A P.S.A. about AFTER

     *Deep breath*
    So I used to work at a movie theater. I used to work at a movie theater when the film After came out. I'm not really one for the teen-romance genre, so I didn't give it much thought. During theater checks (go in, make sure screen/sound was working and audience was behaving properly) I'd see little snippets of it and just roll my eyes in detached mockery/annoyance.
    But now I've noticed that the film (and it's original form, an online fan-fiction piece) has been getting more and more attention. Most notably for how terrible it is.
    A Youtuber I watch did a review on it with the full severity of judgement that the story deserved, but she used examples from the book that were rather... graphic in portrayal, so this is my cleaner, layman review for anyone who might be interested in/curious about the hypes surrounding this book.

(Please note, I haven't actually read the book or watched the full movie, but I've gathered enough information on it to have a fair understanding of the content. This isn't a review of writing style, word choice, or cinematography. This is a moral review of a book that should never have been written.)

    Basic summary: After is the story of a young woman going to college, meeting this mysterious bad-boy named Hardin, falling in love with him, abandoning her friends, family, and career goals, moving in with him, having sex, and then finding out that it was all a trick - in a game of 'Truth or Dare', he told his friends that he could make her fall in love with him. Yet in the end, our dear, darling, stupid protagonist goes back to Hardin after he sends her a sappy letter about how he really did grow to love her etc, etc, etc.

   It's bad enough that this was a Harry Styles fan-fiction.
   It's bad enough that the author was 22 when she wrote it.
   It's worse that it was published as an actual book, made into a movie, and advertised as some great romantic story for the young generation.

   All this book says is: "Hey, girls, you know what's some great boyfriend material? That one guy who gets really mad when you see other guys, who constantly lies - so mysterious! - and who says that Elizabeth Bennet was wrong to call Darcy a jerk for being condescending and insulting to her on a constant basis, because we all know that's how you know he REALLY likes you!!! *wink wink*"

     Or, to be blunt:

     - It's okay if your boyfriend is condescending and secretive
     - It's okay to give up all your life goals because you've entered a relationship
     - If a guy you know violently hurts himself because you went out with your actual boyfriend, it means he really likes you and you should give him a chance!!! Give that widdle sweetheart a kiss so he feels better!!!
     - Your boyfriend doesn't need to be held accountable for his actions
     - True love = Sex every other day
     - If a guy says he loves you - even if he manipulates, abuses, and uses you for personal gain and amusement on a consistent basis - then he absolutely loves you and you just need to give him a second chance!!!!!!

    This story sickens me. It makes me want to rip a punching bag open with my fingernails. It shouldn't even exist, let alone be heralded as something good.

   Girls, if a boy you know - boyfriend, friend, whatever - acts like this, GET OUT NOW.
   Boys, if a girl you know - girlfriend, friend, whatever - acts like this GET OUT NOW.

   You can still wish for someone to have a good life and find a good lifestyle, but if you're actively putting yourself in a vulnerable position and empowering them in the hopes that one day they'll wake up and treat you better, you're only hurting yourself and telling them that it's okay for them to act that way.
     YES! It's going to be painful! I KNOW!!! But in the long run, you're far better off without them controlling your life. Sometimes you've got to hit the breaks, stop being the giver, and make the decision that is good for you.
     Otherwise it'll never stop.
     It'll just happening, over and over and over.
     And after that, it's really hard to pick yourself back up again. But it is possible.

(If you'd like a more in-depth review of the movie, Alex Meyers on Youtube has an excellent video on it (He didn't pay me or anything to say that, he just does a great job pointing out the red flags and showing the essence of the story without it getting too sensual, etc. all the while in an entertaining and easy-to-follow style.))