What Comes After

by Steve Watkins

A gripping portrait of a teen’s struggles through grief and abuse - and the miraculous power of animals to heal us.

After her veterinarian dad dies, sixteen-year-old Iris Wight must leave her beloved Maine to live on a North Carolina farm with her hardbitten aunt and a cousin she barely knows. Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, immediately clashes with Aunt Sue, who mistreats the livestock, spends Iris’s small inheritance, and thinks nothing of striking Iris for the smallest offense. Things come to a head when Iris sets two young goats free to save them from slaughter, and an enraged Aunt Sue orders her brutish son, Book, to beat Iris senseless - a horrific act that lands Book and his mother in jail. Sent to live with an offbeat foster family and their "dooking" ferrets, Iris must find a way to take care of the animals back at the farm, even if it means confronting Aunt Sue. Powerful and deeply moving, this compelling novel affirms the redemptive power of animals and the resilience of the human spirit.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Teen, Grief, Abuse

334 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2011

About the author

Steve Watkins is the author of the young adult novels Stolen by Night, On Blood Road, Juvie, What Comes After, and Great Falls, as well as the middle-grade novels Down Sand Mountain, Sink or Swim, and the Ghosts of War series, including The Secret of Midway, Lost at Khe Sanh, AWOL in North Africa, and Fallen in Fredericksburg.

A former professor of journalism, creative writing, and Vietnam War literature, Steve is the cofounder and editor of Pie & Chai, a monthly magazine that you can find and read online at pieandchaimagazine.com.

Reviews

[Missy (Missy's Reads & Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this novel, the first thought through my mind was how unusual it was to have a book about a female character that focused more on her growth as a character rather than a romance. Did I mind it? Absolutely not! It was a refreshing change of scenery. Scenery that included one incredibly written main character... and animals. Yes, animals! Do I have your attention yet, fellow animal lovers?

Iris is one of those characters that you cannot help but love. Her best character is that she is human. She's relatable in the way that she's kind and very caring, yet she still has flaws - she takes falls and she struggles. Yet every time she falls, she has the resilience to get back up, dust herself off and move on. I love her for that. Her foster parents added some nice quirk to the novel while her aunt Sue and cousin Book... well, what they added I wouldn't exactly call 'quirk'. I sometimes felt a little for Book, but there was never a good excuse for what he and his aunt put Iris (and the animals) through.

This book is heavy - and I'm not talking about it's physical weight. If you're looking for a light-hearted book to read and feel good afterward, I would look the other way. This book is emotionally devastating and tugs at your heartstrings like no other. Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT book! Just be prepared to cry... a lot.



*This review and more can be found at Missy's Reads & Reviews*

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Comes After is truly a gift. Though I won it for free through GoodReads First-Reads, and though, by necessity I am a penny pincher, this is worth whatever price the author and publishers decide.

Steve Watkins wrote this with such skill that it grabbed me by heart and soul, right from the start. The story and characters are well developed over the course of the novel.

I had to keep looking at the cover to see who wrote this. It is very seldom that a male author can capture female thoughts and actions. Iris is no femme-fatale, helplessly waiting for the white knight. She is a strong girl with a mind of her own, and a heart that wishes only for the good. Unfortunately, life keeps throwing trucks full of lemons at her.

I am so sorry that the story came to an end. There is so much more I wanted to see Iris solve. Maybe there is a part two? It does come to a natural ending, it doesn't just leave you at a cliff. But, well, I think as a mother I grew to love her and wasn't ready for her to leave my nest.

What a pleasant surprise to find in the acknowledgements at the end of the book that the author is a fellow UU (Unitarian Universalist)! The Universal love is expressed through Iris and her actions of non-biased love. Kudos!

Now I will have to find other works by Mr. Watkins. What a story-teller!

I may read this again as I am curious, as a budding writer, how Steve pulled me through without my feeling it. That is talent!

This is an ARC and I couldn't set up a BCID for BookCrossing. But I will loan to my friends. They must bring it back to me! As I thought of parting with the book, I decided to get the Kindle edition. Now Iris isn't too far from home. :)

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please do not look at this book and cast it off as depressing fare. What Comes After by Steve Watkins is a heart-warming book full of hope in the midst of a lot of sadness. There are moments reading it when you will want to cry but there are plenty of others that will make you laugh and cheer. Iris is a strong female character. Having gone through so much, the abandonment of her mother, the death of her father, the abandonment of family friends, the emotional and physical abuse by her Aunt Sue and her Cousin Book, Iris has grown wise before her years and finds joy and happiness with Aunt Sue’s goats. While others in dire circumstances can’t find hope anywhere, Iris finds it in her love for animals. Her vegetarianism and interest in animals keeps her grounded in reality instead of escaping into the depths of depression. The organization of the story is very interesting. While it’s chronological with very few flashbacks, the beginning of the story starts with a newspaper article of an event that happens in the middle of the book. So for half of the novel you are expecting this major event to happen and for the rest of the novel you are reading the aftermath. I fell in love with Iris. She’s such a wonderful character that while I was reading the novel, I wished she would spring to life so I could meet her! I hope others will fall in love with this book as much as I did.

I listened to this book on audio and I have to say Emily Janice Card did a wonderful job in her performance. Her voice is very sweet and light which makes her sound like a young teenager and enhances the listener’s sympathy for Iris. I also enjoyed how Emily Janice Card did the Southern voices, especially that of Aunt Sue. I think well-performed audios like this one really make the listening experience wonderful.

