Hmm... not sure about this one at all. I kept reading, hoping that something was going to happen but it didn't.

What happened to Alice? Who knows! Certainly this book did not divulge any answers.

All rather odd.

Unfortunately I didn’t finish this book. I found it to be a very slow read and it failed to hold my interest and attention.

My thanks to the author, to the publisher and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review the book.

Lauren Eliza Green's *The World After Alice* is a tender and beautifully crafted exploration of grief, family dynamics, and the lasting effects of loss. The heart of the novel revolves around the wedding of Benji and Morgan, a moment that should be filled with joy but is overshadowed by the absence of Alice, Benji's sister and Morgan's best friend, who tragically took her own life twelve years ago.

Green compassionately weaves together the perspectives of various family members and friends, each grappling with their own unresolved grief and the complexities of their relationships. The narrative delicately shifts between the present-day celebration and poignant flashbacks, gradually revealing the events leading up to Alice's death and the deep impact it has had on those who loved her.

Although the themes are heavy, Green's prose remains lyrical and evocative, inviting readers to experience a profound sense of intimacy and emotional resonance. The characters are beautifully flawed and relatable; their struggles with love, loss, and the quest for forgiveness are depicted with raw honesty that many will find moving.

*The World After Alice* leaves a lasting impression, serving as a heartfelt tribute to the enduring power of love and the intricate nature of human connections. It offers a glimmer of hope even amid the heaviness of grief, making this book an essential read for anyone who has navigated the waters of loss or cherishes narratives that delve into the profound complexities of human emotion.

Grief and all that comes with it can be a peculiar thing. For the Weil family, one tragic moment in time will have far reaching consequences for the rest of their lives. On the biggest day of Benji Weil's life, we see those consequences and the effect his sister's tragic death has had on family and friends.

I gave this book 3 to 3.5 stars. There is no doubt that this is a beautifully written book, however, at times the author's prose came across as trying too hard. I usually enjoy this type of writing especially in literay fiction but I just don't think it worked here in this context.

Every character is unlikeable which I quite enjoyed but if you want a book where characters have some redeeming qualities, you will not find it here. I feel like we didn't see enough character development from Morgan's character and Nick's mother, Judith. I think these character arcs could have been developed better.

There isn't too much plot, it's really all about the characters which I enjoy. I do think the story is interesting but I felt like it wasn't developed as much I would like. The conclusion of Alice's character didn't really feel fully fleshed out.

If you like slow paced, slice of life books, I would recommend you to check this out.

Really enjoyed this book! It was a good and enjoyable read. I would read more by this author. Thanks to netgalley for letting me read it in turn for a review.

Alice dies by suicide as a teenager and a decade or so later her brother and her best friend surprise everyone with an invite to their wedding. This novel works in two timelines, shortly before Alice’s death and the present of the wedding, and head hops between various characters’ perspectives a lot, so I felt like I couldn’t quite get a grasp on what was really important.

A good book, well plotted and compelling. liked the storytelling and the characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed reading this book, the author is new to me and I have to say I enjoy her style, A recommended read.

Unfortunately I have not been able to connect with this book and found it to be too slow paced for my liking.

Life after death.
An emotional story that I enjoyed, I found it was quite slow paced
A good debut

Two healing families brought together celebrate an unexpected marriage
It’s a heartwarming story about moving on after an unspeakable tragedy and learning how to love again
This fabulous debut is beautifully written, full of emotion and you’re immediately invested right from the first chapter
Thanks @laurenalizagreen @michaeljbooks & @netgalley for the emotional read

A bride freaking out over her seating plan and a groom who thinks the glass is permanently full. Coming up to their wedding, we examine life after the grooms sister has died. It is a bit of a family drama but there was something a little underdeveloped about it.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and was curious to find out more about Alice and the events that lead to her passing. This book explores love, grief and the unimaginable aftermath of a tragic death in the family and community. Unfortunately, I struggled with timelines in this book and the slow pace meant I was never as fully immersed in the story as I would like to be. With sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to honestly review this book.

This is an obviously well written book with lots of detail and character descriptions but unfortunately it didn't fully grab me. It started well enough but then the pace seemed to slow and it wasn't always immediately clear which POV we were reading. This and the fact that the timeline went back and forth made it a more confusing read than it needed to be.
The family dynamics were dealt with well so maybe some chapter headings would have made things a little clearer.

A raw and at times difficult book to read. The dual time line was a bit confusing and in the end it didn't really work well for me, unfortunately. Maybe younger readers would enjoy it more. I think the fault was probably mine in requesting something a bit different.

This did not end up a good selection for me. I failed to gel with the characters and I found the different time lines not very well introduced.

Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I unfortunately just couldn't get into this book. I really wanted to, and I think the premise was great, but I just didn't get on with Green's writing. I found it overly pretentious and it took me out of it. That being said, potentially it's intentional and I also know that some people would really love this style of writing. But it wasn't for me, sadly.

An excellent, stirring exploration of bereavement - and everything that follows. Heartfelt yet amusing, raw and thought-provoking. The language is wonderful, with the writing jumping between different timelines deftly and effectively. These characters and their secrets will sit with you for a long while after you've put the novel down.

This is a difficult book to rate. The book works in two timelines the period arounf the time of Alice Weil's disappearance / death / suicide and a time over a decade later when Alice's brother and her supposed best friend are to marry.

The news of the wedding is only broken in the shortly before the event mainly because there are things left brewing from the earlier events that mean the latter event is not generally welcomed by the fractured families Alice's death left behind.

In all honesty I struggled with timelines I don't think they were organised or narrated in a way that made it easy for the reader to follow the narrative . particularly the earlier timeline was "fleshed out" with events either unnecessary to the story or simply told in too much detail.

The current day events were better portrayed but I feel the author failed to produce characters that I could say I liked. Apart from Morgan and Alice having a competitive edge to their relationship I really felt I knew nothing about Morgan.

I spent a lot of time thinking that the Author was going to bring Alice back from the dead and am at least grateful that this did not happen. The ending was something of an anti-climax.

I can't say I enjoyed it as a whole but there were some likeable plot lines that perhaps should have been developed. I would try something else from the author. As a debut book it is not all bad

What a deeply moving debut read. I loved it!
Full of secrets, deceit, family relationships, social expectations and the effects of grief. I couldn’t put this book down.
It’s intriguing and beautifully written, heartfelt, honest, funny and empathic. It’s such an enjoyable character based read with an engaging realistic and descriptive storyline. I liked the authors writing style, with the history revealed through flashbacks and told from different POV’s, it works so well and kept me turning the pages. I loved the setting too.
Overall, a thought provoking family drama. Definitely recommend if you enjoy this genre. I look forward to reading more from @laurenalizagreen
With thanks to #NetGallery @michaeljbooks #PenguinRandomHouse for an arc of #TheWorldAfterAlice in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 1 August 2024.