What Happens Next [Hardcover]

Colleen Clayton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2012

How can you talk about something that you can't remember?

Before the ski trip, Cassidy "Sid" Murphy was a cheerleader (on the bottom of the pyramid, but still...) and a straight-A student, with two of the best friends a girl could ask for.

When Sid finds herself on a ski lift with hunky local college guy, Dax Windsor, she's thrilled. "Come to a party with me," he tells her, but Dax isn't what he seems. He takes everything from Sid-including a lock of her perfect red curls-and she can't remember any of it.

After the ski trip, Sid is an insomniac and an obsessive late-night runner, unable to relate to her old friends.

Caught in a downward spiral, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey "The Living Stoner" Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey--slacker, baker, total dreamboat--Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if only she could shake the nightmares, everything would be perfect...

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton's debut is a stunning story of moving on after the unthinkable happens.

Editorial Reviews

Review

* "Equal parts endearing spunk and heartbreaking vulnerability, Sid Murphy is a character who feels more like family by story's end. The story-and even more importantly, Sid herself-will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. Kudos to Clayton for crafting a powerful, moving debut."

(Kirkus (starred review) )

"Debut author Clayton doesn't simplify Sid or her emotions... painfully realistic yet hopeful." (PW )

"Layering first love over trauma reveals a true struggle between moments of hope and despair that feels realistic for a young survivor, and Sid is a strong-voiced, sympathetic narrator who is easy to root for." (The Horn Book )

"Girls will see themselves or someone they know in this thought-provoking story as it gets passed from friend to friend." (SLJ )

"By turn heart-breaking, comic, and intensely truthful, Sid's story is a small gem of a book... This exceptional novel is an essential acquisition for all libraries serving teens." (VOYA )

"Colleen Clayton's characters stuck with me long after I finished reading this great debut novel." (Lucy Christopher, Printz Honor Winning author of Stolen )

"Real teenagers. Real issues. Real writing. I read What Happens Next in one big swoop. Heartbreaking, but still filled with hope and promise, author Colleen Clayton knows that the past can't be rewritten, but you can ruin the future by not learning from it." (Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of I'll Be There )

"I absolutely devoured this book, and found myself reading the final pages more and more slowly, trying to put off seeing it end. I haven't been this in love with a set of characters in maybe forever. Sid's sassy spunk is as vibrant as her wild hair, and her painful dilemma made all the more real by her struggle to keep it hidden beneath her I-Got-This grit. Corey's gentle acceptance, sensitivity, and loyalty make him totally swoonworthy. This book is for every girl who thinks she's got everything under control, for every girl who thinks rape can't happen to her, and for every girl who thinks she knows how she would respond to the worst. May we all have a bit of Sid in us -- smart, strong, spunky, and ultimately aware that we can't do it all on our own." (Jennifer Brown, author of Hate List, Bitter End, and Perfect Escape )

"Sad, funny, and true, this book hits all the right notes" (Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker )

About the Author

Like Sid, Colleen Clayton grew up in the suburbs just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from Kent State University, she worked as a social worker for over a decade in residential treatment centers for troubled teens and as program supervisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mahoning Valley. She currently lives Ohio with her family and recently received her MFA from the Northeast Ohio Consortium at Youngstown State University. Colleen invites you to visit her online at www.colleenclayton.com. What Happens Next is her debut novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Poppy; 1 edition (October 9, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316198684
• ISBN-13: 978-0316198684
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Storyteller. Tire-flattener. Middle-aged problem child. Visit me at my website: www.colleenclayton.com or follow me on Twitter: @ColleenYA. :)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing and Heartfelt Debut! November 6, 2012

By R. Lane

Format:Hardcover

What Happens Next is a heartfelt and emotional story that felt real and honest. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous picking this up because of the subject matter, but I thought it was dealt with in tasteful and realistic way. I can't believe this was Colleen Clayton's debut novel, because the writing felt like it came from a pro. She had me entranced from the first pages.

Cassidy "Sid"Murphy is excited to go on her first school ski-trip with little supervision, imagining a mountain of hot guys and fun times with her two best friends, Kristen and Paige. When a dreamy older guy, Dax Windsor meets her in a ski lift line and glues himself to her for the rest of the day, she can hardly believe it. She's a cheerleader, but the one always at the bottom of the pyramid. She's curvier and stands out with curly red hair, not the typical girl guys dream about, in her opinion. He charms Sid into meeting him at a party and she sneaks out and goes alone. Unfortunately, for Sid, this is no party, it's a nightmare she can't remember the next day. Sneaking out on a school trip gets Sid in trouble along with her friends; her for doing it, and her friends for knowing and not telling. Her friends are beyond angry and their friendship takes a nosedive.

So Sid returns home with this awful thing hanging over her that she just wants to forget, and without her friends to confide in. Soon she's is hanging out with the school "stoner" Corey, who's in her A/V elective, and shoving away her former life and everything in it.

My heart went out to Sid. She paid dearly for the simple mistake of trusting the wrong person, and she paid dearly with the blame/shame game. She blames herself for being stupid and feels maybe she deserved what happened because of that.... I'm so angry that there are really guys out there like Dax, who take advantage of girls with low self-esteem, and use it to further destroy them. Sid struggles with keeping this in, and what is does to her mentally and physically. I really connected with Sid, and even though I was frustrated by her not telling anyone, I can understand where she was coming from. I could easily put myself in her shoes.

