After

I liked the premise of this book and thought it gave a good insight into the juvenile detention centre, but I did not care for the main character nor her mother. I found Devon to be extremely annoying and her story unbelievable, especially when she claims that she had no knowledge of her pregnancy. The only character I had empathy with was Dom, Devon's lawyer. At least she was gritty and hard-hitting, refusing to accept her client's non-committal responses. This could have been a really good book, but unfortunately it failed to deliver.

"Who would leave her own baby in the trash to die? Certainly not someone like Devon - straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desperation and panic drove her to do what most people can't even imagine..." Compulsively readable and beautifully written, After is an intense novel about an unspeakably horrible crime... and what happened after. I'd hand this in a heartbeat to fans of Jodi Picoult or Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak or Wintergirls. A more thorough review will be appearing on my blog closer to the pub date, but go ahead and put this one on your TBR list!

Picking up After was hard for me. The crimes described in this book are unimaginable and horrific. It was hard for me to keep an open mind. In my opinion these kinds of crimes are unforgivable and inexcusable. With that being said I opened the book with the mindset of trying to keep my mind open. At many times I found myself very annoyed with Devon. She was so meek and resistant. At times she came across as dumb. I understand that she was going through a lot, but geez, toughen up. She acts like such a victim throughout so much of the book and I couldn't find myself able to really feel sorry for her at all. Let's be clear here she is not the victim in this story. If it was rape then I could have understood her actions, I really could have. But it wasn't.I found the setting of a juvenile detention center to be very interesting. I don't think I read any book that was set in one, but it certainly makes for an interesting environment. I was curious of the stories of the other girls. Overall I give this 3 stars, but it's probably more like 2 1/2 . Interesting storyline and plot, but such an unlikable main character with so little depth or feelings to her. I think I would've enjoyed the story so much more through Dom's point of view. (the lawyer)

Fifteen year old Devon gives birth, puts her newborn into a trash can, and goes back to sleep. Told through flashbacks from her cell in a juvenile detention center, and in the courtroom, Amy Efaw takes the reader through the inner turmoil of a young teen's mind who has denied her pregnancy for 9 months and details what that denial cost her.

It's funny that I read this book and "These Things Hidden" by Heather Gudenkauf practically back-to-back because o the surface, they appear to be similar. Straight-A student gets pregnant. Hides pregnancy from all those around her. Bad decision is made when the student gives birth. Commence story.

The two books may be similar on the surface but were very, very different once you got past the first chapter. This is the one I liked better because it told more of an emotional story. It did not have the plot twists of Gudenkauf's work but I also wasn't rushing ahead, skipping over long passages because I was eager to find out how the characters were connected. There was only one character of any important in "After".

I hope to see more from Efaw.

It's almost to the end of the book before the reader understands to some extent why Devon would abandon her newborn baby in the trash can. I found the novel a tad overlong but Devon's crime, her time in juvenile detention and the courtroom drama will attract teen readers, and as far as I know, this is a first title of its kind in YA lit. The author has obviously done her research; some of the people she interviewed turn up as characters in the book. Lib notes: graphic descriptions of Devon's actions after the baby is born.

In October I was in the worst reading slump ever so I decided to get away from all ARCs and read something that would regain my interest in writing so I started browsing the library ebook selection and came across After. The first thing I noticed was the cover, the reflection shows a baby bump and the other doesn’t. I thought well this should be interesting.

Then I read the synopsis and I was really interested. A book about a girl who hid her pregnancy and than threw out her baby? That is unlike anything I have ever read. It was hard to separate the mom in me from the story because I couldn’t help but think “How could you do that to defenseless child?” I couldn’t understand and at the end of the story I still didn’t really understand.

Devon is the girl who you’d strive to be she’s on top of her class she’s an amazing athlete. She’s very responsible and not the kind of girl who’d get pregnant at 15. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who hides her pregnancy and than throws away her baby. No she’s not that kind of girl but is she?

I understood being afraid to admit to be pregnant. I was 19 when I became pregnant with my son and I hid me pregnancy for about three and half months until I could finally face the fact that I was indeed pregnant. In a way, I understood Devon not wanting to face the music so to speak. But to deliberately hide her pregnancy and than try and get rid of it was something I just couldn’t understand.