[Jasmine D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book about trust, your love for/of animals and bravery. It's amazing, inspiring and hard to put down, with a great plot. Its a must read book!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot: "What Comes After" is a book about a young woman whose life is living hell. In the beginning of this book Iris explains her previous life. When she was younger her mother abandoned their family due to psychological problems, and a while after that her father passed away due to asthma problems. She ended up living with her best friend starting high school. Around this time she thought everything was going okay in life even though she really missed having her own family. Even though life seemed okay now it was about to turn into hard working life for Iris. She found out her best friend`s (Beastice) family was going through some major problems and could not take care of her. Iris was hurt and wondered where she would end up now. After a week of trying to contact some family members one finally answered. Her name was Aunt Sue, and she had a son named Book. Iris was very frustrated that she had to move away from all her friends. She ended up moving to North Carolina, which is far away from her home town, Maine. Once she finally arrived Aunt Sue was sitting in the parking lot waiting for her. Iris was still excited to meet people who are actually related to her, but turns out they were not excited to meet her. Turns out Aunt Sue ended up being a stuck up person, and Book would not speak at all. After the first few nights at the new house Iris is in charge of the goats and the chickens. She has a little experience with animals because her dad was a veterinarian. It was going to take Iris a little while to get use to all the new things. Her new high school ended up being a place where everyone chewed tobacco and smoked in the bathrooms. Iris`s life was falling apart because she was an outcast at school then come home to a mean Aunt, and end up doing many chores. She really missed everything back in Maine, so to relieve some of her stress she wrote her dad letters. A month or so into the process of getting use to her new home things went downhill even more. Iris was a vegetarian and was forced to eat meat every night. Aunt Sue would get mad for the stupidest reasons and hit Iris out of anger. Aunt Sue also ended up stealing money from Iris several times. Iris soon fell in love with the goats and took care of them as if they were her brothers and sisters. Aunt Sue did not care about the goats. She only cared about making money off the goat`s milk. A few weeks later Book and Aunt Sue were mad, and ended up killing one of Iris`s goats. Iris got so mad she stabbed the tires on Aunt Sue`s new truck. Book and Aunt Sue wanted Iris gone forever so they did some terrible things. They took her to a lake, and beat her up, until she was black, and blue, and could not move anymore. They also just left her there to die, but she didn't. In the end of the book Aunt Sue and Book ended up going to jail, and Iris ended up having new caring foster parents. Iris also decided she wanted to continue taking care of the goats, and her aunt`s farm. She also joined her schools softball team, and is starting to make new friends after the beating. Aunt Sue and Book remain in jail for the next year.

Characterization: The main character of this book is Iris. Her personality in this book changes from being a city girl into a caring country girl. She is this young normal teenager. If you were to see her in town you would never know her past was so bad because she was so well at hiding it. Iris is one of the strongest characters I have read in many books. Her life completely changes, and she comes out as the same Iris.

I think this book is made for more of the high school level. Most 16 and up high school girls would enjoy this book. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 16 because I believe they would not under the purpose. I found this book very emotional at times, and I don’t think younger people would understand what was really going on.

[Stephanni Thyng · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. There were parts where I wanted to scream with the main character and times where I found myself in tears sympathizing with her. While there were some parts that could have been developed a little more thoroughly, there is a general understanding of why Watkins chose to leave out certain details that enhanced the characters point of view. All in all a wonderful story that I didn’t want to put down.

[Sydney Faestel]

The book what comes after was a really good book. Even though at some parts it was sad it was still really good. After her dad dies in Main Iris goes to live with her aunt and cousin, which she doesn't know, in North Carolina. Her Aunt Sue and cousin Book live on a farm with goats and a dog. As soon as she got there they made her start doing chores on the farm and didn't make her feel very welcome. Going from a big city in Maine to a small town in North Carolina was different for her. Aunt Sue is a very strict person. She never let Iris talk on the phone with her best friend Beatrice. If she wanted to talk to her at all she would have to do it at night when Aunt Sue went to work and hoped that Book wouldn't hear her. Iris didn't have much of a social life but she met a guy named Littleberry. For awhile she told him she couldn't hang out but that was because she had farm work to do. Eventually she started to enjoy doing farm work and taking care of the goats. In her father’s will he had left her some money but her aunt was spending it on herself and she also got a new truck. That made Iris mad and she slashed the tires on the truck. When Aunt Sue found out what Iris did she slapped her and that wasn't the first time she had done this. One of the goats was pregnant and had her babies. Aunt Sue only wanted the babies for meat but Iris wouldn’t let her kill the goats so she tried to run away with them. When she returned with the goats Aunt Sue lied to Iris and told her she wasn’t going to kill the goats. Iris believed her and she went up to her room, but when she did that Aunt Sue locked her in there. Then Aunt Sue told book to go outside and kill the baby goats with the gun. But she didn’t know Iris had taken the firing pin out. When they discovered that, Book went into the barn to get a shovel. Iris was watching the whole thing form her window while she was freaking out when Book came out with a Shovel. She eventually broke out of her room and ran outside and tired to stop Book, but it was to late. Iris then called the police but when they got there Aunt Sue lied to them. Aunt Sue had decided that Iris had taken it too far and she, Iris and Book, went out to the lake so the neighbors wouldn’t hear what they were about to do. When they got to the lake they beat Iris almost to death and she woke up in the hospital and Aunt Sue and Book went to jail. When Iris left the hospital she was put into a foster care. She started living with this family and eventually she went back to school. She was always worried about the goats. But the Tutens (the family she was staying with) wouldn’t let her go to the farm to check on them. So she went to the jail to see Aunt Sue. Aunt Sue told her she could go to the farm as long as she paid all the bills, and Iris did. She made goat cheese and sold it, that’s how she got her money. For a little while she didn’t tell the Tutens that she was doing that and Littleberry was helping her. But she eventually told them they were a little mad at her, but they got over it and let her continue to do it. Iris got used to living with the Tutens and she liked it.


