Sarv Brar's Reviews > After

** spoiler alert ** I read the original version on Wattpad and I am beyond shook that it had so many views. This book is horrible, I am so surprised it even got published and I am on the third book of the series and am completely shook people actually enjoy this. The original normalizes anger issues, mental health is not addressed and the entire relationship is emotionally abusive.

Let me get started. Hardin Scott (I am going to use the name used in the book) is an emotionally abusive, traumatized, angry boy who's behaviour is unacceptable. He holds no remorse for the horrible acts he's committed and does unspeakable things. For example he shows his friends bloody sheets and a used condom to prove him and Tessa were intimate. First of all how is this even normal and how is this even acceptable. Tessa forgives him because she "loves him". Young people, such as myself, are reading this and what is this book teaching people? That this kind of behaviour is okay? Because it is not okay at all. To share such an intimate piece of your relationship and flaunt it for a bet is not okay. Actually it's not okay at all to bet over taking a women's virginity. It is disgusting. The main character somehow manages to forgive him over this and I just want to say this is nowhere near okay.

Then she finds out he videotaped himself and another women being intimate. And she forgives him because "he's changed" and "he's a good person". Once again why is this behaviour being normalized and what is this teaching young boys and girls of the world? This book has no backbone. It is the 21st century and considering the amount of progress that has been made for gender equality and having choice over your own body and the feminist movement, it is not okay for authors to condone this type of behaviour especially when that behaviour is degrading other women. This man ruins a young woman's life, manages to get away scot-free, she somehow forgives him which is absolute bs and the readers in the comments are accepting this behaviour and justifying his actions because he had a rough childhood. Sure his childhood may give some sort of explanation as to why he did what he did but it is no justification for him to not only ruin someone's life but also feel no remorse and when he does feel remorse it's because he's in love with Tessa. WHAT!? Why does character growth have to automatically be related to love or a significant other? He learns close to absolutely nothing over the course of the three books published on Wattpad.

This book is also normalizing emotionally abusive and controlling relationships. Hardin is constantly telling Tessa where she can and cannot go, he tells her what she can or cannot wear and who she can and cannot talk to. At one point he says he is the only person she needs in her entire life. What is this teaching young readers? That this is okay? You should only be emotionally dependant on your partner and there is no value for friendship? And I have no idea what world these characters are living in where every single male is head over heels for the main female character or have sexual intentions towards her. What!? This book completely avoids covering the topic of how a man and a woman CAN only be friends. The main male characters jealously is shown in an endearing light when all it is, is controlling and irrational. The female character is given no backbone and she mostly goes running back to him because "she loves him". Seriously that is all that's driving the entire novel, "their love". It's absolute bs.

The main male character also has severe mental health issues. He destroys everything when he is angry and has no control over his emotions and you guessed it, this is also normalized in the book. Not once is there an intervention or some concrete discussion or action taken to get the main male character the help he so clearly needs. This man is unstable, irrational and crazy. Once again, what is this teaching young readers?

This book has close to no literary devices, no theme and is honestly overall pointless. I strongly advise you not to read this book because it is degrading and it is disgusting how so many topics such as patriarchy and denial are normalized. All in all, there is no story to this book, no symbolism, themes nothing. It is an absolute disgrace to allude to Pride and Prejudice. It is a shame. I am beyond shocked that it was not only published but there was a film adaptation as well. Absolute trash.