''After'' is a

young adult novel Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

written by

Francine Prose Francine Prose (born April 1, 1947) is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic. She is a visiting professor of literature at Bard College, and was formerly president of PEN American Center. Life and career Born in Brookl ...

. It was first published in 2003, and the nearby school shooting is reminiscent of the

Columbine High School massacre On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. ...

in 1999. After a school shooting 50 miles away, the new grief and crisis counselor (Dr. Willner) attempts to control the students' lives, using the recent tragedy as an excuse for increasingly restricting their lives. The school gradually is controlled by the grip of the administration, and students who do not comply with the new rules disappear, never to be seen again. Its plot is reminiscent of ''

Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also stylised as ''1984'') is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final ...

'' by

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

. Similarities include the normalization of propaganda and surveillance with the telescreens in 1984 and the TVs on school buses spouting so called educational content that turns out to be blatantly false. These novels also touch on brainwashing, with the nightly emails sent to parents that convince them to send their children away to reform camps from which they never return. In contrast, After takes place ''during'' the reforms, showing how they were allowed to happen, while 1984 only shows the aftermath and its inevitability. The ending of After also shows the main character (Tom Bishop) escaping his town with his friends and family, a much lighter closing than 1984. Described in the ''

New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'' as a "rich parable", this novel questions the line that must be drawn when freedom is more important than safety.''After'' at Fantastic Fiction
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References

2003 American novels American young adult novels Works about the Columbine High School massacre Novels set in high schools and secondary schools {{2000s-ya-novel-stub