"After" Review

A WattPad sensational story following lust, loss, violence, and romance!

    Readers follow the inexperienced world of Theresa "Tessa" Young as she embarks on her collegiate

education. She's leaving behind a supportive but demanding mother and a boyfriend who supports her to

the limit of a lifelong friend and nothing more. Tessa and her posse are introduced to an unusual group of

individuals, one of them including her roommate. She goes from a sheltered young adult to a woman in

the matter of weeks when dealing with these people, most importantly--Hardin Scott.

    He's everything her mother would never respect, appreciate, or approve of. Maybe that's why he's so

compatible and mold-fitting for Tessa. Hardin has a troubled past, filled with raw memories and

disturbing nightmares for anyone of a young age. Hardin is infatuated with Tessa, despite his parameters

of his interest being that of A Bet. A bet among friends to take her virtue and show it off among each other.

Hardin is invested, not just to win, but because he grows feelings for Tessa. Although, the way he depicts

his emotions and his inability to treat Tessa as she'd wish to be treated (or deserved in a way), Hardin

becomes a difficult character to empathize with. Inevitably,  Tessa discovers Hardin's original interest in 

her was based on The Bet and she attempts to discard him from her life. However, its deemed difficult for 

Tessa to do so as Hardin has changed her life (and some would agree for the better). 

    The entire series delves into this relationship further, adapting to different settings and furthering the

timeline between this specific relationship of Tessa's and Hardin's. Other characters surrounding them

throughout the series are developed further, including Tessa's mother, her former boyfriend, Hardin's

family and introduction of further familiar lineages. The amount of curves and branches on family trees

may seem overwhelming at first, but are for-sure easy to follow once explored. Setting changes are

detrimental to the development of each character, mainly Tessa and Hardin. Time moves specifically

within this series--a mere number of chapters is simply a day to the lives of these characters. Although,

especially within the sequel, it's apparent when time has flashed forward, in order to show the expansion

of the characters' themselves and their relationships.

    Details are apparent within this series and given in a thorough manner. I was comparing this series at

one point to that of "50 Shades" meets college students. However, thinking it through once more, it's just

a young man and woman exploring their sexualities with each other and appreciating either body of the

one they love. It isn't necessarily a dominating action between the two of them--more an intimate look

into what the other has pondered from the opposites reaction. Apart from the descriptions of characters

and locations, its apparent that what occurs in the minds of each character is the most detail oriented

factor of this series--which is completely and utterly important considering the different number of

POVs,

    I'd recommend reading the entire series, but definitely read the prequel, Before. Despite the look

into Hardin's POV within the other novels of the series (besides After), there's something specific about

Before that brings a sense of complete, full circle of Hardin's character. Commentary on this series has

been centered around, in my opinion, the abuse that comes from Tessa's and Hardin's relationship. In

defense of Hardin, I believe the prequel touches the most (and better) base on what he struggled with

towards becoming a better individual. This young man knew nothing but hardship and it's an explored

realization that people who come from hardships tend to project those instances on others. It takes

something spectacular to pull them from these choices--and Tessa was Hardin's pull. Many readers

sympathize with Tessa, but I believe it's Hardin who needs to be understood more.

    All in all, I'd highly recommend this series! It'll be frustrating, addictive, make readers want to scream,

cry, smile, and light the pages on fire all at once! Who doesn't enjoy a good few hundred pages like this?