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book review of after

Book Review

After — “after” series.

  • Contemporary , Romance

book review of after

Readability Age Range

  • Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster

Year Published

After by Anna Todd has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine . It is the first book in the “After” series.

Plot Summary

Tessa’s mother’s greatest wish in life is for her daughter to go to college at Washington Central University, so when Tessa is accepted to WCU she is excited about making her mother proud. However, she is also anxious about whether she’ll make friends in a strange new place. She is surprised that her roommate, Steph, is a hardcore party girl who loves bright makeup and revealing clothing. Tessa also finds herself deeply attracted to Hardin, one of Steph’s guy friends. A young Englishman with tattoos and a rude attitude, Hardin’s rough personality conflicts with Tessa’s niceness and inexperience.

Tessa reluctantly accepts Steph’s invitation to join her at a frat party. She doesn’t fit in well with the crowd at the party. As she wanders around the frat house, she stumbles into a bedroom where Hardin is kissing a pink-haired girl named Molly. The scene makes Tessa uncomfortable, and her night grows even worse when she has to help a drunken Steph, who vomits and then passes out.

Steph’s friend Nate shepherds Steph and Tessa into one of the frat house bedrooms and tells Tessa she can stay there with Steph while she sleeps. Tessa is shocked when Hardin comes into the room, which turns out to be his bedroom because he’s a member of the fraternity throwing the party. Hardin and Tessa get into an argument because he doesn’t allow people in his room.

Tessa leaves and cries in a bathroom because the party is terrible, and she doesn’t know how to get home. When she emerges from the bathroom, Hardin tells her she can sleep in an empty room where he has also placed Steph. Tessa is shocked that Hardin is being nice to her.

On Monday, Tessa excitedly attends her first day of classes and is shocked to see Hardin in her British literature class. He sits by her and they continue their verbal sparring as the days pass. She also meets Landon in British literature class, a normal guy who Hardin irrationally dislikes.

The next weekend, Tessa agrees to go to another party at the same frat house with Steph. Tessa wonders if Molly is dating Hardin, but Steph insists that while Hardin might play around with a lot of girls, he never dates anyone or has one girl who is special to him.

At the party, during a game of truth or dare, people keep daring Tessa to drink shots of vodka. While drunk, she wanders into Hardin’s room and starts reading from his classical book collection. He yells at her for entering his room again. They get into another verbal fight and she leaves.

A guy who is drunk tries to grope Tessa, but when he chases her down the hall, she runs back to Hardin’s room for safety. Hardin comforts her after her scary moment, and she kisses him. They make out on Hardin’s bed while he’s only partially dressed, but Tessa stops suddenly, recalling her boyfriend, Noah. They both feel awkward about the encounter, and Tessa runs away from Hardin’s room yet again, angry with him for being cold toward her when she stopped kissing him and angry with herself for cheating on her boyfriend.

Tessa walks for over an hour until she arrives back at her own dorm, only to discover Hardin waiting for her. Hardin was worried after she left, so he drove around trying to find her. Tessa’s mother and her boyfriend, Noah, suddenly arrive at her dorm to express their concern over her recent increase in party attendance. Tessa feels like she’s being treated like a child but reconciles with her mom and boyfriend, promising them that she’ll stop going to parties.

The next day, Hardin comes to Tessa’s room, supposedly to see Steph, and they end up kissing again. When Steph catches them, she warns Tessa not to develop feelings for Hardin because he doesn’t date. She says that girls often fall in love with Hardin, only to have their hearts broken when he doesn’t return their feelings.

In British literature class, Tessa and Hardin begin yelling at each other, supposedly arguing about the characters of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, when they’re actually discussing the details of their own strained relationship. After class, he grabs her arm, and she screams at him to let go. She feels like he’s playing emotional games with her.

Hardin asks her to admit that she’s bored with her boyfriend and excited by him. After more conversation, they agree to be friends. He takes her on an outing that she calls a friendly meeting, and he calls a date. They go swimming in a secluded stream, which he says is his favorite place. As they swim and kiss, Hardin asks her to admit that they can never just be friends. The mood remains passionate when they emerge from the water, and Hardin gives Tessa an orgasm using his fingers. Afterward, Hardin takes Tessa out to eat.

When Noah calls her, she ignores the call and tells Hardin that she intends to break up with Noah. Hardin tells her not to break up with her boyfriend on his account, since he doesn’t date. This infuriates Tessa, who warns Hardin never to speak to her again. Tessa calls Noah to come visit her for the weekend, but when he arrives, she is disappointed by their lack of passion. She can’t help comparing Noah’s bland niceness to Hardin’s intensity.

She gets a phone call from Landon, asking her to come to his mother’s house and help Hardin, who is also there. Tessa borrows Noah’s car and goes to Landon’s house. Hardin has been having a drunken fit.

Hardin’s father, Ken, has been dating Landon’s mother, Karen, for a long time, and Hardin is angry that the two have decided to marry. Hardin resents his father for being wealthy, while his divorced mother has to live in near-poverty in England. Drunk and lonely, Hardin begs Tessa to stay the night with him. She does, and they fool around sexually before falling asleep.

The next morning, Tessa goes back to her dorm to find Noah furious with her for taking his car and staying out all night. Hardin follows Tessa to the dorm and tells her to explain their situation to Noah. Noah guesses that Tessa has been cheating on him with Hardin and walks away crying. Tessa is upset with Hardin for making her tell Noah the truth.

Before long, Noah forgives Tessa and agrees to put the past behind them, if she agrees to stay away from Hardin. However, even when Tessa stays home from the weekend party at Hardin’s fraternity, Hardin shows up at her dorm room to watch movies with her. He says he sleeps better when she’s by his side, so she agrees to cuddle with him in the same bed.

The next day, Hardin wants to go with Tessa on her car-shopping trip, and the two of them run into Hardin’s father off campus. His dad invites them to dinner at his house with himself, his soon-to-be-wife, Karen, and Landon. Tessa accepts the invitation, and Hardin screams at her for trying to help him connect with his father.

Despite his earlier fury, Hardin later accompanies Tessa to the dinner. Karen mentions that Ken is actually the chancellor of WSU, a fact that Hardin neglected to mention. When Ken is surprised that Hardin hides his father’s chancellorship from his friends, Hardin yells that he doesn’t need to use his father’s name or position, then storms out of the room. When Tessa follows him, he insults her. She yells at him for ruining the evening, and then they kiss. Hardin’s mood improves. When he and Tessa return to finish dinner, he apologizes to everyone for his behavior.

After dinner, Hardin admits to Tessa that he wants her more than he has ever wanted another person or thing in his whole life. Tessa realizes this is an admission of his genuine feelings for her, and she kisses him. Hardin performs oral sex on Tessa, and then they return to the dining room. Karen and Ken offer to let Tessa stay the night, since it’s late, and they give her a room across from Hardin’s. In the night, Tessa hears Hardin screaming in his sleep. She wakes him from a nightmare and comforts him, holding him throughout the rest of the night.

When they return to Tessa’s dorm room, Noah is waiting because he was worried when Tessa didn’t answer her phone. In front of Noah, Hardin tells Tessa that he wants to be more than friends with her and that he wants to become a better man for her. Tessa tells Noah he should leave, officially breaking up with him and choosing a relationship with Hardin. Now that they’re together, Tessa is plagued by worries that Hardin will cheat on her with Molly, since he and Molly have had a physical relationship in the past.

Hardin’s father sets Tessa up with an internship at a publishing company. She’s thrilled to accept the part-time job, and Ken has only one request for her: try to persuade Hardin to attend Ken and Karen’s upcoming wedding. When she mentions the wedding to Hardin, he gets angry and ends the conversation. They make up and spend the night together in Hardin’s room, with Tessa comforting him when he has nightmares.

Tessa goes to a party at Hardin’s frat house without telling him, because she suspects he’s spending time with Molly. Her suspicions are confirmed when she finds Molly sitting on Hardin’s lap. Tessa begins drinking and joins a game of truth or dare. When she accepts a dare to kiss Hardin’s friend Zed, it makes Hardin angry. Zed accepts a dare to take Tessa upstairs alone for 10 minutes, but since she’s drunk, he doesn’t take advantage. Instead he asks her on a date, and she agrees. The next day, Hardin and Tessa get into a fight in front of Steph and Molly, and Hardin yells that he loves Tessa, which she refuses to believe.

Tessa realizes that she loves Hardin, but goes on a date with Zed. In British literature class, Hardin and Tessa get into a fight about the characters in Wuthering Heights, who reflect their own tempestuous relationship. Tessa goes to a bonfire party with Zed and kisses him again but can’t stop thinking of Hardin.

When she goes to Hardin and admits to him that she loves him, he tells her that he loves her more than anyone in the world. They spend a day with Karen and Ken, which passes without any major arguments. Tessa is hopeful that Hardin will attend the wedding.

