Alicia
16 reviews
Spoiler Alert!!
I thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster that is Hardin and Tessa's love journey. It is a bit much in the sense of the amount of drama we endure considering the time span from book 1-4 (excluding the last part in after ever after that talks years down the line) is between 7-9 months. However, it goes with the tragedy turned love story that is Hardin and Tessa. I think it is important that they overcome the manipulative tendencies and that Hardin learns to deal with his behavior and sort out his issues. I understand where people talk about this series saying it is saying emotional abuse is okay, however, I don't think that Todd is promoting it I think she is trying to make people understand relationships from a more realistic point of view as well showing that people can change. I like that we have so much bad because I think the romance genre can get lazy and constantly fall into the same cycles and stories but Anna Todd stepped out the comfort zone whilst still giving us a well written 'romance'.
Liv
286 reviews29 followers
Overall Series: Quality of writing: 3.5/5 Score: 4.1 Stars out of 5 Overview: The last two books (in the main series) were the shining stars of this series while the second book was the hardest to make it through as it felt a bit slow to get through. Overall I throughly enjoyed the series and would recommend to anyone who who enjoyed things like “Fifty Shades of Grey” but wants something more toned down in regards to smut. Don’t get me wrong when I say that- there are a fair amount of sex scenes in these books, the plot is just more story driven in comparison. The relationship between these two leads is very toxic and I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews based on that point. All I have to say is this is a fictional story and the characters grow and develop as it progresses. If they weren’t as toxic I don’t think the story would have been as interesting.
Pace: 4/5
Plot development: 4.25/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Enjoyability: 4.25/5
Brenna Scott
21 reviews
I wanted to suffocate in their chaos the entire time… and I mean that in the best way possible. I absolutely devoured this series & am envious of anyone reading it for the first time.
Katherine Rodriguez
2 reviews
The story line promotes abusive relationships and was entirely to vulgar and graphic in a sexual nature. While I understand that there abusive relationships, both verbally and physical, where the offender has changed it seems like this book promotes staying in such relationship until perpetrator decides he wants to change. Hardin and Tessa's relationship is purely sexual at the start and all the way through until he decides in order to have Tessa he has to change. But only after he lost her and she was almost raped at a frat party. Hardin treated Tessa like she was property he owned and Tessa allowed much of it in so many ways. I would not reccomend this to anybody to read. Would have been better had the graphic sexual descriptions been left out. Reminds me of what I was told about Fifty Shades.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Tally Fischer
114 reviews6 followers
Exceptional series for hopeless romantics...
Dolores Moncada
20 reviews
I absolutely loved this series! It kept my attending like a vice grip the entire time! The ending makes all emotional turmoil worth it! I highly recommend it.
Bookfairy21
360 reviews5 followers
Obviously an instant classic. The books are so well written and really touch on basic every day love story within the real world this is way more common than various other lovey-dovey books that have been turned into Netflix films! The movies do not do this beautiful story any justice but Hero is the perfect Harden!!
Pooty
26 reviews
Don’t get me wrong, endless amounts of things in this book series are awful but isn’t that the point? The sheer TOXICITY? The stupid hope that chews up and spits you out but SOMEHOW prevails? Anna Todd nailed it.
Jackie Daniels
5 reviews
Good Lord. Where to begin? I was absolutely sucked in during the first book - I'm a sucker for this kind of trope- bad boy drives the good girl crazy and everything is chaos. To top it all off this story is MESSY as hell and its the kind of messy I love- just never ending drama and surprises (the sheets- like COME ON). Book one is honestly more of a 3 star for me because it was just entertaining. Then I got to book 2 and everything was going great until around 1/4 to 1/2 way through the book. I was STOKED on getting Hardin's POV regularly but after a while I feel like his "voice" became less and less unique. In fact, both POVs started to become cyclically monotonous. Tessa thinks maybe four different thoughts throughout the entire book: It's honestly exhausting listening to Tessa think- several dozen pages could have been deleted at random and the plot would remain the same. I found myself liking her less and less with every paragraph- I understand that the magnetic pull of this kind of intense and toxic love is what the story's all about but HONESTLY, girl.... dump him. (Which she did, over and over, but still... dump him for good.) There was never one single good reason for her to go back to him and LITERALLY every person she talked to about her relationship was very obviously telling her that's she's idiotic for continuing to let this fuck boy keep fucking her (even Hardin's own mom was telling her to run). Then there's Hardin, himself. Sheesh- what an absolute mess of a character and I'm not talking about his emotional baggage or behavioral issues. Nothing about him is consistent- his characterization is every which way all of the time. One second he's happy to be getting his girl back and literally in the same paragraph he's like "nah you're a whore get outta here". THEN he turns around in the next sentence and says he can't live without her (mostly because he can't sleep without her next to him.... literally one of the MOST significant driving forces to him