I personally didn’t like Devon much and it may have had to do with the fact that she did throw away her baby. But it was also this sense of lack of responsibility. Especially when she arrived in juvenile detention, she was so judgmental especially when it came to other girls. She was what I would call a snob; she couldn’t believe she was in a place like that with people like them. And that really bothered me because she just couldn’t understand her actions.

What I personally liked about the story was the courtroom action; I loved hearing about how things worked in juvenile hall and how the courtrooms handle cases like Devon’s. It really made the story realistic.

Overall, I thought this story was unique and definitely different from most young adult novels. I however, had a hard time getting over what Devon did and lack of connection with the baby. So for me, this was a 3 star book but who knows maybe it’ll be your five star read.

I don’t really like babies. I never have, really. I’ve had countless jobs in childcare, and I LOVE working with children, but babies are not my thing. When I was little and expressed this sentiment, my family always told me my views would change as I grew up, because this is always the reason I cited for not wanting children of my own. Well, I’m 22, and this view hasn’t changed yet. I still find babies to be. . . creepy. Needy. Basically, you would never want to hire me to be your baby-sitter for a 6 month old. We also know that I’m not the hugest fan of contemporary, and certainly not typically a fan of issue books, so perhaps After was an interesting choice for me to pick up. And yet, something about it compelled me.

I mean, leaving a baby in a trash can. . . it really IS hard to comprehend who could do such a thing. And yet, part of me also says the people who do this–most of them–must not be monsters. They must have reasons, issues, so many things going on in their mind to the point they see discarding a living being as a viable option. It’s fascinating in the saddest sense of the word.

And on that front, After delivers. I found Efaw’s writing to be incredibly strong. It’s clean, without much flourish, but does it ever paint a picture. I felt like I was *THERE* when the story began, in Devon’s living room with her, when everything started to unravel and the horrifying truth was just barely coming to light. It’s been three weeks since I read this book, and I can still remember the opening scene. That is a sign of really vivid writing. Slowly, Efaw delves into Devon’s head to unravel her motives and experiences that led her to place a newborn baby in a dumpster.

This book is moderately paced, and the revelations of Devon’s past come slowly, as she herself remembers things. It becomes clear that Devon’s own accounts of events are fuzzy at best, and while I will say this was frustrating as a reader, it also put me there WITH Devon. I felt her pain, her confusion, more clearly than perhaps I would have liked. Getting into her head was uncomfortable, I’ll admit, but it was also well-done.

That being said, After is not without it’s fault. The main problematic element I see in the book is that so much of After involves setting Devon up as a “good kid”. She’s the nice, hard-working, smart kid who never does anything wrong, which is why it’s so baffling to everyone around her that she ended up in this position. Okay, fine, I can work with that. Maybe there’s some bias there I don’t like, but I understand reality is complex and no one is perfect. What I did have a problem with was in the end, Devon ended up looking pretty perfect from a characterization standpoint while all the other girls were shamed, at least partially.

Because Devon’s the “good kid” and has only has sex once, it sets her up to a be a sympathetic figure, WHILE all the other girls she encounters who have been accused of committing crimes seem to be shamed. I think Efaw worked very hard to combat MANY of the stereotypes and shaming that could accompany a novel of this type, and for the most part she succeeds, but I think in this case it didn’t quite go far enough. She does delve into some of the girl’s motives and makes them more sympathetic, but there’s still a sense that they’re the type of girls who the adults would expect to end up in the position that they did, unlike Devon.

Final Impression: There are a few problematic issues that took away some of this book’s effectiveness for me, but on the whole, I thought it dealt with a really interesting and potentially controversial subject in a way that didn’t glisten over elements but also worked hard to really give the reader insight into Devon’s mind. It’s a hard book to handle at times, and it’s not a book I’ll probably read again, but it’s very well-written and I’d recommend it to readers who like these harder contemporaries. I do wish those problematic issues had been dealt with, because until that came up this was on the road to being a 5 star for me, but it was a little too much in some places to ignore. Still recommend.

