Review: After by Pádraig Kenny

After is a powerful, thought-provoking dystopian sci-fi adventure with the ties of humanity, the strength of community and the promise of hope at its heart. This is a story that held me utterly enthralled and will undoubtedly be one of my books of the year.

Jen loves libraries and stories, but the one she is most interested in is a true one – even though it is a story that terrifies her: the story of how the world ended. Father tells her of the destruction of habitats, human over-reliance on technology and the return to the Dark Ages after the Flood, an apocalyptic event that decimated both civilisation and technology.

Father and Jen have been on their own ever since he found Jen as a baby and took her under his protection. They survive in a desolate, almost-deserted world by finding food and shelter and avoiding the scavengers who drove them from their previous home.

When travelling towards a new home, they arrive at a town where they meet two others who are part of a small community where they are welcomed as new members. But Father has a secret: he is not human, but a humanoid AI who somehow survived the Flood. Can Jen keep Father’s secret from her new friends because, if it were revealed, she is in danger of losing the place she has come to think of as home …

This is a story that completely gripped me both as an exciting, heart-pounding survival adventure brimming with danger, secrets and revelations, and as a story exploring what it means to be human, the nature of love and belonging, and whether the real danger in technological advancement lies with created or creator. These themes would open fascinating discussions in both homes and classrooms.

This is a story that evokes strong emotions: I could absolutely feel the hope and love, the painful decisions and the need for connection – and the ending made me smile through my tears – just perfect – as were the final illustrations. There is such power in words – the power to connect and divide, the power to hurt and heal and the power to bring hope when the world seems lost. Books like this incredible story are so needed in our world right now (and not just for children) and there was one sentence said by a character at the end of this story that still bring tears as I write and I think those are tears of hope.

Whilst Jen and Father are not biologically related, it is clear that there is a strong father-daughter bond between them which I found incredibly moving. Father has a powerful instinct to protect Jen and give her what she needs to survive, both physically and emotionally, even when this means withholding the truth and taking heart-breaking decisions and risks. Jen is a wonderful young girl who is kind-hearted, curious and determined and, whilst she is happy with Father, she also has a natural human need to connect with others and feel a sense of belonging which leads her to make to make some painful decisions.

The chapter heading and page illustrations are stunning and complement this intriguing, breathtaking story perfectly.

An exceptional sci-fi adventure pulsating with hope, connection and love – a captivating story that I cannot recommend highly enough to readers of 9+.

Thank you to Walker Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.