Whisper, but not the same. What Callum did was what he brought onto himself, although an accident. It really was a freak accident that brought him to his grandparent’s place –you’ll find out what I mean after reading the book.
The main aspect of this book, just like Pan’s Whisper, is character development. And I have every right to say Sue Lawson is a master of it. I can see the changes between CJ at the beginning to Callum at the end –and it’s more than what name the main character goes by.
Callum’s past history is heartbreaking. Also, I found myself feeling immensely sorry for Luke (or Benny). But this story also reminds us how the world isn’t as perfect as we think it is; how people change from the person they are to who they are now. And almost every character in this book has changed from the beginning to the end –another aspect of amazing writing.
What prevented me from giving it five stars was how we found out about Callum’s own secret at the last minute. It didn’t seem as important. I kinda lost interest halfway through. Whereas if this secret was exposed earlier, I’d be more hooked to the story. Also, the author made no effort to change the writing style between Pan’s Whisper and After, so I still had Pandora’s voice in my mind. It took a lot of struggling to get into my head that this was CJ, a boy, and not Pandora.
Overall, a must-read for anyone looking for a great coming-of-the-age story!
November 12, 2021
I have just finished reading "After", by Sue Lawson. I think it is a great book. It just gets more interesting as you go along, and you want to keep reading to find out the ending.
This book is about a boy in year 9 named Callum, but all his friends call him CJ. CJ's mum, Mauve, has sent him to the country to live with his Nan and Pop for a little while, because he had gotten himself into some big trouble at home, and his parents thought he needed to be away for a little while. He doesn't want to be in the country at first, and he hates his mum for sending him. He doesn't want talk to his Mum Mauve, Step Dad Chris, or his Nan and Pop.
CJ's Nan and Pop enrol him in a school at Marrook, which he isn't too happy about. He just wants to go back home. He is always anxious ,angry, and upset throughout most of the book. He is mostly upset and ashamed with himself because of what he had done back home where he lived with his Mum and Step Dad.
CJ's mum Mauve, later in the book, tells him about his biological father, Woosher. He then gets even angrier at his mum. Firstly, for lying to him his whole life. She had always said that his real Dad died when he was really little, but he later finds out that his Dad only died when Callum was 13 years old. Woosher never wanted to visit Mauve and Callum, so Callum never actually saw his real Dad.
His Nan finds it hard to forgive Mauve for all the bad things she did when she was younger, and especially how she just left home to move to the city. So, when Callum comes to live his Nan, she finds it hard at first to communicate with him. His Pop, however, tries from the very beginning to talk to Callum and ask him questions, even though Callum doesn't want to talk to either of them.
The story goes on to tell about how CJ finds a friend, Luke. They don't have an instant connection, but a strong friendship develops over time and they become best mates and a support to each other.
My favourite part of the book is when CJ becomes friends with a boy named Luke, but after he has a severe accident, everyone starts calling him Benny. It's really nice reading how they become friends, and best friends in the end.
If you like books that make you feel empathy towards the characters and a story that is moving and emotional, then I would recommend this book. At first it's really sad but towards the end the mood lifts. It is a great story about friendship, trust and loyalty. There is some swearing every now and then but it isn't too bad. Overall it was a really enjoyable book.
This book is about a boy in year 9 named Callum, but all his friends call him CJ. CJ's mum, Mauve, has sent him to the country to live with his Nan and Pop for a little while, because he had gotten himself into some big trouble at home, and his parents thought he needed to be away for a little while. He doesn't want to be in the country at first, and he hates his mum for sending him. He doesn't want talk to his Mum Mauve, Step Dad Chris, or his Nan and Pop.
CJ's Nan and Pop enrol him in a school at Marrook, which he isn't too happy about. He just wants to go back home. He is always anxious ,angry, and upset throughout most of the book. He is mostly upset and ashamed with himself because of what he had done back home where he lived with his Mum and Step Dad.
CJ's mum Mauve, later in the book, tells him about his biological father, Woosher. He then gets even angrier at his mum. Firstly, for lying to him his whole life. She had always said that his real Dad died when he was really little, but he later finds out that his Dad only died when Callum was 13 years old. Woosher never wanted to visit Mauve and Callum, so Callum never actually saw his real Dad.
His Nan finds it hard to forgive Mauve for all the bad things she did when she was younger, and especially how she just left home to move to the city. So, when Callum comes to live his Nan, she finds it hard at first to communicate with him. His Pop, however, tries from the very beginning to talk to Callum and ask him questions, even though Callum doesn't want to talk to either of them.
The story goes on to tell about how CJ finds a friend, Luke. They don't have an instant connection, but a strong friendship develops over time and they become best mates and a support to each other.
My favourite part of the book is when CJ becomes friends with a boy named Luke, but after he has a severe accident, everyone starts calling him Benny. It's really nice reading how they become friends, and best friends in the end.