I would recommend this book to either high school or middle school kids. I think they would enjoy it. Because Iris is a high school student and it’s a really good book. I don’t really think many adults would be interested in it. On a scale of 1-5 I would rate this book a 4. I would have given this book a 5 but it takes a while for the book to actually start to get interesting.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iris Wight doesn't remember much about her mother, she left when Iris was five years old and never returned. Now Iris is sixteen and she has just buried her father. The friends who promised her father they would care for her are having marital issues and can no longer keep their promise. She is forced to leave Maine and move to a farm in North Carolina to live with her Aunt Sue who she met once 14 years earlier. It soon becomes clear that the only reason her aunt agreed to take her was the money in her father's estate. Her life is lonely and difficult and the only comfort she finds is in the animals on the farm. But when Aunt Sue decides to slaughter her favorite goats Iris rebels and tries to save them. This results in an assault that lands Iris in the hospital and Aunt Sue and her son in jail. Iris is moved to a foster home and has to leave her beloved animals behind. Watkins has produced a touching novel about a strong, determined young woman who has been abandoned by those she loves for most of her life. Her response is to withdraw and try to do things on her own. But as the book progresses she realizes that she cannot accomplish her goal of keeping the animals safe all alone. She slowly opens up to the people around her, and even develops a relationship with a classmate who is dealing with his own loss.

This is one of the most heartbreaking novels I have read in a long time. This is not an action packed read, but rather a character driven story that was a delight to read. The main character, Iris, is a real teen who has had more hardship than should be allowed but her strength and determination shine through to allow her to remain strong and likable. She has abandonment woven into her life. It started with her mother leaving, continued with her father's sudden death and was seen in her friend's inability to keep their promise. When she is faced with the dilemma of having to leave her beloved animals when she was placed in foster care she could not abandon them as others have done to her, no matter what the cost.

The secondary characters are just as memorable. From the Buddha looking school counselor who preferred to sit on the floor instead of behind a desk to the quirky, ferret loving foster parents, I was drawn to each one and would be glad to have people like them in my life. Watkins even made the animals within the novel come to life, each one with a unique personality, making me feel just as invested in their safety as Iris was.

The violence Iris experienced at the hands of Aunt Sue and her son was shocking and as a mother I wanted to jump in and give her she the comfort she desperately needed. When they were put in jail for their actions the school bullies stepped in and continued to harass Iris. How she dealt with these issues was remarkable, making her a memorable character.

On the surface this could be seen as a simple story about a girl who loves animals and tries to do what is right for them. But it is so much more. It is a wonderful tale about loss, grief and triumph over adversity. It teaches us that while everyone faces challenges in life, it is the way we decide to deal with them that dictates who we will become.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one earns a strong 4.

High praise for a book: when I want to read it at non-reading times, such as when I get home from work or instead of working during lunch. This one was that way. In fact, I was multi-tasking at work when I read a scene that nearly brought me to tears. Since the episode is alluded to in the newspaper account that opens the novel, I'm not counting it as a spoiler.

Iris issent to live with her aunt and cousin in North Carolina when her vet father dies of a lung ailment and her best friend's parents experience marriage troubles, not allowing her to stay with them in Maine as planned. Craven County is a hostile environment--complete with casual physical, mental, and emotional abuse--that seems to steal the life right from her. To say that she doesn't fit in is an understatement. She gets no affection or even human kindness from Aunt Sue or her football-obsessed cousin Book, though her aunt has no problem spending the money her dad left for her needs. The only solace for this stranger in a strange land is the animals on Aunt Sue's farm, especially the goats, milked twice a day for goat cheese to be sold at the local farmer's market to supplement Sue's meager Walmart salary.

Iris is there when three male kids are born to one of the milkers, and she nurses them, cares for them, and plays with them with all the love that knows no other outlet. Then she enters into a battle with Sue about their planned slaughter. Iris, a vegetarian, is not only horrified that they will be killed and eaten but also that Sue can so easily take from her creatures she loves.

The scene that brought me to tears in the middle of a workday: Iris is locked in her room while her aunt and cousin attempt to slaughter the wethers when she can see them from her window. When Aunt Sue realizes Iris vandalized the gun to stop this, she ordered Book to kill him with a shovel. Iris' torment is well-written in the scene, but the book doesn't stop after Iris is beaten savagely a few chapters later. Instead, the narrative follows Iris with "WHAT COMES AFTER": hospital, foster homes, friends, and a reconstructed life. A book about survival worth reading. I know lots of teens that enjoy a good tragi-realism, so I am hopeful I'll be able to share this one with lots of kids.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iris hardly lives the life that every teen wants to live. After a tremendous loss, she's thrust into a world completely foreign to her that turns abusive, painful and emotionally destructive. So when things finally turn around for Iris and she's sent to another place that's quirky, but instills a desire for her to care for those animals she's left behind, no matter what. Is she brave enough to face the horrors she left, and can she do it for more than the animals...can she do it for herself?

I'm an animal nut. It's no lie. I have to cats and a dog, and if I ever won a million dollars, I'd start a cat sanctuary. But I digress. What Comes After combines all of my favourites into one neat little package - animals, the human condition and the desire to be better. With a pretty original premise in YA today that focuses on character development rather than romance, Steve Watkins has created a novel in What Comes After that just might have the power to transform our own agendas and make us thing beyond our own needs.

I have to be honest. What Comes After has all the makings of a great novel. Iris is a great character. She's relatable, caring and kind, and her innocence lends to the character development she faces through the novel. She struggles. She fails, and yet she has a constant desire to get back up again. The pain in this book is very raw and extremely tangible. She loses her father, faces adversity and yet she wants to find her way back to peace at all costs. Aunt Sue was a terrifying counterpart, and her foster parents added a hint of humour and quirk to an otherwise heart-wrenching tale.

