Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
What Comes After
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
After the shocking death of two teenage boys tears apart a community in the Pacific Northwest, a mysterious pregnant girl emerges out of the woods and into the lives of those same boys familiesa moving and hopeful novel about forgiveness and human connection. In misty, coastal Washington State, Isaac lives alone with his dog, grieving the recent death of his teenage son, Daniel. Next door, Lorrie, a working single mother, struggles with a heinous act committed by her own teenage son. Separated by only a silvery stretch of trees, the two parents are emotionally stranded, isolated by their great lossesuntil an unfamiliar sixteen-year-old girl shows up, bridges the gap, and changes everything. Evangelines arrival at first feels like a blessing, but she is also clearly hiding something. When Isaac, who has retreated into his Quaker faith, isnt equipped to handle her alone, Lorrie forges her own relationship with the girl. Soon all three characters are forced to examine what really happened in their overlapping pasts, and what it all possibly means for a shared future. With a propulsive mystery at its core, What Comes After offers an unforgettable story of loss and anger, but also of kindness and hope, courage and forgiveness. It is a deeply moving account of strangers and friends not only helping each other forward after tragedy, but inspiring a new kind of family.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
SheilaChew
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I read this in one day. The story really pulled me in and I loved the religious themes of silence and forgiveness.

22 likes1 stack add
review
Eggs
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

Beautiful writing - artful debut novel. Conflicted relationships come to a gripping climax when tragedies strike this Pacific Northwest community. Rich characters including the rainy weather, which rarely cooperates. Themes: love, parenting and compassion, for others but self as well. God and Quaker philosophy lent a fascinating angle to it. At times seemed a bit long but the author had a lot to say.
#Pantone2023
#JoysOfJunereadathon Day 4

JamieArc Glad to see you enjoyed this. As a Quaker, I really liked this book and was impressed at the authenticity the author lent to Quakerism, not being one herself. 1y
Eggs @JamieArc re: Quaker - I liked the ‘meeting‘ format with friends George, Ralph, Abigail and their open-ended questions to Isaac 1y
Bklover What a lovely review!!💙 1y
See All 6 Comments
Eggs @Bklover Thank you so much 🩵 1y
Andrew65 A great title. Well done 👏👏👏 1y
Eggs @Andrew65 Thank You 🙏🏻 1y
63 likes6 comments
review
Gryffleclaw95
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to like”What Comes After” a lot more than I actually did. I really enjoy books that focus on overcoming tragedy and the theme of new-found family, however this book ultimately left me feeling “meh”. This is definitely not a light read and be aware that there are a variety of difficult topics included such as pedophilia, suicide, animal abuse and death, domestic abuse, and sexual assault.

quote
Gryffleclaw95
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins

“Humans are forever picking their heroes and villains in waves of reversing fashion. Though at times — and this has happened not only with some pit bulls but with all manner of people and entire countries — we name our villains and then treat them in such a way that they prove us prophets.”

- Isaac Balch

review
CollapsingLibrary
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

Beautifully written novel weaving together the story of several seemingly disconnected people following to tragic murder-suicide of two teenage boys. A story of love, grief and the importance of human connection, filled with gorgeous quotes and musings on the experience of being alive.
This book was one of my #blindbookdates so I included the paper cover I made for it too. Trigger warning with small spoiler will be in comments!

CollapsingLibrary Content warning: suicide, domestic abuse, rape. Two instances of animal death, one unexpected and one discussed for throughout the novel as something that was soon to happen. (edited) 2y
62 likes1 comment
blurb
CollapsingLibrary
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Picked one of my #blindbookdate books from my #bookspinbingo this month that I called “warm tones.” Turns out it is the tagged book, What Comes After. I had gotten the plot of this book and another book mixed up so I‘m excited to read this one now!

blurb
AVChrista
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

I love diving into first novels!