This book had been on my shelf for a few weeks when I realized that I only had three days left to read it before I had to return it to the library. I flipped through the book to see if anything caught my eye, and was struck by the quote on page 155 (see above). My interest was piqued, and I promised myself I would set aside a few hours that night to read at least part of the book and see if I liked it enough to continue.

I needn't have worried about finishing it in time to return it to the library. From the very first chapter I was caught up in Devon's story, and I didn't put the book down until I finished it in the wee hours of the morning (2 a.m.).

After is one of the few books that I have read that is written in the present tense in such a way that it conveys a sense of immediacy - like I was with Devon through all of her troubles. The last book I read that did this successfully was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Normally I wouldn't read this type of story - I find that anything that has to do with children being mistreated is too emotionally intense for me. After, however, is not focused on the baby that was discarded, but instead follows Devon through her initial experiences in the juvenile prison system and the courts. While I think that the author probably only touched the surface of what life is like for young adults in the justice system, she did adequately convey Devon's emotional turmoil.

I like that the focus of the book is on the teenage mother's experience after having tried to rid herself of her baby. I think that most people are so focused on the welfare of the baby in these stories (justifiably so, of course), and that the fate of the mom gets ignored, or remains unknown to the public because of laws about revealing the identity of minors. It was interesting to think about what a postpartum teen would be going through physically and emotionally as she is processed through the justice system. Can you imagine being a postpartum teen, dealing with soreness from labor, milk-engorged breasts, and hormone changes, all while adjusting to life in a detention center? Or what about the guilt over what you had done, and the loss of your child? Or the accusing stares of those around you?

After doesn't justify Devon's actions. There are times in Devon's story where it's hard to tell if she's in denial or if she truly didn't know what was going on. Regardless, the reader knows that she is guilty of dumping her baby in the garbage. Even if she was extremely upset or confused, her actions are never defended.

Although the writing is simplistic at times (nothing too poetic, flowery or overly detailed), it didn't really bother me because the intensity of Devon's emotions and experiences more than make up for it. I thought that the author did a great job of showing how a normal, good kid could end up in such a horrific situation.

Devon was home sick from school the day the police came knocking on doors, looking for any information about the newborn baby just found in a trash can behind the apartment building. Her mom lets the officer in, then chastises Devon for being so uncooperative. In her attempt to force Devon to sit up and answer the officer's questions, she pulls off the thick blanket Devon has been curled under, and the blood tells nearly the whole story. Devon, a responsible, diligent student and star athlete, has nothing to say as she is carted to the hospital and, later, a juvenile correction facility. In flashbacks during meetings with her lawyer and psychiatrist, Devon's story slowly unfolds: that one moment of irresponsibility that Devon has tried to pretend didn't happen, so she could deny the consequences of that action right up until That Night when It slithered out of her.

Devon's denial of her pregnancy seems unbelievable in the abstract, but her flashbacks tell a different story: a story of a scared teenage girl who has invested so much in not repeating her mother's mistakes that she ignores her own, pretending they never happened. Teasing out the truth from Devon's silences and inattention is a challenge, but that's only part of the plot: she's also now in the juvenile court system, including the juvenile correctional facility. Efaw clearly did a lot of research into what thee facilities are like for teens, rather than painting in broad strokes about assumed harsh evils. Devon could have easily been portrayed as our villain, but instead Efaw portrays her sympathetically. The conclusion comes on quickly (in fact, the whole story takes place over only a couple of weeks), and Devon clearly has a lot of healing ahead of her, but her decisions make sense in a way that leaves the reader satisfied with the outcome.

