Tanya Byrne, Afterlove, Hachette Australia, July 2021, 352 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781444955958
Ash Persuad’s love life has been a series of disappointments and embarrassments. That was until she meets Poppy. After a chance encounter on a school trip, Ash and Poppy fully blaze in the flame of their new romance. As Ash sees the town she grew up in with new eyes, she feels like her life has just begun. When she tells Poppy she loves her for the first time, Ash sees their future stretching out like the endless sea before them.
As it turns out, their life together would last approximately 39 more minutes.
Ash dies as the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Eve, and is suddenly thrust into an afterlife she hadn’t expected. The newest Grim Reaper on the block, she not only has to adjust to being dead, she also has to navigate her new day job with fierce ghost gal pals, to deliver the city’s souls to their fate. And there are so many questions and so few answers.
Ash is desperate and determined to see Poppy again, but what is the price and will it be worth it?
Afterlove by Tanya Byrne has two major parts to it. The first half of the book is a great, queer, teen romance. It explores the excitement of a new relationship and some of the hardships faced by young POC lesbians. It isn’t until the second part of the book where the spirit world really comes into play challenging readers to consider their own beliefs. There is a lot left open-ended in what happens after death, as Ash only knows about her own immediate situation. I found this good in some ways, but also a little disappointing as I was curious about how this system worked. One glance at the cover will tell you all you need to know about representation in this book.
Afterlove is a unique story about love and loss. If you like a queer teen romance with some added elements of intrigue, you’ll probably love Afterlove by Tanya Byrne. Lesbians and grim reapers, what else can I say?
Reviewed by Libby Boas
