42 pages • 1 hour read
After Ever After
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Background
Series Context: Jordan Sonnenblick’s Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Born in 1969, Jordan Sonneblick worked as a middle-grade English teacher for two decades before retiring to write young adult fiction. His first novel, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, was published in 2004. It focuses on Steven Alper, whose life is turned upside down when his younger brother, Jeff, is diagnosed with cancer. Sonnenblick explains that he was inspired to write Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by a personal experience:
In 2002-03, I had a student named Emily, whose little brother was in treatment for cancer. Emily rarely talked about her brother’s illness, but of course it was very hard on her. One day I asked her mom whether it would be helpful if I found a book for Emily to read about a teen going through a similar situation. Emily’s mom said yes, but I couldn’t find a novel that I thought would be just right for Emily (“About Jordan Sonnenblick.” Jordan Sonnenblick).
As his family deals with his brother’s illness, Steven feels pressured to act as a perfect son and brother. At the same time, he finds comfort in his girlfriend, Annette, and also befriends Samantha, a teenager undergoing treatment for leukemia who makes him promise to stay close to Jeff.
These characters and events are mentioned in After Ever After, a sequel published in 2010 that continues to explore The Impact of Life-Threatening Illness on Family Dynamics. However, After Ever After is narrated not by Stephen but by Jeff, though Jeff’s older brother features prominently. It picks up as Jeff is about to begin eighth grade—five years after he was declared to be in remission.
Social Context: The Representation of Young Cancer Survivors
In its exploration of The Aftereffects of Cancer Treatments, After Ever After aims to offer holistic and realistic insight into the experience of young cancer survivors. Both Jeff, the narrator, and Tad, his best friend, have undergone cancer treatments that have impacted their health and social life, yet their experiences also differ in key ways. The narrative thus suggests that the experience of illness and disability is not homogenous, avoiding stereotypical representations of life during and after cancer treatment. In particular, the novel challenges the idea that cancer is something that can be overcome and relegated firmly to the past. Jeff repeatedly points out the ostracization and tokenism that come with feel-good narratives about “beating” cancer: “I am Jeffrey Alper, Official Town Cause” (5). Moreover, Jeff argues that the disease has no discrete end point: “They tell you how lucky you are to be cured, like you’ve escaped a death sentence. But being a cancer survivor can be a life sentence all on its own” (6).
That “life sentence” includes the lingering physical effects of cancer treatment, such as Jeff’s nerve damage, which causes him to limp, or his neurological disabilities (i.e., “slow processing”). These are documented side effects of chemotherapy, which the narrative also mentions: “I never even had radiation, but I did have ‘high-dose and intrathecal methotrexate’” (8). These references to real procedures and medications imbue the story with a sense of realism and accuracy.
Jeff’s experience also highlights how his diagnosis has affected his social and emotional life. The narrative highlights Jeff’s isolation and the social anxiety it causes, which contrasts with his emotional maturity when dealing with topics such as death and illness. Jeff’s realization that he is in some ways “more grown-up than [his older] brother” suggests that he has had to grow up quickly as a result of his diagnosis (99), but in other respects he is like any other young teen struggling to balance school, home life, and romance. The novel suggests that balancing chronic illness against an already tumultuous period of life (adolescence) is one of the unique challenges young cancer survivors face.
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