Moving away to college is an exciting milestone for most teenagers. Getting away from home and truly establishing who you are meant to be is a key aspect to that excitement, especially when your whole life has been planned out by your parents.
Anna Todd first made the story of “After” known on the social storytelling platform “Wattpad” before it eventually made its way to the shelves and theaters around the world. This teen fiction novel follows Tessa Young, a heavily-guarded college freshman that makes her move to a state university in Washington. This transition to a new milestone in her life opens up every door to every opportunity she’s ever wanted, including being away from her mother who is the definition of a helicopter parent.
Tessa meets Hardin—a brooding boy who is covered nearly head to toe in tattoos and could easily be considered an alcoholic. His friends, such as Jace and Molly, instigate many different situations, push Tessa’s buttons and make every attempt to embarrass her or make her uncomfortable.
Despite Hardin’s borderline verbally abusive behavior, Todd showcases the idea of a once-in-a-lifetime love between two people that which, at first, doesn’t make sense. Hardin and Tessa could not be more opposite, leading them into arguments and fights that can nearly leave the reader emotionally drained.
In every way possible, Hardin should be completely unlikeable, but that wasn’t the case for me. Everyone has different ways of coping with their personal battles. By showcasing many unconventional ways of getting through these dark times, Todd is allowing her readers a magnified view on the real world and could go as far as to show that everyone is broken in their own way. Those that could be considered “emotionally damaged,” like Hardin, can find a way to connect with his emotions in a way that is unique to most novels.
Todd really makes you feel every emotion possible, whether that is happy, angry, or an overwhelming emotion that makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry for hours. Heart strings are pulled and tears will be rolling, creating an all new experience that avid readers have never seen. Not many authors in today’s society really has the ability to make their readers feel. Todd’s readers are always going to be left wondering who hurt who next and she does not fail to send her readers into an emotional spiral. Each character, unlike in many books, has the ability to be likeable with a strong purpose in the plot.
With “After” being the first book of a five-book series, her readers have plenty more opportunities to follow along with Hardin and Tessa’s relationship. These books will easily make their way into the favorites of many that read them. The plot is easy for the 18 to 25-year-old demographic to connect to in one way or another, easily making it into one of my top five books I’ve ever read.
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