SuitabookSweet, Hereafter
Angela Johnson
- Reading
- As this is the trilogy’s concluding story, check whether your reader would value starting with the earlier books. You could also pause to discuss how Shoogy and Curtis think about belonging.
- Themes
- Belonging and first love: Shoogy leaves home unsure where she belongs and meets Curtis; the story is described as involving first love found and lost. The premise foregrounds belonging and a relationship, but does not establish how the story evaluates their choices or resolves their connection.
- Military orders and return to Iraq: Curtis does not want to return to the army but receives orders to go back to Iraq; the effect on his relationship with Shoogy is posed as a question. Military orders are part of the situation, but the book’s treatment of the conflict and Curtis’s eventual response are not established.
- Worth knowing
- The premise includes a return to Iraq and describes the tale as bittersweet, with first love found and lost. Consider whether those themes suit your reader’s current mood.