After Hello by Lisa Mangum

After Hello

Author: Lisa Mangum

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published Date: September 2012

Hardcover; 272 pages

Genre: Contemporary YA

ISBN# 978-1-60907-010-6

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

First Line

“I shouldn’t have noticed him.”

Summary

What if the first day of your relationship was the only day you had?

Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot camera, especially on her first trip to New York City.

Sam is a finder. He has a knack for finding what other people can’t—a first-edition book or the last two tickets to a sold-out Broadway show. In New York, there is always something interesting to find.

When Sam and Sara’s paths cross, neither one of them is prepared for what they will find out about each other—and about themselves when they form an unlikely partnership in search of a seemingly elusive work of art. They have one day to find the impossible. Fate brought their talents together, but what happens when time runs out? Will love be able to overcome fate? This new novel from award-winning author Lisa Mangum explores what happens after hello.

Review

After Hello is different than anything I’ve read before. Each chapter alternates between Sara, written in 1st person point-of-view, and Sam, written in 3rd person point-of-view. This actually works wonderfully. The transitions from chapter to chapter felt seamless. I found myself looking forward to seeing what either Sara or Sam had to say in their chapter about what had happened in the previous chapter.

Sara and Sam are both very likable. The other characters all had depth and personality. The plot, the setting, and the characters all felt real and believable. The story drew me in and I kept turning pages, wanting to know more about Sam and Sara.

I really liked how After Hello ended. While I may be in the minority here, I would be okay if Lisa never wrote a sequel. I like the idea of leaving limitless possibilities open to Sam and Sara and leaving it at that. However, if she were to write a sequel I would definitely read it.

After Hello is clean contemporary YA fiction that, though I already knew it would be good, ended up being even better than I expected. I recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.

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**LDSWBR featured Lisa and After Hello in the Countdown to Christmas 2012 HERE.**