What Comes After is not easy to stomach if you're in a feel-good movie. Yes, it has a message and reads extremely well, but it's not for the faint of heart. I cried. A lot. I give it a strong 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction.

I received this ARC free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Comes After by Steve Watkins is a great novel, yet extremely sad. You’ll be heartbroken, but there is hope!

What Comes After tells a story of a girl named Iris, whose father passed away and her mother who left at a very young age. When Iris’ father has passed away, she had to go and live with her Aunt Sue and cousin Book.

This is where the story begins, when Iris has to live with her relatives, her remaining family. I really enjoy Iris’ character because I feel like many people are able to relate to her as a person. She is sweet, caring, and an animal lover! She really does all she can to help her Aunt Sue and cousin Book out with the animals they have even though they mistreat her.

It is extremely sad to be mistreated and abused by anybody. Being abused by family is even harder to accept. Iris’ job when she lives with her Aunt Sue and cousin Book is to help them with the animals they have. She has duties such as, milking the goats and help make goat cheese to sell at the farmer’s market. When Iris sees how they are abusing the animals, she had to do something about it and she did in which she angered her remaining family. Aunt Sue and cousin Book went to jail for that and Iris went off to live with caring people.

Although Iris had to leave the animals and live with her foster parents, she disobeys authority and goes and takes care of the animals. She could not abandon the animals because she loved them so much. I really like her determination in taking care of these animals even though the animals were not hers. She is a strong and caring girl. I really admire her even though she went through so much. I feel deeply hurt that someone can abuse a girl like her. It really breaks my heart.

What Comes After is truly a great and heartbreaking novel! This is a must read!

[Sab H. (YA Bliss) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was blown away by the fierceness of this novel. It's hard to find a book as cruel as it is hopeful, especially when reading realistic fiction. Watkins created a wonderfully intricate plot out of several relatively mundane issues. But putting them together worked wonders. I've been reading a lot of books set in farms lately, but the way Watkins made it all come to life, his portrayal of the goats and the routines, were absolutely amazing.

Iris's voice was beyond astonishing. I'm always delighted to find the few gems in YA where the narrator's voice is what stands out the most. And this one was written by a man, so that makes it twice as astonishing. All the characters were deep and layered and exquisitely believable. Even the ones that are meant to be a villain-type figure were incredibly memorable.

Iris was smart and somewhat innocent and you can clearly feel you embarked this awful journey with her because you see her grow and change throughout the story. I have never admired a character the way Iris made me admire her. And there's something that just comes to life when a book has such beautiful writing. Everything just seems more relatable, even when the theme is as dark and hard to swallow as this one.

This is a hard story that shows the tough things in life and how to overcome them. A gorgeous and raw novel about growing up while life throws shit at you from every angle. And how we have the power to suck it up and keep going. This one will stay with me for a very long time. Lastly, if you love animals and have felt that special unspeakable connection one can have with animals, this is a book for you.

[Sarah Mapes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Comes After is a novel about a young girl named Iris, whose father died. She goes to live with her abusive aunt after her friend, Beatrice, parents started fighting and told her she needs to leave. Iris is a young teenager with a smart personality. She's vegetarian and loves animals a lot.

After being sent to North Carolina with her awful aunt, she realizes how bad of a person her Aunt Sue is and why they never talked to her. Aunt Sue is a classic hillbilly from the south. She is an awful person who has no respect for anyone besides herself. She has a farm with goats, and a dog. She has one son named Brook, and he's a hillbilly just like her, but he's scared of his mom. He abuses the goats and his dog. Iris after living there for a little while realizes that her Aunt Sue and cousin brook are not good people at all. Later in the book, Iris finds out that Brook killed one of the goats, so she sets them free. After Aunt Sue finds out Iris did that, she beats her so bad she ends up in the hospital. After being in the hospital for awhile, she ends up living with a new family.

In my opinion, I feel this book is a great book. It explains the characters very well and the plot. I understood everything in this book and almost started tearing up because it was so descriptive. All in all, this book kept me wanting to read more, and I really enjoyed it. If feel that this book can be read anyone through the ages of 12- any age older than that. It does not matter what gender reads this book, but I feel girls will enjoy it more because girls are more emotional. Do not read if you don't like abuse stories though.

[Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Comes After is a remarkable story about a remarkable young woman. Sixteen-year-old Iris becomes an orphan and goes to live with her abusive aunt after her father dies. She’s a vegetarian and a huge animal lover and hates that her aunt and cousin treat the animals so poorly. After her cousin Book kills one of the baby goats, she decides to set them free and in turn, she gets beaten so badly by her aunt and cousin that she ends up in a hospital and into another family’s hands.
I felt really bad for Book (here comes the booing from everyone). I know he did terrible stuff to Iris and the animals, but was it really his fault? I mean, his mother taught him everything and she also beat him when he screwed up. I blame everything more on Aunt Sue than Book.
Iris was a strong character and I loved that she stood up for what she believed in. Taking care of the goats when no one else would is something I could never do. I fell in love with her and her new family the Tutens’ immediately. Littleberry was another character I adored. He was quirky and I loved how he helped Iris recover emotionally.
Overall, What Comes After was a beautiful story and I praise Steve Watkins for having amazing writing skills. This is an award winning book that is sure to take your breath away and it has a wonderful cover. 5 Stars!

[Ann Cardinal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was trying to tell a friend what I loved about this book. There's so much, it's hard to list. I'm thinking I'll go for bullet points.

1) It's a difficult read in terms of subject matter, but it is so beautifully written you can make it through.

2) There's a romance, but it is not the central story line.

3) Really strong, smart teenage girl protagonist. You feel for her and understand her from page one.

4) the author manages to paint the "villains" of the book with broad brush strokes; you might not understand or like them, but you can see why they ended up the way they did.

