After by Anna Todd
Where do I begin... This book is full of twists and turns, and if you were a fan of the original publication on Wattpad, you'll love it. With only the names changed in the official publication, original fans are able to carry around Hardin and Tessa's beginning in paper - and now, After has been developed into a major motion picture in 2019, with its sequel, After We Collided, headed to the big screen soon.
I have to say that when I first began reading this book, I was skeptical on the plot line, as there was some discourse over the material going around at the time. But I have to say, this has become one of my guilty pleasures. Tessa Young, a sweet and naive rising freshman in college, meets bad-boy Hardin Scott, a boy riddled with piercings, tattoos, and emotional baggage. They quickly find themselves infatuated with one another, and things heat up pretty quickly, but there's just one problem - Tessa's boyfriend, Noah. While Tessa battles with herself whether to tell Noah of her and Hardin's budding relationship, she is faced with Hardin's friends and the secrets that they keep. Despite their relationship forming in what feels like the first five pages, I would definitely consider this book (well, the whole series) a type of slow-burn. We see Tessa and Hardin argue, cry, reunite, argue again, lie, protect one another, and reunite some more - any fan of epic highs and lows in relationship development is sure to be found at the edge of their seat while reading.
Todd is able to hook in readers through this story - there are characters that you love, characters that you hate, and characters you love to hate. You will feel as though you know exactly where the story is going, until you turn the page and something completely unexpected happens - and you know that you just have to keep reading. Every chapter brings something new to Tessa and Hardin, whether it affects them both or only one. Their rocky on-again, off-again relationship knows no bounds when it comes to their actions, reasoning, or protecting each other.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Now, for my hot take on this worldwide phenomenon. I have to say that I genuinely enjoyed this book - yes, there are cheesy parts and the second hand embarrassment is 100% real, but this was an overall entertaining book. So much so that once I finished this book, I immediately put the next two books in the series in my cart. Tessa's logic can sometimes be hard to understand - she cheats on Noah as soon as she arrives at college, and his anger is understandable when he eventually finds out - no thanks to Tessa's honesty. I really do think for as "nice" as a person Tessa is portrayed to be, she could have handled that situation a whole lot better. As for Hardin, Molly, Zed, and the rest of the gang, I have to say that when I first started the book, I was on edge with them. That is just the beginning with this group, as they continue to wreak havoc in Tessa's life, whether she is involved in their activities or not.
Molly is probably one of the worst characters (morally) I have ever encountered - she truly is trying to "ruin" Tessa's life, even though Tessa is completely oblivious to what is going on. However, everyone involved in the major plot twist can be considered just as bad, and Hardin, even worse. When Tessa arrived to the party with her roommate on one of the first nights at college, unknown to her, a bet was made. Hardin would sleep with her, and bring the evidence to show his friends. He gets close to Tessa, and their relationship first begins with hot and cold aura, eventually stemming into real feelings and not just hooking up. As the book goes on and Tessa and Hardin become closer, it is clear to Hardin's friends that something is not going as planned, as he was supposed to sleep with her and that be the end of things.
I have to say that I originally did not expect there to be any form of bet happening between Hardin, his friends, and Tessa - I went into this book completely blind, only going off on the fact that I knew it was originally a One Direction fanfiction. I knew that there was something fishy going on between Hardin and his friends, as they were constantly trying to find out information from him, as well as make Tessa uncomfortable and doubt Hardin's intentions with her. There were definitely some parts of this book that made me cringe, but more so out of embarrassment for the characters than anything else. And then came all of the sexy, rated R scenes that came from every direction in between Tessa and Hardin's bickering - as someone who read Fifty Shades of Grey, it was almost to that level of description, to give you an idea. However, I think Todd did a decent job on writing those scenes, and did not make them unbearable - they were written well and were not too over the top. *cough* The Lake scene *cough*. I do have to say that this book is lengthy, and at some points it did seem to feel repetitive when it came to Hardin and Tessa becoming angry with each other but not communicating their feelings - but that is also what made me even more devoted to their story.
Overall, I found After a fun read that is great if you need something that has college drama, heartache, passion, betrayal, and that classic put-the-book-down-because-of-second-hand-embarrassment feel. It definitely is a quick read, especially if you have a block of free time to kick back and relax. Tessa and Hardin's relationship is definitely not perfect, not by a long shot - but this is the first book in the series, and you definitely will not expect what happens next...
Title: After (After, #1)
Author: Anna Todd
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.
But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.
But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.
He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.
Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?
Unless…could this be love?
Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!
There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER ... Life will never be the same.
But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.
But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.
He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.
Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?
Unless…could this be love?
Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!
There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER ... Life will never be the same.
