After
Tessa Young has her life mapped out: a devoted boyfriend, a supportive mother, and a promising academic future. Her first year of college is supposed to be the disciplined next step. Then she meets Hardin Scott — cold, rude, tattooed, and infuriating — and everything she planned starts to come apart.
Beneath Hardin's cruelty is something that draws Tessa in against her better judgment, and their connection quickly becomes a passionate, turbulent romance that swings between tenderness and chaos. As she's pulled deeper into his world and the secrets he's hiding, Tessa has to decide how much of herself she's willing to lose to be with him.
Originally written on Wattpad, where it drew a massive global readership, Anna Todd's After launched a bestselling New Adult series and film franchise. Emotional, addictive, and unabashedly dramatic, it's a story of obsessive first love and the messy work of figuring out who you are.
A sheltered, apathetic freshman at Washington State University who becomes entangled with the reckless Hardin Scott.
Tessa's best friend from home, who turns out to be Hardin's step-brother through their parents' marriage.
Tessa's steady, dependable high-school boyfriend, whose relationship with her unravels as Hardin enters her life.
An alternative-styled upperclassman and Hardin's friend group member who befriends Tessa and draws her into that social circle.
Tessa's brooding, tattooed stepbrother and fellow student; his troubled past and volatile temper drive much of the book's tension.
The story is a work of fiction that originated as fan fiction on the platform Wattpad, where it was inspired by the music and fandom of the band One Direction. While the author drew inspiration from the public persona of Harry Styles for the character of Hardin, the plot and events are entirely fabricated.
A film adaptation of the same name was released in 2019, starring Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. The book is the first installment in a series that has since been expanded into a multi-film franchise.