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mis_evaluate's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So glad I read this before my high school graduation <3
tsukibunny68's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bethany6788's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Don’t worry about us. We’re golden.” 🥹😭🥰
BRB, there’s a waterfall on my face. This book was another incredibly stellar audio performance by an amazing cast. Each person plays their part so well and I was SO emotionally invested - especially after recently reading Golden Boys. I’d follow them to college. The characters are just so great and I love them.
I don’t know exactly why YA hits me so hard, but I can guess it’s a combination of desperate longing for those experiences I never had, and the happiness of seeing it happen in books. I wanted to be friends with this amazing group of kids. These kids love each other, support each other, call out each other’s BS, and are just good people. I continued to love the texting interludes (such great chapter transitions).
The love stories paralleled here a little bit and by 70% I was on pins and needles for Gabe and Sal!!! When Matt and Gabe broke up it made my heart sad, but also kinda glad cause my little babes got to actually act on their feelings!!! Reese and Heath trying to do the right thing, and it seems like they are going to try to make it work. I loved Heath’s speech at the end. And the roses and thorns. 🥹
There was a lot of heavy stuff here too, with book banning, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, anxiety and fear, insurance and money worries, surgery… it was done very well. I truly loved this book so much. It was a wonderful YA novel to read. So in love with this group and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!!
BRB, there’s a waterfall on my face. This book was another incredibly stellar audio performance by an amazing cast. Each person plays their part so well and I was SO emotionally invested - especially after recently reading Golden Boys. I’d follow them to college. The characters are just so great and I love them.
I don’t know exactly why YA hits me so hard, but I can guess it’s a combination of desperate longing for those experiences I never had, and the happiness of seeing it happen in books. I wanted to be friends with this amazing group of kids. These kids love each other, support each other, call out each other’s BS, and are just good people. I continued to love the texting interludes (such great chapter transitions).
The love stories paralleled here a little bit and by 70% I was on pins and needles for Gabe and Sal!!! When Matt and Gabe broke up it made my heart sad, but also kinda glad cause my little babes got to actually act on their feelings!!! Reese and Heath trying to do the right thing, and it seems like they are going to try to make it work. I loved Heath’s speech at the end. And the roses and thorns. 🥹
There was a lot of heavy stuff here too, with book banning, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, anxiety and fear, insurance and money worries, surgery… it was done very well. I truly loved this book so much. It was a wonderful YA novel to read. So in love with this group and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!!
fernanda28's review
5.0
I think I have a new favourite.
I absolutely loved Golden Boys, I just wished it could have been longer. Imagine my happiness when I discovered that there was a sequel on the way! My expectations were high because I loved Golden Boys so much, and cared so deeply for the characters, and I wasn't disappointed.
It took me too long to read Golden Boys because I wasn't a fan of As Far As You'll Take Me, and I regretted it so much that I had to pick up Afterglow the day it was released. And I finished it in the same day. It's not a big thing, because if a book is interesting I usually read it in a day or two, but in this case I just COULDN'T put it down. I was so engrossed in the story, and I couldn't wait to see if my suspicious were correct (they were, and I'm so so happy for that).
I was gone from the first paragraph of Golden Boys to the last word of Afterglow.
I would definitely put it as one of the best ya romances I've ever read. I can't wait to see where Phil Stamper goes from here.
I absolutely loved Golden Boys, I just wished it could have been longer. Imagine my happiness when I discovered that there was a sequel on the way! My expectations were high because I loved Golden Boys so much, and cared so deeply for the characters, and I wasn't disappointed.
It took me too long to read Golden Boys because I wasn't a fan of As Far As You'll Take Me, and I regretted it so much that I had to pick up Afterglow the day it was released. And I finished it in the same day. It's not a big thing, because if a book is interesting I usually read it in a day or two, but in this case I just COULDN'T put it down. I was so engrossed in the story, and I couldn't wait to see if my suspicious were correct (they were, and I'm so so happy for that).
