"A thrilling search for family and survival in a dystopian future."
March 2025 Book of the Month
A brilliantly conceived post-apocalyptic world is the setting for this perfectly pitched middle grade dystopian page turner.
This world is virtually uninhabited after the Flood which took out all the world’s technology, including the humans who were all connected to the central information hive. This is an utterly credible vision of a future where our ever-increasing thirst for technological advancement has proved to be society’s complete undoing.
We follow Jen and Father, scavenging and travelling across the country, seeking refuge and peace and other people. Gradually we learn that Father is not actually a biological relation of Jen's; he found her abandoned as an infant and more significantly is, in fact, not biological at all. Yet this human appearing ‘mek’, John, has defended and cared for his 'daughter' as she has grown with the help of parenting guides and logic. Coming across a small, self-sufficient human settlement, John sees he may be a liability to Jen and considered a danger in a world where machines/AI are feared for what they did to humans in the past. Jen is torn between her curiosity about other people and her loyalty to Father, theirs is a beautifully nuanced relationship.
For young readers, who have grown up in the digital age, this is not just a heartfelt, moving story exploring what it is to be human and what constitutes a family, but also a really thought-provoking exploration of just how far we should go in our quest for a better life.
The fact that it is also an engaging and accessible read is a great testament to the quality of the writing.
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The Last of Us meets Wall-E in this post-apocalyptic tale of family, hope and survival from a multi-award-winning author
"Tell me again how the world ended."
Jen and her father are making their way across a deserted world after a technological collapse brought civilization as people knew it to an end. The Flood took out all all technology, but also many people who were connected to a central information hive. Those who are left behind must find each other and build a new life. But Jen's father isn't related to her by blood - he is a human-appearing AI, a glitch in the system, and a secret that must be kept, even from those she wishes she could trust...
Exploring themes of what it means to be human, the value of every individual and where true danger lies - in our technological creations, or the ones who create them - this is a powerful and hopeful dystopian adventure for readers age 9+
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed After and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
After features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Science Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
After is available in Paperback
After was written by Padraig Kenny and published by Walker Books Ltd an imprint of Walker Books
After has 233 pages
£7.19
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