Book review: After I've Gone by Linda Green

This is one of two books I recently picked up from my local library. I enjoy an easy read thriller/suspense every now and then, and After I've Gone by Linda Green fit the bill perfectly.

Jess is living a normal life, working at her local cinema and hanging out with her best friend, Sadie, when she bumps into a handsome man on her morning commute. Not long after, she logs onto Facebook and notices a tribute posted on her page by a friend, seemingly mourning her death after a tragic accident. The post is dated 18 months in the future. Jess' life slowly spirals as she becomes obsessed with reading the tributes and condolences to her family online, which, bizarrely, only she can see. Her dad and Sadie think she's crazy and really, who could blame them? It's only new boyfriend, Lee, who is keeping her feet on the ground. But is Lee all he seems?

I whizzed through this! It was one of those books that I found any excuse to take 5 minutes and read a few more pages. There a few stones left unturned and questions unanswered, but I think that added to the suspense of the book. It was an interesting look at social media and how it influences our lives, and whether or not we would make different decisions if we knew exactly when our life was going to end. It also shines an important light on domestic violence and how easy it can be to miss those first tell tale signs that something isn't right. Jess has lost her mother, has few friends and relatively low self esteem, which, in this case, makes her an easy target for manipulation. It's easy to see why she falls for Lee and why she may feel she has no other real option to make something of her life. The novel serves as a reminder that who you are is always enough.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a good suspense novel to get their teeth into. The ending was a little abrupt for me, as though it was rushed a little, but overall a solid 4 stars.