Lou’s Review: Afterlove, by Tanya Byrne

Tanya Byrne’s Afterlove is unlike any other book I’ve ever read. It’s a story about love and loss; when to fight, and when to let go. It smashed my heart into a thousand jagged pieces then glued it back together again.

On a school trip to a local windfarm, 16 year-old Ash Persaud meets a girl. And she falls head over heels in love. On the surface Poppy Morgan is her opposite – a rich white girl from an elite boarding school. But they click. Poppy is bright, caring, and full of life. And Ash is smart, kind, and ready for adventure. Theirs is a beautiful love story; one that transcends even death. Just as Ash begins taste life’s sweetest possibilities, her time comes to an end. And she begins anew as a grim reaper.  

As someone who grew up on a steady diet of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed, I loved the supernatural elements of this story. The concept a grim reaper girl gang is excellent. And Byrne does a beautiful job of exploring relationships between women. Whether it’s romance, friendship, or the bond between mother and daughter, those connections are what make Afterlove unforgettable.

I particularly enjoyed Ash’s relationship with her mum. The way Ash starts to think with real empathy about her mother’s work and relationships – she’s at the age when kids start to realise grown-ups are people with inner-lives too. Also, Ash is out to her mother and close friends, but not the wider family. And her reflections on how having an openly lesbian daughter might affect her mum’s standing in their very Catholic family is one of the realest parts of this book.

Also, as a die-hard romantic, I love the relationship between Ash and Poppy. It’s a whirlwind romance written in glorious technicolour. After being messed around by straight or curious girls, used and discarded time and time again, Ash is cautious about giving her heart away. And this wariness is compounded by all the ways in which Poppy is different to her. But Poppy is worth all her hope and trust.

It’s a beautiful romance that shows young readers – particularly young lesbians of colour – how they deserve to be loved. Afterlove is also a really positive depiction of interracial love. And I’m grateful to Byrne for crafting such a moving story.

Afterlove is a fantastic book. But I do have a couple of criticisms. My main issue is that, in a book where grief is such a central theme, the finality of death is never fully acknowledged. Because that’s the hardest part of losing someone you love – knowing absolutely that there’s no more time; you’ll never be together again. And it’s an excruciating, tough lesson to learn. But it could be beneficial to young readers.

Secondly, the stakes could be higher. That might sound silly in a book that’s literally life and death. But the rules of Ash’s afterlife are clearly established. And the consequences for breaking those rules… never manifest in any meaningful way. Without giving anything away, I’d expected Deborah – who oversees the reapers, and has a direct line to the powers that be – to play a much more significant role in Afterlove’s second half.

Still, Afterlove is well worth reading. The writing is gorgeous. Subtly poetic. Full of beautiful imagery. But never pretentious.

“I’ve always liked my name, but I don’t truly love it until I hear her say it like that. And I love the way her breathing changes when I touch her, how her skin warms under my fingers and the bite of her silver rings against mine. I count each of the round bones up her back that connect like a string of pearls. When I feel her ribs fanning out like an angel’s wings beneath my hands, I rise off the bed to meet her, needing to be closer to her, wanting no space between us at all, not even a thread of light.”

There’s no way you read that without needing this book. Afterlove is written in a very close first person, so we see the world entirely through Ash’s lens. Feel every emotion with her. And she’s a wonderful narrator. If you’re into sapphic books or young adult fiction, do yourself a favour and read Ash’s story.