I was gone from the first paragraph of Golden Boys to the last word of Afterglow.
I would definitely put it as one of the best ya romances I've ever read. I can't wait to see where Phil Stamper goes from here.
kubik1's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
drakoulis's review
5.0
Afterglow is a sequel to Golden Boys in the truest sense of the word "sequel". I don't know if Phil Stamper wrote them one after another, but the vibe was exactly the same, the structure was similar and the continuity of the plot lines and the character development was so smooth.
The boys are back in Gracemont, Ohio for their senior year, full of excitement and dreams but also stress and melancholy since they know life will lead them to separate places after this year.
This sense of foreboding was particularly strong in the start, then loosened and then came back even stronger. It made for a bittersweet reading experience, you can't really enjoy something truly if you know it has an expiration date, right? And reading about the boys feeling this, was hard.
The book had many optimistic messages as well. Reese rediscovering himself in a bold way, Sal following his calling against the odds, Gabriel finding his voice and standing for himself, Heath realising when he should stop pushing.
The hardest issue tackled by Phil Stamper was long distance relationships. They are hard and don't work for everyone. It hurt to see head that way but it also made sense. But they do work for some people and seem to be these people, so I would like the resolution to be a bit more clearly positive.
It was more of a "maybe" than a "yes" which left me disappointed. I felt that Golden Boys had a more final happy ending than its sequel - I would like a firmer happy ending for all our boys (maybe it is meant to be one and I just didn't read between the lines enough to interpret is as such? Maybe Phil wanted to leave the door open for a potential 3rd book? Feel free to answer me what you think!).
The Golden Boys duology came full circle and I will not forget these boys anytime soon!
The boys are back in Gracemont, Ohio for their senior year, full of excitement and dreams but also stress and melancholy since they know life will lead them to separate places after this year.
This sense of foreboding was particularly strong in the start, then loosened and then came back even stronger. It made for a bittersweet reading experience, you can't really enjoy something truly if you know it has an expiration date, right? And reading about the boys feeling this, was hard.
The book had many optimistic messages as well. Reese rediscovering himself in a bold way, Sal following his calling against the odds, Gabriel finding his voice and standing for himself, Heath realising when he should stop pushing.
The hardest issue tackled by Phil Stamper was long distance relationships. They are hard and don't work for everyone. It hurt to see
Spoiler
Gabe's relationshipSpoiler
Heath and ReeseIt was more of a "maybe" than a "yes" which left me disappointed. I felt that Golden Boys had a more final happy ending than its sequel - I would like a firmer happy ending for all our boys (maybe it is meant to be one and I just didn't read between the lines enough to interpret is as such? Maybe Phil wanted to leave the door open for a potential 3rd book? Feel free to answer me what you think!).
The Golden Boys duology came full circle and I will not forget these boys anytime soon!
hannaha882's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sophiefrn's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Such an easy read and super sweet. Highlights how friendship is so valuable and important, the found family is so amazing.
the_gare_bear's review
5.0
I loved this book so much. The end of the Golden Boys series, this book shows us how much friendship and family can mean to someone.
At the end of the book I felt a little bit envious of the friendship that the boys had with each other in high school, especially coming from a small town myself. But looking back at my life, I realized I had very similar experiences shortly after I left my small town. I realized I have friends that I am still close with to this day that I consider part of my family, regardless of how often we speak or see each other.
It's so important in life to fiend your "tribe" so to speak. Because those are the memories that will remain with you always. I think this series really does a great job and showcasing those kind of relationships.
At the end of the book I felt a little bit envious of the friendship that the boys had with each other in high school, especially coming from a small town myself. But looking back at my life, I realized I had very similar experiences shortly after I left my small town. I realized I have friends that I am still close with to this day that I consider part of my family, regardless of how often we speak or see each other.
It's so important in life to fiend your "tribe" so to speak. Because those are the memories that will remain with you always. I think this series really does a great job and showcasing those kind of relationships.