itsmunac

"It's ironic really, the man who most hates the world, is most loved by it."

 

After by Anna Todd is a four part book series that centers around college freshman Tessa Young and her bad boy encounter with Harry Styles Hardin Scott. 

Anna Todd originally began her writing purely to kill time when her favorite authors weren't updating their books on the infamous website Wattpad, also where After was born. The story was set as a One Direction fan fiction in where Ms.Todd took the band members' name and looks and simply added a opposite personality to each of her characters compared to the actual boys. The fanbase for the After series is a strong one. Not many readers would go out to buy a published version of a book they could simply get for free. However for many readers like myself, you couldn't let Hessa down by not owning the whole series to be put on your bookshelf. 

The series began getting millions of reads on Wattpad, and at the time of the series' published dates, it ranked up more than 1 Billion reads on the website. No matter how much I love this series, there sure are many people who don't like it. Which is fine of course, not everyone is going to like the same book, but they all have a different reason. They don't like the book because it just wasn't plotted well according to them, but because many One Direction fans believe that it makes Harry Styles of One Direction look like a manipulative person who abuses women. 

I couldn't disagree more. 

The series wasn't made to make the boys of One Direction look bad. Anna Todd simply took the names and their looks for her story, which, FYI to the haters, is what fan-fiction is all about. Anna Todd knows that the boys are gentlemen and don't abuse women. And besides, Hardin Scott is no way an abuser. The character of Hardin Scott is a complex one. He has trouble communicating with most people, and is hurt from many childhood horrors. He is unable to show his emotions and feelings, which leads into him causing much pain to others like Tessa Young. 

Their relationship is beautiful. Despite all the ups and downs, all the "I'm leaving and I SWEAR I am never coming back"s, its beautiful. They're both there for each other, even when they refuse to show it. They help each other through pain and agony, and change for each other in the most exquisite way. 

Tessa Young and Hardin Scott's relationship is the true definition for "Us against the world."

Hopefully you liked this "some-what" review, because I really poured my heart and soul for this series. Not because I laminated every book in the series so my kids can read it, but because I have a true connection to the story and the author herself that most authors haven't been successful with it when it comes to me. And I am sure, that many more can agree with me as well.