Before

By: Anna Todd

Narrated by: Shane East, Jason Carpenter, Grace Grant

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

Book five of the After series - Anna Todd's Wattpad fanfiction that racked up one billion views online and captivated romance fans across the globe! As told by Hardin and other characters, Before will explore the hero's life before he met Tessa, reveal what happens after After, give you new insights on their turbulent romance - and revel in the awesome power of true love. #HESSA

©2015 Anna Todd (P)2015 Simon & Schuster

Before is Hardin's heart

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

YES!! Because Before is sooooo amazing!

What other book might you compare Before to and why?

All this drama has no comparison

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Shane East is the perfect Hardin. I remember when I first listened his voice in After We Collided—he didn’t sound like a 21 year old guy— but then I got used to his voice. I loved his narrations in the next installments of the series and ended up relating his voice and British accent to Hardin and only Hardin. I loved that he was back for this audio. Shane knew how to translate Hardin’s emotions, when he was angry, anxious, insecure and of course, when he was turned on by Tessa. My favorite parts were how he changed Hardin’s voice when he was comparing Tessa to Elizabeth from the book Pride and Prejudice. The short appearances of Jason Carpenter and Grace Grant in this audio were great. Jason did a great performance with Landon, Smith, and Zed. The change of inflexion for each character was remarkable.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The latest chapters!

Any additional comments?

BOOK & AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: 5+++ STARS

People tend to say that retelling stories from the male POV are boring and a waste of time. I ASSURE YOU, BEFORE IS NOTHING LIKE THAT!

Before Is Hardin’s Heart!

Before is the book that was missing to make this series perfect. I loved it from beginning to end and despite my hesitation to suffer all the #Hessa drama all over again, it has made me want to re-read all the books one more time, because their love/hate/love story is simply amazing.

Before has 3 parts: Before, During and After. It’s not just a retelling of book one, like many people was thinking—me included, it shows the missing parts of the previous books, the truth behind Zed, Molly and Steph’s actions, what happens with Christian & Co and Landon after all the drama—OK not everything about Landon, but at least there’s a hint of what will happen in his book *grinning like an idiot* And of course, the most important thing about this book: HARDIN! His feelings, his emotions, his intentions. Everything. I loved reading his POV in books #2, #3 and #4, but seriously, reading his ASSHOLE SIDE IN FULL FORCE was the best! I always enjoy reading how a man changes out of love, especially if it’s from his POV, so I was very happy reading this book.

I really liked that this book wasn’t a “repetition” of After. The events that are featured in this book are just the right ones to show how really Hardin was feeling about Tessa before and after they met. I loved the introductions in each chapter. For me they were “excerpts” from the book Hardin wrote when he became an author. And of course, I love love love the latest chapters, the #Hessa ones. My heart was beating faster and my eyes were tearing while I was reading/listening more about their HEA. That was BEAUTIFUL.

There’s something very important that needs to be said: Anna Todd’s writing style was perfect! She improved it so much since the last book she last wrote. I loved that this book was shorter than the others, and yet she put everything in it and it all was perfectly connected to the whole series.

Shane East is the perfect Hardin. I remember when I first listened his voice in After We Collided—he didn’t sound like a 21 year old guy— but then I got used to his voice. I loved his narrations in the next installments of the series and ended up relating his voice and British accent to Hardin and only Hardin. I loved that he was back for this audio. Shane knew how to translate Hardin’s emotions, when he was angry, anxious, insecure and of course, when he was turned on by Tessa. My favorite parts were how he changed Hardin’s voice when he was comparing Tessa to Elizabeth from the book Pride and Prejudice. The short appearances of Jason Carpenter and Grace Grant in this audio were great. Jason did a great performance with Landon, Smith, and Zed. The change of inflexion for each character was remarkable.

Note: I recommend to read this book AFTER reading the first four books of the series, otherwise, you’ll be spoiled and you’d miss all the drama.