Tessa’s mother visits her at her dorm room, furious that Tessa has broken up with Noah. Tessa’s mother doesn’t approve of Hardin and insists that she will cut off financial support from Tessa if she stays with him. To ease Tessa’s concerns about losing her dorm room if her mother withdraws support, Hardin suggests that they find an apartment and move in together. As their relationship deepens, Tessa decides she’s ready for an even closer physical connection, so she and Hardin have sex. Afterward, Hardin takes the bloody sheets off her bed and says he’ll throw them away for Tessa.

At the mall, they run into an unpleasant acquaintance of Hardin’s named Jace. Hardin warns Tessa to stay away from him because he’s a bad person. Hardin works harder to persuade Tessa to buy an apartment with him and she finally acquiesces. Tessa and Hardin are excited about their decision, but the happy mood is ruined when they go to Hardin’s frat house and run into Jace, who seems threatening.

Jace wants to play a party game. When Tessa joins in the game, she ends up kissing a stranger named Dan. Hardin witnesses the kiss and fights Dan. When the fight is broken up and Hardin calms down, he and Tessa argue, and then have sex.

Tessa and Hardin go to look at apartments and accept one that suits Tessa’s taste exactly. They sign the contract, and Hardin agrees to pay for the rent while Tessa pays for the utilities. They settle into life in their new apartment, enjoying the privacy until Hardin ruins the mood by not coming home one night.

Tessa is so worried about what kind of trouble he might have gotten into, she gives him an ultimatum: He has to improve his behavior or she will leave him. Since she also requests to know the cause of his screaming nightmares, he tells her that when he was a child, he witnessed several men raping his mother and that the event still gives him nightmares. Tessa comforts him, and their relationship returns to normal.

Ken and Karen’s wedding day arrives, and Hardin and Tessa enjoy the festivities. As they make plans to go to England together for winter vacation, and it occurs to Tessa that Hardin is acting strangely and avoiding his old friend group. She realizes that Steph, Zed, Molly and the others probably don’t even know that she and Hardin are living together. Tessa goes to a biker bar that Steph likes and stops in to visit her old roommate. Hardin arrives at the same bar and is angry with Tessa for coming.

Molly hints that there’s a big secret that the whole group is aware of and informs Tessa that Hardin made a bet with all the other guys that he would be Tessa’s first sexual encounter. In order to win the money they promised him, he showed the other guys the bloody sheets from Tessa’s dorm room and the used condom from their first night together. The money he won from the bet enabled him to make the down payment on the apartment he and Tessa share. Tessa slaps him and berates him for taking advantage of her. Hardin insists that he made the bet before he fell in love with Tessa and that he’s genuinely sorry. Tessa refuses to listen to his apologies and allows Zed to drive her home, asking him to tell her all the details of the bet.

Christian Beliefs

When Tessa wears a conservative outfit, Hardin teases her about being dressed for church, not for a party.

Other Belief Systems

Authority roles.

Tessa’s mother displays impatience and a short temper by yelling at Tessa. She repeatedly criticizes Tessa’s appearance, neatness and attitude. She raises her voice and threatens Tessa whenever she goes against her wishes, even slapping her for speaking rudely.

Landon’s mother, Karen, is so warm and kind to Tessa that Tessa frequently wishes her mother could be more supportive and inviting, like Karen. Tessa’s father left their family when she was young, forcing Tessa’s mother to work constantly to provide for herself and her daughter.

Hardin’s father drank a lot when Hardin was a child. Hardin despises his father for being absent and also for enjoying an extravagant lifestyle while Hardin’s mother lives in poverty.

Profanity & Violence

Profanity frequently used includes the f-word, h— and s— . Others used occasionally are a– , d–n , b–tard , b–ch and d–k . God’s name is used in vain several dozen times.

Tessa’s mother slaps her when she goes against her wishes. There is a lot of verbal sparring and fighting between Hardin and Tessa. A guy who is drunk tries to grope Tessa. Tessa kisses Dan at a party, so Hardin fights Dan.

After one of their classes, Hardin grabs Tessa’s arm, and she screams at him to let go. Hardin has a drunken fit. In the night, Tessa hears Hardin screaming in his sleep. He tells her that when he was a child, he witnessed several men raping his mother, and the event still gives him nightmares.

Sexual Content

Hardin and Molly kiss on a bed. Molly flashes her chest to her group of friends on a dare. Molly is said to have performed a full striptease at a party.

Tessa and Hardin kiss deeply. They speak to each other in sexually charged ways, expressing their desire for each other. As their relationship progresses, there are several lengthy sex scenes that depict various sexual acts — manual sex, oral sex and vaginal sex between Tessa and Hardin, described in detail.

Tessa and Noah agreed to wait until marriage for sex, but after experiencing sexual moments with Hardin, Tessa begins pressuring Noah for deeper kisses and more intense make-out sessions, trying to recreate her passion with Hardin. Hardin questions Noah’s sexuality when he learns that Noah has never attempted to do more than kiss Tessa. Noah insists on staying in a separate hotel room from Tessa at night.

When he was a child, Hardin witnessed several men raping his mother.

Discussion Topics

Additional comments.

Drugs: Characters smoke marijuana at a party.

Alcohol: Many characters, including the main characters, get drunk, which causes them to act foolishly.

Movie Tie-In: Producers often use a book as a springboard for a movie idea or to earn a specific rating. Because of this, a movie may differ from the novel. To better understand how this book and the movie differ, compare this book review with Plugged In’s movie review for After .

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After – A Book Review

Writer+Lexi+Goodrum+publishes+a+book+review+over+After+by+Anna+Todd.+I+read+this+book+after+I+had+watched+the+After+movie%2C+and+I+loved+the+movie+because+the+storyline+was+simple+and+realistic.+I+fell+in+love+with+Tessa+and+Hardin%E2%80%99s+relationship+and+wanted+to+know+more+about+it%2C+so+I+read+the+book+with+high+expectations%2C++Goodrum+said.+

Barnes and Noble

Writer Lexi Goodrum publishes a book review over “After” by Anna Todd. “I read this book after I had watched the After movie, and I loved the movie because the storyline was simple and realistic. I fell in love with Tessa and Hardin’s relationship and wanted to know more about it, so I read the book with high expectations,” Goodrum said.

Lexi Goodrum , Writer November 22, 2019

Book Summary

Tessa Young is a good girl. She is smart, kind and hard working. Her life has always been easy and safe, and she liked that. Tessa was never looking for excitement or thrill, until she found herself in a room alone with the gorgeous Hardin Scott. 

What seemed to be an innocent game of truth of dare may end up being more dangerous than Tessa could have imagined. 

Hardin’s British accent, bad boy persona, cocky attitude and tattoo covered arms immediately intrigues Tessa. But, Hardin is a bad influence. He makes Tessa bend the rules and discover a rebellious side she never knew she had. Hardin also made it clear to Tessa that he does not date. He rarely shows his emotions, and it makes Tessa want to discover the real Hardin Scott, the one underneath all the tattoos and piercings. 

They may constantly fight and annoy each other, but there’s an undying spark that neither of them can deny. Torn by her feelings, Tessa must figure out whether Hardin is worth the potential heartbreak or not.  

Personal Opinion

I read this book after I had watched the After movie, and I loved the movie because the storyline was simple and realistic. I fell in love with Tessa and Hardin’s relationship and wanted to know more about it, so I read the book with high expectations. 

Hardin Scott is not the type of guy I would usually like to read about. I don’t typically like guys with tattoos and piercings, but Hardin’s bad boy vibe was really intriguing. I found myself wanting to know more about his mysterious character and having so many questions about him. Why was he so rude? What happened to make him so emotionless? Is he capable of loving someone? I could relate to Tessa in the way that we both wanted to figure Hardin out. 

I am still not sure how I feel about Tessa’s character. Part of me really liked her because she was so normal and relatable, but I love a strong female role and she wasn’t that. My favorite female characters are stubborn, confident and stand up for themselves. Tessa would let Hardin say rude remarks towards her and she would not defend herself, which irritated me because I wanted her to put him in his place. She also fell in love with Hardin too quickly for my liking. It took me basically the entire book to finally love Hardin but Tessa liked him from the moment she saw him which I don’t find super appealing in a character. The build-up in a relationship is the best part in a book, but the build-up between their relationship felt nonexistent. I felt like they had just met and then all of the sudden she was confessing her love for him. 

While I still liked the book for its simplicity, I just wish their relationship took more time to develop. Overall, if you like romantic novels then you would enjoy this easy read. It did not fail to keep me entertained and intrigued by the spark between Tessa and Hardin.  

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book review of after

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After Novel Review: Unleash Your Passion with an Intense Love Story - Exploring the Captivating World of After

  • Genre: Romance and Fantasy
  • Total Chapters: 114
  • Author: Anna Todd
  • Status: Completed

After, written by Anna Todd, is a captivating love story that revolves around Tessa Young, a dedicated student who has been living a picture-perfect life with stellar grades, a committed high-school boyfriend, and ambitious plans for her future. As Tessa embarks on her first semester of college, her neatly planned world turns upside down when she encounters the enigmatic Hardin Scott, a brooding, mysterious rebel who challenges everything she knows about herself and her desires.