seeking out her company, crazy). I understand he's supposed to be all messed up inside but no one switches up that quickly. The more he changed his mind that quickly the less believable it gradually became and eventually it became unbearable. What's the point of rooting for a couple when you actually despise them both, especially the MMC? Reading romance is for swooning, not constantly thinking "wow- this dude is a real dick and I don't think he actually likes this girl." I will reiterate again, I understand that the toxicity is the point - I'm all for getting lost in a good toxic crazy relationship but their "arguments" are cringe as hell. Mostly it's them telling the other to shut up a lot and making the SOFTEST "biting" comments. Also, Hardin calls Tessa a whore A LOT considering all she does is kiss one or two other guys. Nothing else... but kissing with tongue makes you a whore now - that's good to know. I think this author might actually hate women because she's ROUGH on every one of her female characters. Damn. Who hurt you Anna? Was it mommy? All of that in mind, I didn't finish the series. I'd already watched the movies (well... skipped through them to scenes that seemed important) so I know the story... it doesn't get any more interesting. They break up a ton more, they scream at each other endlessly, and they somehow end up together. I just hope that Tessa (who randomly stops going to school during the films) gets a well paying job and will be able to afford a good divorce attorney down the line. Do yourself a favor, I beg you, and read the first book then just watch the movies. You'll save yourself a LOT of eye rolling.
"Is he right?"
"He still loves me, right?"
"I'm so weak but its *Hardin*"
"I'm done but I should call him."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Amelia
38 reviews
I read all of these books completely within the span of a few weeks in 2019. I wanted to reread them because of how much they shaped my little brain, which is why it claims to have been started and finished this year. I never got around to rereading them, but they are my guilty pleasure reading books. I have annotated these books like it's my job and still ate up all the movies (even though they sucked). The books themselves are definitely not up to the standards of today's idea of a romance novel. But, I think for a high schooler who is romanticizing going to college and getting out of a small town, these books are great (AKA me in my sophomore year of high school). I personally completely ignore the fact that this was originally a Harry Styles Wattpad fan fiction. If you really like Harry Styles and a big 1D fan... you may love it.. you may hate it. I personally get creeped out if I think about it too much, so I just fully block that idea out of my brain. These books lack a little bit of realism in the way that the characters interact, but not every book is going to have a narrator who acts 100% authentically to real life. Like every romance novel, if the two leads just communicated, a lot of the conflict would be resolved. But, then, there wouldn't be any more books! I have an emotional attachment to these books, and based on pure nostalgia and how much I loved these books when I originally read them, I'd rate it much higher than three stars. But as an adult who has lived through college, it's a little dramatic for the realistic romance novels I read now. If you've never read the books and you're out of college, you probably won't enjoy these. But, if you're wanting to get into these books, DO NOT READ THE BOOKS AND THEN WATCH THE MOVIES. I had the unique and fortunate experience of watching the first movie (which was absolute garbage) and THEN reading the books, and I fell in love. All in all, if you enjoyed the movies, you'll really like the books. The movies are just pure shit, lol. But, being able to see the characters you read about come to life is a fun experience, so I still watch them. I would recommend reading them if you're starting out in the romance genre and like the complicated boy/complicated girl type. If you have family trauma, definitely check trigger warnings, but if you think you're in the clear, you'll probably love these. Enjoy!
PQ
14 reviews
I am apparently in the minority here in that I didn't think this series was as enjoyable as the other reviews. The first book was enjoyable and hooked me so I continued the series. Now that I've completed it, I recommend you skip this series. Hessa's story could have wrapped up 2, maybe 3, books max. A lot of repetition, unnecessary and irrelevant storylines and details could have been cut out and it wouldn't have impacted the main plot. Book 4 seems rushed compared to the other books and the ending was wrapped up too conveniently for my taste. Besides Hardin, the other characters' development and grown became stagnant in book 2. I also was disappointed in how the author addressed the difficult and sensitive topics of abuse, alcoholism, and infertility; romanticizing them and conveniently tidying everything up with a big red bow. While the series may have had potential, its execution was ultimately inadequate.
- hlub
Allyson Johnson
4 reviews
I can officially say that I read this book so you don’t have to. The series is tedious, hard to get through, repetitive, and glorifies an abusive relationship in the name of love. It wasn’t love: it’s Stockholm syndrome. I read a review about the last book saying that it was the best one so I stuck it out hoping for the best. The conflict in this was one more real than the other three, thankfully, but it was such a choppy and poorly constructed book towards the end. It was a bunch of chapters written for the sole purpose of pleasing an audience, but there was no buildup to it, and the book could have ended a good 20 pages earlier. You would be better off watching porn, because that’s the same impact that these books have. The story had a lot of potential, honestly, with the twists and the conflicts, but the way it was executed ruined the entire series.
