Nothing Less by Anna Todd | Book Review

Nothing Less by Anna Todd

Reading Group: Anyone who has read Nothing More

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Old School Manners
The hectic pace and noise of New York City don't stay on the surface: they get into you, affect you.  Landon Gibson has always been the nice guy, the one who would do anything for anyone -- selfless to a fault.  And while he's not on some mission to lose his innate kindness, he's realizing he needs to stick up for himself more, to figure out what he wants and not be shy about it.

Especially when dealing with an ex-girlfriend who runs hot and cold -- treating him badly one day, then proclaiming her need for him the next.  And maybe even more especially when faced with the mysterious Nora -- a girl with at least two names and  a thousand sides to her, some of which really want to jump him, some of which keep pulling her away.  

If there's a mystery at the core of these relationships, Landon also knows it's the mystery of finding a great life.  He just wants someone to call his own.  So here's to hoping that the battleground that is dating in New York isn't just a little too advanced to him. 

Cover: I really like how this cover has out of focus lights on it.  I think it gives it a great dimension and also shows off the yellow text nicely.

My Review: (Disclaimer before I get started on this review: I am writing this on Saturday, but my finals start on Monday (so yesterday for anyone reading this the day it goes live) and my brain is very preoccupied with the New Testament.  So I apologize if this review isn't very good, but to be fair I didn't even think I would get this posted this week) 
Oh my Landon!  He's just such a sweet guy, which we knew from all of the After books, but he lives up to it in his own stories as well.  However, he isn't quite as innocent has he was made out to be, and it's really not a bad thing.  I was so happy with the ending because Dakota was so annoying.  Some of the times I felt bad for her because her past wasn't the greatest, but most of the time she just did things that were mean for no reason.  Landon is one of those characters that everyone just loves and no one wants to see bad things happen to him.  So when bad or confusing things do happen to him, it's always interesting to see how it all pans out.  I thought this book was a great addition Anna Todd's novels.  I don't know if this is the last we'll read of these characters (I hope not.  I need Anna to release a bunch of shorts about what happens in the two years between Hardin visiting New York and Landon's wedding.  Even if it's just on Wattpad), but if it is I think it is a very nice ending to everything.  Stories like this remind us that everything really does work out in the end. 
A lot of this book is on Wattpad and even though I got super excited whenever I saw that it was updated, now that I've read the whole thing I wish more of it was left as a surprise for the paperback version.  I think if the Wattpad version ended before you found out Nora was married it would have made it better because that was the big plot twist.  Also it made the book feel shorter because once you got to the part that was new there was only about thirty pages left.  So yes, I loved that it was on Wattpad, but I wish less of it was revealed online.   

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Nothing More by Anna Todd | Book Review

Nothing More by Anna Todd

Reading Group: Anyone who read the After Series

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Living, Loving, And Growing Up In The Big City
New York's skyscrapers and hectic pace are a far cry from where Landon Gibson grew up, and the transition to New York University has been jarring.  But he's getting the hang of things, found a job that pays (some of) the bills, enjoys school, and only occasionally runs into his ex, Dakota.  You know, the one he chose NYU for . . . before she dumped him.

Luckily, his best friend, Tessa, shares a (terribly small) Brooklyn apartment with him.  And given the ups and downs she's had with her own ex, she's a good listener* when he finds himself in something of a love triangle -- a love knot?  Whatever it is, it's a mess.  An exciting mess.  Maybe even an addicting mess, because beautiful girls.

Being young and finding your way in the world is hard.  Landon's always been a positive person.  But in such a loud, demanding city so far away from home means you only get by with a little help from your friends.  And a good pair of headphones.

Landon's going to be okay . . . but the journey sure will be fun to watch.    

*This is weird to me because Landon doesn't talk to her about it much at all.  He actually chooses to keep her out of it because he knows she's in a weird place with Hardin.

Cover: This cover doesn't really have anything to do with the actual book, but it is very pretty.  And it looks like when someone takes a picture of a light, with the out of focus circles that form, which could maybe represent the lights of New York City.

