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    After Ever After
    After Ever After
    After Ever After
    Audiobook4 hours

    After Ever After

    Written by Jordan Sonnenblick

    Narrated by Nick Podehl

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Jeffrey isn't a little boy with cancer anymore. He's a teen who's in remission, but life still feels fragile. The aftereffects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and "find himself." Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he's cute.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJan 20, 2011
    ISBN9781611061383
    After Ever After
    Author

    Jordan Sonnenblick

    Jordan Sonnenblick is the author of the acclaimed teen novels Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, Notes from the Midnight Driver, and Zen and the Art of Faking it. In addition to being a writer, he’s a middle-school English teacher and would never penalize one of his students for bringing an imaginary friend to school. Jordan lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with his wife and their two children. If he’s ever had an imaginary friend, he’s not telling! You can visit him on the Web at www.jordansonnenblick.com.

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    Reviews for After Ever After

    4.5/5

    160 ratings17 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I was really all set to give this book 3 stars. For most of the book, I just didn't feel like it lived up to the previous books. Some of the parts felt like the author was intentionally trying to tell us something that happened (Jeffrey overhearing his parents talking at just the right moment, etc). I also didn't get why Stephen left in the first place. It was a fast read, only about 200 pages. It's also very, very clean so I'd recommend it to anyone. I mean, the kissing is even implied, not even spelled out. Most of the stuff that happened all seemed pretty routine, nothing special to write an entire book about. Don't get me wrong, it was still good, but only 3 stars good - certainly nothing to wow me.But then, at some point near the middle end of the book it all changed. I haven't teared up or cried through many books, but this one certainly made me wipe my eyes a few times. The near ending was so good I ended up bumping it up an entire star.
    • 4/5
      Great story for teens. Love Sonnenblick's writing.
    • 4/5
      Narrated by Nick Podehl. Narrator Podehl's young chatty tone suits Jeff's story and he nicely projects Jeff and Tad's friendship with all its guy jokes and nudges. I think he also helps listeners see how cancer patients and survivors use humor and cynicism to cope even as everyone around them doesn't know how to deal.
    • 5/5
      In many ways, a very relatable book. Humbling to know that this is a very true story for so many. I never thought an audiobook would make me cry.
    • 5/5
      So good!! One minute I was crying because I was laughing so hard and the next because my heart hurt. Jordan Sonnenblick does a wonderful job of combining wit with heartbreaking situations. An authentic portrayal of life as an 8th grader!!
    • 5/5
      Jeffrey is a cancer survivor. Now in 8th grade, he is worried about normal teen stuff, like girls and schoolwork. A particular girl, Lindsay, and a particular test – a statewide math exam that he must pass in order to be promoted to high school. His best friend Tad, also in remission, tutors him for the test and hatches a plot to ensure that Jeff gets to high school.
    • 4/5
      I absolutely love how Sonnenblick built a community, and then wrote several books about different characters. That strategy provides the reader with the comfort of a series, but the freshness of stand-alone novels. The back-story explanations in this one were just a titch awkward, and the author clearly had a message to convey which gave this book a whiff of didactism, but I still enjoyed it a lot and predict all his fans will too.
    • 5/5
      If you’ve read Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, then you MUST read After Ever After.

      Actually, if you haven’t read Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, you should still read After Ever After…and then read Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie too.

      Actually, let’s make this easy…if you see a book by Jordan Sonnenblick…read it.  And let me just say in advance…you’re welcome.

      After Ever After is another winner by Jordan Sonnenblick.  He spent 11 years teaching middle school before he started writing full-time.  Maybe that’s why when you read his books you can tell that he gets what it’s like to be a middle school student.  

      After Ever After is a follow-up to the book Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, in which 8th grader Steven Alper is faced with his 5-year-old brother’s leukemia diagnosis.  In After Ever After, Jeffrey Alper, Steven’s brother, is now in 8th grade himself and has his own story to tell.