I thought this was an excellent explanation of how a young girl could reach the point where she abandons her newborn baby in a dumpster. Yes, when we see this type of thing in the headlines our first reaction is, "How COULD she? How could anyone be so cold-hearted? Why didn't she leave it at a hospital if she couldn't care for it? Doesn't she know the bazillions of people out there who are dying for a baby? etc. etc." The answer, folks, is paralyzing fear and the inability to face up to the situation. She was in survival mode by using the mother of all denial techniques: "I don't want it to be true, therefore it didn't happen." She wasn't a monster, but she did a monstrous thing. For some people, the answer is easy, or at least the problem is surmountable. Tell someone. Ask for help. Deal with it. For others, even the thought of facing the dilemma itself is immobilizing. That is the case with Devon Davenport. She is so incapable of facing her greatest fear--turning into her floozy, flaky, negligent mother (who was herself a teen mom) that she overcompensates by being a star student (4.15 GPA), star soccer player heading for a future of a Division I team and possible Olympic hopeful. All of this is done basically by herself. Her mother is in her life but works two jobs to survive, plus has a history of just taking off with the guy of the moment, including leaving Devon home alone for a weekend when she was five. Devon was the parent in the relationship. This kind of upbringing is not conducive for a young girl--who fell in love with a nice boy and succumbs to one sexual encounter--to then face up to the reality of the shock of a lifetime. This fear and use of denial may be the reason why a lot of girls decide to have abortions in secret rather than getting help from an adult to possibly make another choice. They think it will be easier if they can "make it go away",. In Devon's case, she was so paralyzed by fear that she couldn't even accept the truth in the physical symptoms she experienced. She stayed in denial until and even after she gave birth. I know a lot of people who would keep a closed mind to allowing her any "excuses" and would just point their fingers and judge her as evil. I think this book does a good job of at least getting into the mind of a young, scared and confused young woman.

After is written by Amy Efaw and would be an intense and page-turning read for any mature reader in late middle school and high school. The book tells the story of a high school soccer star who denies her pregnancy even through birth and finds herself in Juvenile Detention for putting the newborn baby in a dumpster shortly after the birth! The book incorporates a lot of law jargon that makes it far more realistic and the author's voice creates a strong sense of relationship between the reader and the main character, Devon. The librarian at the middle school I am currently student teaching at recommended this book to me. After getting a few pages into it, I was hooked, but also a bit surprised that she would recommend this for this age group. After spending time with the 8th graders though, I can definitely see that plenty of them are mature enough both socially and intellectually to read a book of this seriousness. I think that I would use this for our upcoming small book groups for those students who are TAG or are extremely passionate about reading. I think we could have some great conversations afterwards about moral reasoning, right and wrong, and tough decisions.

Who would leave her own baby in the trash to die? Certainly not someone like Devon--straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desperation and panic drove her to do what most people can't even imagine. Now Devon's in a juvenile detention center, charged with attempted murder. If she's tried as an adult, she faces life in prison. Does Devon deserve this punishment? Your answer depends on whether you believe her story--that she didn't even know she was pregnant. Was she buried in denial so deep that she was unable to register the seemingly obvious signs of pregnancy? Or were her actions the result of a more devious, premeditated plan?

I decided to read this book on a whim, it sounded interesting. I expected the author to make me feel sorry for Devon, or at least make me understand why she did it, but I never really got that. My only complaint was that I could not stand Devon. She was always so rude to the point that I wanted to shake her. She rarely talked and seemed so delusional at times. She thought she would get away with throwing her baby in the dumpster because the baby survived. But throughout the book, it is made known how smart Devon was, even mentioned she had a 4.15 GPA. So why does she act like she doesn't understand the trouble she is in? I understand giving birth was a little traumatic for her, but I didn't expect her to lose her common sense. The ending kind of made up for my dislike of Devon though, and I found the author note at the very end really interesting and gave me some more appreciation for the story.