My Review:  Oh sweet, beautiful Landon, what did you get yourself into?  This new book by Anna Todd follows Landon as he tries to navigate old and new flames . . . who hate each other . . . and are roommates.  Small world we live in.  First off, Nora is definitely who Landon ends up with and Dakota is definitely bagging Aiden.  I think this way because at Landon's wedding in After Ever Happy there's something about the bride's sister, but Dakota doesn't have a sister, so it can't be her and Nora does have a sister.  Also the Dakota and Aiden thing is something I have a hunch about because they know each other and she spun for him at the beginning of the book and there's a moment when Landon notices his hickeys and why would Todd bother putting that in the book if it was nothing.  Landon is so sweet, but he's holding onto the past whenever he's with Dakota.  It's all he thinks about.  How they used to do something and memories from Michigan, but the memories are from five years ago and they're different people and it's time to move on.  Which is something I think is really hard for Landon because he is one who loves someone forever, but I think he needs to realize that the love he has for Dakota is no longer romantic love, but more familial love.  Although it hasn't gotten into a lot of detail yet, it is clear that he and Dakota have been through things that will make them permanently linked, it doesn't mean they need to end up married.  It will be interesting to see how it plays out in Nothing Less.  Plus, how perfect would it be for Landon t end up with a pastry chef when he's mom was also a great baker and Landon is the first to admit that's she's one of his best friends.  I think Nora is exactly who Landon needs to get out of his own head and move past Michigan and Washington.   
Although this is the beginning of a new series and you don't necessarily need to read the After Series to read this book I definitely think that you should.  It just helps to know more about Tessa's situation and how she and Landon got to New York.  This book is definitely a slower pace than those books as well, but Landon is not Hessa in any way so that makes sense, but it kind of a shock to move from those books to this one.    

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Before by Anna Todd | Book Review

Before by Anna Todd

Reading Group: Anyone who read After

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: BEFORE Hardin met Tessa he was a raging storm. DURING those first moments they met, he realized he needed to keep her for himself—his life depended on it. AFTER they got together, the world would never be the same.

Hardin and Tessa’s dramatic love affair became a vortex pulling in everyone around them. For the first time these others are given voice as they appear before, during, and after the events in original After novels. Alongside them, Hardin’s account of his first encounters with Tessa—which will change what you thought you knew about the brooding boy and the angel who loved him.

Cover: The cover of this book is yellow and very bright.  It looks almost as if someone tried to take a picture of the sun.

My Review: I bought this book when it was released and I only just now finished reading it.  It took me so long to reread the first four books, but I finally did it.  I loved Before because I love Hardin and his point of view.  As many of you know, I got annoyed with Tessa pretty easily, but I have such a soft spot for Hardin.  I love how half the time he doesn't even know how he offends Tessa and when she gets mad, he gets so confused.  I also liked that the book incorporated more than just Hardin.  It gave insight on Molly and Steph and so many others and it was nice to see where all of the characters came from.  The 'After' section was also something I really enjoyed.  I love Smith, I think he's a funny kid and I love the future Hessa stuff because that's when they're always happy and it's great.  One thing I do wish was in Hardin's section was the "I love you" scene, even if it started when Tessa went to find him at the soccer field.  I loved that part of After, so it would have been nice to get it from Hardin's point of view.  I think this book really ties up Hessa's story nicely and hints at Landon's books enough to get everyone excited for them.  If you loved After and were able to make it through the entire series, this book is definitely a great way to finish it off.     

I also really wish Anna would write something about the two years when Hardin lived in Chicago, even if it's just something short and on Wattpad.

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After We Fell by Anna Todd | Book Review

After We Fell by Anna Todd

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Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Just as Tessa makes the biggest decision of her life, everything changes. Revelations about first her family, and then Hardin’s, throw everything they knew before in doubt and makes their hard-won future together more difficult to claim.

Tessa’s life begins to come unglued. Nothing is what she thought it was. Not her friends. Not her family. The one person she should be able to rely on, Hardin, is furious when he discovers the massive secret she’s been keeping. And rather than being understanding, he turns to sabotage.

Tessa knows Hardin loves her and will do anything to protect her, but there’s a difference between loving someone and being able to have them in your life. This cycle of jealousy, unpredictable anger, and forgiveness is exhausting. She’s never felt so intensely for anyone, so exhilarated by someone’s kiss—but is the irrepressible heat between her and Hardin worth all the drama? Love used to be enough to hold them together. But if Tessa follows her heart now, will it be…the end?

Cover: The cover of this book has grass, which I think makes sense because the book is called After We Fell and when you fall you end up on some type of ground so grass makes sense.

My Review: Hurray for this post finally going live when it's supposed to!! (For those of you who are confused this blog post has gone up at least three times with only a picture of the book cover and the given summary)