If you like books that make you feel empathy towards the characters and a story that is moving and emotional, then I would recommend this book. At first it's really sad but towards the end the mood lifts. It is a great story about friendship, trust and loyalty. There is some swearing every now and then but it isn't too bad. Overall it was a really enjoyable book.
July 8, 2011
A difficult book to put down, it had a believable story line. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it ended beautifully I wanted the story to continue.
June 29, 2024
Reviewed 2010 for CMIS Resource Bank
Age 12+. A tension-filled novel featuring dysfunctional families, school bullying and football. After is Callum’s story.
Life goes on. Fourteen year old Callum is learning this lesson the hard way. One day he’s carefree, the next - banished to rural Victoria to round up sheep on his grandparents’ property. He’s a soccer star in an AFL town, a greenie in a meat-eating district, an outsider in a close-knit country community. Callum attracts trouble.
The unravelling of his Melbourne life would have made an emotional novel, but Lawson has gone a step further to examine what happens after such a tragic event. The first-person viewpoint gives readers insight into Callum’s nightmares, while his detached feeling on arrival is made palpable with impersonal language: ‘the old man’ and ‘the old woman’ (p. 1).
As Callum’s past impacts on his present (the inevitable after), so Lawson provides characters as counterpoints. Others have to live with consequences, and these characters’ lives intertwine.
Callum’s mother has been estranged from her parents for fourteen years, but the gathering of threads show a timeline that will involve healing. The one person who takes Callum as he finds him is Luke Bennett, the once rising sports star now living with his after, a permanent brain injury which has him labelled a ‘retard’ by the school bully. The fact that he has this injury, and the circumstances involved have reverberating consequences for Callum. The narrative shift between past and present heightens readers’ anticipation of what will be revealed.
After puts the spotlight on dysfunctional relationships and consequences, using dichotomies to highlight both our differences and our central need for acceptance. Lawson writes Luke as a real boy who happens to have a brain injury. It is Callum’s growing friendship with Luke (‘Benny’) that allows readers to feel that his after will be more optimistic than his father’s.
Age 12+. A tension-filled novel featuring dysfunctional families, school bullying and football. After is Callum’s story.
Life goes on. Fourteen year old Callum is learning this lesson the hard way. One day he’s carefree, the next - banished to rural Victoria to round up sheep on his grandparents’ property. He’s a soccer star in an AFL town, a greenie in a meat-eating district, an outsider in a close-knit country community. Callum attracts trouble.
The unravelling of his Melbourne life would have made an emotional novel, but Lawson has gone a step further to examine what happens after such a tragic event. The first-person viewpoint gives readers insight into Callum’s nightmares, while his detached feeling on arrival is made palpable with impersonal language: ‘the old man’ and ‘the old woman’ (p. 1).
As Callum’s past impacts on his present (the inevitable after), so Lawson provides characters as counterpoints. Others have to live with consequences, and these characters’ lives intertwine.
Callum’s mother has been estranged from her parents for fourteen years, but the gathering of threads show a timeline that will involve healing. The one person who takes Callum as he finds him is Luke Bennett, the once rising sports star now living with his after, a permanent brain injury which has him labelled a ‘retard’ by the school bully. The fact that he has this injury, and the circumstances involved have reverberating consequences for Callum. The narrative shift between past and present heightens readers’ anticipation of what will be revealed.
After puts the spotlight on dysfunctional relationships and consequences, using dichotomies to highlight both our differences and our central need for acceptance. Lawson writes Luke as a real boy who happens to have a brain injury. It is Callum’s growing friendship with Luke (‘Benny’) that allows readers to feel that his after will be more optimistic than his father’s.
September 2, 2017
What a fantastic read - beautifully written. Would suit 11 + - boys will love it.
With snippets of what has happened in the past - makes you want to keep reading - a very powerful ending.
A very powerful ending
With snippets of what has happened in the past - makes you want to keep reading - a very powerful ending.
A very powerful ending
March 28, 2022
This was such a good book. Showed why this boy had to move away to live with his grandparents in the country and how he discovers how his family is quite a part of the community, that he never knew existed.
March 25, 2018
This book was very interesting it was a strange topic but it was quite eye catching and it was a good book to read and I recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2018
i shed so many tears reading this book. So emotional and heart wrenching. GIVES YOU THE REAL FEELS
April 2, 2019
HOLY FUK
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October 19, 2020worst book i have ever read by a long shot honetly just garbage. wouldnt reccomend to anyoneother than blacks
August 2, 2022
Perfect pacing, the right amount of intrigue and genuine conflict, with a few fairly predictable parts.
January 20, 2025
I have read this book many, many times and it’s my absolute favourite.
