A Review for Arise (Hereafter #2) by Tara Hudson

Posted by Donna

Release Date: June 5th, 2012

Finished Date: April 22nd, 2012

Publishers: HarperCollins 

Source: ARC For Review

Format: Kindle  

Pages: 416
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

The Review: Hereafter was one of my favourite reads of 2011, so I was super excited to finally get started on Arise, and I have to say author Tara Hudson has done a great job with this haunting sequel and I can't wait for more. 

In Hereafter we saw Ameila and Joshua meet and form a relationship and now in Arise, we see them try and battle to save their relationship - because really, how can a ghost and a human have a future together? As all the odd's seem against them, Ameila seeks help elsewhere, but somehow finds herself in more trouble than ever where she has to choose between two worlds. 

I really enjoyed Arise. It was a completely different read from Hereafter because this time we're seeing Ameila trying to enjoy her life, however it doesn't last long because of the evil that's after her. It was darker than the previous book because we see a lot of interaction with the netherworld and voodoo magic that is introduced. It wasn't predictable nor was it dragged out and Tara Hudson gave us readers a gripping and thrilling read - one that she didn't let up until the very last page. 

We also see the arrival a few new characters who I thoroughly enjoyed. They all have different personalities and they all bounce of one another, that gives this book the humour it needed. Some characters quickly became my favourites and others I hated instantly but overall, I enjoyed them all and thought they we're great additions into the story. 
Now Ameila and Joshua don't get it easy through the story. Their put through the ringer and their relationship is tested to the highest level. I love them together. Their a very sweet couple that you can't help root for but they also have that forbidden romance that you can't help think, how it's all going to end? I hope they get their happy ending and I'm eager how Tara Hudson plays that out. 

All in all, Arise is a sequel that won't let you down. It's just as beautiful and enjoyable as Hereafter and has huge twists and turns that you won't see coming. A must read! 

A review for Hereafter (Hereafter #1) by Tara Hudson

Posted by Donna

Published Date: June 7th, 2011
Read Date: March 21st, 2011
The Blurb: Can there truly be love after death? Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

The Review: Hereafter is the first book by debut author Tara Hudson, and its everything I could of wanted from a book. A forbidden romance, mystery & excitement. I said this last week with Die for Me by Amy Plum but let me say it again - "this is one of the BEST ghost stories i've ever read" 


Amelia is a ghost, who doesn't remember anything about herself, other than her name and parts of her death. She doesn't know when she died, who she was before or how she ended up in the river that night. She believes her afterlife has no purpose, that's until she saves Joshua, a stunning and handsome boy from drowning in the river after his car accidentally drives over the bridge. 

After saving Joshua, Amelia and him become fast friends and their relationship takes a fast turn. When they decide to try and find out who Amelia really was, they see things are not as they once seemed. They run into a few obstacles along the way, lending Joshua finding out what his destiny is and they realise their relationship is a forbidden one. 

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the story line, the romance, the characters, everything! Mostly I loved Amelia's journey and how we only found out bits about her at a time, keeping me on the edge of my seat through out. As her story unfolds, she goes through emotions that she never thought she would feel again and its really beautiful to read about. Not only does the author write beautifully but you can't help being sucked into their world and hope these two characters stay together. 

Joshua's story is one that completely shocked me. To be honest, I never saw it coming and I think it really fits well within the story. I'm hoping we get to see more of that in the future as it will be interesting to read about. 

And lastly, I'm so glad there wasn't any major cliffhangers at the end. Yes, there is a small one and few unanswered questions but I'm glad that it was nicely finished up and it made me enjoy the story that much more. 
Overall, this is a fantastic start to a new series. One, I am eager to continue reading about. Lets hope the next released date comes around fast. 


Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to reading and reviewing this book.