Lapiccolalibreriadielisa
85 reviews3 followers
I libri ne sono ben 5, suddivisi in questo ordine:
After.
Un cuore in mille pezzi.
Come mondi lontani.
Anime perdute.
Amore infinito.
Anche questi 5 libri sono stati un regalo, beh si...tutti conoscono la mia passione per i libri
Cosa ne penso?
Beh rispetto a molti a me i libri di after non sono dispiaciuti, anzi, sono scorrevoli e intriganti, in ogni libro c'è sempre qualcosa da scoprire quindi per me e' un si. Li consiglio vivamente a chi ama storie d'amore travagliate, con bad boy,
college, feste e spicy.
I film? Assolutamente no. Li ho visti tutti per ora e rispetto ai libri non ci siamo proprio, mi dispiace
Nicole Ferrando
444 reviews3 followers
The relationship was toxic… yes, but holy crap the way I relate to the absolute obsession with a singular person no matter what you guys go through is crazy. The constant coming back to each other!!! These books were incredibly addicting, I couldn’t stop reading them. I became so invested to the characters that I physically couldn’t handle the moments that upset me so much. I admit there are a few things wrong with these books, and I am not a huge fan of smut (and there are a lot of scenes, hence the rating being a star lower), but I truly wouldn’t change much about these books!
Luna
34 reviews
I read these books after binging the Netflix series. Though I enjoyed the books much better than the movies (they were definitely more intricate, detailing the toxic relationship between Hardin and Tessa), I found the writing to be a bit juvenile. That said, I did otherwise devour this series, and buy the box sex for my collection and would absolutely recommend the books over the movies any day of the week. I liked the first 4, I could have done without the 5th.
La Ronda
14 reviews
I am so happy I read these books. I was a big fan of the movies and have watched them several times but had no idea they were books. The books were of course so much better than the movies. I was really able to go deeper into each character back story and learned so much more about the character from the books. The movies were very different and not at all true to the authors books. Definitely started my year off right reading this series.
Lisa King
42 reviews1 follower
This series was easy to read and full of surprises along the way. Hardin and Tessa's story is the typical bad boy and innocent story. The more you read the more you connect with the characters and you see them both in a different light.
Before was amazing for answering the questions especially the ones you did not know you wanted to ask
Brittany Hall
48 reviews
I don’t know what got into me to make me want to read this, but I read all of them. It’s like a younger version of Fifty Shades of Grey a very dysfunctional relationship, but ultimately about how love conquers all. I gave it four stars because it kept me entertained with all the dysfunction between the two main characters
Agathe Forest
20 reviews1 follower
The first book I’ve red and it made me LOVVVE reading !!! It is a long saga quite toxic at the end …. But if you have a long period of time in front of you…. You know what I advise you !!! It like a wonderful walk and because it is a really long saga , you can get really attached to le characters and the relationship!!!!
Nat
1 review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...#
AFTER
The most well written book I have read so far. The book is adept for all those who fantasies romantic novels.
SUCH AN AMAZING READWOULD LOVE TO READ MORE!
HATS OFF TO ANNA TODD.
Lani
6 reviews
All 5 books were very fun to read . The love story between Tessa and Hardin is so beautifully written out. Everything they went through together and how the series finally ends is the absolute best I also love that we got Hardins pov.
Caitlynn
15 reviews
Amazing series I know some people have issues with their relationship because of his angry ways. But I personally enjoy the whole series dynamic. It speaks so much truth to relationships. And Hardin is chef's kiss
Mathilde Ophelia
6 reviews
Første bogserie jeg læste og var obsessed. Det var grunden til jeg begyndte at læse. Super sød og underholdende romantisk bog om ung kærlighed. Kan 100p anbefales.
Den første bog er helt klart bedst!
Rosie
5 reviews
All these books were amazing. Love the cliff hangers on each one!
rosie
1 review
After we fell is full of so many ups and downs for Hessa, and new surprises are thrown into the mix every second. Would 100% recommend!
Selina Robinson
10 reviews
Read the entire series except for the Before book. Love the romance and how there is a cliff hanger in every book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Grace Leja
12 reviews
LOVE THESE BOOKS
Jazmin Milena
3 reviews
No puedo creer que me leí toda la saga y me pareció buena ( tenía 12 años igual ) . Son muy adictivos pero son una mierda
Gloria
1 review
I think it going to be a good book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Kayla Wagstaff
27 reviews4 followers
Favorite series EVER!!!