As Tessa and Hardin grow closer, they develop feelings for one another, ultimately leading to a passionate and intense love affair. However, their relationship is constantly tested by Hardin's dark secrets and troubled past, as well as by external factors such as family, friendships, and their own evolving identities. This rollercoaster of a story takes readers on a whirlwind of emotions as Tessa and Hardin navigate through the trials and tribulations of their tumultuous romance.

A story that captures the intensity and complexity of young love, Anna Todd's After remains incredibly relevant and relatable to readers of all ages. Showcasing the power of true love and the importance of personal growth, this novel is bound to leave a lasting mark on your heart. The book's thought-provoking and emotionally charged storyline has garnered a massive following and propelled it to internet fame, ultimately leading to its adaptation into a major motion picture.

Unveiling the Magnetic World of "After": A Captivating Romance That Will Leave You Breathless

In the realm of contemporary romance novels, Anna Todd's "After" has made a significant impact, captivating readers with its compelling story of love, passion, and self-discovery. With a total of 114 parts and the series now completed, Todd's novel takes readers on an emotional roller coaster that explores the complexities of relationships and the journey of finding oneself. Blending elements of coming-of-age and new adult fiction, "After" has garnered a devoted following and sparked discussions about the power of love and the intricacies of personal growth.

With its engaging narrative and relatable characters, "After" delves into the life of Tessa Young as she navigates the tumultuous terrain of college, friendship, and love. Anna Todd's writing style beautifully captures the essence of these experiences, drawing readers into Tessa's world and evoking a range of emotions. As we accompany Tessa on her transformative journey, we witness the depths of her relationships, particularly her intense connection with the enigmatic Hardin Scott. Todd's portrayal of their complex and passionate romance keeps readers engrossed, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the secrets and challenges that lie ahead.

book review of after

Join us as we delve into the intricacies of Anna Todd's "After," exploring its themes, character development, and the impact it has had on readers. From its humble beginnings as an online sensation to its status as a completed series, "After" continues to leave an indelible mark on the romance genre, resonating with audiences who crave an immersive and emotionally charged reading experience.

Author Introduction

Anna Todd, the talented author behind the captivating novel 'After,' has taken the literary world by storm. Known for her ability to craft compelling stories with complex characters, Todd has gained a dedicated following of readers around the globe. 'After' marks Todd's breakout success, captivating readers with its raw emotions, intense romance, and addictive storytelling.

With her unique writing style, Todd delves into the depths of human emotions, exploring the complexities of love, passion, and self-discovery. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences and observations, Todd weaves a narrative that resonates with readers of all ages. Her vivid descriptions and relatable characters bring the story to life, immersing readers in a world filled with heartache, desire, and personal growth.

Plot Summary

After by Anna Todd is a young adult romance novel that follows the tumultuous love story of university freshman Tessa Young and British bad boy Hardin Scott. As Tessa starts her new life at Washington Central University, she meets her roommate Steph Jones and her friend group, which includes Hardin. Despite being in a relationship with high school sweetheart Noah, Tessa finds herself inexplicably drawn to the arrogant and brooding Hardin.

As the two engage in a rollercoaster relationship marked by arguments and intense attraction, Tessa begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself and love. Throughout the novel, Tessa and Hardin struggle to maintain a stable relationship, with their numerous break-ups and make-ups punctuated by lies, betrayal, and deep-seated insecurities. Eventually, Tessa discovers that her entire involvement with Hardin began as a cruel bet among his friends, leaving her heartbroken and questioning the sincerity of his affections.

book review of after

In the end, however, love proves to be a powerful force, with the young couple striving to overcome their past mistakes and grow together. The novel not only explores the passionate complexities of young love but also delves into issues of identity, trust, and personal growth, making After a relatable and captivating read for audiences worldwide.

Analysis of Characters

  • Tessa Young : Tessa is the protagonist of the novel and undergoes significant character development throughout the story. At the beginning, she is portrayed as a sheltered, innocent young woman who follows the rules and focuses on her studies. However, her encounter with Hardin sparks a transformation in her. Tessa becomes more rebellious, questioning societal expectations, and exploring her desires. She grapples with her attraction to Hardin and the guilt associated with her actions. Tessa's internal conflicts and personal growth make her a complex and relatable character.
  • Hardin Scott : Hardin serves as the primary love interest and the novel's male lead. He is depicted as brooding, mysterious, and emotionally damaged. Hardin comes from a troubled background and carries a chip on his shoulder. He initially pushes Tessa away but is drawn to her despite his own resistance. Hardin's unpredictable behavior and mixed signals create tension and intrigue throughout the story. Beneath his tough exterior, there are glimpses of vulnerability and a desire for connection. Hardin's complex persona adds depth to the narrative and sets up the central conflict of the novel.
  • Noah : Noah is Tessa's boyfriend at the beginning of the story and represents stability, reliability, and the "good guy" archetype. He genuinely cares for Tessa and is devoted to their relationship. However, Noah's traditional values and expectations clash with Tessa's evolving desires and newfound attraction to Hardin. While Noah is portrayed as a supportive and loving partner, his lack of understanding and communication contribute to the growing tension in their relationship.
  • Steph : Steph is Tessa's roommate and becomes her closest friend at college. She embodies the rebellious and carefree spirit that Tessa is drawn to. Steph introduces Tessa to the party scene and encourages her to explore her desires. Despite their contrasting personalities, Steph provides Tessa with a sense of liberation and a glimpse into a different lifestyle.
  • Landon : Landon is Tessa's friend and Hardin's stepbrother. He is portrayed as kind, supportive, and the complete opposite of Hardin. Landon serves as a confidant for Tessa and provides insight into Hardin's past and family dynamics. His presence highlights the contrast between Hardin's rough edges and Landon's more gentle nature.

These main characters in "After" navigate complex relationships, personal growth, and conflicting emotions. Their interactions and individual journeys contribute to the central themes of love, identity, and self-discovery in the novel.

  • Coming of Age : One of the prominent themes in "After" is the coming-of-age journey of the main characters, particularly Tessa. As she enters college and encounters new experiences, Tessa undergoes a process of self-discovery, challenging societal norms, and exploring her desires. The novel explores the complexities of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, including the conflicts, choices, and personal growth that accompany this stage of life.
  • Love and Desire : Love and desire play a central role in the story. The intense, passionate relationship between Tessa and Hardin drives the narrative. Their connection explores the complexities of attraction, infatuation, and emotional vulnerability. The novel delves into the exploration of physical and emotional desires, highlighting the power and consequences of pursuing these desires.

book review of after

  • Identity and Authenticity : The characters in "After" grapple with questions of identity and authenticity. Tessa, in particular, questions the expectations placed upon her and the role she is expected to fulfill. Her relationship with Hardin challenges her preconceived notions of who she is and what she wants. The novel explores the idea of embracing one's true self, breaking free from societal constraints, and finding the courage to live authentically.
  • Transformation and Growth : The theme of transformation is evident throughout the story. The characters evolve and undergo significant changes as a result of their experiences and relationships. Tessa's transformation from a sheltered, rule-following girl to a more rebellious and self-aware young woman is a central aspect of the narrative. Hardin's character also experiences growth as he confronts his past and learns to trust and open up to others.
  • Family and Relationships : Family dynamics and relationships are explored in "After." The dysfunctional family backgrounds of both Tessa and Hardin contribute to their emotional baggage and influence their relationships with others. The novel delves into the complexities of family ties, the impact of past traumas on present relationships, and the role of forgiveness and acceptance in building healthier connections.
  • Tattoos : Hardin's tattoos symbolize his emotional pain, his past, and his tough exterior. They serve as a visual representation of his troubled history and his attempts to hide his vulnerability.
  • Books : Books hold symbolic significance throughout the story, representing Tessa's love for literature, her intellectual pursuits, and her initial innocence. As the story progresses, the books symbolize Tessa's changing priorities and desires as she becomes more entangled in her relationship with Hardin.
  • The Lake House : The lake house serves as a symbolic space of retreat, escape, and intimacy for Tessa and Hardin. It represents a sanctuary where they can be themselves away from the pressures and expectations of the outside world.
  • Parties and Social Scene : The party scene symbolizes freedom, rebellion, and the allure of a carefree lifestyle. It represents Tessa's exploration of new experiences and her stepping outside of her comfort zone.

These themes and symbols contribute to the overall narrative of "After," exploring the complexities of love, self-discovery, and personal growth while highlighting the challenges and consequences that come with navigating relationships and finding one's true identity.

Hot Dialogue

  • Passionate Exchanges: In 'After,' the pages sizzle with the electric chemistry between Tessa and Hardin. Their dialogues crackle with intensity, revealing the fiery connection that ignites their relationship. From heated arguments to heartfelt confessions, the exchanges between Tessa and Hardin are filled with raw emotions and unfiltered desires.

Sample Dialogue:

Tessa: "You infuriate me, Hardin!"