AVChrista I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. The emphasis on human connection was an appropriate theme. 2y
1 like1 comment
review
Jilly6183
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I have mixed feelings about this one. The writing is very good, but I know too many sixteen year-olds and the parts from their perspectives were too profound at times that it kept taking me out of the story. There were some unnecessary subplots that were over expounded on and others that could have really taken the story to an interesting place that were barely touched. But overall it was an engaging read.

review
cwarnier
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

#LMPBC @Mklong @shadowfat
I will mail off soon @magyklyXdelish
Thanks for an AWESOME round ladies. (better late than never)
Over all this was a good book. It was not on my radar until this round of #LMPBC. I fell in love with the main characters Isaac & Evangeline. I just wish that the baby would have been one of the boys.
The one thing that was a bit down was that there was some gruesome scenes & seemed over the top with animal credulity.

magyklyXdelish I agree with the animal cruelty. It was exceptionally excessive and did nothing for the plot. It would have been just as effective with one paragraph instead of pages and pages 2y
16 likes1 comment
blurb
cwarnier
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

#20in4
Today was not very fruitful in reading. I got to spend the evening out for dinner and mini golfing with my boyfriend and some of his family.
Hopefully tomorrow will be fruitful as I have to go back to work on Monday.

blurb
cwarnier
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Checking out a new coffee shop in downtown KC. It is quite adorable.
I love to sit a d drink coffee ( well this is tea) and read.

Sharpeipup Which coffee shop? 2y
cwarnier @Sharpeipup I was at Mildred. It is not new to KC, but new to me. Whenever I go to that library it is always afternoon or evening. Today I was actually there in the morning. 2y
Sharpeipup Haven‘t been to that one yet. 2y
18 likes3 comments
blurb
cwarnier
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
sherri 20 hours in 4 days sounds hard to me. I get distracted too easily. Looks like you are off to a solid start! 2y
18 likes1 comment
blurb
cwarnier
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

#lmpbc round14
@mklong @Shadowfat @magyklyXdelish
This arrived today on my door step! Can't wait to delve into it.

review
LadyCait84
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

Spent the evening finishing this (& baking peach pies) to prep for book club tomorrow.

The book‘s depiction of what it takes to truly live — rather than merely exist — with grief, to forge ahead after loss, feels messy but true.

Healing ebbs & flows. Rage is stripped away slowly, layer by layer. Whatever must be forgiven may need so again & again before it sticks. & the ordeal is so much more bearable with someone to continue living for...

melissajayne Such a good book 2y
57 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
MaggieCarr
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I fell for it again... expecting a feral character from the "...until a mysterious, pregnant 16-year-old girl emerges out of the woods and into their lives..." book jacket. ? Don't get me wrong, it was okay just not what I expected though I did learn more about the Quaker community than I did before. I could wholeheartedly feel from the POV of each character and what drove them so the writing was good and immersive, just not what I was expecting.

review
Sweettartlaura
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

4.5 ⭐️

This is an outstanding debut.
The characters are fully drawn - fully human - fully flawed. And spending time with all of them is a pleasure.
There is a desire to know what happened, and how it will turn out. But those don‘t overshadow the unraveling of each moment. There is no need to rush.
It‘s heavy subject matter. But the author carries the characters & readers through the story gracefully.
Don‘t miss this one.

JamieArc I loved this one (and even more because I‘m a Quaker). Glad to see it getting some love. 3y
Sweettartlaura @JamieArc I loved the Quaker character - first time I‘ve encountered that to such depths! Made me want to go to a meeting. 3y
30 likes2 comments
review
sprainedbrain
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I didn‘t expect to love this book as much as I did, but wow, what a fantastic debut novel. Really solid writing, great handling of some seriously big stuff (broken families, abuse, murder, suicide, rape, teen pregnancy, animal death), and truly fascinating characters. Not really the mystery/thriller I assumed it would be, but more of a quiet, heartbreaking story about what comes after some painful endings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

BiblioLitten Your review reminded me of 3y
sprainedbrain @BiblioLitten I still need to read that! 3y
86 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
magyklyXdelish
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

TW - animal death/cruelty

If it wasn‘t for the animal stuff, more specifically an issue I have with Rufus‘ sub plot, I would have rated higher. I thought it was completely unnecessary to the story as a whole.

