This past weekend, Barnes and Noble at The Grove held an exclusive book signing event for the new fan-fiction inspired movie, After, which just hit theaters nation-wide. The Los Angeles bookstore was flooded with dedicated #afternaters, many of which had been lined up since 5:30am for the 2pm event, as author Anna Todd recalled in her Instagram Story shared the day of:
Fans were more excited than ever, having posters, fan art and the major motion picture novel edition ready to sign. This opportunity was particularly fitting as the After story had reached fame and popularity as a result of the incredible response it received from WattPad users who read the un-edited version of the story for free through the app, WattPad. Todd’s story was later formally published, and has now hit theaters, all of which is surreal for both Todd and her team of supporters. The book signing, in turn, was able to capture the energy of this intimate relationship between Todd and her fans, leaving little room for disappointment. Pictured below are fans’ reactions to the stars. Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Josephine Langford, Shane Paul McGhie, Dylan Arnold and author Anna Todd made their first apperance at the event, excited to meet all the fans and engage with them through the book signing:
The excitement never seemed to die down, as both the fans meeting their idols and the cast being able to share this experience with the supporters who started it all was memorable like nothing else:
We had the chance to speak to a few of the girls lined up, and their words were nothing of surprise: After asking how After changed their perception on relationships, one attendee said, “After taught me that if something is worth fighting for, then you should fight for it. Relationships aren’t perfect, but if you really love someone, then you will fight to make it work.” And when asked how the book impacted them as readers, one stated: “After has made me love to read, I’m reading nearly every weekend now, something I would never do before.”
Wrapping up the entire event were endless smiles and several teary eyes, all in response to meeting both the author who started it all, the actors who brought the story to life and of course, having that one-on-one interaction with Hardin Scott, who we’ve all been dreaming about since the beginning. He is, after all, our Hero.