Books like 'Afterglow'
Readers who enjoyed Afterglow by Phil Stamper also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance lgbtq mlm realistic coming-of-age friendship
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Um milhão de finais felizes by Vitor Martins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJonas não sabe muito bem o que fazer da vida. Entre suas leituras e ideias para livros anotadas em um caderninho de bolso, ele precisa dar conta de seus turnos no Rocket Café e ainda lidar com o conservadorismo de seus pais. Sua mãe alimenta a esperança de que ele volte a frequentar a igreja, e seu pai não faz muito por ele além de trazer problemas... -
Wanted: Doting Daddy by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan a small-town Midwestern boy find the freedom to be himself in the Big Apple? Nigel has spent years dreaming of spending time with a Daddy, but the small town he lives in barely tolerates him as it is. Now that he’s won a themed holiday in NYC, his chance is finally here to explore his love of fashion and his desire to be someone's boy... -
Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNow that Wren Martin is student council president (on a technicality, but hey, it counts) he’s going to fix Rapture High. His first order of business: abolish the school’s annual Valentine’s Day Dance, a drain on the school’s resources and general social nightmare—especially when you’re asexual... -
Pride High : Book 1 - Red by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat’s it like being a teenager in the 90s? Let’s ask the characters of Pride High:Anthony Cullen: My life would be perfect, if I wasn’t in the closet. And in love with my straight best friend. Do you think he’ll ever notice me?Omar Jafari: Dude! I’m flunking out of most of my classes, but you know what really matters? A girl talked to me... -
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Gay Club! by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA landmark comedic novel about a group of queer teens at their worst - and ultimately their best - from one of the UK's leading writers of LGBTQ+ teen fiction. Barney's a shoo-in for his school's LGBTQ+ Society President at the club's next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention... -
Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIn this YA pop-punk debut about queer romance and destroying labels, a teen risks everything to write his own story. Perfect for fans of Sonora Reyes and Adib Khorram. Stonebridge High’s resident bad boy, Wesley “Big Mac” Mackenzie, is failing senior year—thanks to his unchecked anger, rowdy friends, and a tendency to ditch his homework for skateboarding and a secret photography obsession... -
Shouting Match by Pandora Pine
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter the death of his father, Capone Lombardi was tasked not only with keeping his father’s legacy alive, but also to look after his mother and three younger brothers. Putting his own love life on the back-burner, he’s spent the last five years ensuring the family restaurant, Lombardi’s, thrives... -
All the Stars by Duckie Mack
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRider doesn’t have a lot of rules when it comes to guys, but there is one- he doesn’t date, not ever. He’s content with random hookups because dating means too much. That’s reserved for the one person he knows he can never have, his best friend, Cameron.After watching his own family fall apart, Cam longs for someone who will stick it out through thick and thin... -
Chasing Fate by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHooking up with your friend is a totally acceptable way to pass the time until your soulmate shows up. Right?I’m on a mission - happily ever after or bust. I just know my handsome, successful, bearded prince is out there waiting for me to find him. I’ve had my cards read a million times. This is my destiny... -
Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len... -
Forever Man by A.J. DeWall
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA bond forged in Catholic school, an unspoken attraction that outlasts years of separation and other relationships. Ren and Cole never acted on that thing that always bubbled beneath the surface of their friendship, not until a chance encounter in a Santa Fe bar and a song that would tip the scales forced them to confront their feelings... -
The Road to Amazing by Brent Hartinger, Josh Hurley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"I think gay guys like weddings more than anyone. And it's not because we want to destroy marriage, like some people say. It's because we really, really want to get married!"Russel Middlebrook is gettin' hitched! The wedding is taking place in a remote lodge on an island in Puget Sound... -
Heartmates by Marcus Herzig
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs childhood friends, Lars and Connor were inseparable. Now, in the social gauntlet of high school, neither boy can even muster a single word to the other. When Connor enters a romantic relationship with Jaden-Dominic Choi, the hottest social influencer in school, a barely healed wound is torn wide open again... -
Queerceañera by Alex Crespo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis irresistible and hilarious rom-com from acclaimed author Alex Crespo is a whirlwind of telenovela-level drama and hijinks when Joaquin Zoido finds himself fake-dating his childhood crush and newly minted date to his queerceañera.Joaquin Zoido is out and proud of it... -
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Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSeventh grader Amy Flowers is finally making her mark at ultra-exclusive Allington Academy, but there's always one thing standing in her way: the League. They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate a new girl invading her turf. This time, Amy's stuck working on a service project with Fiona and preppie know-it-all Preston... -
The Blue-Haired Boy by Courtney C. Stevens
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSet before the events of Courtney C. Stevens's debut novel, Faking Normal, this digital short story focuses on Bodee Lennox, otherwise known as the Kool-Aid Kid.Bodee Lennox has secrets. About where he got the four-inch scar on his leg. About the bruises on his back. About what it's really like to live in the Lennox household. These are things he doesn't share with anyone . . -