Hardin: "And you drive me crazy, Tessa. But that's what makes this so damn addictive. We can't resist each other."

  • Emotional Vulnerability : Amidst the steamy romance, 'After' also explores moments of deep emotional vulnerability through poignant dialogues. Tessa and Hardin share intimate conversations that expose their fears, insecurities, and hidden depths. These dialogues unveil the layers of their characters, creating a profound connection between them and the readers.

Tessa: "I'm scared, Hardin. Scared of falling too hard and losing myself in the process."

Hardin: "I'm scared too, Tessa. But together, we can face those fears and find ourselves in each other."

The dialogues in 'After' are a captivating blend of passion and vulnerability, showcasing the tumultuous journey of love and self-discovery undertaken by Tessa and Hardin. These exchanges leave readers spellbound, eagerly turning the pages to witness the next electrifying conversation that reveals the depths of their connection.

Writing Style

The writing style in "After" is characterized by its engaging and emotive nature. It effectively captures the reader's attention through vivid descriptions, relatable dialogue, and a contemporary tone. The author's use of descriptive language brings the scenes to life, immersing the reader in the characters' experiences and emotions. The pacing of the narrative keeps the story moving forward, creating a sense of anticipation and suspense. Additionally, the inner monologues provide insights into the characters' thoughts and feelings, adding depth and complexity to their personalities.

Furthermore, the writing style in "After" is marked by its conversational tone, making the story feel relatable and accessible to readers. The use of everyday language and cultural references adds authenticity and helps to create a connection between the characters and the audience. The author skillfully balances moments of intensity and vulnerability, weaving together themes of love, self-discovery, and personal growth. Overall, the writing style in "After" is captivating and emotionally resonant, drawing readers into the turbulent world of its characters and leaving a lasting impression.

Final Verdict

In conclusion, Anna Todd's "After" is an enthralling novel that effortlessly transports readers into a world of intense emotions, unexpected twists, and unbridled passion. With its compelling characters, immersive storytelling, and palpable chemistry, this book is a true page-turner that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

If you're seeking a captivating romance filled with compelling characters and a rollercoaster of emotions, look no further than "After." Anna Todd's remarkable storytelling will sweep you off your feet and leave you yearning for more. Whether you're a fan of the romance genre or simply crave a beautifully written tale of love and self-discovery, this novel is a must-read.

Don't miss out on this literary sensation that has captivated millions of readers worldwide. Join Tessa and Hardin's tumultuous journey in "After" and experience the irresistible magic for yourself. Dive into the series and discover why Anna Todd has become a celebrated voice in contemporary romance. Grab a copy of "After" today and prepare to be swept away in a world of passion, heartache, and undeniable allure.

Q: What is the premise of "After"?

"After" follows the story of Tessa, a young college student, who finds her world turned upside down when she meets Hardin, a mysterious and enigmatic rebel. As their paths intertwine, Tessa is drawn into a tumultuous relationship filled with intense emotions, unexpected twists, and undeniable chemistry.

Q: Who is the author of "After"?

"After" is written by Anna Todd, a renowned author known for her captivating storytelling and ability to delve into complex relationships.

Q: How many parts are there in the "After" series?

The "After" series consists of a total of 114 parts, offering a comprehensive and immersive journey through the lives of its characters.

Q: Is the "After" series completed?

Yes, the "After" series is completed, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the entire story without having to wait for new installments.

Q: Why should I read "After"?

"After" offers a gripping and passionate love story that will keep you hooked from start to finish. With its intriguing characters, intense emotions, and unexpected plot twists, this series promises a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Whether you enjoy immersive romances or crave stories that delve into the complexities of relationships, "After" is a captivating series that should not be missed. Embark on this thrilling journey and discover why millions of readers worldwide have been captivated by "After."

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Book Review Wednesday: The After Series by Anna Todd

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I completely agree with you. But it was my first marriage. Every fight, jealous, broken hearts, hands, furniture.. was my first marriage....Sad to read what I went through but I couldn't put it down

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book review of after

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New York Review Books, 2022

Contributor Bio

Kevin mcgrath, by vivek narayanan, reviewed by kevin mcgrath.

Vivek Narayanan, one of the most distinguished Indian poets of today, has with this remarkable book drawn upon an Indian heroic song of the late Bronze Age, Rāmāyana , and transferred the ancient virtues and poetic being of that epic to the twenty-first century. Such is the foundation of the reimagined narrative in After .

The author accomplishes this act of translation from a premodern poetic culture to that of the present day via an act of “inspiration,” allowing the original text—in a contemporary English abridged translation—to become a work of “re – animation” as modern free verse. As the author puts it, his method is “open and evolving,” achieved through a “critical conversation with Valmiki,” the putative prime poet of the Sanskrit epic. Narayanan claims that his work is a “reinvention or rewiring” of the primary text and that this method will “make [the] source and its possibilities come fully alive.” Here, the author continues a Western poetic tradition first practiced in the early twentieth century by Ezra Pound.

Narayanan enters into the nomenclature of the present century and draws upon characters of today in a manner similar to Derek Walcott’s rendering of Homeric poetry in a West Indian milieu with Omeros , or Christopher Logue’s modernist interpretation of the Iliad in War Music . The moral and emotional crises in the ancient narrative still exist, but they are delivered with contemporary language and metaphor: guerrillas, cell phones, censorship, cops, Maoists, motorcycles, and guns. The violence of warfare and of urban conflict inhabit the lines of this modern work, just as Rama’s armies and the daemon forces of Lanka once joined in armed contention in the original. In the ancient epic, however, warfare was made beautiful via simile, and the vehemence and cruelty of fighting were omitted. This is not the case with Narayanan’s poem. Here, in fact, the author makes much of the violence that currently occurs in South Asia, on both a state and a communal level.

So what is the moral of this book? What is the author offering to the reader by redacting ancient song traditions into twenty-first-century speech and prose? There is little formal sonority to the lines, which means that the tonal and musical quality of the ancient slokas , the Sanskrit verse form, are forsaken. The verbal formulations that once structured the poem are lost, and what we have in After is a critique of how callous and brutal life can be today. It is as if the firmly organized society of the late Bronze Age has been displaced by a world in which ostensibly democratic states are sites of vicious struggle, where the migrant poor—the impoverished and undocumented—are tormented and suffer. The ethical world of After is completely unlike the dharmically hierarchical world of the Rāmāyana . The universal causality at play in these two models of narrative are completely unlike each other, and it is only the rough typology of characterization in the older poem that remains. Yet this poem of Narayanan has great political force for a modern and activist readership, both Asian and Western.

Several poets and prose writers in India today have performed similar work with their redoing of the Mahābhārata , a still-more-antique poem that visualizes rivalrous conflict between clans and families. In this sense, After is fully within the present-day national tradition. Shashi Tharoor’s The Great Indian Novel is the best example of this kind of literary movement where ancient values receive current reformulation.

Ultimately, the title After refers to language itself, the “deathless instrument of the soul.” As the author remarks at the end of his work, there is “no sea except what swims in it,” and it is this world—not the ocean of poetry but its constantly reinvented creatures—that revives human struggle toward literary meaning. The endless conduct and confrontation of human outrage and violation becomes the action in Narayanan’s tour de force, radicalizing our apprehension of beauty.

Published on April 12, 2022

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About the Book

After We Collided

By anna todd.

Though 'After We Collided' would not be categorized under books with an exceptionally incredible story, the novel is still a good piece of literature to read.

Joshua Ehiosun

Written by Joshua Ehiosun

C2 certified writer.

‘After We Collided’  is a book that is better refined than its prequel,  ‘After.’  With better storytelling, better character definition, and better dialogues, the novel is much smoother to read .  One thing a reader would notice from the story is that the characters seem to be a little too mature for their age; this makes one forget that Tessa is an 18-year-old.

I would describe the story of  ‘After We Collided’   as not too good and not too terrible. What makes the story of  ‘After We Collided’  seem relevant is that there is the anticipation for wanting to know what happened after Hardin broke Tessa’s heart in the prequel  ‘After.’   ‘After We Collided’  provokes a feeling of pain because the book focused more on Tessa and Hardin’s pain. Though their love life was vastly explored, Anna Todd’s focus seemed to be more on the hardship which Tessa faced from Hardin’s betrayal and the pain that Hardin felt from hating his father.

One thing  ‘After We Collided’  did better than its predecessor  ‘After’  was its better description of characters. In Anna Todd’s first book ,  ‘After,’  characters seemed to be forced to bend to the rules of supporting the main characters alone. However, in  ‘After We Collided,’  the characters seemed more interactive with the main characters. Also,  ‘After We Collided’  saw the introduction of better characters. The versatility of characters in  ‘After We Collided’   over  ‘After’  makes the book better than its prequel. The better definition of characters like Trevor, Trish, Zed, Landon, Vance, and Kimberly, made the novel a better book than its prequel.