Find this review and more at On The Shelf! The synopsis of this book had me very intrigued, but unfortunately it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I wasn’t pulled in or overwhelmed by what happened and it didn’t get to me emotionally like I wanted it to. There were a few rare scenes that stirred me, but I felt it wasn’t as good as it could have been. I also felt it would have been much better has it been written in a first person POV. I am always able to give a bigger emotional connection in my writing if I write it from first person since I put myself in it as best as I can. I listened to this book instead of reading it, and after hearing the reader for Daughter of Smoke and Bone, this reader was kind of flat. I also wasn’t a big fan of the main character, Devon. She hardly spoke through the whole book and she really annoyed me. I didn’t feel any sympathy for her and it seemed like all she did was have a bunch of excuses. Some of the writing was okay, but it seemed to be very repetative. I can’t count how many times “orange jumpsuit” was used. There were things that I didn’t like about the way things were at the detention center in the book. I work at a detention center, and tehre was plenty I didn’t agree with. For starters, a male officer would never escort a female inmate, especially not a female juvenile, alone. Considering I work at a detention center, the setting didn’t feel quite right, so it just didn’t do it for me. Of course, it ws also a juvenile detention center in a state other than mine, so it really could be that different, but I don’t see a lot of what I disagree with happening. Sorry, bit I’m biased. It’s unfortunate I didn’t enjoy it because I really wanted to. The only part I can say I did for certain like was the way it ended, it was right. Good ending, repetative, didn’t emotionally connect, didn’t favor the main character.

The topic is horrible, and yet through the course of the story, the reader comes to understand just how Devon could make such a terrible decision. Her choices help us to understand how easy it is to cut oneself off from help - to believe we have no choices. Even kids who look like they have it all together can become trapped in their own faulty thinking (not to mention adults). The author takes her time telling Devon's back story and that keeps the reader reading - wanting to understand it all fully.

Devon is a star athlete and academic overachiever-all because she wants so much to NOT be like her mother. Pregnant at 16 and always chasing losers, Devon's mother is neglectful and immature. When Devon finds herself pregnant after 1 encounter with her boyfriend, she panics and goes deep into denial. When Devon gives birth she puts the baby in a trash bag and tries to pretend it never happened. When the baby is discovered Devon is arrested and sent to a juvenile detention facility to await trial for murder. Will Devon ever realize what happened? Will her mother come through for her? This sometimes verbose story tells what happens when someone has to face up to their actions...or not.

I had this book sitting on my bookshelf for a while and I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't have the time to read it until now, and all I can say is WOW. Amazing. The first chapter was a little hard to get through because it literally turned my stomach, but I think it was a great introduction for the story that followed. I literally could not put this book down. Every free minute I had, I would pick it up and read as much as I could. I felt I could really relate to Devon, who was a straight-A student with very high expectations for herself, not unlike myself. So of course the entire time I was reading, I was wondering how such a person could even think about doing such a thing. By the end, I was able to understand it a little better as I became more acquainted with Devon's past and her thoughts.I only have two complaints about this book: one, the treatment that Devon received from some of the people at the hospital and the detention center during her intake process seemed unnecessarily harsh. Perhaps that's how it is in real life, I don't know, but it was hard for me to believe that people would treat her so coldly and harshly after knowing what she just went through. Not that her actions were acceptable, but with the amount of pain and discomfort that she must have been in, both physically and emotionally, I can't believe that workers would treat her so harshly.My second complaint is that I felt the book ended a bit abruptly. I felt like there was some closure, and in a way, it did make sense, but given the intensity of the rest of the book I felt that the ending was just a little too abrupt. I'm not sure how else it would have been ended, without creating a sequel, though, and I can see how it shows that it seems Devon finally came to terms with everything that happened, so overall I suppose the ending wasn't that bad. Overall, I absolutely loved the book.While this book is probably not a good choice for the squeamish because of some of the graphic descriptions of Devon's actions, it was one of the most intense and thought-provoking books I have read in a while and I would definitely recommend it.

The book begins with Devon dazed, confused, and bleeding after she'd just given birth. Devon is taken to juvenile detention as her story with all its denial and psychological blocks is slowly revealed. Devon's court appointed attorney puts in a lot of overtime on this case and acts as a key to cajoling Devon into realizing the truth of her situation. This one packs an emotional punch.

I've been on a YA kick lately and was interested when I saw this one, as I thought it was a fresh topic. I was underwhelmed by the writing style, and the main thing that kept me moving on with the book was the subject matter, and I was curious to see how it would end. To me, the characters seemed a little flat and unrealistic, like when the doctor yells at Devon for "arousing my ire," or when the low-key and informal judge says his stomach is "getting cantankerous." It might be a matter of personal taste, but I found the use of the present tense alternating with the past perfect tense for the flashbacks to be very predictable and uninteresting after a while. I also found that the author's notes about the book and her research were more interesting than the story itself. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it could just be that it wasn't my cup of tea. Again, an interesting idea for a story, but something about the style just turned me off.