      Though in remission, the cancer is never far from Jeffrey’s mind.  He still worries that it will return.  In addition, he has to handle all of the normal stuff that middle school students deal with.  Like just meeting the girl of his dreams.  And trying to figure out what is up with his best friend Tad, a fellow cancer survivor, who has been acting strange and keeping secrets. Also, there are the impending state standardized math tests that Jeffrey must pass or he'll be forced to repeat the 8th grade.  On top of it all, he'd love to be able to talk to his brother Steven about everything, but unfortunately Steven is "wandering around Africa with a pair of bongos strapped to his back" trying to "find himself.“ 

      After Ever After is an honest, funny look at a middle-school student's emotional roller-coaster of a life.
    • 5/5
      Jeff and his new best friend Tad both have cancer. Jeff has already gone by his 5 year mark of cancer, but Tad hasn't. Tad ends up tutoring Jeff for the state test, and they both pass. Tad on the other hand has cancer again. He has to have a bone-marrow transplant from his little sister, but he knows hes gonna make it through like all the other times hes survived all the other treatments. You will find out if he makes it into high school or if he dies of cancer before.
    • 3/5
      3Q, 4P. Eighth grader Jeffrey Alpert was diagnosed with cancer at five years old. He's in remission but cancer treatment has left his brain unable to compute mathematical equations. Not to mention Jeff's other cancer side effect, a chronic limp that doesn't help with impressing the ladies. Good thing Jeff's cancer did not get the best of his humor, because he is full of it. Funny how humor helps us deal with challenging situations! Despite Jeff's setbacks, he is ready to take charge of the eighth grade with his best friend, Tad, and new girlfriend, Lindsey, and sail through to graduation. A major road block gets in the way when Jeff learns he has to pass a state-wide mathematics exam in order to graduate. And then, Tad, who is also a cancer survivor, has news that could change Jeff's entire life. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick is a heartwarming, funny, typical teenager story full of fun times, hard times, inspiration, pranks, and laughs. While the topic of cancer is no laughing matter, the lightheartedness in Sonnenblick's writing makes this story a very easy, quick read that most teens would enjoy. I was surprised at how Sonnenblick approached some tough issues in such an easy going way. Though the quality of writing will not knock the socks off must sophisticated readers, the value in the story makes After Ever After a decent read.
    • 4/5
      Five years ago, Jeffrey's cancer went into remission, but left him with a bunch of side effects: a limp, concentration problems, an inability to do math. His best friend, Tad, is in a wheelchair and hoping to hit that magic five-year point himself. 8th grade is confusing and torturous at the best of times, but for Jeffrey--coping with his new girlfriend, Tad's sudden mood swings, his brother's year-long trip to Africa, and the knowledge that failing the standardized math test means repeating the 8th grade--it's unthinkable. But he really can't do math.

