Hereafter

Cover image and summary from Goodreads:

Rory Miller thought her life was over when a serial killer set his sights on her and forced her into witness protection. But a fresh start on Juniper Landing Island was exactly what she and her family needed. For the first time in years she and her sister hang out at the beach, gossip about boys, and party together. She's also made friends with a local clique--including a magnetic and mysterious boy named Tristan.

But Rory's world is about to change again. Picturesque Juniper Landing isn't what it seems. The truth about the swirling fog that rolls in each morning, the bridge that leads to nowhere, and those beautiful locals who seem to watch Rory's every move is more terrifying than being hunted by Steven Nell. And all Rory ever wanted was the truth. Even if it means learning that she can never go home again. From the best-selling author of the Private and Privilege series comes the second novel in a heart-stopping trilogy about a girl who must pick up the pieces after the only life she's ever known ends.

I read the first book in this series, Shadowlands, last year and really liked it. I was excited to read this sequel.

Unfortunately I think this book was suffering from the dreaded Middle Book Syndrome at times. Information (important information!) is withheld from Rory, and therefore from the reader, for no real reason (other than perhaps to hold out and reveal it in the next book), and the plot dragged at times.

I was also a bit meh on the romance, but that doesn’t surprise me.

However, this was a fast, fun read, and I liked the chapters that were sprinkled throughout the book from a nameless narrator’s POV, showing us that someone on the island was hiding something but not revealing who it was until later in the story. Even if I saw it coming, I liked the ‘twist’ and can’t wait to see where it leads in the next book.

I didn’t love this book the way I loved Shadowlands, but it definitely has me looking forward to the final book in the series (Endless), which comes out this summer!