THE AFTER SERIES by Anna Todd
AFTER, AFTER WE COLLIDED, AFTER WE FELL
Simon and Schuster's Gallery Books
Young/New Adult Romance

AFTER
ISBN: 978-1-4767-9248-4
October 2014

Washington State

Tessa Young is about to leave home and start her freshman year at Washington Central University (WCU). She is so excited at the idea of getting on with her life. She has everything mapped out from beginning to end and is delighted her hard work has paid off. Sure, Tessa is a little worried about making friends, and when she meets her roommate, Steph, she begins to wonder if all will go as smoothly as she hoped. Steph's side of the room is filled with band posters, and Steph herself is filled with tattoos. Tessa's mom is adamant about getting her a new roommate, but Tessa insists she will be fine; the last thing she needs is her controlling mother making another scene. When Tessa's boyfriend and mom finally leave, Tessa admits to herself that college so far is not what she expected.

The next morning, after her shower in the coed (ugh!) bathroom, she runs into the brown-haired boy she'd met the day before when he and another guy picked up Steph from the dorm room. They don't get off to a good start. Tessa finds the boy, whom she erroneously thinks is Steph's boyfriend, rude and arrogant, even if he is attractive with his tattoos and English accent. Steph clears up the misconception and identifies him as Hardin Scott. Although Tessa tries to avoid Hardin, they run into each other at a fraternity party and, later, in a class that they share, British Literature. Tessa has decided that he is one of her least favorite people; he's constantly rude and he seems to push all her buttons. At the next party, Tessa gets into an uncomfortable situation, and Hardin comes to her rescue. But the next minute, he reverts back to his cruel and mocking tone. When Tessa and Hardin finally kiss, it creates instant passion, but also instant confusion for Tessa, who is battling her attraction for the moody Hardin who continues to push her away one minute and draw her in the next.

Tessa, despite her safe boyfriend back home, can't resist Hardin and his confusing and trying ways. With a safe boyfriend back home and a mother who disapproves with Tessa's new “friends” it appears these two may really be star-crossed lovers…or is their love strong enough to withstand the continuous conflict they face from friends and family?

AFTER WE COLLIDED
ISBN:  978-1-4767-9255-1
November 2014

Tessa and Hardin's relationship has been a rocky one, to say the least. Somehow they've endured, although they have had so much angst in their relationship, it's a miracle. They've managed to make it through the cold, remote and hurtful things Hardin has done, through the jealous fits they've each had, the misunderstandings and the fights. But the latest bombshell is too much for Tessa, and she begins to doubt herself and Hardin.  Her world collapses, and she feels used and lied to by everyone, but especially by Hardin. Who are her friends now? Her relationship with her mother is at a standstill and finding out where she can turn is much more painful that she imagines. Tessa's devastation stems mostly from Hardin, though. Tessa knows she is in love with him, but it may not be enough. Perhaps she can find happiness with someone else. Yes, she's outgrown her old high school boyfriend, but her new job is exposing her to many different and wonderful people. Isn't she entitled to happiness?

Hardin knows he has to change, and he wants to change because of Tessa, but maybe he cannot ever be a different person. His past life is not one of which he is proud. Despite his desire to change his ways, he cannot seem to shake off some of the demons within him that still exist.  When his mother arrives in Washington for a visit, his worlds seem to collide and he begins a downward spiral that only Tessa can save him from. Or can she? Maybe it is too late after all. The vicious cycle he is in means that he continues to hurt Tessa and himself, and every time it happens, the pain takes longer to dissipate. Worse, the consequences are becoming more and more serious. Can Hardin ever pull himself out of this never-ending cycle?

AFTER WE FELL
ISBN: 978-1-4767-0250-7
December 2014

Of course, another bombshell at the end of the last book! And now Tessa has to deal with the aftermath of learning even more news about her family that she never expected. Shortly after trying to figure out what to do with what she has learned, and what to do with her job and her life, another bombshell about Hardin and his family. No doubt, this is the most out of control Tessa has felt, and the havoc it is wreaking on her and Hardin and their tenuous relationship is devastating. Meanwhile, Hardin is trying to deal with what he has learned, and he finds himself taking it out on Tessa. He can't help himself, and he turns ugly and mean and hateful. How can this work out? Tessa is convinced she needs to be in Seattle, while Hardin wants her to return to England with him, but what's the point? The cycle is spinning faster and faster, and if someone doesn't stop it soon, there will be an explosion. Tessa realizes that Hardin is “broken” and she also realizes that she can't fix him.

As Tessa tries to recapture her life, she unwittingly gets herself into a situation that can have severe consequences. People she thought were friends are out to destroy her and her reputation, and Tessa realizes she needs to save herself. Perhaps a move is in order...

Conclusion
Perhaps reading these three books back to back to back wasn't exactly the smartest move on my part, especially since they are tomes…the shortest at close to 600 pages, and the longest coming in at over 800. I was interested in reading them because they were such a sensation, not only because of the plot, but because of how they originated. Anna Todd began this story line through Wattpad , and because of its popularity it was picked up by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. For those unfamiliar with Wattpad (like me), according to Wikipedia, it is a site where users can post stories, articles, and even poems about any topic. Many users write fictional stories (fanfiction) about their favorite groups, actors, singers, etc. This is how the AFTER series was born, and I understand that Hardin was originally modeled after Harry Styles, a member of the wildly popular group One Direction . According to Rolling Stone , the AFTER print version has “cleaned-up prose and longer sex scenes”. I wouldn't know, since I haven't even begun navigating my way through Wattpad, but I do have some comments to make about the print series. (And, by the way, for those of you who think the success of this series will be short-lived, I understand movie rights have been acquired.  So there.)

As I mentioned, immersing myself in two thousand pages in one week was a tad much, mostly because the constant trials and tribulations of this oh-so-very-young couple became a little boring.  It simply happened too often with very little to lighten the mood. But kudos to Anna Todd for developing the characters more in the second book, AFTER WE COLLIDED, which resulted in more depth (thank goodness) and more intensity (not that it needed more). Because we began to see more of a backstory to Harry, I mean Hardin, the plot line became more interesting, for which I was thankful or I never would have made it past the first book. In short, the series became better, which is what I imagine all writers of the ever popular “series” sub genre strive for. The final book is AFTER EVER HAPPY, due to be released in late February. I assume, from the title, this last book will provide us with the “happy ever after” romance readers look for. At least I hope so, because I can't imagine two characters that deserve it more.

Finally, although Todd describes the sex scenes as “regular, but very detailed” and the “vanilla version of Fifty Shades of Gray”, I found that vanilla worked just fine for these teenagers. This is, after all, a story about two very young people, one of whom is just barely starting college. The sex scenes really didn't need to be more graphic, or it would have been a total turn-off. But for now, I'm seeing big things to come from Anna Todd in the New Adult genre. A few more grins and giggles might have helped dilute the intensity once in a while, but all in all I would say there is success written all over the AFTER series.

Astrid Kinn