Review: AFTER by Anna Todd

About the Book:

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? There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER ... Life will never be the same.

My Thoughts:

I recently saw a movie trailer, and tons of social media talk about this series, praising it for the heavy angst. I love angst, so after reading the synopsis for AFTER, I quickly jumped on that bandwagon... and it wasn't long before I wanted to jump right off. The story was too juvenile for my taste, and the main characters lacked any sort of chemistry in my eyes. I felt like theirs was an all lust and no love relationship, and I quickly lost interest, unable to invest in a couple I felt should not be together. I was also entirely unimpressed with the MMC (Hardin) more often than not, so that didn't help matters in the enjoyment department. I understand that he's supposed to be a character who's not a nice guy, who's trying to change, but I didn't think he showed much growth in this installment. There wasn't enough change to make me like him, or to think he and Tessa should be in a relationship. Needless to say, After was not for me; it was grossly underwhelming, and in my opinion, was missing a true plot. I was not connected to the characters nor was I captivated by the writing, and I didn't find the story romantic or angst-filled. I will not be continuing the series.

These are only my honest personal opinions and feelings. If you are intrigued by the plot, don't let my reading experience and thoughts deter you from checking the book out for yourself! If you do give it a chance, I hope that you enjoy.