August 7, 2009
In one moment your whole life can change. For Callum, a moment of thoughtlessness has turned his world upside-down.
Before, Callum was popular, cool; a city kid active with friends and in sport, and everyone had known him as Cj. After, no one wanted him around. Callum had been shipped away to the country, dumped on his grandparents whom he had never met before.
Callum was feeling isolated and alone, but most of all he was feeling angry. Angry at his mother for forcing him to leave, angry at his grandparents for not understanding, angry at the bully at his new school for picking on him and the weak kids. But mostly Callum was angry at himself.
Callum had still not dealt with the tragedy that had instigated his move to the country. His mother had hoped that the move would help him to heal; instead Callum retreated further inside himself, pushing away anyone who tried to get close, pushing back the grief and guilt that was building inside him.
Luke 'Benny', a boy in Callum's class who has suffered a brain injury, befriends Callum, much to Callum's dismay. Before, Callum would have treated Luke just as the bullies at his new school do. After, now, Callum finds himself sticking up for Luke. Callum finds that his friendship is able to help Luke heal, what he didn't expect was how much Luke's friendship would help him heal.
After is a poignant and thought provoking novel that steps between the before and after of a life changing event in such a way as to create a dramatic and intriguing story that from the opening pages draws you in, suspended, till its conclusion.
Its relatable characters shape Callum's experiences and feelings, impacting on his relationships with those around him, his own feelings of self worth and his ability to cope with what has happened in his life. It is a story about relevant issues faced by teenagers; friendship, family, feelings of belong and abandonment, anger, low self-esteem, change, grief and loss.
Before, Callum was popular, cool; a city kid active with friends and in sport, and everyone had known him as Cj. After, no one wanted him around. Callum had been shipped away to the country, dumped on his grandparents whom he had never met before.
Callum was feeling isolated and alone, but most of all he was feeling angry. Angry at his mother for forcing him to leave, angry at his grandparents for not understanding, angry at the bully at his new school for picking on him and the weak kids. But mostly Callum was angry at himself.
Callum had still not dealt with the tragedy that had instigated his move to the country. His mother had hoped that the move would help him to heal; instead Callum retreated further inside himself, pushing away anyone who tried to get close, pushing back the grief and guilt that was building inside him.
Luke 'Benny', a boy in Callum's class who has suffered a brain injury, befriends Callum, much to Callum's dismay. Before, Callum would have treated Luke just as the bullies at his new school do. After, now, Callum finds himself sticking up for Luke. Callum finds that his friendship is able to help Luke heal, what he didn't expect was how much Luke's friendship would help him heal.
After is a poignant and thought provoking novel that steps between the before and after of a life changing event in such a way as to create a dramatic and intriguing story that from the opening pages draws you in, suspended, till its conclusion.
Its relatable characters shape Callum's experiences and feelings, impacting on his relationships with those around him, his own feelings of self worth and his ability to cope with what has happened in his life. It is a story about relevant issues faced by teenagers; friendship, family, feelings of belong and abandonment, anger, low self-esteem, change, grief and loss.
July 3, 2016
Callum has been sent to live with his grandparents, whom he has never met, on a sheep property after something terrible happens at his old school in Melbourne. Full of anger and self-loathing, Callum finds it hard to fit in and rejects anyone who tries to befriend him, including his grandparents.
Callum is a wonderful character. Despite his anger and hostility, he has a gentle, caring side to his nature which makes him extremely likeable. In short chapters, interspersed between the first person narrative, the reader gradually discovers what happened and why Callum can't forgive himself. Other characters I really related to were Callum's grandfather and Benny, a boy who was brain-damaged after a horrific accident which killed his younger brother.
Having lived on a sheep farm myself for over 20 years, I loved the setting of this book and I feel that the author captured the positives and negatives of rural, small town life perfectly. This is a moving novel about a boy trying to run from his past and deals with loss, forgiveness and living with our actions. Congratulations Sue, a great story!!
Callum is a wonderful character. Despite his anger and hostility, he has a gentle, caring side to his nature which makes him extremely likeable. In short chapters, interspersed between the first person narrative, the reader gradually discovers what happened and why Callum can't forgive himself. Other characters I really related to were Callum's grandfather and Benny, a boy who was brain-damaged after a horrific accident which killed his younger brother.
Having lived on a sheep farm myself for over 20 years, I loved the setting of this book and I feel that the author captured the positives and negatives of rural, small town life perfectly. This is a moving novel about a boy trying to run from his past and deals with loss, forgiveness and living with our actions. Congratulations Sue, a great story!!