Otherwise I adored Evangeline and thought this story, while slow at times, was engrossing.

I‘m very curious to see what my #LMPBC group will think 🤗

#BookSpinBingo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I also recently read a book where one subplot/scene threw off the whole book for me. Sometimes I don't think the details are necessary! 3y
magyklyXdelish @TheAromaofBooks I agree! Especially if it doesn‘t add anything or further the plot in anyway. Especially if it‘s 400+ pages, it‘s just not necessary. 3y
29 likes2 comments
blurb
magyklyXdelish
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Digging in to my next #LMPBC book. Excited to clear our BOTM shelf 🤗🤗

review
GidgetsTreasures75
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

2-13-22: My 14th finished book of 2022! After the shocking deaths of 2 teenage boys tears apart a community, an unfamiliar pregnant girl emerges out of the woods and into the lives of the boy‘s parents. Issac has lost his son, Daniel and Lorrie has lost her son, Jonah, Daniel‘s best friend. When Evangeline comes into their lives pregnant and alone she unites them. While sad it was also uplifting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣1️⃣4️⃣

review
SomedayAlmost
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

Smart, moving crime audiobook. Initial tension about a murder bleeds into tension about a teen mother with choices to make. Fascinating look at the Quaker character‘s spiritual life. Ends on a quieter note, so not for every mystery/thriller reader who needs a dramatic ending, but very well written. Cats enjoyed listening to iIt with me. .5 stars. #murder #teenmom #spirituality

RaeLovesToRead Awww they're all gathered! So cute 😻😻😻 3y
GondorGirl I'm not sure what those cats are plotting after listening to a murder book... 😳 3y
SomedayAlmost RealLovesToRead I think they want me to warm them up, lol 3y
23 likes3 comments
blurb
sprainedbrain
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Here are some choices from my BOTM backlog for my #LMPBC book, @JackOBotts @kellyann28 @Catsandbooks 😃

I tried to pick different genres so ended up with 8. Whoops.

Have you already read any of these? Any that you‘d rather not read, or any that you‘d prefer? Will tag the other 7 in comments.

If none of these work, I do have 33 more on the shelf because I have a BOTM problem. 😂

See All 12 Comments
kellyann28 I'm not a fan of cozy mystery types so I'd have to say please no Arsenic and Adobo 😂 Otherwise, I'm perfectly fine with any of the others. My top choice would be Lydia Bird! 3y
kellyann28 Oh I have What Comes After on my shelf too, so top choice for that one also! 3y
Catsandbooks I have The Age of light, the space between world's, arsenic and adobo, and the two lives of Lydia bird all on my tbr so any of those would be good! 3y
JackOBotts Lydia Bird sounds good to me, too. @kellyann28 @Catsandbooks @sprainedbrain - I‘ll post a bunch of options on Sunday. 💜 (edited) 3y
sprainedbrain Lydia Bird it is! 3y
88 likes1 stack add12 comments
blurb
SomedayAlmost
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Enjoying this audiobook. More of a why-done-it, a deep dive into teens surviving traumas@& how communities grieve. No wonder it is up for 2 awards for best first mystery novel. #audiobooks #mystery

review
Lizthewiz
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

Wow. What an amazing book. I cried for most of the last 100 pages, so many emotional moments of sadness and joy. I loved seeing the development of all the characters, especially their relationships with one another. Evangeline‘s story of discovering love and the fact that she deserved love was so moving. 10 out of 10 would recommend the read.

blurb
Jerdencon
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

About it 50 pages in and hooked! #newyearwhodis
@Kangaj1 @monalyisha

JamieArc I put this on my #NYWD list as well! 3y
52 likes1 comment
blurb
Jerdencon
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Starting the tagged book sometime this weekend hopefully for #newyearwhodis
Finished Amelia Unabridged and really enjoyed it! Super touching and moving…. @Kangaj1 @monalyisha

monalyisha Oh, excited for the next one! 3y
44 likes1 comment
review
Victoriahoperose
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

This is a book about loss and how tragedy changes lives. This is a tough read because it is so emotional, but it is so well written. I felt every bit of this story and I think the author did an amazing job of capturing grief in this book. This broke my heart, but it was worth every minute I put into reading it. Definitely dark, but it comes together well I really liked the ending and felt like it couldn‘t have been done more perfectly.