5) The rural setting is beautifully rendered. I could "see" the locations so clearly while reading it, though I've never been to that neck of the woods.

6) and finally, it's a smart, well-written novel that doesn't talk down to its teen readers.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - what a powerful and poignant story. Watkins took a disturbing true story and gave the characters a life and dimension that was truly engaging. One wanted to cry with, protect and cheer for Iris as she struggled through the loss of everything she had ever known and entered a life of fear and struggle. Despite the hardships she encountered Iris developed into a strong, capable and influential character. She took horrible situations, and usually by following her heart, found the good and encouraged that to grow. Instead of giving up, or caving in under the pressure, Iris persevered and flourished. She even got you to see some good in her Aunt and cousin (which mid-way through the book I could not imagine happening!)
Watkins wove a deeply emotional and perturbing story into a tale of growth, hope and eventual triumph.
STRONGLY RECOMMEND.

[Mindy/fangedmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book to review on www.bookscompleteme.com Once my post is published there (6/4/11), I will post it here. I loved this book. TOTALLY LOVED IT! I did not put it down once I started it. I was cooking supper with the book in my hand. Steve Watkins did an EXCELLENT job on this book. I need to check further into how much is based on an actual event as that is just heart wrenching!

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason this book deserves four stars is because it almost squeezed a tear out of me. I laugh when people die in books, but if you stick an animal abused/mistreated/scarred/beaten/killed in any sort of plot, then I become emotionally constipated and...

Well, yeah. You get it.

So what have I learned from this book?

I'd like to kill some of those North Carolina rednecks in the book. With a machete.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iris is a young lady who is dealt with so many lemons, yet she somehow still found a way to make lemonade. Her mom takes off at an early age, her dad dies before her senior year. Luckily, she had her best friend Beatrice and their family to take care of her. That did not last long. When the plan to stay in Maine for her senior year falls through, Iris is sent to live with her Aunt Sue and cousin Book. Sue is a cantankerous and abusive woman. Book is no better. When animals become involved, things begin to take a turn for the worse. Iris is a vegeterian and animal lover who does not take kindly to seeing animals hurt in any way. Aunt Sue's violent tendency comes to a head and Iris, again, has to hold up to another tragedy. Iris's determination, along with the help of the animals, help her survive. I just felt for Iris the entire book. She endured so much tragedy and pain. Just overall loved the book. Steve Watkins wrote a great book filled with so much emotion. Will be recommending to our high schoolers to read.

[Amber Voigtlander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Review
This book was good that someone wants to work hard, and do her best even though her life is difficult. It was heartbreaking at some points in the book. You could feel her pain. It was also additive to read when you find the time to.

Plot
Iris was at a hospital with her dad who was dying sooner than she thought. She had nobody with her anymore, so she had to live with her aunt in North Carolina. Once she got off the plane and into the airport, she saw her aunt there with her name on a piece of cardboard. Once they got into Aunt Sue's truck, they went to her farm. Iris met Book, Sue's son, She wanted Book to teach her how to milk the goats right and make the cheese to sell at the farmers' market. After a week of going to school coming and, home to milk the goats, Aunt Sue became more strict with her on what she could do. One of the goats had kids, and Sue wanted to eat them after they got fatter. Iris ran away with the other 2 kids, and Sue got to her and smacked her. She and Book beat Iris up till she passed out. They took her to the hospital. After that incident happened, she had to live with foster parents. The foster family agreed that she can continue farming the goats if she pays the bills and taxes and still does good in school.

Characterization
Iris was sad that her father died of an illness. When she went to live with her grandma, Iris was scared of her aunt. She became more confident as her aunt went to jail, and that she had a loving foster family. Iris eventually became herself, She also starting to do the things she love.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to the ages of 15 and up just because it does contain some graphic details in parts of the books. The older audience would like the book because they can maybe relate to what happens in the book itself. The younger ones may enjoy it because the girl in the book, they can look up to her for an inspiration.

[Anabel kamenske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
This book wasn’t one of the books I typically read, but it was a good and interesting read. I liked the book because it had parts that I could relate to. At times it could be very dark, but it was still interesting.

Plot Summary:
In this book, a girl, Iris, had to move from her hometown in Maine. When her father died, she went to stay at her best friends, Bea’s, house. After a couple of weeks, though, Bea’s parents started to fight and could no longer keep Iris with them. With her mother out of the picture, she could only turn to her last known relative, her Aunt Sue. Aunt Sue lived all the way in North Carolina on a farm. When she arrived, she met her cousin, Book, and her small closet called her room. Aunt Sue wasn’t very fond of Iris. She made her milk the goats and make cheese every morning and afternoon. Aunt Sue also dipped her hands into Iris’ father's estate money for her own good. After some time, Iris got fed up with it and let the goats go. When Aunt Sue found out, she took Iris to a lake and made Book beat her to a pulp. They got sentenced to jail time and Iris spent days in the hospital until she found a foster family.

Characterization:
In the beginning of the book, Iris seemed upset and mad. After she moved, that anger turned to sadness. While living with her Aunt Sue, Iris got depressed. She didn’t know how she was going to make it out, and she felt like a total outcast. After the incident, Iris felt she had no way to get out, no purpose. But gradually she started to feel better. By the end of the book, she started feeling happy again and she felt she belonged.

Recommendations:
I recommend this book to girls who like realistic fiction. This is a good book to read if you don’t necessarily like romance novels. I would recommend this book to people who have read Gone and Num8ers.

[Mikayla Moderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Comes After

Personal Response: I thought this book was very well written and a fun book to read. I enjoyed reading about Iris’ life and how dramatically it changed after her dad died. I liked the way her story was told between her past and her present, and it is a good use to show the ups and downs of anyone's life, even if most don’t become as terrible as hers.