Something every reader of  ‘After We Collide’  will find interesting is how better dialogues got in the story. From the first novel in the series, dialoguing seemed to be forced and unnatural. However,  ‘After We Collided’  made dialogues smoother and much more natural. With better character definition and Anna Todd releasing the constraint of allowing Tessa alone to be the main narrator, the novel’s dialogue became more indulging.

Writing Style and Conclusion

The writing style for  ‘After We Collided,’   which was the first-person point of view narration, stayed the same as  ‘After.’  However, there was a huge difference in the narration as it was not only from Tessa’s point of view alone but was from both her and Hardin’s point of view; this idea made the story better to understand in terms of how Tessa and Hardin felt about each other.

The conclusion of the story ‘ After We Collided ,’ though the novel ends with a cliffhanger where Tessa recognizes a homeless man on the street as her father, the ending still feels forced and not natural. The novel’s ending makes a reader feel forced to read the sequel.

After We Collided Review: Love after Pain

  • Writing Style
  • Lasting Effect on Reader

After We Collided Review

‘After We Collided’ is the second book in the ‘After’ series. The novel tells the story of Tessa and Hardin after Tessa’s heart had been shattered by the one boy she loved. Dive into a tale of pain, romance, love, and hate.

  • Good characters
  • Forced ending
  • Book too long
  • Story not too captivating

Joshua Ehiosun

About Joshua Ehiosun

Joshua is an undying lover of literary works. With a keen sense of humor and passion for coining vague ideas into state-of-the-art worded content, he ensures he puts everything he's got into making his work stand out. With his expertise in writing, Joshua works to scrutinize pieces of literature.

Cite This Page

Ehiosun, Joshua " After We Collided Review ⭐ " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/anna-todd/after-we-collided/review/ . Accessed 16 February 2024.

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Based on 57 parent reviews

Good overall film

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Lots of sexual activity implied, inca nu am incercat, such an amazing movie, disturbing messages for girls.

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by Abdulrazak Gurnah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 23, 2022

A novel with an epic feel, even at 320 pages, building a complex, character-based story that stretches over generations.

Pensive novel of desperate lives in colonial East Africa by 2021 Nobel Prize–winning writer Gurnah.

Where is Ilyas Hassan? That’s the central question that runs through Tanzanian British author Gurnah’s new novel, one that occupies its four principal characters. The oldest is Khalifa, who “did not look Indian, or not the kind of Indian they were used to seeing in that part of the world,” the product of an African mother and Gujarati father. Khalifa is but one of many Gujarati settlers around Zanzibar, territory taken by Germany in the “Scramble for Africa.” The Germans are not kind: By their lights, they “had to make the Africans feel the clenched fist of German power in order that they should learn to bear the yoke of their servitude compliantly.” Ilyas, a young migrant, is pressed into service in the schutztruppe, the colonial army, sent off to fight against first native peoples and then, as World War I erupts, the British. A younger man named Hamza also enlists, “silently wretched about what he had done.” Brutalized by a German officer in his unit, Hamza deserts and returns home and finds work in the same commercial enterprise as Ilyas and Khalifa, who has married a woman who is convinced that she is “surrounded by blasphemers,” a pious holy terror who reveals hidden depths. Gurnah’s story is an understated study in personality; the action is sparing, the reaction nuanced and wholly believable, and the love story that develops between Hamza and a young woman named Afiya touching: “ ‘I have nothing,’ he said. ‘Nor do I,’ she said. ‘We’ll have nothing together.’ ” The denouement, too, is unexpected, the story drawn to a close by two Ilyases: the original and Hamza’s son, who bears his name. Gurnah’s novel pairs well with Cameroon writer Patrice Nganang’s novel A Trail of Crab Tracks as a document of the colonial experience, and it is impeccably written.

Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-59354-1-883

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Riverhead

Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022

LITERARY FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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SEEN & HEARD

THE WOMEN

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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THE FOUR WINDS

by Kristin Hannah

THE GREAT ALONE

BOOK TO SCREEN

DEVOLUTION

Awards & Accolades

Readers Vote

Our Verdict

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

by Max Brooks ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020

A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.

Are we not men? We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006).

A zombie apocalypse is one thing. A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks’ latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, “it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people.” Maybe, but the sasquatches whom the volcano displaced contributed to the statistics, too, if only out of self-defense. Brooks places the epicenter of the Bigfoot war in a high-tech hideaway populated by the kind of people you might find in a Jurassic Park franchise: the schmo who doesn’t know how to do much of anything but tries anyway, the well-intentioned bleeding heart, the know-it-all intellectual who turns out to know the wrong things, the immigrant with a tough backstory and an instinct for survival. Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advice—for instance, try not to get wounded, for “injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Taking up our resources, our time to care for you.” Brooks presents a case for making room for Bigfoot in the world while peppering his narrative with timely social criticism about bad behavior on the human side of the conflict: The explosion of Rainier might have been better forecast had the president not slashed the budget of the U.S. Geological Survey, leading to “immediate suspension of the National Volcano Early Warning System,” and there’s always someone around looking to monetize the natural disaster and the sasquatch-y onslaught that follows. Brooks is a pro at building suspense even if it plays out in some rather spectacularly yucky episodes, one involving a short spear that takes its name from “the sucking sound of pulling it out of the dead man’s heart and lungs.” Grossness aside, it puts you right there on the scene.

Pub Date: June 16, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9848-2678-7

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine

Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020

GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | SCIENCE FICTION | SUSPENSE | GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION | SUSPENSE

More by Max Brooks

WORLD WAR Z

by Max Brooks

Devolution Movie Adaptation in Works

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17 Book Review Examples to Help You Write the Perfect Review

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Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

17 Book Review Examples to Help You Write the Perfect Review

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

  • A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
  • A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
  • A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

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Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.
His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.
This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.
This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.
I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.
The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.
Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.
An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.
Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.
The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.
As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.
This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.
Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.
Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.
Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.
In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.
♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.
Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.
“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!
This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.
The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.
Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.
I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.
The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.
I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.
I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”
Holy hell, what did I just read??
➽ A fantasy military school
➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history
➽ Shamans and gods
➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters
➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors
That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.
Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).
Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?
In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.
Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.
The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.
Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.
Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”
Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.
All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.
The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.
Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.
In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.
To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5
SUBJECT: 4/5
CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5
RELEVANCE: 3.5/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5
“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.
Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.
This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.
I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.
And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.
She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.
I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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Las Cruces Public Schools will amend book review policies after mishandling complaint

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Community members Sarah Smith and Juan Garcia spent the last two months working to overturn a decision by the Las Cruces School District library review committee that kept a controversial LGBTQ+ book on the shelf at Mayfield High School.

Smith and Garcia have argued to the Board that the committee's review of their complaint was flawed. On Jan. 30, the Board finally agreed, voted to disband the review committee and reconsider the complaint due to procedural conflicts in district policy.

Book complaint filed under wrong Las Cruces school district policy   

The district’s counsel Elena Gallegos, during the Jan. 30 meeting, told board members that the wrong policy was used to review Smith and Garcia’s book complaint.

Gallegos, for clarity, presented to the Board both existing policies to highlight which processes the district followed regarding Smith and Garcia’s complaint. One addresses the review of curriculum materials, KEF , while the other addresses the review of elective library materials, KEC.   

The book involved in Smith's complaint: Jack of Hearts and Other Parts will stay on the shelf at Mayfield High School

Both policies require official complaints to be filed on the same form. As a result, administrators and the Board were confused which policy to follow. Both policies also have different procedures for how review committees are created and selected.   

“It was pretty interesting. I don't think, at best, I could tell nobody knew that the wrong policy was being used until the lawyer presented it. We had just been told to follow that specific policy last August when we filed the complaint,” Smith told the Sun-News .

“I didn't realize there was another policy as well. I thought it was interesting to realize that there are conflicting policies in the district, and that there are so many policies that even the school board members and the administration don't necessarily have a good understanding of.”  

She said she did not anticipate this mix-up to be the focus of the meeting and left wondering what other regulations and policies may need revising.  

“It kind of, to some degree, raises some questions, makes you wonder what other policies might be either conflicting or maybe don't make sense or policies that we need to know about, that people aren't even aware of,” Smith said.

“The fact that there's two different policies and regulations and only one form (to submit a complaint) makes for a huge amount of confusion.” 

Las Cruces School Board, lawyer weigh in on mishandling complaint   

After both policies were presented to the Board, Gallegos acknowledged that implementing them under the current regulations was complex and told the Board it needed clearer procedures moving forward.  

“I think it got complicated for everybody and I say genuinely that it was complicated for the complainants who filed their complaint and are now complaining under the KEC policy. I can only imagine that it was complicated for administration,” Gallegos told the Board. 

“What's interesting is, even though the complaint clearly was about an elective book and not a curricular book, the complainants by regulation are told under KEC that parents, students, staff and our community members are provided a means to review and or challenge library resources … that regulation refers them over to that [KEF] form."  

Gallegos also raised concern about whether the teacher's union had been involved in the review process as required under collective bargaining agreements. She said it too should be aware of any changes to regulations and policies, and the Board agreed.  