Reading order:

Book 1: After – read review here.
Book 2: After We Collided – read review here.
Book 3: After We Fell – read review here.
Book 4: After Ever Happy – read review here.
Book 5: Before.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I wanted more

I really liked pt. one and wish the book was more of that. Delving into Hardin's past. Telling us what we didnt kniew about the others. She didnt even mention what happened with Stephanie and Zed. Just a little excerpt read in less tham 2 mins.

Part two was just retelling of the first book from Hardin ' s POV. But It was basically just retelling the dirty bits. Nothing that tells us about hardin during the in between times. Like the bet for example... they told us what led up to it but not what he did or how he handled it from his side.

Pt 3 was just boring. It wasn't really "After" we have no resolution of the other characters. It was lacking.

I guess that's my problem with the whole book it was just lacking. Mostly boring and not enough to keep me interested.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

❤

one of my favorite books, have reread it many times and each time its like the first ❤

ummm

here's the thing I Love the story, I love how they got their happy ending but and that's a big but what happen to Steph or his mom Trish?
I know that his mom got married and all but she was the one who did him wrong and with this book we didn't get an insight with her...
Now with Steph I feel she should have gotten what she deserved but all we got was an insight to her Crazy which really sucks I feel that it was pointless to give us insights to other characters if your not going to tell us what happens to them. Cause we may what happen to some but not all. just saying you should have left it as Hardin P. O. V

Finally done! I can sleep now.

Would you consider the audio edition of Before to be better than the print version?

Yes much better. The British accent was something I couldn't have ever imagined!

What did you like best about this story?

it was a nice ending to the series. Wish it was longer.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I have listened to all the books in the series. I don't much care fore Shane East's female voice but his male voice I could listen to all day.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I have never been so involved in an audio book before. Every chance I got I was listening. I want more Hardin and Tessa! I'm sad this is the last book in the series. It was a good ending to a series though. I wish this book would have shed more light on the characters in the series though. Maybe another series?! Can't wait for another Anna Todd book and/or movie!

Any additional comments?

You have to start with book one and go through the entire series in order. If you Listen to them out of order will not get the whole picture.

Great series

I really liked the narrators. They were very easy to listen to. Keeps you interested all the way through!

Perfect book for this series!!!

Any additional comments?

I love this series. This is my one of the best series I have listened to! It is a definite MUST LISTEN for all! Before is really best listened to as book 5. It explains oh so much.

By Far the Best of the Series

I had/have a love/hate relationship with this series. Very interesting story but poorly written. That obviously had not one iota of impact as this fan-fic gone wild has become an international sensation and a movie contract is in the works. This last book, Before, is a most pleasant surprise as it's well conceived and the narration, for the most part, is quite good. Shane East is marvelous as Hardin but NOT as Tessa or any female. Elizabeth Louise is/was and will always be Tessa. However, the backgrounds of the major players in the After series is explored with the primary focus on Hardin. All are seen as a) young people as their characters were developing; b) as young kid/adults impacting Tessa's life; and c) years following Tessa and Hardin. It was a nice resolution and ending to this series and was somewhat better written but not much. It's clear that there is writing talent here but there has to be commitment to growth, editing and grammar. It's still a worthy listen.

Will it ever end?!?

Would you try another book from Anna Todd and/or the narrators?

The narrators were good, very good... However after umpteen hundred hours as Harlan and Tess, I'm not sure they would be believable as anyone else- but I would t not listen to an audiobook because they were the chosen narrators.

What could Anna Todd have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Honestly? Know when to end it. This story goes on and on and on and is the same thing over and over again.. I know, I listened to ALL of them in hopes SOMETHING was going to happen or change or be exciting. Nope.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of the narrators?

Nobody, I think the chosen narrators were ideal.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

As I said, it was the same old story just chewed up and regurgitated.

I DID appreciate the look into the supporting characters in book 5, and feel there could be some very worthy spin offs or companion books - if kept to a book.

Any additional comments?

Meh. I feel like this series would have been much better if the first four books had been condensed to 2 and 5 be an epilogue

0 of 1 people found this review helpful