Plot Summary: Iris, a 16 year old girl from Maine, has her life suddenly changed after her dad died. She was promised by her best friend, Beatrice’s, parents that they would take care of her. Trouble comes up in their family, so they can’t continue letting her stay with them. So, she has to go and stay with her mean Aunt Sue and cousin Book. Life gets very hard for her living with her Aunt and Cousin, and her only happiness is the goats.
And once her goats are in the verge of being taken away from her, she had to do everything she could to still be able to take care of them and see them, even if that meant going against her new foster family’s wishes and paying bills all on her own.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to high schoolers who love and have a deep connection to or with animals. Though the cover does deceive the thought of anything to do with animals, it is still a heartwarming book, showing how much one can have so much turned into a little, and still find an amazing happiness in that little bit they have.

[renee loschiavo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot: What comes After is a book about a young woman whose life is living hell. In the beginning of this book Iris explains her previous life. When she was younger her mother abandoned their family due to psychological problems, and a while after that her father passed away due to asthma problems. She ended up living with her best friend starting high school. Around this time she thought everything was going okay in life even though she really missed having her own family. Even though life seemed okay now it was about to turn into hard working life for Iris. She found out her best friend`s (Beastice) family was going through some major problems and could not take care of her. Iris was hurt and wondered where she would end up now. After a week of trying to contact some family members one finally answered. Her name was Aunt Sue and she had a son named Book. Iris was very frustrated that she had to move away from all her friends. She ended up moving to North Carolina; which is far away from her home town, Maine. Once she finally arrived Aunt Sue was sitting in the parking lot waiting for her. Iris was still excited to meet people who are actually related to her, but turns out they were not excited to meet her. Turns out Aunt Sue ended up being a stuck up person and Book would not speak at all. After the first few nights at the new house Iris is in charge of the goats and the chickens. She has a little experience with animals because her dad was a veterinarian. It was going to take Iris a little while to get use to all the new things. Her new high school ended up being a place where everyone chewed tobacco and smoked in the bathrooms. Iris`s life was falling apart because she was a outcast at school then come home to a mean Aunt, and end up doing many chores. She really missed everything back in Maine, so to relieve some of her stress she wrote her dad letters. A month or so into the process of getting use to her new home things went downhill even more. Iris was a vegetarian and was forced to eat meat every night. Aunt Sue would get mad for the stupidest reasons and hit Iris out of anger. Aunt Sue also ended up stealing money from Iris several times. Iris soon fell in love with the goats and took care of them as if they where her brothers and sisters. Aunt Sue and Book didn't care for the goats, all they cared about was making money off the goat`s milk. A few weeks later Book and Aunt Sue were mad and ended up killing one of Iris`s goats. Iris got so mad she stabbed the tires on Aunt Sue`s new truck. Book and Aunt Sue wanted Iris gone forever so they did some terrible things. They took her to a lake and beat her up, until she was black and blue, and could not move anymore. They also just left her there to die, but she didn't. In the end of the book Aunt Sue and Book ended up going to jail and Iris ended up having new caring foster parents. Iris also decided she wanted to continue taking care of the goats and her aunt`s farm. She also joined her schools softball team and is starting to make new friends after the beating. Aunt Sue and Book remain in jail for the next year.

Characterization: The main character of this book is Iris. Her personality in this book changes from being a city girl into a caring country girl. She is this young normal teenager. If you where to see her in town you would never know her past was so bad because she was so well at hiding it. Iris is one of the strongest characters I have read in many books. Her life completely changes and she comes out as the same Iris.

I think this book is made for more of the high school level. Most 16 and up high school girls would enjoy this book. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 16 because I believe they would not under the purpose. I found this book very emotional at times and I don’t think younger people would understand what was really going on.

[Screenplaydiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT COMES AFTER is a heart-wrenching look into the the life of a young girl named Iris Wight who loses her father and must live with her mother’s aunt whom she barely knows in North Carolina. Iris’ mother left years ago and the only person Iris counts on to stay with is her best friend, Beatrice and her family. Beatrice’s parents promised Iris’ father they would look after her, but they are going through difficult marital problems and feel it would be best for Iris to live with her aunt. Iris leaves behind her beloved home in Maine to live in the South which has different people, attitudes, cultures and a way of life in which she’s not familiar. Her Aunt Sue and her cousin, Book, are unfriendly towards her and make her feel more like a burden than welcome in their home. The one salvation for Iris is her Aunt’s farm where she raises goats.

Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, easily falls in love with the goats. But when she learns that Aunt Sue and Book want to slaughter two of the young goats, she decides to take matters into her own hands. When Aunt Sue and Book find out how Iris released the goats they beat her up. Fortunately, Iris is okay and the horrific act lands Sue and Book in jail, but now Iris feels more alone than ever. She desperately wants to go back to Maine, but a social worker puts Iris in the care of a quirky, but loving foster family, the Tutens. Through thick and thin, Iris finds a way to help the goats left behind on the farm. She also discovers that the Tutens care for Iris and want to make her part of their family…something she’s been looking for since her father died.

I liked the story, but I have a word of warning: if you’re not one to read “issue” books than this book might not be for you. It’s not an uplifting book, but it’s an important one. It has some extremely tough scenes to get through which are hard to stomach yet, once you do, there is a silver lining for Iris and the goats. Even though, as I was reading, I knew that the scene with Iris being beat up was coming, I was unprepared for the scene which leads up to it and how and why it happened. All I can say is…whoa!

This being said, the story shows how animals heal our emotion and physical wounds and how they love unconditionally. I was shocked how Aunt Sue and Book treated Iris who does nothing wrong throughout the story. She’s sweet, caring and wants to feel like she belongs. She participates in chores and helps with the goats! I chalked it up to Aunt Sue and Book just being that way and how they are from the backwoods and don’t know any better.

