Some minor spoilers regarding plot progress and new characters warned

Arise is the sequel to enthralling YA ghost-human romance novel Hereafter by Tara Hudson. I previously wrote about my recap thoughts on Hereafter prior to reading Arise. The trilogy concludes next summer (2013), with finale Elegy.

May I say, Kudos! Arise was one of those awesome sequel read. It revisits the characters and the world in the way that reminded you of how you felt about that during Hereafter, and also introduces new setting, plot twists and characters that progresses the story to a new level. Arise was as good as Hereafter, I loved it, but there were definitely more heart-breaking, heart-wrenching elements in it - I actually cried at some point of the book.

Let's start off simply with the main characters of the book that I believe every reader would adore - Amelia and Joshua! We were thrown right back into the state of Amelia being uncertain and unsure about what holds for her since Eli's being took away by the demons in the last book, and to add on to the demons trouble, she's worried about Joshua, her mom, and how their safety could be at stake for being affiliated and so close to her, especially Joshua. On the other hand, Joshua is still his optimistic self and worries less, but have distant from his human world by being with Amelia almost all the time. I appreciate how Joshua's presence always lessen the "burden" and dark thoughts Amelia have on her mind, and Joshua himself is of course, pretty amazing himself, treating Amelia so well, so loved.

I have to keep telling myself not to scream at Amelia though, when she constantly hide her issues and fears from Joshua, and even though I really really wanted her to tell him, just to confess everything, I can understand her thinking of keeping Joshua safe by not telling him anything and leave him. I can totally feel the way Amelia felt so torn, between being with Joshua and keeping him and his family safe. I could only hope while reading that somehow, somehow, they can stay on  together and come back together without having safety threatened. But of course, there are definitely obstacles in front of them, for them to overcome. 

When the setting moved from Oklahoma to New Orleans, may I say, awesome! Tara Hudson has obvious ideas of what the new setting would hold and incorporated everything nicely in there. :) The new Seers, cousins of Joshua, surprised me when they actually knows about Amelia. I'm not going too deep into this, but I do have suspicions of their intentions right when they appear though. Other characters, Gabrielle and Felix, so worth mentioning! I shall not elaborate on their roles, but their personalities, especially Gaby, was so well-written and I actually found myself really intrigued to know more about her and when the story did introduce more of her, I pitied her as much as I loved her, too. She was harshly straightforward, but cute in that way. Her brother Felix, not so much of his personalities introduced but I particularly like the conversation between him and Amelia towards the end, and I felt pain and sorry for him... I can't help but wonder if we will get to see Felix or/and Gaby again in Elegy, I do hope so!

I do not want to give out spoilers of the plot and its twists, but let's just say that some things that took place was so shocking, between Amelia, Joshua, the Seers, the Demons... and more. Many of it caught me totally offguard and by surprise, and I just have to keep on turning the pages and read on. But I thought the way things played out at the end was fitting for a second book, with somethings addressed, and more questions to be answered in the finale. The plot progressed well and darker from Hereafter, and lay down a foundation for what could possibly happened in the finale, which we do not know.

The way Arise ended, I seriously do not know what to expect in Elegy. How would things go? How would everything end for Amelia and Joshua? I really really hope, by the end of the day, things can somehow work themselves out for Amelia and Joshua. I have come to love and adore Amelia and Joshua so much that I really hope so, for a happily ever after for them. Can't wait for Elegy, but for now, Arise was a thrilling read, and definitely not a disappointing sequel, instead a satisfying great one! I'll have to sit tight till next year (while re-reading Hereafter and Arise again), and await more surprises from Tara Hudson in the ultimate finale!

P.S. Beignet and Étouffée, yuuuum! :>