11/10: I've been anticipating reading this book since I first saw it on the shelf at Borders. But I was tight with money so I was going to wait until December when it came out in paperback, but at school I started using this Inter Library Loan system that we have so now I don't have to buy it.11/14: At the end of chapter 2, I'm already hooked. The first few chapters were a little difficult for me to read because 15-year-old Devon Davenport, the main character, is being carted off to the hospital and examined. I'm not good with hospitals (I pass out when I go in them actually). So reading about the needles and blood and everything makes me pretty squeemish. I have a feeling this book will continue this way but I'm still excited to keep reading because I think this book is going to be eye opening.12/1: So this book has officially been released in paperback (today) and I'm glad I didn't wait to buy it because it's taking a lot longer than I had hoped to read this (3 weeks). I am still enjoying this book but it is kind-of slow. I still don't want to put it down, but with school winding down and work, it has taken longer than it normally would have for me to read a book this size. It's due back to the library in two days and I still have 5 chapters left to read.Devon and Dom, her lawyer, have just now gotten to the pre-trial court hearing. I had to stop reading last night to go to bed but as I finished the chapter the prosecution was just about to present his case against Devon. Devon has been in the juvenile detention hall for 8 days, so basically this whole book spans about 11 days time from the very beginning. Devon hasn't made any friends in the detention hall. Although Karma, another inmate, has taken an interest in harassing Devon every day. The author hasn't revealed the reasons for these girls being in the detention hall (other than Devon of course) because the girls are not supposed to talk about it when they are in there. Karma was taken away a couple days before Devon's court date after having an anxiety attack and cutting herself with the broken end off a plastic spoon. Devon holds herself partially responsible for Karma being hospitalized because she didn't tell the detention hall staff about the spoon that Karma had broken. Devon has started remembering more about "IT" which is what she calls the baby. Devon's mother hasn't contacted her the whole time she's been in the hall. Now all of the sudden at the court room, Devon's mother is supposed to testify for her.This book has been nothing like I expected. I have liked it, but it wasn't eye opening or depressing it didn't make me cry like I though it would, though maybe these last few chapters will be more fast paced because there will be more details about Devon's situation with the witnesses. The author has been very vague about exactly what happened "That Night" when she gave birth. Other than the fact that Devon had a baby and threw it away, and of course it was found which is why she's in court now.12/3: The story of After ends with Devon winning her pre-trial, thus staying in the juvenile court system. Her lawyer, Dom, is hopeful that they can get the case thrown away but Devon steps up and volunteers to take responsibility and plead guilty to her crimes. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Devon did throw away her newborn baby, so I think it's admirable that she is willing to plead guilty and truly get whatever sentence is coming to her.The story itself was neither eye-opening nor shocking. What was however, was the author's note that talks about the reality of the "Dumpster Babies." The fact that newborn babies (within the first 24 hours of life) are thrown away at least once a day in the United States is amazing, these statistics are only based on the amount of children that are found in trash cans, there are many that are not found as well.

Very well written, thought provoking book on a difficult subject. Y11+

I actually read this book while pregnant which I thought was kind of ironic, because, obviously, it was not planned. I really did love this book. I was instantly hooked. This book has very heavy issues, and obviously isn't a feel good book, but it is so intriging. I really felt like part of the story. I finished this book in only a few short days.(2-3 days) Definitley recommed it!

I am glad the author ended the book the way she did. I enjoyed the ending notes about the "dumpster baby phenomenon". This book would be an eye opening read for teen girls. It is a bare bones, honest story. The author did a wonderful job with her research!

This book reminded me of a Jodi Picoult book as most of the book revolves around Devons trial. I enoyed the book the whole way through and it only took 2 days to read it. Since I had just finished a rrather dull book, this was well apreciated.You piece together the events as you go through the book and by the end, while you arent OK with what Devon did, you inderstand how it could happen.The ending was so abrupt that I wonder if the author has another book planned. Cause you were left with a lot of questions and not enough answers.

