Lisa Mangum's After Hello ~ Reviewed

AFTER HELLO

By Lisa Mangum

September 2012

Young Adult

Shadow Mountain Publishing

978-1-60907-010-6

Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She's always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present 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, whether it's 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 cross paths, neither one of them is prepared for what they will find out about each other--and about themselves. Forming an unlikely partnership in the search for an elusive work of art, they're racing against time to set things right for everyone. Did fate bring their talents together for a reason, or will this one day be both a hello and a good-bye?

The interesting thing about AFTER HELLO is that the entire story takes place during a twenty-four hour period. Author Lisa Mangum does an admirable job of making Sam & Sara's relationship believable...not too intimate too fast, yet ending with satisfactory closure. Less believable is the importance of their quest--a search for a piece of art to appease a cranky movie star. Nevertheless, Mangum's writing is always pleasing to the reader's psyche.

Takeaway value is abundant. I really liked this line: "...if you give your dad power over your feelings, then you've given up power over yourself." Great message for a young adult. I wish someone would've told me that when I was an angst-filled teenager. And yes, there is plenty of angst in these characters. They are teens, after all. 

Overall, a sweet, easy read.

 

Reviewed by: Michelle Griep