The Day After Yesterday, Kelly Cozy (5 stars)

About The Day After Yesterday


The events of a single night can change a life forever, as musician Daniel Whitman discovers when he loses his family and home. 

Overwhelmed by grief, unable to find solace in his music or accept comfort from his friends, he flees up the California coast. Daniel thinks he's leaving everything behind, but his journey will take him to the places and people that will help him find his way back.

The Day After Yesterday is a story of hope, friendship, and the redemptive power of music.

Review

Through a blur of tears, I'm sitting down to write this review. Like most reviews, I want to provide those who read this a nice succinct summary followed by a few thoughts on the book. I'm all about structure. But this book has touched me in a way I didn't expect and will never forget. Even as I'm typing these words, it's all I can do to contain the emotions I'm feeling.

But let me try the traditional route...

Daniel Whitman has lost his wife and young son, and the unbearable pain has made him unafraid of dying. More than that, he wants the release. So he runs. His friends and family are devastated and want him back, but he's on a journey he must take alone.

After crawling out of his dark hole, he heads back to his hometown. He still has a lot of pain to deal with as well as the disappointment of those who love him and were hurt when he left. A talented musician, he finds solace in his music -- and the memory of a woman's voice, one who sang to him during his recovery. Will he ever see her again? Can he survive the pain?

Okay, summary achieved. The words above don't do it justice, but that's where I'd like to go back to the emotional journey I had with this book. It's not that I've never had a tear slide down my face while reading a book. But I can honestly say there have been only a few times that the tears clouded my vision. This book did that.

Kudos to the author for writing with such raw honesty that I could feel each character's pain and loss. But please don't think the book is only about that, it's also about the journeys each of these characters must take to try and overcome these losses and trust the good things in their lives. I can't remember the last time I wanted to jump into a book and tell everyone that somehow it was going to be okay.

I hope I've done an adequate job of showcasing how wonderful I think this book is. It's breathtaking, heartbreaking, and just plain beautiful. I can't recommend it enough.

Rating: 5 stars

About Kelly Cozy

Kelly Cozy became hooked on books in early infancy, when she turned one of her parents' paperbacks into a teething ring; she's been reading voraciously ever since. She wrote her first story at age 9, and has been writing ever since.

She lives in California with her husband, son, and cats. When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, watching movies, and attending nerdy conventions.

Kelly is currently at work on her next novel; she hopes you enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoys writing them.

For more information, please visit her blog, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Buy The Day After Yesterday at Amazon in paperback or for Kindle.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.