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.

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx

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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).

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx

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