38 likes1 stack add
review
Kangaj1
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I don't think I will finish any more this month, so here are my October reads!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: The Day the World Came to Town, You Can Not Burn the Sun (friend's poetry), What Comes After
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5: Beautiful Ruins
⭐⭐⭐⭐: The Girl with the Loading Voice, The Eighth Life, The Ruin, Admissions, Gallows Court, Rewind
⭐⭐⭐: Moonflower Murders, A Slow Fire Burning, Death at Whitewater Church
⭐⭐: Lock Every Door

DrexEdit That's some good reading! 🙂 3y
20 likes1 comment
quote
BittersweetBooks
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

It didn‘t take long to understand that there was no recipe or equation. Parenting was a river of moment-by-moment decisions, intuitions, a balancing of one‘s own needs, which did factor somehow, with those of the child. But mostly it was being there, truly there, with all your senses. Trusting the heart knowledge that arises with full attention. Lorrie had that. She had a gift for attention of the heart 🤰💛🤱

16 likes2 stack adds
blurb
mamareading
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

I‘m enjoying this one a lot, but I‘m kind of wondering why because it‘s actually moving fairly slowly. I like some of the characters and I‘m wishing them well, I think that‘s why I‘m still here if though a lot of this feel mundane.

review
JamieArc
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I don‘t normally gravitate towards domestic dramas, but my curiosity got the best of me with this one. I‘m a Quaker, and Quakers are rarely represented in contemporary fiction. Tompkins did it justice. I found the Quaker bits accurate and true to real life. The story also pulled me in, and kept me up all night reading it. I‘m really glad I read this story and have it in my mental warehouse now. August #Bookspin complete

JamieArc Pictured here is my meetinghouse, which I miss being in so much, with the beautiful light coming through. 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great review!! And I'm glad to hear that your community was written well. I feel like religious groups aren't always researched well in fiction. 3y
JamieArc @TheAromaofBooks Quakerism is usually only written about in a very historical context, so it gets stereotyped, and easy to get modern day Quakerism wrong. I was impressed with this author. I also thing she did a good job at portraying the things our faith does well and the things we don‘t do so well. 3y
squirrelbrain Great review - stacked! 3y
Cathythoughts Great review ❤️ 3y
44 likes5 stack adds5 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

This is a quiet, intimate book about big themes, including trauma, grief, resentment, and finding ways to move forward. One character is quite religious, and while his religious is defining for him, it remains subtle in the book. Plus, there‘s a beautifully depicted story of a dog that I loved. This was really good.

EvieBee This is one I wanted to read but you‘ve inspired me to bump it up! 3y
46 likes1 comment
blurb
MotherOfCats
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Is it bad that I don‘t like this 16 year old girl? 🤔

blurb
JamieArc
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

August #Bookspin List, featuring a bunch of #BOTM titles, some Man Booker Nominees, last books I want to get to this summer, and some motivation to help get through the massive A Suitable Boy (4 parts is over 400 of the 1400+ pages).

JamieArc Note to self: BookSpin-11, Double Spin-2 3y
33 likes2 comments
review
BookishTrish
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

When a family breaks up what comes after? This moving book looks at the formation of a chosen family composed of a pregnant teen, a grieving father, and a traumatized mother and daughter.

