Before
Page turning
Light hearted
Predictable

Before

Anna Todd2015
Recounts Hardin's first encounters with Tessa and their ensuing love affair that became a vortex pulling in everyone around them.
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Reviews

Photo of Mira Koo
Mira Koo@wildc
4 stars
Jul 30, 2024

Luulin, että kirja kertoo Hardinista ajalta jolloin hän oli kotimaassaan. Yllätyin iloisesti kun näin ei ollut. Pidän tästä kirjasarjasta niin kovin. Harmi, ettei tätä eikä Landon- kirjasarjaa ole suomennettu.

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Geraldine Alatriste López@geral
3 stars
May 5, 2023

Wow, just wow, i am currently speechles, it felt like Anna gave me and hardin the closure we both needed, i was expecting however more from it, but what they gave me was really good

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Micah@siltoile
1 star
Jan 3, 2023

If you identify with Hardin and Tessa's relationship, you are in an abusive relationship and there is help available to you. Seek help now. If this was supposed to humanize Hardin, it failed dramatically. This inner dialogue of Hardin's during the first book just reiterated the fact that Hardin is an abusive, self-indulgent, abomination of a human being. I maintain that the ending of Hardin and Tessa's story is unrealistic, as Hardin would have violently murdered Tessa long before they had children.

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Kathleen Tom@kateee
5 stars
Jan 2, 2023

I’ve read Tessa Pov’s way far to many times and it’s good to read what Hardin think. It’s like you understand him more.

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Chiara Fabbri@afteritaly
4 stars
Aug 19, 2022

4,75/5 ⭐

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Fröska@froskapolska
1 star
Jan 13, 2022

DNF.... this book, compiled of supporting character perspectives and backgrounds from the main series, just doesn't carry the same weight, intensity, or even the conflict-toned writing of the main series.

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Inês Parada@inescparada
3 stars
Dec 27, 2021

I absolutely love the after books by anna todd, they are my all time favourite series. I also loved this book, you are able to read from hardin's perspective since the begining, you can read the story of other characters like moly and you get to know their past and you can read a little more about tessa and hardin future after the book "after ever happy". It starts with a hessa playlist and I absolutely loved that fact. A nice book for those who love hardin and tessa love story.

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Alex Hill @mybookishworld
1 star
Dec 5, 2021

I love the book because it just great to see from Hardin's point of view.

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Adrianna Giunta@adriannaslibrary
1 star
Nov 16, 2021

I HATED this book. This is the first book of this year that I just couldn't finish, I skimmed over most of it. It's basically the first book all over again and as much as I liked the first book I didn't need to see Hardin's point of view because it didn't really add anything. There's a couple of extra bits about the other characters but nothing of importance. Another thing that bothered me is how inaccurate Anna's writing is when writing English characters. It's something I noticed in the other books with Hardin but I thought perhaps where he'd lived in America for a while he'd picked up the language. However, when Natalie has her part in the book she uses phrases such as "parking lot" and other American terms that we don't use in England. It's a really simple problem but it bothered me so much. So yeah in short I didn't like this at all.

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Carmen Klinkhamer @carmen
4 stars
Oct 26, 2021

Echt een shock! Je wordt echt een beetje uit je mooie droom gehaald.

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Samantha@bewildbird
2 stars
Oct 22, 2021

DNF. got bored

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Molly Talbot@mollyjane
4 stars
Oct 10, 2021

Didn't really add much to the series but still an enjoyable read, the before and after sections where the best allowing the reader to learn about the different characters perspectives (actually made me tear up a bit feeling sorry for molly???? How did that happen!!) The during section was less interesting as was just lots of sections from the first after book just from Hardin's perspective so was definitely a slower read. But altogether a nice expansion to the rest of the series!

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Chelsea Breher@cheezyreads
2 stars
Sep 27, 2021

Harden's problematic behaviors are at least addressed in this one, however his behaviorism is beyond problematic

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Ariella@ariella
5 stars
Sep 25, 2021