November 26, 2013
This is the second time that I've read this book, and I enjoyed it even more. CJ has been banished to the countryside to live with his patient grandfather and uncaring grandmother, who later changes for the better. His grandfather encourages CJ to play football, but CJ refuses to do so, after what happened before. In the meantime, CJ has social issues of his own. Jack Frewen, the star of the football team hates CJ because he is the only one who is not intimidated by him. However, when Jack goes too far, by bringing up CJ's father, CJ does something that brings back all the memories from the past he has had to live with since he arrived at Marrook, to live with his grandparents. A dramatic chain of events leads up to a very powerful climax - the reason CJ can't live with before...
August 18, 2012
A complex family drama with a backstory slowly revealed. Trauma and family secrets from the past get more complicated when a new traumatic event leads to Callum being sent from his formerly happy life in Melbourne to stay with his unknown grandparents in rural Victoria. The contrast of lives in the city and country and the similarity of peer pressure, family tensions and finally facing up to the truth make for an interesting story with an ensemble of characters, from teens to oldies. The main protagonists are well drawn, although some of the bullying and parochial behaviour, especially by teachers at the school, is a little overdone at times perhaps.
March 31, 2015
I couldn't put this book down which resulted in me reading it within a few hours.
But oh my god this book was so fantastic. The plot twists were all throughout this book and now that I've read it I can understand why the main character was a little rough to everyone and why everyone else treated him like they did and it just made me love the character more. I loved his friendship with Benny and Benny in all honesty was my favorite character and words can't explain how much I hated jack frewen and mister agar. All in all this book was incredible and I loved it. Wish I could rate it more than five stars.
But oh my god this book was so fantastic. The plot twists were all throughout this book and now that I've read it I can understand why the main character was a little rough to everyone and why everyone else treated him like they did and it just made me love the character more. I loved his friendship with Benny and Benny in all honesty was my favorite character and words can't explain how much I hated jack frewen and mister agar. All in all this book was incredible and I loved it. Wish I could rate it more than five stars.
November 26, 2016
I think I'm in love with Sue Lawson!
She has this amazing way of drawing a reader in and making them actully want to what the big bad thing that happened is. She did it amazingly in "You Don't Even Know" and she did it again in "After".
I read this book in one night right after reading "You Don't Even Know" and oh my goodness, it was amazing! I wasn't particulrly interested in his (Callum's) homelife with his grandparents etc but I loved seeing him grow and seeing his actions and reactions to big things that happened in his life. He was an easy character to follow and sympathise with and honestly, I love this book and this author!
She has this amazing way of drawing a reader in and making them actully want to what the big bad thing that happened is. She did it amazingly in "You Don't Even Know" and she did it again in "After".
I read this book in one night right after reading "You Don't Even Know" and oh my goodness, it was amazing! I wasn't particulrly interested in his (Callum's) homelife with his grandparents etc but I loved seeing him grow and seeing his actions and reactions to big things that happened in his life. He was an easy character to follow and sympathise with and honestly, I love this book and this author!
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August 26, 2011This book was really good. At different parts of it I almost wanted to cry and there were parts in the book where I wanted to laugh. The way the book is written is really cool because it is happening in the present but there are chapters that say what happened in the past and by the end of the book you know the full story.
December 30, 2014
Callum is banished to the country to live with his previously estranged grandparents, in tragic circumstances. Life is difficult for him and bullying is rife in the small country school he has to attend. The attitude of the adults in this book is strange but may be explained by the book being written from Callum's viewpoint.
March 7, 2016
I couldn't put this book down and read it in one sitting. I really wanted to know what came "before" and although it was a little predictable I still enjoyed the journey. I have read several of Sue Lawson's books for young adults and enjoyed them all. The characters were believable and the story was very Australian. I would highly recommend it to anyone who just loves a good, quick read.
February 16, 2011
Fantastic - great story from an Australian teenagers perspective. A little edgy, unputdownable - what was before? Has to start again because he has moved to the country to live with his grandparents and go to a new school - because of what happened before!!
September 1, 2012
When i finished this book i felt like the book was missing a few chapters, I wanted to know what happened between Grace and Callum (CJ) and how Jack (frewan) and his friends reacted to Callum winning the fight. Overall i thought the book was good but would be better if i wasn't left guesing.
April 4, 2014
CJ has a terrible secret that is causing his life at school to be awful, so his mum sends him to stay with his grandparents in the country, whom he has never seen. It is a novel about discovery and how accidents can happen so easily. A compelling look at human nature.
April 2, 2016
I enjoyed it so much . I just couldn't stop reading . I finished it in just two days! Haha. I felt like the ending wasn't satisfying. I needed to know what happened when Callum and Luke went to the football training, whether her Mum agreed to go and so many moreeeee. I want more !
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August 5, 2011It was good, and I enjoyed it, but I guess I wanted a little more. I pretty much knew what was coming. Recommended.
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March 26, 2012it is good
January 14, 2013
Absolutely amazing book. I laughed and cried and fell totally in love with the characters. This book is a true example of not judging people by the things they have done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews