After by Anna Todd, or imaginator1d as she’s know on Wattpad, shares several things in common with the popular and controversial novel Fifty Shades of Grey. For one, it contains massive amounts of smut and a bit of awkward, cringe-worthy writing. The book also like Fifty Shades because it started out as an online fanfiction. However, instead of Twilight, it was based on One Direction with the main male character written as Harry Styles. Another detail the two books share, unfortunately, is a borderline abusive relationship.

Tessa Gray is an eighteen year old freshman who is clean cut and new to college. In fact, it’s quite a different world than she imagined. Upon moving into her dorm, she finds that her roommate, Stephanie, is anything but what she imagined. The girl, dressed as revealing as possible, has flaming red hair and tattoos covering her entire body. Tessa thought things couldn’t be any worse until her roommate’s friends show up, also covered head-to-toe in tattoos. One in particular, a boy with a British accent that goes by the name of Hardin, catches her attention with his bad attitude and frustratingly good looks.

Eventually, Stephanie is able to convince Tessa to join her at a frat party over the weekend. As a girl who’s never partaken in any sort of activity like such, she’s very out of her element. Despite her ill feelings towards drinking and partying, Tessa’s bullheadedness gets her into trouble and joins an interesting game of truth or dare. While she may despise the boy named Hardin for his rude and hateful ways, it’s impossible to stay away. Though Tessa doesn’t belong there, she keeps returning to the frat house with her roommate.

One drink couldn’t hurt her, but after a few, Tessa is light headed and staggering around the party, left there alone when Stephanie leaves with her boyfriend. Upstairs she searches for a bathroom and stumbles across Hardin’s bedroom, only to be yelled at and sent away since no one is allowed in his room. Tired and weary, she finds a room with two beds, one seemingly occupied by a passed out frat boy. But things turn even worse when the stranger awakens and tries to hook-up with her. When she runs, terrified, the drunken boy pursues her. Tessa finds herself the only place she knows to go – to Hardin.

Pushing her into his room, Hardin scares off the boy and saves her. Tessa didn’t think it was possible that she would be so relieved to see him. However, when Hardin acts caring and gentle with her, the exact opposite of how he acted before, Tessa is extremely confused. The two share a kiss, sending her over the edge into a deep hole of doubt and confusion. Does she really need something like this complicating her life? Will Hardin continue to treat her so badly after he gets what he wants? Can she trust him?