      It's not a bullying book, but still a decent choice for 8th grade, I think--overcoming adversity, supporting one's friends, working hard, giving the people you love the space to be who they are. Lots of good messages without getting bogged down in the magical wisdom of the terminally ill.
    • 4/5
      Interest/Reading Level: Grades 6-10Synopsis: A boy named Jeffrey is in the 8th grade and is cancer remission. As a result of the medication and other treatments he received, he has lingering affects remaining. He walks with a limp and has some difficulty with his academics. Specifically, he is not doing well in Algebra. Jeffrey’s main support system includes his mother and father, and his brother Steven who has recently left for Africa to “find himself.” Jeffrey tries his best to get through 8th grade without his brother, but he is suffering. Another boy, Tad, returns to school after a lengthy absence from school due to his own battle with cancer. Tad is wheelchair bound, or so it is implied, and still battling his cancer. Jeffrey is determined to get Tad to walk on his own so they both may “walk the stage” for 8th grade graduation. Jeffrey’s challenge is Algebra which is Tad’s strength. Tad’s challenge is walking and with Jeffrey strength being an exercise nut, they set out to help each other. Just to add to the story, a lovely young girl, Lindsey enters the scene. Jeffrey is smitten with her and soon the feelings are returned. The three become an interesting triad helping each other through the day-to-day events they face. As culminating testing gets closer, both boys face obstacles. Jeffrey’s difficulty to pass the state exam and Tad’s declining health may prevent them from graduating from 8th grade. Review: I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. Being a math teacher, this book hit a particular nerve with respect to students having no confidence in becoming proficient in the content. Jeffrey conquered the cancer albeit with lingering affects to his body and brain, but takes time to conquer the math. Tad’s story is nicely introduced and his challenges, while not academic, still need to be conquered as well. I especially like that the “cute girl” (Lindsey) saw past the physical with Jeffrey and likes him for who he is. This is an important concept for high school students to embrace who they are as they go through their adolescence years. The format was interesting as Jeffrey writes letters and messages to his brother Steven. The text changes fonts adding to the readability as Jeffrey talks to Steven, remembers conversations with Tad and Lindsey, and does his school work. The book almost reads like a diary and I felt I had privilege of reading it secretly. Of course, the end is a bit predictable, but was well done. I didn’t choke up until Jeffrey mentions he sees his mother at the end of the race. She is walking to the finish line to meet Jeffrey. Jeffrey says, “Maybe twenty feet before I crossed the line, I realized she was crying.” Tears dropped. The worst days of being a mother are when we have to tell our children really, really bad news. When talking about the infamous question (what did you learn from this?), I believe students will gain a perspective that nothing is forever, surround yourself with people who love and care about you, and stay in the moment.
    • 5/5
      Jeffrey is a cancer survivor. Now in 8th grade, he is worried about normal teen stuff, like girls and schoolwork. A particular girl, Lindsay, and a particular test – a statewide math exam that he must pass in order to be promoted to high school. His best friend Tad, also in remission, tutors him for the test and hatches a plot to ensure that Jeff gets to high school.
    • 5/5
      Plot:Eight-grader Jeffery is a cancer survivor, but his treatment caused many side-effects that he is trying to learn to live with, now that he has been cancer free for five years. He struggles with math, walks with a limp, he has difficulty concentrating, and has very few friends. His best friend is Tad, who is also a “cancer kid”, but Tad’s cancer isn’t in remission like Jeff, so Jeff deals with survivor guilt whenever he is with Tad. Jeff hits it off with new girl Lindsey almost instantly, and adds first love to his list of things to figure out. The one thing Jeff can do is ride a bike, which becomes his escape when he finds things too difficult to deal with. The major event in the story is a state-wide test that Jeff must pass in order to graduate from Eighth grade. He is determined to pass the exam so he can move on to high school with Tad and Lindsey. Comments:The book is written in first person, so the reader develops a real connection with Jeff. Jeff lived so much of his life as a cancer patient that it is hard for him to let go of those memories, especially being best friends with Tad, who uses a wheelchair and is still in treatment. Jeff’s cancer has shaped his life, and his family’s. Aside from the side effects of the cancer treatments, Jeff also has to deal with being a teenage boy – girlfriend and all. The one person he could always depend on was his brother, Steven. Steven left for college, and then decided he also needed to figure out his life now that he isn’t Jeff’s rock anymore. The reader gets a clear picture of how cancer touches more than just the patient.Although Jeff’s determination and positive outlook waver throughout the book, Sonnenblick does a great job using humor and sarcasm in both Jeff’s narrative and his dialog with Tad and Lindsey. I found Jeff to be a very relatable teenager, and think that the cancer plot almost melts away at times and you just see Jeff, an authentic teenage boy trying to figure out where he fits in his world.After Ever After is a sequel to Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, which is told from Steven’s perspective, about having a brother with Leukemia. It isn’t necessary to read them in order – both are great stand alone books.
    • 4/5
      I didn't actually realize this was a sequel until I was about 40 pages in, so I haven't read Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. It turns out that it doesn't matter; this book can stand alone. I really enjoyed this book. It takes on several serious topics such as childhood cancer and standardized testing, but Sonneblick has such an easy tone that you really enjoy reading it all. I flew through the book and wished I had read the other book first so that this one would mean even more. I really enjoyed this.
    • 5/5
      A semi-sequel to Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie this book is from Jeffery's point of view, when Jeff is in the 8th grade. He's kicked cancer (he hopes), has been in remission more than 5 years, but the chemo left him with some problems. He can't concentrate, he limps, and he HATES math. Which is ok, because math hates him too. Only he has to pass the state test to get out of middle school. So his best friend (survivor of a brain tumor... twice) tutors him in math. Oh, and he only meets just about the hottest girl in the universe... who might actually like him, too!!
    • 4/5
      Good sequel to the Sunshine State Book Award Winner, Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie. This time the main character is Jeffy, who's now an 8th grader in remission from leukemia. Nicely written, a bit melodramatic, but not overly sappy. This could read as a stand-alone novel, but I think it would be better after reading the first book about the family.NOTE: As a teacher I would have read the first book as a read-aloud, but not this one. There is too much sexual nature for that. But I would still recommend it highly to middle school aged readers, especially those who liked Drum Girls and Dangerous Pie.