62 likes1 stack add
blurb
Jennick2004
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Gorgeous view while I read today 🥰

Jennick2004 @BookishMarginalia I have to head back home tomorrow…but I could stay here forever lol. That‘s my son fishing in the pic 😍 3y
BookishMarginalia May you enjoy today, then 👍🏼🤓 3y
17 likes3 comments
blurb
Jennick2004
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Time to read! And a fun sticker I found 😍

review
marleed
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I thought this was a good story of both writing and plot, the Quaker aspect was fascinating, and what I liked - I really liked. So a pick, but some (okay a lot) of the bad sh*t could have been edited out to create a more believable found-family. And the principal - why was he even necessary to this story!?

review
melissajayne
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

4.5⭐️ I really liked the book. The multiple pov‘s worked very well in the book and loved the overall concept of the book. Returned my copy before getting a photo of the book. #2021 #summerreads #contemporary #fiction #bookreview #bookstagram #bookspinbingo

blurb
Traci1
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

FotL #bookhaul

These plus 6 dino books and an animal encyclopedia for Henry for a total of $4.

review
Lisas.Library
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

4.5 stars
Wow! What a compelling debut novel by Joanne Tompkins. This story touched my heart and I‘m certain I will be thinking of these characters for a long time. This is a truly wonderful story about life after a horrific tragedy that deals with loss, grief, hope, forgiveness, family, personal growth and perseverance.

BookwormM What a cute fur baby 💕💕 3y
ShelleyBooksie Puppy! ♡♡♡♡♡♡ 3y
Lisas.Library @BookwormM @ShelleyBooksie ~ 💜💜 Her name is Poppy 💜💜 3y
61 likes3 comments
review
Annie1215
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this! It wasn‘t quite what I expected, but it really delivers on heartbreaking characters and a hopeful family dynamic. This was my #BOTM last month.

Checking this off my #bookspinbingo board

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
71 likes1 comment
blurb
melissajayne
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image

Got my second Covid vaccine dose today; read What Comes After during my 15 minute wait #covid19 #getvaccinated #inthistogether #becalmbekindbesafe

Chrissyreadit Hope you get lots of rest today and have mild side effects. And YAY!!!! Glad to hear you have the vaccination ! 3y
31 likes1 comment
review
BekahPat
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

“Strange what‘s left behind when all that matters is scraped away.” This book checked several of my boxes. A PNW setting, a beloved family rescue dog, questioning a faith that you have always clung tight too. The author wrote the characters in a way that made me care deeply for each of them, even the one that I had decided early on that I would not like. The story gave me perspective and empathy.

review
AvidlyAlexis
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

30/100, 4☆, This was a beautiful read. The language and deep themes wove a tapestry of complexity, yet the simplicity of every moment was made clear. At each turning point in the story, I could see several paths stretch out and the author could choose any one of them for the characters. It's hard to describe but this was definitely a worthwhile read and the tone will resonate with me for a while.

review
Thousand-Lives
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

What an excellent debut! This novel explores what comes after grief and loss. The story is propulsive but also character-driven. I loved learning more about the Quaker way of life. May #doublespin #botm

JamieArc I‘m a Quaker, which is hardly ever portrayed in fiction, so I‘m curious to read this one! 3y
Thousand-Lives @JamieArc I would love to hear your thoughts if you end up reading this one. 3y
TheAromaofBooks I never hear about Quakers in modern fiction - only in historical fiction. Interesting!! 3y
40 likes3 comments
review
angel1
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
What a heartbreaking and powerful book. A moving story about how two families learn to cope with loss and tragedy. #botm #whatcomesafter
•One of my cows photo bombed me while I was taking the picture...notice the red blob to the left?🤣

review
paulareadsallthetime
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book begins with the death of two teenage boys. It tells the story of those left behind and how they deal with what has happened. It is a wonderful story of forgiveness. I love how the author told the story through the different characters. She used Rufus, the dog, to reach her readers as well. Rufus was an amazing character.

melissajayne The author dealt with a similar situation when working as a mediator 3y
11 likes1 comment