I was happy when Iris found a friend at school in the cute and kind, Littleberry, who likes her. Iris also joins the softball team at school — a sport she played in Maine and sorely misses. The goats are fun and have their own unique personalities. I fell in love with them just like Iris.

Watkins really makes you feel Iris’ loneliness and pain, as well as her fear of Aunt Sue and Book who are extremely awful and backwards in their thinking. But they are great villains. While I was reading the book, I couldn’t understand why Sue and Book wanted goats and animals to begin with. All they did was complain about them and mistreat them poorly. I’m shuddering just thinking about those two characters. I was reminded how often we hear horror stories like Iris’. I was so relieved when Iris finds a family who loves her. As far as reading WHAT COMES AFTER, it actually felt good to break out of my comfort zone.

The story is vividly described and I felt like I was in Maine and North Carolina. Watkins gives us an interesting look into abuse and the foster care system. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, there were an estimated 423,773 children in the foster care system.

Review posted on my blog, "That's Swell!" and Copyrighted by Reel Swell Productions.

[Sam Smith]

Name: Sam Smith

Book title: What Comes After

Personal Response:
What Comes After was one of the first books I read 1st quarter, and yet it is still one of my favorites. The beginning was hard to follow personally, due to the abrupt conflict with the family in the very beginning. Iris is a loveable character who learns through all her hardships which are displayed in this story.

Summary:
Iris Wright is a kind-hearted, good-natured, pacist young girl. At only 16 of age, she still manages to remain self-sufficient on herself. Whilst being in the care of others, who shuffle her around for foster care. Mr. Wright, prior to his death, was a veterinarian which carries through to Iris. Throughout the story, passion strikes in Iris, especially with animals. Animals seem to bond and connect with her almost as if a force of nature. However, humans clash with our main character constantly. After being shuffled around, she moves in with her aunt Sue, providing a life of livestock and rural surroundings. With the mistreatment from her aunt and her aggressive cousin, Book, she works to escape their clutches. Meanwhile, trying to care for these current farm animals. Which remains difficult as Book, and Sue both end up placed in federal prison due to felonies. This story is essentially a journey of an aspiring, loving, independent girl. As it progresses, we see many character changes within Iris.

Recommendation:
Personally, I feel as if this book was one of my favorites. The independent, teenager aspect connects to me beyond levels. I recommend this book to anyone 12 and up, or anyone who knows the feeling of loneliness. Our main character is on her own majority of the time, trying to make ends meet. Honestly, if you are interested in animals too, this book will spark interest in you.

[Aimee Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been trying to write a review for this for awhile, and keep getting stuck. My feelings are kinda lukewarm. At first, I didn't think that I would be able to finish it. I picked it up, on a whim, when collecting a large pile of books, so it wasn't exactly what I normally read. For that reason, I gave it a little longer and kept reading. Now, I'm glad that I did, because it did get better with time.

Honestly, the goats were my favourite part of the book. Iris was a good narrator, especially when she finally started to do more than complain, and actually tried to change her situation. I understand an abusive situation can be an incredibly hard one to get out of, and as someone that has never been in that situation I cannot really talk... But it is frustrating to have a passive narrator, especially when you know, because of the first page news article, where things are going to end. The goats were brilliant because they had distinct personalities and I cared about their futures. I found I was actually really worried about the fate of the kids

Some of the other characters (the human characters, that is), I have to admit, fell a little flat for me. Though Book seemed to have multiple sides to his character slim glimpses of other sides, but the guilt (tears) when he beat Iris up and the warning her against his mother when her boyfriend/girlfriend/lover/whatever that character was came over Aunt Sue didn't have any dept at all. I was really looking for some sort of motive. I mean I can understand, perhaps, the author meant to imply that their financial situation meant another unwanted mouth to feed was a burden, and the fact that they didn't know her... But Aunt Sue doesn't really show that? It's implied, but I think there was the opportunity to show it to give the character depth and motivation. I'm not saying that I want the abuser to be given an excuse, rather that people are multi faceted and it could have given the story a whole lot more. Other characters (like her friends) came in later and did get better towards the end. I like the fact that they called her out on her avoidance.

I really liked the fact that her foster mother had an emotional moment. I was going to fault her for accepting everything so well but the backstory really brought it home. Her desire for a daughter after the loss of her own really made things click into place.

In all, it was a pretty nice light afternoon read. I didn't love it, but I did not hate it either. I'm glad I finished it, even if it wasn't my cup of tea.

[Zoë Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Comes After by Steve Watkins begins following the death of sixteen-year-old Iris Wright's veterinarian father. Iris' mother abandoned the family a decade earlier, and so Iris has no choice but leave behind her native Maine and travel to a North Carolina farm to live with the aunt and cousin she hardly knows. Iris is hoping for the best, but as soon as she arrives she begins to clash with her Aunt Sue, who uses physical violence against both Iris and the livestock while spending away Iris's inheritance. When Iris sets free two goats to save them from slaughter, Aunt Sue gets her son, Book, to beat Iris. But when Aunt Sue and Book land in jail for their actions, Iris is sent to live with a new foster family and their ferrets. All Iris can think of is the poor animals back at the farm, but in order to care for them she must first visit the jail and confront Aunt Sue.

What Comes After was one of those unfortunate cases where the blurb explaining the book gave away way more than was necessary and meant that I was tapping my foot waiting for the first half the book to catch up to where the summary had left off. Specifically, for a blurb that gives so much importance to Iris visiting her Aunt in jail, the actual event goes fairly quickly. To be honest, I'm not really sure what the climax of the novel is which seems to indicate that the pacing wasn't very good. That said, What Comes After definitely had me near tears on several occasions. Personally, I find myself very emotional when stories involve animals so Watkins definitely had my attention as soon as the lives of Iris' goats were threatened.

