Clara Kensie

Aftermath by Clara Kensie is a Young Adult novel following the "aftermath" of a teenage girl's abduction.

This book was a hard read - it's emotional, raw and enraging (at times). Clara Kensie has written one magnificent story in the form of a young adult novel. Honestly, it was written beautifully but the subject matter was so tough, serious and so full of pain.

The plot of the story is as followed: Charlotte was abducted by her "Keeper" about four years ago. Somehow, she gets lucky and gets her escape through some paramedics who found her in the "Keeper's" attic. Suddenly, she's thrown back into society and to a life that has changed. Her parents are divorced, her sister didn't follow their "Dream Book" and her friends have all moved on. Her Mother wants her to go into hiding and never leave the house again while her Father wants her to become an international, superstar ambassador. All the while, Charlotte is trying to grasp how to be normal again once a man destroys your safety and sanity.

This novel is a YA. At first I struggled to figure out if it was, but it only hints and briefly talks about how painful Charlotte's journey was. The R rated comments are very rare, and only said once or twice so the reader gets the point of what happens. I'd say this is on the higher end of YA though, because Charlotte was raped (and some more spoiler-y things happen that are some really tough pieces of content for potential thirteen year olds).

Clara made me really feel for Charlotte the entire time. I watched her journey and felt her pain. Somehow, she made me really connect with this family and understand why she did and said what she did. She made it believable, which can be very tough to do!

While the story is sad, Clara also brings hope into the story. It hides in the back like a shadow, but it's still there. All around, this book is very powerful and a really good story to tell. It started out so rough for me and I wasn't sure if I'd actually like it, but I did! Clara left so many bits and pieces that turned out to be clues to some of the story's bigger plot twists. I didn't see half of them, which is a feat all on it's own. But it's all there for the reader to unwind!

Overall, this book is utterly amazing! I'm impressed by Clara's writing and by this story. It was emotional and gripping, but it is totally worth your time if you find this book. Seriously, it's an amazing story and it's important to hear.

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.… (més)

I really enjoyed RUN TO YOU by Clara Kensie. It was the perfect balance of romance, mystery and action. I can't wait to read the newly released full versions of the six part series!

The story follows Tessa and her paranormal family, who are running from a man hunting them for their abilities. Tessa is the only family member that doesn't have an ability, and often feels left out and useless because of it. But what I loved about Tessa is that she wasn't whiny or resentful for it -- she respects and loves her family for what they can do, even if it does at times make her feel left out.

A mysterious man named David Connely is hunting them, and has been for years. Tessa is left with scars and nightmares from a past run in with the mysterious villian, and her family is never able to settle in one place for fear that he will find them again. Tessa does her best to remain invisible and unattached to the people she meets in each new city they move to, because she knows she will inevitably be forced to leave again. But when she meets Tristin, sparks fly and Tessa can't deny her feelings for him.

I can't wait to see where the part two of the story takes me. If it's half as good as FIRST SIGHT, then I'm already hooked.… (més)

Aftermath by Clara Kensie is an emotional novel of courage, survival and hope.

Four years after she was abducted by a pedophile, sixteen year old Charlotte Weatherstone is finally rescued from her kidnapper and she wants nothing more than to pick up her life where it left off. Her happy homecoming is marred by the discovery that her twin sister Alexa is now a rebellious, defiant and troubled teenager and her parents' once idyllic marriage fell apart due to the strain of her disappearance. Despite her best efforts to convince her family (and herself) that she is fine, Charlotte is often paralyzed by her memories of the torment she endured at the hands of her "Keeper". As her perfect life fails to materialize, Charlotte becomes obsessed with uncovering the identity of the young girl the Keeper kidnapped and murdered before he abducted her. Once she figures out the Keeper's type, she searches the faces of other missing children in hopes of identifying potential victims. Wanting to spare this girl's family the agony of never knowing the truth about their daughter, Charlotte hopes FBI Agent Rick Lindo can help recover the girl's remains. At the same time, navigating her way back into "normal" life is a heartrending journey that is oftentimes quite painful for Charlotte and her family.

Happy thoughts of her family sustained Charlotte during her time in captivity so she is ill-prepared for the discovery that reality in no way resembles her fantasy. Convinced Alexa followed their plans, she is stunned by her twin's appearance and she is utterly shocked by her sister's downward spiral. Charlotte is also devastated to learn the truth about her parents' marriage and she is left reeling by her father's announcement. Her reintegration back into her family is further tested by the media frenzy surrounding her rescue. Charlotte is also troubled by Alexa's stunning accusations and the realization that her mom blames herself for the kidnapping. While she would like nothing more than to put her harrowing experience behind her, Charlotte's memories often come rushing back when she least expects it and she is overwhelmed by feelings of powerlessness.

All of the characters are richly developed and their various reactions to Charlotte's kidnapping are what one would expect a family to feel. Charlotte's mom never gives up hope that her daughter will return home, but she completely shuts down and turns to alcohol to cope with her guilt and unbearable loss. Charlotte's father needs closure to move on and he puts all his energies into running the charitable organization he founded that is dedicated to finding missing children. Alexa eschews the hopes and dreams the girls planned for their future and turned her back on their group of friends. No longer one of the popular crowd, her new friends are on the fringes and she begins experimenting with sex, drugs and alcohol. Despite the torture she endured in captivity, Charlotte remains surprisingly upbeat as she tries to keep the worst of what happened to her from her family and she is laser focused on picking up the pieces of her life. She is an incredibly brave young woman with amazing insight and an inordinate amount of compassion for others.

The story is multi-layered and extremely well-written. Clara Kensie deftly handles delicate and dark subject matter with a great deal of sensitivity and care. There is little doubt about what exactly Charlotte endured at the hands of kidnapper but these topics are lightly broached without many graphic details. The storyline's many layers are slowly peeled back as Charlotte goes through her recovery and just when it appears everything has been revealed, the plot takes yet another stunning turn.

Aftermath by Clara Kensie is a captivating story of healing that is deeply affecting yet surprisingly hopeful as Charlotte and her family attempt to recover from a truly horrific, life-altering experience. The storyline is unique and brings to mind the real life kidnappings of Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Duggard. It is a hard hitting must read young adult novel that I highly recommend to older teenage and adult readers.… (més)

"Aftermath" was an extremely raw, well-written novel about an eleven-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, beaten and kept in a cage for four years. However, the reader only slowly discovers the horrors Charlotte had to endure as the story progresses. Instead, the book focuses on the aftermath. Charlotte spent four years dreaming of returning to her perfect, loving family only to discover that her family is in ruins.

This book was heartbreaking. Following Charlotte's journey as she struggled, not only with her emotional and physical recovery, but with her new reality as well had my eyes welling up on more than one occasion.

The characters in "Aftermath" were very well-written. Their actions, guilt, hopes and fears were real. There were times when I hated many of them as they each tried to cope with their grief in their own way, but in the end I forgave them all. I loved Charlotte! She was amazingly strong and determined to live, but so vulnerable at the same time. I hated the fact she couldn't look at herself in the mirror and kept feeling the Keeper's hands around her neck, strangling her. The power he had over her, even when she was safely home was frightening. However, my favourite character was Charlotte's twin sister, Alexa. She was extremely complex and well-portrayed and, for me, she was a very sympathetic character. I also loved the fierce bond between the two sisters.

Although not an easy read, in fact for every parent it is a terrifying one, "Aftermath" is a story of hope, love and survival that will capture you from the very first page.… (més)