My Life After Now
Jessica Verdi
3.5 Stars: A Good Read
Paperback: 304 Pages
Publication: April 2, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire
Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it’s all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.
And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?
Now her life is completely different…every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.
Lucy has a perfect life: she has the perfect boyfriend and two fathers who are very loving and caring. Then, her life turns upside down. She finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her and posted it to Facebook, so everyone knows. Also, her fathers let her pregnant, drug-addict mother moves in with them without any explanation. To relieve the stress, Lucy decides to have a night of drinking and dancing at a Manhattan nightclub with her best friends. She ends up going home with a guy and having unprotected sex. Lucy never imagines that one reckless night of fun is going to have some serious consequences, but she now pays the ultimate price for it.
When Lucy tests positive for HIV, she is in so much fear and pain. It’s heartbreaking to see her reaction to the news and her determination to keep it all a secret from everyone, even her family. You can feel Lucy’s fear of never being loved again and the anger she feels towards herself. I can’t imagine how a sixteen-year-old girl can deal with this tragic situation. Throughout the book, you walk with Lucy to learn that the life is not over and what is it like to live with HIV. You have to adjust your life style to fit your situation.
What I loved the most about this book is how inspiring it is. Lucy pushes people away from her at first, but eventually she is able to pull through her situation thanks to the people around her, especially Evan, who becomes an important person in her life. My Life After Now is a wonderful, touching story that portrays Lucy’s devastation and her tangled emotions with honesty. The book is about acceptance and learning to live your life with your illness. It brings every single perspective of a life changes after a positive HIV test.
An ARC was provided by Sourcebooks Fire for review.
Author: alice
Alice is a stay-at-home mom of two children. Her favorite books are those send icy tingles down her spine, such as a good mystery or thriller, but she also enjoys a good hear-throbbing romance. She enjoys listening to music and drinking a cup of tea while reading and working.
Jenea Whittington says
Lucy's story sounds emotional and inspiring. Wonderful review. I will definitely be picking this one up.
Jenea @ Books Live Forever
alice says
Jenea, thanks. It's really emotional and inspiring. It keeps me thinking what I will do if I am in Lucy's situation. It's heartbreaking.
Archaznable says
This might be a good book to read I'm thankful for your review hope to have this one on my bookshelves soon
alice says
Archaznable, thanks.
Aman says
The HIV aspect of the story really makes me want to read this book. I want to know more about Lucy and how she deals with her situation. I'm definitely going to pick this one up when it's out. Thanks for the review 🙂
alice says
Aman, you are welcome. I can't imagine myself in Lucy's situation. I do learn a lot from the book.
Mel@Thedailyprophecy says
I really love the sound of this book. I haven't read anything like this before and I can't wait to see the impact on Lucy's life.
Mel@thedailyprophecy.
alice says
Me too. I never read any books like My Life After Now. I really enjoy it. It's a good read.
Christianna Marks says
Wow I had no idea that that was what this book was about. It sounds like a good one though!
alice says
Christianna, you will enjoy the book. Let me know what you think about the book after you read it.