After by Amy Efaw is about Devon, a straight-A, varsity soccer playing student with her whole future ahead of her. Devon has developed into a very respected, efficient, considerate, trustworthy young adult, despite her single mother's self-centered ways. In fact, Devon has become who she is as a result of the ways her mother behaves - Devon has made a deal with herself that she will NEVER be like her mother. So... why did Devon conceal a pregnancy, deliver the baby in the bathroom of her apartment and then dispose of it in a trash bag in the complex's dumpster? This story seeks to answer just how someone like Devon could do something so monstrous. It follows Devon from just after the birth of the baby to her arrest, detainment in a juvenile facility, and ultimately to her trial. The terrible story of exactly what happened and how comes out through Devon's memories, her visits with doctors and psychiatrists, and the interrogation by her lawyer in preparation for the trial.
This was a very interesting book. I found that I was really pulling for Devon throughout the story - when you read it, you'll see why. I liked the way the author presented the facts and details exactly, giving the reader the opportunity to make his/her own judgements about Devon, her mother and the story. Nothing is as black and white as it seems.