Anyway, I love this series of books and basically everything Anna Todd stands for as a human being. One of the big things I don't like about this book though is the Lake House 'scene' I guess you could call it.  Basically I can't stand the whole lake house vacation.  I think that it's too long and both Tessa and Hardin are just so annoying the entire time.  I even remember when I was reading it on Wattpad I would get so excited for an update and then so disappointed because they were at that house for so long.  When Tessa and Hardin are good, they are so good.  And they are so cute and funny and everything else.  However, when they're fighting it's so frustrating because 8 times out of 10 they're fighting over something stupid, like a miscommunication, and they're both just so proud that as a reader it's easier to see the solution, but neither of them will apologize.  I also think that Tessa and I are just so different that I often get frustrated with her, because I would do things so differently than the way she does them.  She just pushes Hardin's buttons and I get so annoyed.  To me, Hardin Scott is coming from a pretty messed up childhood and he's a very angry and overprotective/possessive guy and yes, he does need to learn to lighten up, but it would be easier for Tessa to cut him some slack and ease him into being less controlling.  I think that a lot of times he has valid points and Tessa disregards them because she doesn't want to be told what to do.  Like with the Zed thing.  Zed was the other participant in 'The Bet' and he makes it known that he has feelings for Tessa, so Hardin doesn't want her hanging out with him, and it takes her so long to understand his reasoning and agree that she would flip out if Hardin spent as much time with Molly as she did with Zed.  I get the point that Hardin can't tell her who to be friends with, but I think it's okay for your boyfriend to be like, 'I don't want you hanging out with someone who likes you and fought against me to take you virginity' because obviously there's tension between these two men and why would you go out of your way to make more when all you do is complain that your boyfriend is angry?  I do really like the ending of this book because the truth is starting to be revealed about Hardin's family and it's kind of hard to imagine what the last book will bring (even though if you're like me and you read it online you already know).

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After We Collided by Anna Todd | Book Review

After We Collided by Anna Todd

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Reading Group Rating:  M for Mature

Personal Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Tessa has everything to lose. Hardin has nothing to lose…except her. AFTER WE COLLIDED…Life will never be the same. #HESSA

After a tumultuous beginning to their relationship, Tessa and Hardin were on the path to making things work. Tessa knew Hardin could be cruel, but when a bombshell revelation is dropped about the origins of their relationship—and Hardin’s mysterious past—Tessa is beside herself.

Hardin will always be…Hardin. But is he really the deep, thoughtful guy Tessa fell madly in love with despite his angry exterior—or has he been a stranger all along? She wishes she could walk away. It’s just not that easy. Not with the memory of passionate nights spent in his arms. His electric touch. His hungry kisses.

Still, Tessa’s not sure she can endure one more broken promise. She put so much on hold for Hardin—school, friends, her mom, a relationship with a guy who really loved her, and now possibly even a promising new career. She needs to move forward with her life.

Hardin knows he made a mistake, possibly the biggest one of his life. He’s not going down without a fight. But can he change? Will he change…for love?

Cover: The cover of this novel depicts a wave colliding onto the shore.  It's purple and I'm not really sure why, I don't think there is any significance in that.  Water is known to be a symbol or rebirth, which is maybe why it's chosen for this cover.  Hardin and Tessa do reconcile and rekindle their love for each other.    

My Review:  I know this novel is supposed to show that in the real world couples fight more than just once before they're able to live happily ever after, but it bothers me that every fight between Hardin and Tessa is the same.  It's always because of a misunderstanding and one of them would rather jump to conclusions than hear the other one out.  It also bothers me that Tessa kisses other people.  The one in the club when she's drunk is whatever, but the New Years party and Zed where uncalled for.  She knows that Hardin hates Zed and they had been away from each other for less than 11 days.  I just think that it was really rude of her to do something like that.  Those parts really bothered me.  The rest of the book is great.  It's a little bit of a cycle where they're together, they break up, they hook up, they're back together...etc. and at some points I found myself wishing Anna Todd had just cut an entire scene out when she went from her digital story on WattPad to the printed story, but there probably would have been an outrage from her fans.

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After by Anna Todd | Book Review

After by Anna Todd

Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

Given Summary: There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER... Life will never be the same. 

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way. 

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to. 

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before. 

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. 

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her? 

Unless…could this be love?


Cover: The cover of this novel is covered in dark blue-green clouds.  The clouds show that a storm is coming and it almost stands as a warning.  However, rain itself is very cleansing and shows rebirth.  So maybe this cover is saying that although a big storm is coming and it may destroy some things, there is also a new start on its way afterwards.

My Review: I did read this novel on Wattpad so I know what happens.  I think that's why I was a little hesitant to to read it again.  It also makes it a little harder to write this review because I have to focus on just this part of the story, even though I know what happens next.
The story itself is great.  I like that they fight and struggle to understand each other, but still love each other.  I mean obviously Hardin is hiding something so he sometimes acts like it and gets mad seemingly out of no where.
I think you also have to give a lot of credit to Anna Todd for this story.  She wrote it chapter by chapter and uploaded everyday (for the most part).  She wasn't able to go back and change anything and she didn't change that much when it was printed into a real book.  It just shows hoe good of a writer she actually is, no matter what people may say about her writing a FanFiction online.
I did notice that during Tessa's first meeting of Ken Scott he is said to have brown eyes, but then later he has green eyes.  I also didn't like how much Tessa yelled.  She's always yelling at Hardin.  Maybe it's because I can't relate to that, I don't scream at people even when I'm mad so I just couldn't take it seriously when she was yelling at Hardin all those times.

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