Reviewer: Donna
Rating: 4 Stars
Between Before and After is about a group of friends who have to face every year, the torment of their friend, Danny's death. Danny shot himself and committed suicide but none of them understand why he did it. Every year on the anniversary of his death, the group meet at Danny's beach house to be there for each other and try to come to terms with him not being there anymore.
Three years after Danny's death is approaching and the group is making there way to the beach house. Max is the guy who found Danny after the incident and he is still plagued with nightmares and finds it hard to cope but he pastes on a smile as if everything is fine. Lacey and Gavin are a couple and are experiencing some torment of their own. Lacey has just has a miscarriage and is struggling to move on. It was a shock when she found out but they got used to the idea of being parents but now they are trying to move on and Lacey thinks that time away at the beach house might do them both some good. Kate was Danny's girlfriend when Danny took his life and she too is finding it difficult to move on. She doesn't know how to move on and she's is finding it hard to understand her feelings for Danny's best friend, Finn. Finn was Danny's best friend and going to the beach house every year is a really big deal and also really hard. He is struggling with his feelings for Kate and is not sure whether to tell her or make a move. He is not sure if she is ready to move on.
So that's the whole group. They all believe that meeting on the anniversary of Danny's death but this time, everyone seems worse off.
It's a really great book. I love that we get to read from everyone's POV. There is so much going on from secrets that are making people feel guilty to everyone dealing with their own situations as well as the reason they are all there. At times, some chapters seemed irreverent and would drone on awhile but overall i thoroughly enjoyed reading it. All the characters were fantastic, Max drove me mad at times! Finn and Kate's will they, won't they routine kept me gripped. I gasped at a lot of things i didn't see coming and at times, it was quite emotional to read especially the detailed description that Max tells of when he found Danny. I enjoyed reading it. It was a great read!
Five friends. Three days. One heart-stopping discovery.
Three years ago, Danny Morris left behind a gun, a tonne of questions and a gaping hole in the lives of those who loved him. What he didn’t leave was a suicide note.
On the anniversary of his death, his closest friends gather at his parents’ beach house in New Zealand's idyllic Marlborough Sounds. Danny’s girlfriend, Kate, holds fast to his memory by continuing to live in the house they shared. Struggling to move on with her life, her blossoming feelings for Danny’s best friend, Finn, only complicate matters. Withdrawing from his high-flying lifestyle, Max has carved out a much simpler life. Self-medicating with alcohol, fighting off nightmares he refuses to talk about, the memory of finding Danny’s body has him sailing dangerously close to the edge. While Finn is finally ready to address his feelings for Kate, trying to save Max from himself dredges up long-buried anger and frustration that threaten to overwhelm him. For Lacey and Gavin, a recent bereavement gives them a heart-wrenching insight of a different kind.
Instead of time easing the pain, the group find themselves stuck in limbo, awaiting the understanding and peace that has so far eluded them.
Three years ago a single bullet ricocheted through all their lives, but this year everything will change.
Three years ago, Danny Morris left behind a gun, a tonne of questions and a gaping hole in the lives of those who loved him. What he didn’t leave was a suicide note.
On the anniversary of his death, his closest friends gather at his parents’ beach house in New Zealand's idyllic Marlborough Sounds. Danny’s girlfriend, Kate, holds fast to his memory by continuing to live in the house they shared. Struggling to move on with her life, her blossoming feelings for Danny’s best friend, Finn, only complicate matters. Withdrawing from his high-flying lifestyle, Max has carved out a much simpler life. Self-medicating with alcohol, fighting off nightmares he refuses to talk about, the memory of finding Danny’s body has him sailing dangerously close to the edge. While Finn is finally ready to address his feelings for Kate, trying to save Max from himself dredges up long-buried anger and frustration that threaten to overwhelm him. For Lacey and Gavin, a recent bereavement gives them a heart-wrenching insight of a different kind.
Instead of time easing the pain, the group find themselves stuck in limbo, awaiting the understanding and peace that has so far eluded them.
Three years ago a single bullet ricocheted through all their lives, but this year everything will change.
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