Iris was an extremely sympathetic main character who clearly had a rough life and somehow manages to be a good person despite it all. Although she does have her acts of rebellion, like slashing the tires on the truck that Aunt Sue buys using her inheritance, Watkins makes her actions understandable. The writing in the novel is okay, but where Watkins excels is giving real personality and heart to the animals on the farm so that the reader almost becomes more invested in their outcome than Iris'. I also really enjoyed the many different personalities in the book, especially Iris' friend Littleberry, who has just about the worse name I've ever seen in literature but who gives the novel dimension by being both a country boy, a goth, and somebody who is also dealing with their own issues. Overall, even if the pacing for What Comes After was a little off, the characters, especially the animals, are what makes the book memorable.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iris Wight's life is like a train wreck-- horrible, terribly depressing and so gripping the reader truly can't look away. Iris's strength is what makes this novel amazing and emotional. There were too many times when I wished I could pluck her out of the story and make her feel better. The ending and her growth is stasifying and realistic.

The law in Iris's life is that anything bad that can happen will happen. For most of the novel, Iris is rejoicing in the very small things in life because that's all she has. Literally, she doesn't have much besides the clothes off her back and a half empty stomach. Her plight is heartbreaking. One of my biggest worries was a male writer taking on the emotional state of a teenage girl but Mr. Watkins does this effortlessly and with a brutual honesty to match some of the best female writers. He knows what he's doing.

Both Sue and Book Allen are well thought out for being the "bad guys" and play their parts with equally parts glee and sorrow. They felt real and weren't all bad which is something that takes a lot of rounding out. The thing is, you could see both points of view and though they took it too far, they stayed true to their characters. I did feel that Iris's friend Beatrice fell flat compared to the other well-rounded characters. Her dialog seemed a bit forced and she fell into a non-realistic stereotype too often for my tastes.

Mr. Watkins writing is beautiful and very honest. Iris's voice comes easily and she's in such a dire situation that it's hard not to love her. I did find that at some points the story dragged a little and by the middle I wanted more action and to see the story progress. I guess I was hoping to get to the really bad parts quicker so that I could see the good parts. I would have also liked to see a bit more of her friend Littleberry so I could feel more of a connection to him. Iris needed more good people in her life!

What Comes After is truly a tale of growing in the worst possible conditions and learning to adapt in order to survive. Through everything Iris remains true to herself, no matter how hard or what the consciences. What Comes After is definitely worth the read but it's not for the faint of heart. Gripping, emotional and beautiful, it tells the story of a modern day heroine that learns to survive on her own.

[Danti Ohorella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iris was 16th years old girl who lost everything from her life and tried to adjust to a new life and feel the happiness.
Iris's dad was died and her mom left when she was 5 years old. Her best friend named Beatrice always by her side. Beatrice's family promise her dad to take care of her, after a while she lived with Beatrice and her family. Then Beatrice's family said that they couldn't take care of her anymore.
she moved from Maine to North Carolina to live with her aunt and her cousin. They were so mean to Iris, took all her money and told her to worked in the farm. She worked there, milked the goats and take care of them. She really love the goats, one day her aunt tried to kill the goats and Iris stopped them. Her aunt got mad and they beat Iris so bad, Iris got hurt and should went to the hospital.
Her aunt and her cousin go to jail, and Iris lived with Tuten's family. She should adjust her life again, but Tuten's family seems nice.
she always think about the goats but Tuten's family doesn't allow her to go to the farm because they didn't want Iris to get hurt anymore. Iris still went there no matter what, she still milked the goats without Tuten's family knew it.
Finally the Tuten's family knew all of that because one of the goat got sick so Iris should stay at the farm, Iris told everything for them. I thought they would got mad at Iris because Iris was lying to them. but no, they understand Iris situation and tried to help her.
they helped Iris to take care of the goats with law permission. Iris's life more better.
she fell in love with Littleberry, the one who always there for her. and Iris joined the softball team like she did in Maine.
I like this book but not really, you will love this book if you like animals. Its a good book tho.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I hadn’t really read any reviews of What Comes After before picking it up. Even though it sounded like a gut-wrenching read, my interest was piqued when I saw it was partially about animals. I started and finished this book in the span of about 48 hours. Packed with emotion, What Comes After is a touching, page-turning read.

After her father dies, Irish Wight has to move in with relatives who are total opposites of her. Because Aunt Sue is Iris’s guardian, this book also deals with how legal systems can be problematic and maybe even corrupt or blind. Aunt Sue and Book have actually made this book quite thought-provoking for me. On the one hand, I resented them for they practices they used in earning money, but I also understood why the needed it. On the other hand, I hated the way Aunt Sue treated Book and Iris. I love it when a book gets me thinking this much.

This novel explores a topic which I think deserves a lot more recognition in YA literature, namely father daughter relationships. My father is awesome, and has taught me more life lessons than I can count. It was nice to see Iris acknowledge how great their relationship was and how big of an impact her father had on her life when so many parents in YA literature play a minimal role.

I loved Iris’s character. She quickly connected with her aunts dog and goats when she felt as though she had no one. I totally empathized her because I understand how relaxing it can be to connect to an animal when one feels as though one has very few friends. Even though some of her choices could have gotten her in trouble, I admired her determination to stand up for what she believed in. There is also just a little bit of romance in Iris’s life, which was well-handled and sweet.

What Comes After is a fantastic book on so many levels. My expectations were highly exceeded. If you are looking for a YA novel on animal issues and family relationships, I suggest picking up a copy of What Comes After on your next trip to the library or bookstore.