AFTER, by Amy Efaw

AFTER

by Amy Efaw

(Viking)

I’ve been known to grumble now and then about third person present tense narration. For me, that particular combination often accentuates the sense of outside-looking-in, and I end up feeling a curious detachment from the characters — more like an out of body experience than a vicarious one.

However.

In the wake of giving birth alone and dumping the newborn in a trash can, Devon disengages so fully from the world that my usual gripes about this point of view actually harmonize with Devon’s state of mind. The distance, in this case, works to the story’s advantage. For ages, you just can’t figure Devon out, and it’s because Amy Efaw only gradually lets you into her character’s head. The resulting intrigue tinged with frustration keeps the pages whipping along. Meanwhile, you'll never be at a loss for the physical sensations of Devon's environment, from the couch where the cops find her to the rubberized mattress of her cell.

(Available TODAY)

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Currently reading:

A Short History of Nearly Everything
by Bill Bryson