Esta historia me ha hecho sentir de diferentes maneras, algunos sentimientos fueron contradictorios, otros simplemente fueron de lo más normal. Lo que me ha encantado de la historia de Hessa, es la forma en que la escritora presenta una historia que se puede etiquetar como "cliché", pero, aun asi te atrapa, personalmente, leyendo el primer libro (600 PÁGINAS) estaba como "todo lo que ya he leído en otro lado se esta presentando en la historia PERO ME ENCANTA" no por nada terminé de leerla en dos días. He leído tantas opiniones negativas sobre esta historia y más ahora que el año que viene sale su película, realmente no entiendo. Si esperaban a otra historia donde la chica buena con su inocencia e ingenuidad, atrapa, corrige y salva al típico chico malo que su pasado le atormenta OBVIAMENTE NO ES ESTA LA NOVELA QUE ESPERABAS. Esta historia presenta LA REALIDAD, no la realidad de los libros donde vas en el pasillo de tu facultad y por chocar con un chico (que es EL MÁS POPULAR, MAS SEXY, MAS MUJERIEGO) te echa todo tus libros al piso Y EMPIEZA LA HISTORIA DE AMOR. no. no. no. Esta es la historia donde una chica que se ve atraída por un chico que no le conviene. Esta es la historia donde una chica que se ve profundamente enamorada y perdona (por lo que ella cree que es Amor) los errores del chico. Esta es la historia de un chico que se ve atraído por una chica y no sabe como corresponderla entonces lo hace a su manera. Esta es la historia de un chico que se ve profundamente enamorado pero debido a todo lo que le ha pasado en la vida (y vayan que fueron cosas MUY DENSAS) se ve roto, no puede obrar de buena forma. NO ESTOY PONIENDO EXCUSAS, PARA NINGUNO DE LOS DOS. A Tessa le faltó más seguridad, más amor propio, más sentido común. A Hardin le faltó el seguir adelante y dejar los demonios del pasado donde pertenecen , EN EL PASADO, le faltó madurar. A los dos le faltaban muchas cosas. Y es exactamente por eso que leí toda la SAGA Y ME GUSTÓ. PORQUE PRESENTA LA REALIDAD, hay tantas nubes grises sobre estos dos personajes, algunas tormentas pudieron superar, otras, no. El avance de Hessa, fue completamente, real, uno no cambia de la noche a la mañana, uno no es malo toda su vida pero decide ser la persona mas buena del mundo solo por "amor" en un cortísimo período de tiempo NO NO NO, es un proceso, es un camino largo que se debe de tomar, algunas veces avanzas, otras veces te estancas y en otros casos, retrocedes. pero SE APRENDE. Y eso es lo que a mi me ha pasado en esta lectura, he aprendido muchas cosas. Aprendí a que uno debe ser fiel a sí mismo y lo importante que es el amor propio. Aprendí a que no debo actuar de forma diferente para encajar en un grupo, porque solo yo llevo las consecuencias. Aprendí que debo aceptar lo que me hace feliz no importa las altas críticas que recibo de los demás. Aprendí como son las malas relaciones a las que siempre etiquetamos como "tóxicas". Simplemente....aprendí. porque lo que hace de un libro... UN GRAN LIBRO es la enseñanza que deja. el impacto en tu forma de pensar, y lo bien que te hace sentir mientras lo lees.

Photo of Jessica
Jessica @jessicabeckett
5 stars
Aug 25, 2021

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | As the girl grew up, she quickly caught on to the game and became a master player. In all honesty, due to my lukewarm feelings towards the After series but grudging desire to finish reading all the novels, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Before. Retellings are tricky to navigate and I’ve never seen the point to hearing both sides to a love story. I fully expect to hate it or at least dislike it in the way that I did with E.L. James’ Grey. I picked it up and thought, okay, I’m going to hate it or I’m going to, hopefully, understand things better, Hardin Scott was never a character I particularly liked, never quite agreeing with his actions through the series original run, and although I understood his actions, I didn’t condone or excuse them. I still don’t, if you were wondering, but I found myself surprised by this release. Again, I was skeptical that it was just going to be a dumb re-imagining, the same story hashed out differently and done solely for money. Before, however, is an entirely different thing. It has the retelling aspect to it, don’t mistake me. But there was so much more to it than just a standard nod to the original run, from different eyes. It expands on Hessa and their unfortunate relationship, true, but it does so much more than what I'd thought it would. Continued: BOOKEDJ

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Paula@pau
2.5 stars
Dec 12, 2023
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Kayleigh Vermeij@kayleigh05
2.5 stars
Dec 10, 2023
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Alice Jones @aalicejones
3 stars
Apr 21, 2023
+5
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bailey murphy@bailey2m3
1.5 stars
Nov 3, 2022
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Ali Bishop@bishop_library
4.5 stars
Sep 23, 2022
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Abbie @abbie5
3.5 stars
May 21, 2022
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Luz ♡@luzmhv
1.5 stars
Apr 21, 2022
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mims@mirranlynch
4.5 stars
Mar 16, 2022
Photo of Dena Andonova
Dena Andonova@dandonova
3 stars
Mar 12, 2022

Highlights

Photo of rory
rory@rorysbookshelf

hardin is being a jerk as always 💀

Page 202
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rory@rorysbookshelf

hardin is completely in love with tessa he just doesn’t want to admit it

Page 192
This highlight contains a spoiler
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rory@rorysbookshelf

i like that hardin is literally trying is best to not fall for tessa and tessa doesn’t have an ideia what is waiting for her

Page 181
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rory@rorysbookshelf

hardins toughs are just weird and i wasn’t expecting that he would like tessa so fast 🤷🏼‍♀️

Page 166
This highlight contains a spoiler