Good book but it lacked some key parts. I don't think this book seemed real enough ! At the end I wanted to see Devon & her baby together. But I have to say the author did a good job making readers feel emotion.

Very good writing makes this exploration of a sad and too often occuring situation fascinating. A girl abandons a baby in a dumpster and cannot remember doing so.

Devon is fifteen-years-old. She's a soccer star with a sketchy mom. She gets straight-A's and plans to play for a Division 1 school. All is going according to plan.Until Devon gives birth and throws the baby into the dumpster behind her apartment.Devon is quickly arrested and sent to juvie. Her whole defense on the I-didn't-know-I-was-pregnant-despite-birthing-a-baby-and-putting-it-in-the-trash situation is that she doesn't remember what happened. Hell, who would want to remember that? The only problem though (besides this being quite possibly the worst defense ever) is that Devon is having flashbacks.As hard as it is for ex-good girl Devon, she starts to integrate into the juvie's school. The school work is too easy for Devon, though. As the teacher explains, a lot of the girls are barely scraping by doing the seventh grade work. Devon was an AP student. The teacher offers to let her learn independently. That's great and all, but Devon still has to deal with Karma, Devon's very first frenemy. Yep.Most of the book focuses on the hearing to determine if Devon's case will be tried in juvenile or grown-up court. Yep. Page after page of some quality court. Woo!The book ends rather abruptly as Devon decides her next move. Dun dun dunnnn.--The book is really about Devon's defense. How wrong is she if she can't remember what she did? What about the contributing factors leading to Devon having deep enough denial to ignore a pregnancy? How miserable was Devon growing up with a teenage mother that she'd rather ignore her own pregnancy and throw away the baby than face motherhood?--There are constant soccer metaphors. I get it Devon. You played soccer. Does that really mean that you relate every single thing to soccer? Do you really equate your trial to a giant game of soccer?--For being a high achiever, this girl is really focused on the fact that her lawyer is a woman. Silly woman. She should stop defending Devon and get back in the kitchen.--I do feel bad for Devon because of her mother. Her mother works two jobs and is constantly parading men through their apartment. Devon's mom seems more the type that wants to be your friend rather than your mother. That's not fair to Devon--I do feel bad that no one has called Connor, the boy that fathered Devon's baby. He never even knew that Devon was pregnant.--The book reminds me a lot of Jodi Picoult books. I've read a couple and come to regret it every time. Like JP's books, this one puts most of the focus on the court trial. Which yes, that is the focus of the story...but really...Do you want to read 200 pages of testimony and court proceedings and depositions and what not? Yeah, me either.

Devon is a 15 year-old, straight-A soccer playing high school student. Devon later claims that she didn't know she was pregnant, and isn't particularly clear on how the baby she gave birth to wound up in the dumpster outside her run-down apartment. Regardless, her life changes fast: she is arrested, and after a short but troubled stint in the hospital, she lands in jail. Author Amy Efaw tells a believeably shocking story that takes readers inside the juvenile justice system. Devon believes this is something she can get out of quickly, but is terrified to learn that one decision can have disastrous consequences. Shortlisted for the 2012 Missouri Gateway Readers award.

Grades 10 and higherDevon Davenport is a 15 year old, soccer player, straight A student, and only daughter to single mother, Jennifer Davenport. Devon seems to believe that the night she gave birth to her baby, she had no idea she was pregnant. "After" gives us a look at what happens to Devon after she leaves her baby in the dumpster. While working with her attorney, Dominique Barcelona (Dom), and only support during most of the beining trail, Devon starts to realize what really was happening to her and what she was denying to herself. This is a well written story and while reading Devon's story we see her start to grow up and come to gripes with what has happend. This story also shows that the people you thought might not understand what you are going through or won't know how to help are just waiting for you to ask for help. From this story we can see how some teens might struggle with the issues of pregnancy and how people are able to convince themselves of something completely different to the real situation to help try and handle a difficult situation.