The After Series

I know what everyone must be thinking, how did a modern day love story change your life? Their are so many classic novels, self help books, and everything in-between. I've read many books in my life and there have been many that have changed me in different ways. This series however changed me in a way I never would have expected, and series I never knew I needed. To back track I actually heard about this series long before it was made into movies or available in book stores. It was back during the One Direction craze and a friend of mine had told me about this fan fiction on Wattpad based on Harry Styles. I tried reading it, but for whatever reason at the time I couldn't quite get into it.

Then a friend texted me about this movie After that was released on Netflix and told me to watch it. It took me a bit to put together that this was actually the One Direction fanfiction, but this time around I was more intrigued by the series. I decided that before watching the movie I would give the books a chance. I am glad that I did because the first book is vastly different than the movie. You may be still asking yourself how in the world this changed me, well now I am about to tell you.

When I first looked at the series I thought okay typical romance they meet fall in love, breakup get back together a few times, and ultimately get their happy ending. Looking further I realized that their was a deeper meaning than that. It was a girl that needed to stand up for herself and stop pleasing other people, follow her dreams and live life for her. A boy who needed to face himself and everything he feared to better himself and his life. Not just to be a better man for her, but a better man for himself.

You see I am the people pleaser, the one who doubts herself and won't stand up for herself. Then last year in 2022 I met someone, much like Hardin. One of the first messages I sent to him was actually a quote from this movie. At the time he was helping pull me out of a darkness and I the same with him. The intensity around the relationship was something neither of us felt before. This began causing him to pull away, but I kept fighting and doing whatever I could so he would stay. It wasn't until recently that I realized how much of myself I had lost, and I needed to walk away from him. He needed to do the same, we both need to fix ourselves.

I watch these movies now with a much different perspective because I can relate to them so much. Of course my life isn't a movie and I may not get the happy ending we all hope for. In my eyes the happy ending here is knowing its okay to walk away, and finally having the courage to chose me.

Lastly these movies and books have inspired me to begin writing my own series. It's been in the works for many years, but I really started getting serious about it in 2021. I've always been afraid to take a chance, never felt good enough. I realize that I want to do this for me, even if I am the only one that ends up reading it. I am tired of being afraid and holding myself back from things that make me happy. At the end of the day you only have yourself, so you have to believe in yourself regardless of what others think.

So if you ever ask me how a modern day book series changed my life, now you know.