Upon conclusion of Gallegos’ presentation, board members took up discussion on how to fix the book review policies and regulations for clarity ahead of a potential refile of Smith’s and Garcia’s complaint.

Board member Pamela Cort said that establishing two forms was doable and an immediate solution. She also proposed amending the policies in the future to avoid further confusion.  

“As Ms. Gallegos showed us, there's a very different process for selecting those committees, which might have alleviated a lot of what's happening right now,” Cort said. “Clearly, we need to look at a policy review and definitely look at the regulations and make sure that we're aligning.”  

Las Cruces School Board orders administration to fix book review regulations

In a unanimous vote, the Board ordered LCPS administration to revise existing regulations for policies KEF and KEC, both used to review instructional and elective library materials.  

The Board gave administration until Feb.14, with the chance for an extension, to come up with new regulations that would make book complaints easier to interpret and investigate.  

In another unanimous vote, the Board decided that the new regulations would allow Smith’s and Garcia’s August 2023 complaint to be reconsidered.  

When asked if she would refile the complaint, Smith told Sun-News it was something her and Garcia “hadn’t decided yet.”  

Ernesto Cisneros is a reporting fellow with the UNM/NM Local News Fund program. He covers education for the Sun-News and can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter at @_ernestcisneros .

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6 Self-Help Books That Therapists Read Themselves

Experts recommend these contemplative texts and workbooks to help shift your perspective.

An illustration of a person holding a paddle and standing on a book that is a raft on a dark blue river with large rocks that must be steered around.

By Carolyn Todd

Of the thousands of self-help books on the market, which ones are truly helpful? “It’s uncommon to find a self-help book that feels different,” said Vienna Pharaon, a marriage and family therapist in New York City.

But genuinely useful titles abound. The best of the genre invite reflection or offer practical tools to promote emotional, psychological or spiritual well-being. And there are some that therapists personally turn to or suggest to their patients.

“Almost every therapist I know has a whole list of self-help books to recommend,” said Daniel Tomasulo, a counseling psychologist and the academic director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University.

When sorting through the self-help stacks, who better to help than mental health professionals? We asked seven to share their picks.

1. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World , by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams

How do we experience joy in the face of personal and collective suffering? The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu spent five days reflecting on their own lives to answer that question, and they compiled their stories and guidance in this 2016 book.

“The Book of Joy” is an opportunity to learn from two spiritual leaders in an intimate, accessible way, said Sona Dimidjian, director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Through their dialogue, which is punctuated with laughter and tears, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu teach readers how to cultivate joy and work through difficulties like illness and despair. Dr. Dimidjian recommends the book to “anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by the realities of our world and daily life today,” she said.

2. The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living , by Russ Harris

This book, first published in 2007, teaches you to accept your negative thoughts and feelings as they arise, instead of resisting or being consumed by them — a refreshing approach known as acceptance and commitment therapy.

Diana Garcia, a South Florida-based therapist, says this easy-to-read primer made her “first fall in love” with ACT. She has clients use the book as a supplement to their sessions and recommends it to friends who are feeling stuck. It teaches you how to keep taking actions that move you in a positive direction regardless of how you’re feeling, she explained.

3. Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion , by Gregory Boyle

Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit priest who founded Homeboy Industries, a rehabilitation and re-entry program for former gang members. His 2011 book is a collection of real, raw stories about people he worked with and the lessons we can all draw from their experiences.

“Each chapter reads like a Sunday sermon to be savored and meditated upon,” said Jacob Ham, director of the Center for Child Trauma and Resilience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. While faith is woven throughout the book, Dr. Ham recommends the title to anyone who feels “that their traumas and all the ways they’ve coped with them have left them broken and unredeemable.”

4. The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity , by Julia Cameron

This 1992 workbook from Julia Cameron, a teacher and author, is a 12-week guide to recovering your sense of childlike creativity. And it’s not just for artists and writers, said Britt Frank, a trauma specialist in Kansas.

“Of all of the books I have ever used with clients, this one has the most staying power,” she said. “Because everyone is creative, and creativity is medicine.”

For years, Ms. Frank has returned to the book’s tools — like the “morning pages,” a stream-of-consciousness journaling practice. And she uses “The Artist’s Way” when treating clients with issues like depression and addiction. But skimmers beware, Ms. Frank cautioned: “It’s not a book you read. It’s a book you work.”

5. Homecoming: Healing Trauma to Reclaim Your Authentic Self , by Thema Bryant

Thema Bryant is a trauma therapist, ordained minister and professor who offers a “distinctive lens on health, hope and healing trauma,” said Ayanna Abrams, a psychologist in Atlanta.

Drawing on her clinical work, spirituality and personal recovery from trauma, Dr. Bryant shares stories, reflections and exercises in this 2022 title. She helps people believe in their capacity to heal, Dr. Abrams explained. Dr. Bryant also avoids the “gimmicky, bypassing or vague” language that so many self-help books lean on, she added.

6. The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate and Ignite Your Positive Personality , by Ryan M. Niemiec and Robert E. McGrath

This 2019 guide helps people recognize, honor and nurture their brightest qualities, Dr. Tomasulo said. The idea of cultivating your “character strengths” comes from positive psychology, which centers on promoting well-being, he explained. “It’s about moving from focusing on ‘what’s wrong’ to ‘what’s strong.’”

People who lean into their character strengths tend to be happier , Dr. Tomasulo said. This book, he explained, is a good pick for “people who are doing OK, but want to have more joy and well-being in their life.”

Carolyn Todd is a freelance health journalist who covers wellness, mental well-being and diabetes.

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Exercise, even in small doses, can improve your mood. Try our eight-minute routine  that's based on movements researchers say are inspired by joy.

‘The Book of Mormon’ turns a page, sort of

Even after script revisions to address complaints about race, the hit musical still aims to offend.

Sam McLellan (left), Keke Nesbitt (center), Sam Nackman (right), and the company of "The Book of Mormon."

Several years ago, as the theater industry reexamined its practices and assumptions as part of a wider “racial reckoning,” Black members of the cast in “The Book of Mormon” told the creative team that changes needed to be made.

A musical about young white Mormon missionaries attempting to convert the residents of a village in Uganda that is being menaced by a warlord, “The Book of Mormon” has been a monster hit since it premiered in 2011. It recently became the 12th-longest-running show in Broadway history, surpassing “Jersey Boys.”

But it has been dogged by criticism of the show’s treatment of race. After similar concerns were voiced by the cast, the “Mormon” script was revised so that the profile of the main Black character, Nabulungi — superbly played by the luminous Keke Nesbitt at Citizens Opera House — is enlarged.

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For example, a sight gag in which Nabulungi tries to send texts with a typewriter — which never made sense, given her obvious intelligence — has been changed; she now uses an iPad. Also — spoiler alert! — it is now Nabulungi, rather than one of the white missionaries, who forcefully drives away the eyepatch-wearing warlord (Dewight Braxton Jr.) from her village. Nesbitt makes Nabulungi, the daughter of village leader Mafala Hatimbi (Lamont J. Whitaker), the moral center and conscience of “Mormon.”

In the touring production that has arrived in Boston for a brief (and sold-out) run that ends Sunday, “The Book of Mormon” still traffics in offensive cultural stereotypes in its depiction of the Ugandans.

Without excusing that, it has seemed pretty clear to me from the beginning that “Mormon”’s true satirical targets, the true butt of the jokes, are the missionaries, along with the brand of presumptuous do-gooder-ism — rising almost to a kind of colonialism — they represent.

The company of "The Book of Mormon."

For example, there’s a scene in the touring production (it was present in the original 2011 Broadway production as well) where the clueless missionaries, attired in blindingly white short-sleeved shirts and tightly knotted neckties, blithely proclaim in song that “I Am Africa.” (”Just like Bono! I am Africa! I flew in here and became one with this land!”) as the Black villagers grit their teeth and look on in disbelief.

Then there’s the scene, in both the original and the touring production at the Opera House, when two Ugandan characters make clear that there is a performative element to the villagers’ behavior: Their seeming embrace of the ludicrous stories and doctrines propounded by missionary Elder Cunningham (Sam Nackman) is a put-on. They view his religious “teachings” as metaphorical, not literal.

Kim Exum, who is currently playing Nabulungi on Broadway, told The New York Times in 2021 that the revisions had the effect of “putting Uganda at the center, instead of the Mormon boys.”

About those boys: Director Jennifer Werner needs to tell Nackman to dial his performance back a little — make that a lot.

You wouldn’t think it possible for an actor to overplay a role as broadly written as Elder Cunningham, but Nackman does so, especially in Act One. Yes, the character is supposed to be a buffoon, but he’s not supposed to be gratingly unfunny, and Nackman’s over-the-top goofiness makes Elder Cunningham less plausible as a romantic interest for Nabulungi.

However, Sam McLellan doesn’t need to change a thing in his portrayal of the egotistical Elder Price, who is wholly convinced that God has singled him out for greatness. While remaining in a chiefly comic vein, McLellan manages to keep Elder Price mostly likable when he is riding high, and sympathetic when he receives an inevitable comeuppance.

