Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Published: June 7, 2011
Received: review copy via The {Teen} Book Scene

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever. {taken from goodreads.com}

In a heavily populated society of paranormal romance in the young adult fiction realm, Tara Hudson brings a unique twist to the table.  The main character, a female, is the one who possesses the paranormal characteristics.  After reading about so many werewolves, vampires, & fallen angels -- being introduced to a lead female role as a ghost was a bit of fresh air for me.  I enjoyed reading this story from Amelia's point of view.  As much as I enjoy stories about the supporting male possessing the supernatural qualities, it's nice to break up the monotony from time to time.

As I said before, Amelia is a ghost.  We are first taught in the beginning of the story that she has no recollection of how this came about.  Just that her death occurred at High Bridge & she drowned in the depths of the river below.  Since then Amelia has been plagued with the discontent of not being able to remember past memories, or encounter her sense of touch or smell, among other senses she's seemed to have lost.  Her days are blurred together as she roams aimlessly through the nightmare of never waking up.  Then one day everything changes.  A boy has been cast over the same bridge and Amelia finds herself diving deep in to the dark waters to save him.

Something has pulled her to him and she knows she must fight against instinct and save this poor soul.  While in the midst of saving Joshua, a single touch of his hand to her cheek ignites a spark within her.  It is here that she is able to trace back to when she began to gain her senses again.  Joshua is the first person to really see her and she knows this must mean something.  He must mean something.  After saving Joshua's life, Amelia is drawn to this boy.  Her purpose in knowing him is greater than she could ever imagine.

The relationship between Amelia and Joshua was instant love.  If you're a fan of paranormal romances that doesn't beat around the bush, then you will enjoy this connection between these two characters.  Some may say that it was hard to connect with at times, doubting it's believability.  If I were seeing a ghost for the first time, I'm not sure I'd be so quick to want to be around them constantly.  Fear would take center stage first, and lots of questions would be asked second.  Aside from that, I believe this book will appeal to many young readers.  It bodes lots of mystery and intrigue.  The plot is not mapped out in the beginning, which keeps the reader engaged.  Overall it's an enjoyable read that adds something different to the paranormal romance we see so much of on YA shelves today.