After Eli Hardcover – August 14, 2012

A wonderful tale of growing up, coping, and simply learning to live life to the fullest. I can't wait to teach this novel to my middle schoolers.

This book is part of a reading g program in Indiana called the "young hoosier book awards". Kids must read at leaset 5 of them and they get to vote for their favorite book.

This is the best book I've ever in my life read,And I'm telling the truth I'm only 9.I think this is a true 5 star rating because it teaches a great way to move on.If you are reading this and you are ages 7,8,9,10,11,and 12 I also suggest ,The slumber party wars,Bailey's great escape, and a life worth living.

Awesome

Short, yet Powerful. Brilliantly written, worth the read. Compassionate. Would recommend it in a heart beat. Glad I came across it. Enjoy.

I purchased this book, along with the following books for my pre-teen grandson for his birthday: "Far Far Away" by Tom McNeal, "Paper Boy" by Vince Vawter, "Hokey Pokey" by Jerry Spinelli, "After Eli" by Rebecca Rupp, "The Bully Book: A Novel" by Eric Kahn Gale, "Jinx" by Sage Blackwood, and "Les Miserables" by Monica Kulling/ Victor Hugo. My grandson has always been an avid reader, having read all of the Harry Potter books by the age of 9. So far he has read all of the books but two in a span of 2 weeks! He reports that he has really enjoyed those he has finished, which pleases me, since they were purchased largely because of the reviews that Amazon includes in its description of a book's content and also because I thought he would find them interesting as well as informative about the situations in which males his age often find themselves involved.My thanks to Amazon's editors/reviewers for their recommendations!

3.5-4.0 stars9/11 happened and Eli wanted to help at ground zero but Eli's dad said no. Feeling that he had to do something to help he enlisted in the army instead. About a year or so after he dies in Iraq while on duty. Eli's death has left Danny alone, his dad even less sociable and mom has checked out. While coping with the death of his brother, Danny begins the "Book of the Dead" a book where he records famous people and the cause of their deaths.I think the most interesting part of this book was the "Book of the Dead" and how the author used it to tie it back to certain events in Danny's life and/or to show his thought process on the topic of death. This definitely made After Eli a very unique story.I liked the story well enough. I thought it was written well. I liked the characters especially the twins who were a hoot! I especially liked that you could noticeably see the growth within these characters. The flow of the story was right on point and the ending was just right. Yet something didn't sit well with me.I've read a few contemporaries as of late and they were heart wrenching and I guess I was expecting this book to be that way. It's not. There are some moments and I did cry during those moments but it was hard for me to connect in that way the entire time.Another thing, I felt like I was reading the wrong era. The book reads like the TV show the Wonder Years. This is not a negative, people. I loved Wonder Years. My thing was that this is supposed to be the present, you know 2012. Although there were parts that felt like 2012, there were other parts that felt like the 1960's.I don't know. It could just be the emotional overload I've felt reading other types of books in the last few months. Also, it could just be a figment of my imagination about the era switch up I felt often in this book...figment or lack of sleep. Or it could just be that this book is just a different type of grief and it doesn't always have to be over the top and the town is rural and could possibly still feel like the 1960's even if it is 2012.Bottom line: I still recommend this read to everyone because it was an overall enjoyable read. After reading it let me know your thoughts on it.ARC was provided by Candlewick via NetGalley.

I'm a high school English teacher, so I'm always on the lookout for good books for my students. A couple days ago I read After Eli. It's not just a good young adult novel, it's great! I read it in two sittings because the more I read, the more I came to love the characters. Daniel Anderson has recently lost his older brother to a bomb in Iraq. His father has never been easy to talk to, and now that his mother is dealing with such terrible loss, Daniel seems ready to come to grief himself. What helps him sidestep the pit of despair? Friends, of course, and luckily he meets new ones at just the right time: a super smart "misfit" named Walter, a kind and lovely girl named Isabelle; her two eccentric twin siblings Journey and Jasper; and Jim Pilcher and his girlfriend Emma, local organic gardeners who help give Daniel, not only counsel, but a purpose. The plot is good, but it's the characters and the writing that make this a terrific book. I would only take issue with Ms. Rupp in one instance, and that is when--through one of her characters--the recommendation comes to read Catcher in the Rye. No, reader! Don't waste your time on Holden Caulfield. Daniel is a better character by far. Read After Eli!

After Eli is very slow and nothing really happens, it just refers back to when Eli was alive.This book is about a boy called Daniel and his big brother-Eli- dies in a war in Iraq, the book is mainly about getting over the fact that Eli is dead.In the end he resumes his life before Eli died. Even though Daniel has problems at school the main thing is about grief.