Sam McLellan (left) and Dewight Braxton Jr. in "The Book of Mormon."

A core strength of “Mormon” continues to be the killer songs written by Trey Parker, his “South Park” partner Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez (”Avenue Q,” “Frozen”). Among them are “Hello!”; “Turn It Off,” complete with a dazzlingly rapid costume change by the missionaries into pink vests; “I Believe”; “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream”; ”Man Up”; “Sal Tlay Ka Siti”; and one of the most rousing 11 o’clock numbers imaginable, “Tomorrow Is a Latter Day.”

A core weakness of the show continues to be the gratuitously ugly “jokes” about AIDS, assaults on babies, genital mutilation, and the death of a teenage girl from cancer (in the otherwise enjoyable “Turn It Off”).

The original 2011 Broadway production significantly boosted the careers of Andrew Rannells (Elder Price), Josh Gad (Elder Cunningham), and Nikki M. James (Nabulungi). Rannells and Gad recently teamed up again on Broadway for “Gutenberg! The Musical," and James is slated to play Ida B. Wells in the upcoming “Suffs," a musical about the battle for the right to vote waged by suffragists a century ago.

It’s doubtful any “Mormon” cast will ever rival that powerhouse trio.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Book, music, and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner. Original direction by Casey Nicholaw and Parker. Original choreography by Nicholaw. Presented by Broadway in Boston. At Citizens Opera House. Through Feb. 18. BroadwayInBoston.com

Don Aucoin can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @GlobeAucoin .

How to Read the Hunger Games Books in Order

Don't know where to start check out this hunger games reading guide..

Rosie Knight Avatar

2024 marks 16 years since Suzanne Collins debuted the brutal world of The Hunger Games and its heroic rebel leader, Katniss Everdeen. With the recent release of the prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and its subsequent film adaptation, now is the perfect time to revisit the original books that started it all.

Set in a dystopian world where kids kill each other annually as a way to quell a rebellious and fractured nation, The Hunger Games sparked a YA frenzy and inspired women all over the world to take up archery. If you're feeling like you want to revisit the franchise but don't know where to start, we're here to guide you through the Hunger Games books in order. You can also check out our guide to The Hunger Games movies as well.

Do you prefer the Hunger Games movie or book series?

While the newest edition to the series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , is set before the original trilogy, the context provided by the three Hunger Games books is key to truly enjoying the prequel. With that in mind, we recommend reading the originals before that entry. But if you want a chronological journey through Panem, then feel free to begin with Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before hitting the others.

Hunger Games Box Set

1. The Hunger Games

It was this dramatic YA hit that launched the epic Hunger Games franchise. After author Suzanne Collins found herself flicking between coverage of the ongoing war in Iraq and reality TV late at night, she was inspired to create her bestselling novel about a world where kids must fight each other to the death for the entertainment of their fellow countrymen. It's a brutal entry into the dystopian YA canon that launched 1,000 imitators and a smash-hit box office franchise that's still going strong today.

The story of this first novel follows Katniss, a young woman in the impoverished District 12, who scavenges to help her family survive far from the watchful eye of the Capitol. But when the annual reaping ceremony sees Katniss's young sister picked as a Tribute for that year's Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers, sending herself on a nightmarish journey of survival. Fighting against other children from Panem and alongside her fellow District 12 tribute, the sweet-hearted baker Peeta, she must outsmart not only her competitors but also the maniacal government that sent them there.

2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Following their shocking survival in the Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss should be living a peaceful life as champions. But after tricking the Capitol into letting them both survive, the pair are in more danger than ever. Their radical survival has inspired cells of resistance across Panem, and President Snow blames Katniss, threatening death to her loved ones if she doesn't play along with the Capitol narrative. But Katniss can't help but be inspired by the bravery of the Districts that she and Peeta visit on their "Victory Tour," and soon the pair finds themselves in the arena of the Hunger Games once again. Taking her bestselling formula and expanding the world and lore while introducing new fan-fave characters like Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason, the second entry in the series sets up the shocking finale brilliantly with a world-shifting twist that changes everything we know about Panem.

3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

In the action-packed finale of the original Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss and her rebellion friends are flung into a nightmarish war against the Capitol. As they aim to take down President Snow and install their own leader, Alma Coin, Katniss finds herself the reluctant face of a battle that puts her loved ones in the crosshairs. Instead of a return to the Hunger Games arena, Snow brings the Hunger Games to the streets of the Capitol, where Katniss and her crew must battle through nightmarish traps and horrific violence in order to achieve their goal of bringing freedom to Panem. But, as she learns, nothing is what it seems, and some people don't want to change the system so much as take control of it. This trilogy-ender stands out as a surprisingly depressing and realistic end to a blockbuster series.

Note : The theatrical version of this final book was split into two films, Mockingjay - Part 1 and Part 2 .

4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

As noted above, this prequel is set 64 years before the original book, though Collins wrote it with audiences who were familiar with her series in mind. That's why the prequel ends up at the end of our list, so you can fully enjoy the context and worldbuilding of the original trilogy before having your heart broken by the origin story of the villainous President Snow.

Chronicling the origins of the Hunger Games as we know them, this story centers on the planning of the 10th edition of the Games and the impoverished 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, who is chosen as a mentor for District 12. It's there he meets their female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, who becomes an influential part in the history of the Games, thanks to the way she utilizes her skills as a musician to engage the audience. As Snow and Lucy grow closer, both their lives change forever as they prepare for the Hunger Games and fall for each other in the process. This is an intriguing look at the early days of the Games and how both Lucy and Snow shaped them. If you're already a fan, it's an expansion filled with Easter eggs. And if you're a newcomer, it's an interesting jumping-on point that'll change how you read the series.

Will There Be More Hunger Games Books?

At the moment, no future Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins have been announced. That being said, the long history of the Hunger Games themselves leaves a lot of opportunities for additional spin-offs featuring popular characters from both the prequel and the original series. We don't yet know if Collins has any interest in continuing the series at this time, and the director of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has stated he won't make a new movie without source material from the writer.

Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is a published comics author who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the weekly Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision. When she's not writing, you can find her playing Dragon Ball FighterZ or rewatching weird old horror and martial movies in her free time. She loves making comics and zines as well as collecting VHS and reading much manga as humanly possible. You can find her on social at @rosiemarx.

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Movie Reviews

'the taste of things' is a sizzling romance and foodie feast — but don't go in hungry.

Justin Chang

book review of after

Juliette Binoche prepares one elaborate dish after another in The Taste of Things. Stéphanie Branchu/IFC Films Release hide caption

Juliette Binoche prepares one elaborate dish after another in The Taste of Things.

I first saw The Taste of Things at 8:30 in the morning at a Cannes Film Festival press screening last year. Like a lot of other journalists, I walked in jet-lagged, bleary-eyed — and hopeful that what I was about to see would, at the very least, keep me awake. It did, and then some.

In the opening moments, as I watched Juliette Binoche putter about a rustic 19th-century French kitchen, whipping eggs for an omelet, my stomach began to rumble, and I wished I'd had more for breakfast than an espresso. In time I was not only fully alert but held rapt as Binoche prepared one elaborate, mouth-watering dish after another: a roasted veal loin, a milk-poached turbot, a shimmering baked Alaska.

For about 40 minutes, she cooks and cooks and cooks in a gorgeously directed sequence that plays out with very few words and no music — just the sounds of sizzling butter, bubbling broth and utensils scraping against crockery.

Masa, the key to tortillas and tamales, inspires an award-winning documentary series

Masa, the key to tortillas and tamales, inspires an award-winning documentary series

The Taste of Things is, in every sense, a feast of a movie — a foodie tour de force to set beside such culinary classics as Babette's Feast , Like Water for Chocolate and Tampopo . It's also one of the most deeply felt romances to hit the screen in ages.

It's 1889, and Binoche plays Eugénie, who's lived and worked for years as the cook in the home of a famous gourmet, Dodin Bouffant, who's known throughout France as "the Napoleon of the culinary arts." He's played by Benoît Magimel. Both Eugénie and Dodin have spent their lives in the pursuit and perfection of culinary pleasure, something we see from the ease and assurance with which they move around the kitchen.

book review of after

Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel in The Taste of Things. Stéphanie Branchu/IFC Films Release hide caption

Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel in The Taste of Things.

We can also see that they're deeply in love; indeed, it's hard to tell where their love for food ends and their love for each other begins. For years Dodin has asked Eugénie to marry him, but she doesn't see why their years-long commitment to each other requires the official blessing of marriage. On most nights, he steals up to her bedroom, at which point the camera discreetly turns away; after you've seen Dodin prepare Eugénie a dish of oysters, watching them make love would be practically redundant.