There is a wonderful cast of secondary characters and first and foremost in my book is Corey. He is not what Sid expected at all. I think this is why she was able to get close to him in the first place, because there were no expectations. Corey was an all-around nice guy, no assumptions, no pushiness. He was not perfect, but he ended up perfect for her. Her best friends, Kristen and Paige were far from perfect, and the way they treated Sid in the beginning bugged me, but like with any long-time friends, you don't always make the right decisions in the way you handle each other. Sid didn't make things easy either.

I thought this was an amazing debut novel! I really enjoyed this heartfelt story, and would recommend it to fans of Hannah Harrington of Saving June and Speechless, and fans of Sarah Dessen. It had a really similar feel.

Favorite Scene/Quote:

"I have wanted to do that for so, so long."
I cannot speak. I can only nod yes and hope he knows what I mean. He kisses me more....

"...for months and months..."
"...when you sprayed me with Dr. Pepper..."
"...at the bakery when you were holding that corned beef..."
"...and every single time I see you..."

I lean against the house and hold on to his wrists so I don't dissolve into a puddle. And I kiss him back. Over and over, I kiss him back.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Do you trust me.... October 17, 2012

By Tough Critic Book Reviews

Format:Kindle Edition

This book started out being one of thousands. A girl experiences a devastating life changing event. She suffers the effects by alienating her friends and becoming a shadow of her former self. A tragic story that portrays the harsh realities of high school. It was incredibly well written, but I kept thinking..."This has been done, what makes this book unique?"

Colleen Clayton answered my question by developing a story that invaded my thoughts, my emotions, and has me down on my knees begging for a sequel! I'm not going to lie, the first half of the book was a bit slow. I felt like the story wasn't going anywhere...it was stuck, but patience is a virtue my friends and thank God I wore my virtue today!

I can't even begin to put into words what I felt for Corey. He not only won my heart, but everything attached to it. I guarantee that he'll steal your heart too and I promise you won't ask for it back.

Books have their imperfections, What Happens Next is no different, but the author gave me something that erased all things short of perfect and delivered something so powerful.

I think the turning point was when the relationship between Cassidy and Corey really began to develop. The last few chapters were...are...they were...EPIC. Yes, I used the word epic. I loved everything about them except the very, very end. I needed more (God, please tell me there's more). I wish the beginning was less and the end was more, but I'm left with an appreciation and a gratefulness that I was able to experience this amazing book. Please trust me on this. Push through the imperfections to be left with a story that invades your heart and touches the soul. READ ON!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sid Murphy Stuck With Me October 31, 2012

By Traci Von D

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Clayton's vision of teen angst is spot on. I am far removed from the halls of high school, but I couldn't put this book down. It wasn't long before I knew Sid and started rooting for her. Friends, young love, great music and tough topics make this debut novel a rising star. I started reading slower the closer I came to the end because I didn't want to close the book on Sid. I suspect it won't be long before Colleen Clayton is a household name. For me, Judy Blume was the young-adult author of my generation. This generation will have Clayton.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Contemporary, and Heartbreaking... May 31, 2013

By obsessivecompulsivereader

Format:Hardcover

Contemporary, heartbreaking, and devestatingly real. I felt moved to tears. I'll be thinking about this book..for a long time.

The plot would at first seem similar to other novels but the author expertly weaves a tale from a character who seems just like "you," the girl you know but whose story you don't."

This story broke and warmed my heart. The characters were shockingly relatable. I felt like I knew them...personally. You couldn't help but fall in love with them.

It is this realization that you can go through something extremely tragic and persevere. You don't have to let everything that's wrong take away everything that's right and if you do you can always go back. That's what you take away from this book.

I'm so glad to have read it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A great real read! October 6, 2012

By Nikki Wang

Format:Hardcover

What I Liked
There were so many things I loved about What Happens Next but the one that stood out the most? It dealt with real problems, real insecurities, and real people. Our characters weren't perfect--they were far from it, in fact. They weren't gorgeous-but-didn't-know-it. They just...weren't gorgeous. And you guys, that is such a relief. Cassidy goes through real-life situations, ones that almost anybody can go through. It was...heartwarming and heartbreaking. Even Corey, our love interest isn't perfect or liked. He isn't the stereotype bad boy, cocky and handsome with a dark side. He's sweet and even if he does deal in drugs...well, he has a good reason to. He wasn't insanely hot either and he was far from cocky. He was just the outcast who had a few secrets of his own. That's what I loved about him. His non-stereotypicalness. Which I totally just made up on the spot!

Pacing? It wasn't too fast or too awkward--one problem after another. It flowed well and it wasn't too crazy. One thing lead to another and even when some things surprised me, I realized that it really didn't. I knew it was going to happen somehow. It's one of those amazing books that don't need a giant plot twist to make it good. I can't explain why it was so good. It's just...impossible! But it was just amazing the way it was written and all

What I Didn't Like
The main character. I mean, she wasn't annoying or anything, but she was a bit...not smart. I mean...going to a party with a guy who she barely met who's older and already seems obsessed....ermmm...no. And when it turns out that no one is really there and letting him get you a drink? It's just asking for trouble. Other than that I really don't have many complaints. It was just great otherwise!