After We Burned follows teenagers in the wake of loss, tragedy and the unflinching promise of a new life, if you have enough courage to leave the old one behind. The work is told from the viewpoints of multiple teenagers who are each implicated in a fire that burned down their high school, and the audience gets to hear each of them describe how they got to be inside the school that night, including the events that caused their involvement and the feelings they hold towards the fire and each other. 

Marieke Nijkamp creates a world within the small town of Fenix, where everyone knows everyone and every sin they have ever committed; this ties the teenagers closely together as prejudice and hatred take center stage throughout the work in such a way that elaborates on the complicated relationships between each of the teenagers as they work to keep their actions a secret from pondering eyes. At the center of it all is Eden, the lone casualty of the fire that was never supposed to be inside the school that night, but rather outside it, waiting for her secret girlfriend. The events leading up to the fire are explained as far as half a year in advance, giving readers plenty of background information as to why the teenagers thought this was the best course of action, as well as an inside look into how the dynamics between the characters changed as the present-day events of the novel got closer. 

This book does deal with some heavy elements as well as topics, so I would recommend those that may be sensitive to such details to ensure. that you read content warning before diving in, because it can get heavy at times; with that being said, the way that the author handles such themes is commendable. She acknowledges the impact that certain situations can have on young people and does a fantastic job at letting the characters work through that on their own time; the work operates as a great example of what a healing journey can look like in literature, especially at the end when the audience sees one of the main protagonists healing from the aftermath of the fire. 

Despite the heavy topics, the work is extremely well-written; oftentimes it can be difficult for multiple characters to have distinct voices from one another, but that is not the case for After We Burned. The audience gets introduced to a handful of characters very quickly throughout the events of the work, but they become easily distinguishable from one another based on their experiences and thoughts moving forward in the story. Doing this in an effective way is no easy feat, and the way that Nijkamp is able to make the characters so different from one another is truly a work of art. 

I ended up giving this book a five out of five stars for its characterization and plot elements, because the world building and experiences of the characters end up making this book the gem that it is. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get into more literary fiction, because this book is about so much more than its ending.