After
by Amy Efaw tackles the very sensitive issue of “dumpster babies.” Devon is a straight-A student, star goalie of her soccer team, and probably more mature than her own mother. So what could have possessed her to throw her own baby in the trash?
The answer is not simple, and Efaw approaches it with a fresh perspective. The book is largely set in a Juvenile Detention Center, where Devon awaits a hearing to determine whether or not her case should be kept in Juvenile court. Through her interactions with her lawyer and the people (both the staff and the other girls) at the center, Devon’s tragic story slowly unfolds.
Though dealing with an intense subject, Efaw has managed to make Devon completely relatable and sympathetic. Her slow realization of what she has done, and her reaction to both those who support and those who condemn her make this a book worth picking up. While it has some slightly graphic imagery, especially when dealing with the actual birth and its physical aftermath, this is a moving and poignant picture of what could happen to cause a mother to throw her own baby into the trash.
- Posted by Erin