The movie was exquisitely written and directed by Trần Anh Hùng, a Vietnamese French filmmaker who, from his early films like The Scent of Green Papaya , has always delighted in ravishing the senses. His script, very loosely drawn from Marcel Rouff's classic 1924 novel, The Passionate Epicure , doesn't have a ton of plot. Instead it glides from one leisurely multi-course meal to another, observing as dishes are prepared and eaten, and eavesdropping on snatches of dinnertime conversation. It isn't the story that makes The Taste of Things so enveloping; it's the luscious atmosphere of unhurried indulgence and vicarious privilege.

As the film continues, it becomes more elegiac in tone; this is a story about the passage of time and the sacrifices that artists make in devoting themselves to their craft. Eugénie and Dodin consider taking on a young apprentice named Pauline, who already shows promising signs of becoming a great cook — but as they note, it will take years of intense practice and study for her to realize her potential. Meanwhile, Eugénie isn't in the best of health; she keeps having fainting spells, which she tries to downplay. It's a reminder that nothing lasts forever, not yesterday's meals or even tomorrow's discoveries.

The Taste of Things isn't the only great foodie movie of the season. You may have also heard about Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros , Frederick Wiseman's magnificent four-hour documentary about the operations of a family-owned three-Michelin-star restaurant in France's Loire Valley. Ridiculously, Menus-Plaisirs , easily one of the best nonfiction films of last year, wasn't even shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Meanwhile, France submitted The Taste of Things for the international feature category, but it wasn't ultimately nominated. But the lack of official recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences doesn't diminish the beauty and satisfaction of either of these two movies. See them both, one after another if you can — and don't forget to eat in between.

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COMMENTS

  1. After Review: A Dark Side to Love

    Protagonist: Tessa Young Publication Date: 2013 Genre: Romance Rating: 3.3/5 Review After By Written by Joshua Ehiosun C2 certified writer. 'After' gives a different meaning to how people view romance. The book emerges an under-explored aspect of romance writing, showing the dark side of love.

  2. After (After, #1) by Anna Todd

    323,774 ratings22,982 reviews 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.

  3. After Book Summary

    Written by Joshua Ehiosun C2 certified writer. 'After' by Anna Todd is a young adult romance novel that tells the story of the main character Tessa, a young eighteen-year-old fresh college student who meets Hardin, a boy with a rude, cold, and annoying attitude.

  4. Book Review: Anna Todd's "After" Series

    May 28, 2021 at 11:53 am. 3.7/5. after by Anna Todd's is a story AFTER follows Tessa Langford, a dedicated student, dutiful daughter, and loyal girlfriend to her high-school sweetheart, as she enters her first semester in college armed with grand ambitions for her future.

  5. After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life

    Amazon.com: After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond: 9781250263032: Greyson M.D., Bruce: Books Books › Religion & Spirituality › Occult & Paranormal and start saving today with Kindle $11.99 Available instantly Audiobook $0.00 with membership Hardcover $21.29 Paperback $13.89 Other Used and New from $5.79

  6. After

    Movie Tie-In: Producers often use a book as a springboard for a movie idea or to earn a specific rating. Because of this, a movie may differ from the novel. To better understand how this book and the movie differ, compare this book review with Plugged In's movie review for After.

  7. Book Review

    After (1) (The After Series) By Todd, Anna. Buy on Amazon. There are about a million triggers in the book as well. Nothing about their relationship is healthy. I don't condone one lick of it, but that's not going to stop me from giving them a read. Any abuse is bad abuse and that's why I do appreciate the ending.

  8. After

    Writer Lexi Goodrum publishes a book review over "After" by Anna Todd. "I read this book after I had watched the After movie, and I loved the movie because the storyline was simple and realistic. I fell in love with Tessa and Hardin's relationship and wanted to know more about it, so I read the book with high expectations," Goodrum said.

  9. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: After (1) (The After Series)

    23,117 total ratings, 2,198 with reviews From the United States Savannah Steamy and interesting Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023 Verified Purchase Loved loved this book and series. The books are steamy and keep you interested the whole book and series love it! Helpful Report Amazon Customer Amazing, addicting better than the movie!

  10. Review: 'Afterlives,' by Abdulrazak Gurnah

    AFTERLIVES, by Abdulrazak Gurnah. In his 1961 book "The Wretched of the Earth," the French psychiatrist and political philosopher Frantz Fanon wrote that "the settler only ends his work of ...

  11. Book Review: After Novel by Anna Todd

    'After' marks Todd's breakout success, captivating readers with its raw emotions, intense romance, and addictive storytelling. With her unique writing style, Todd delves into the depths of human emotions, exploring the complexities of love, passion, and self-discovery.

  12. The After Collection: After, After We Collided, After W…

    4.44 1,997 ratings47 reviews From the New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Anna Todd comes the complete collection of her sizzling After series—the inspiration behind the major motion picture After. After: Once she meets Hardin, good girl Tessa's life will never be the same.

  13. After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Re…

    3,167 ratings476 reviews The world's leading expert on near-death experiences reveals his journey toward rethinking the nature of death, life, and the continuity of consciousness. Cases of remarkable experiences on the threshold of death have been reported since ancient times, and are described today by 10% of people whose hearts stop.

  14. Book Review Wednesday: The After Series by Anna Todd

    Book Review Wednesday: The After Series by Anna Todd in book, book blogger, book review, book review blogger, book review wednesday, by RoyallyPink, 6:30 AM I have avoided this series for years. I remember when it was first released and I heard that it was a Harry Styles fanfiction come to life.

  15. After

    After by Vivek Narayanan. reviewed by Kevin McGrath. Vivek Narayanan, one of the most distinguished Indian poets of today, has with this remarkable book drawn upon an Indian heroic song of the late Bronze Age, Rāmāyana, and transferred the ancient virtues and poetic being of that epic to the twenty-first century.Such is the foundation of the reimagined narrative in After.

  16. After We Collided Review: Love after Pain

    'After We Collided' is a book that is better refined than its prequel, 'After.' With better storytelling, better character definition, and better dialogues, the novel is much smoother to read. One thing a reader would notice from the story is that the characters seem to be a little too mature for their age; this makes one forget that Tessa is an 18-year-old.

  17. Book Review: After

    Book Review: After. by Bruce Greyson, MD - ST. MARTIN'S ESSENTIALS. ST. MARTIN'S ESSENTIALS. PSYCHIATRIST BRUCE GREYSON reminds us that the best scientists don't dismiss data just because it conflicts with their preexisting biases. "It didn't seem scientific to shy away from some things just because they were hard to explain," he ...

  18. Parent reviews for After

    Helpful. Mel D. Parent of 13-year-old. November 18, 2023. age 16+. Underage drinking and sex scenes. Not a great message on how a relationship should be, but it's always fun to watch the good girl with the bad boy. But at an older teen age, your kids should know this is just a movie and what is right from wrong.

  19. AFTERLIVES

    The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school. Unrelenting, and not in a good way. 0.

  20. Book Review: 'After Sappho,' by Selby Wynn Schwartz

    Likewise, it is an imagined whole that gives "After Sappho" a momentum beyond that of its individual stories. The overlapping histories, most titled simply with names and dates, fit together ...

  21. 17 Book Review Examples to Help You Write the Perfect Review

    It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking. Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry's Freefall, a crime novel: In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it's a more subtle process, and that's OK too.

  22. 'Life After Power' Review: Postpresidential Pursuits

    Holiday Books: Our 2023 Guide to the Best Gifts The 10 Best Books of 2023 Who Read What in 2023 'The Book at War' Review. ... 'Life After Power' Review: Postpresidential Pursuits.

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    Book complaint filed under wrong Las Cruces school district policy The district's counsel Elena Gallegos, during the Jan. 30 meeting, told board members that the wrong policy was used to review ...

  24. 6 Self-Help Books That Therapists Read Themselves

    This book, he explained, is a good pick for "people who are doing OK, but want to have more joy and well-being in their life." Carolyn Todd is a freelance health journalist who covers wellness ...

  25. After That Night (Will Trent, #11) by Karin Slaughter

    4.33 33,137 ratings3,016 reviews Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2023) After that night, nothing was ever the same again Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton's life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life.

  26. Review: 'The Book of Mormon' at Boston's Citizens Opera House

    'The Book of Mormon' turns a page, sort of Even after script revisions to address complaints about race, the hit musical still aims to offend By Don Aucoin Globe Staff, Updated February 15 ...

  27. How to Read the Hunger Games Books in Order

    1. The Hunger Games. It was this dramatic YA hit that launched the epic Hunger Games franchise. After author Suzanne Collins found herself flicking between coverage of the ongoing war in Iraq and ...

  28. 'The Taste of Things' review: Juliette Binoche stars in a sumptuous

    I first saw The Taste of Things at 8:30 in the morning at a Cannes Film Festival press screening last year. Like a lot of other journalists, I walked in jet-lagged, bleary-eyed — and hopeful ...

  29. Google's Gemini is now in everything. Here's how you can try it out

    Gmail, Docs, and more will now come with Gemini baked in. But Europeans will have to wait before they can download the app. In the biggest mass-market AI launch yet, Google is rolling out Gemini ...