The Beginning of After

The Beginning of After is a story of hope and healing from Jennifer Castle, a powerful new voice in teen fiction.

When Laurel’s family dies in a horrific car accident, she struggles to put her life back together. She is now connected to David Kaufman, who lives down the block, and who lost his mother in the same crash. Both of their lives change—but not in the ways that they thought…

Castle blends tragedy with romance, teen angst, and wit in The Beginning of After, a bittersweet, powerful debut novel that stands as a testament to how people can survive the unthinkable.

• Surviving Grief: After a horrific accident kills her family, Laurel must navigate a new life defined by Before and After, searching for a way to heal.
• An Unlikely Connection: She’s not alone. David Kaufman, the boy down the block, lost his mother in the same crash, linking their futures in ways neither could predict.
• A Bittersweet Romance: As Laurel and David grapple with their loss, a complicated romance begins to form from the ashes of their shared tragedy.
• A Powerful Coming of Age Story: A poignant and hopeful novel about finding your way forward when your entire world has been turned upside down.