Enlightened by J.P. Barnaby
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLittle Boy Lost is the story of Brian McAllister, the boy next door. Brian goes to school, does his homework, and helps his foster parents around the house. Brian also has a secret: he is in love with his best friend, Jamie. But in Crayford, Alabama, being in love with another boy is the worst kind of sin. Brian and Jamie will discover just how deep their emotional bond runs, and at what cost... -
Mannen som elsket Yngve by Tore Renberg
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRomanen handler om et stort dilemma for bokas hovedperson - en tenåring som går i andreklassen i Stavanger. Sammen med kompisen Helge og kjæresten Katrine utgjør Jarle Klepp den tøffeste gjengen på skolen. De forfekter kompromissløse standpunkt til livets basale spørsmål: Verdensordningen, musikken, hårsveisen og hvem holder mål og hvem som ikke gjør det... -
True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIf you asked anyone in his small Vermont town, they'd tell you the facts: James Liddell, star athlete, decent student and sort-of boyfriend to cute, peppy Theresa, is a happy, funny, carefree guy.But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story... -
Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAll it takes is one missed step for your life to change forever.Luca Mason knows exactly who he is and what he In six months, he’s going to be accepted into the Australian Ballet School, leave his fancy private high school, and live his life as a star of the stage―at least that’s the plan until he falls down a flight of stairs and breaks his foot in a way he can never recover from... -
Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA moving YA debut about a trans boy finding his voice—and himselfDean Foster knows he’s a trans guy. He’s watched enough YouTube videos and done enough questioning to be sure. But everyone at his high school thinks he’s a lesbian—including his girlfriend, Zoe, and his theater director, who just cast him as a “nontraditional” Romeo... -
Blaine for the Win by Robbie Couch
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter being dumped so his boyfriend can pursue more “serious” guys, a teen boy decides to prove he can be serious, too, by running for senior class president in this joyful romp from the author of The Sky Blues.High school junior Blaine Bowers has it all—the perfect boyfriend, a pretty sweet gig as a muralist for local Windy City businesses, a loving family, and awesome, talented friends... -
How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEveryone on campus knows Remy Cameron. He's the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. The only person who isn't entirely sure about Remy Cameron is Remy himself... -
Desert Sons by Mark Kendrick
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA coming-of-age novel for gay males ages 15-30. Scott Faraday is 16, gregarious, talented, never been in a relationship, and is out to only a select few. Ryan St. Charles is 17, hot-tempered, has already has been in a long relationship, yet is barely out to himself. Behind Ryan's carefully fashioned façade is emotional scarring from a past he's never been able to reconcile... -
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Todo lo que no me deja olvidarte by Alberto Villarreal
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsUno siempre regresa al lugar donde fue feliz. Alberto Villareal regresa con una nueva historia sobre el amor, la amistad y el crecimiento. Para Édgar, las cicatrices del pasado siguen latiendo con fuerza... -
Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere Are No Cheat Codes for ShowmanceSeventeen-year-old gaymer Noah Mitchell only has one friend the wonderful, funny, strictly online-only MagePants69. After years playing RPGs together, they know everything about each other, except anything that would give away their real life identities. And Noah is certain that if they could just meet in person, they would be soulmates... -
Into This World We're Thrown by Mark Kendrick
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“While Desert Sons deftly handles the difficult and sometimes dangerous coming out process of young lovers Ryan and Scott, the sequel finds that lingering tensions remain, while new challenges continue to surface. Infidelity, jealousy, town gossip, and buried feelings threaten to destroy their relationship. Worse yet, the threat of violence looms constantly in their lives... -
Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams by Brent Hartinger
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“There was no way moving to Los Angeles was going to make me give up my soul. After all, I’d already seen all the movies about Hollywood. I knew how things worked.” Twenty-four year-old Russel Middebrook and his boyfriend have moved to Los Angeles so Russel can try to make it as a screenwriter... -
The Rebel's Guide to Pride by Matthew Hubbard
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen the mayor of a small Alabama town starts targeting Pride events, bad boy Zeke begins hosting a series of “Pride Speakeasies” in this joyful queer coming-of-age!There’s nothing Zeke Chapman wants more than to tarnish the perfect reputation his father is so obsessed with. He quit the baseball team, started fighting at school, and nearly flunked junior year... -
Pride High : Book 2 - Orange by Jay Bell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome back to Pride High, where the delicious drama continues! Ricky tries to sort through his feelings for Diego—the hot guy who has been bullying him—and ends up in the middle of a feud. Anthony and Cameron, now a couple, have to navigate first times and coming out. Silvia finds herself questioning her feelings for Omar when someone else catches her eye… and it’s a girl... -
Here's to You, Zeb Pike by Johanna Parkhurst
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFact: When Zebulon Pike attempted to climb what is now known as Pikes Peak, he got stuck in waist-deep snow and had to turn back.That's the last thing Dusty Porter learns in his Colorado history class before appendicitis ruins his life... -
Everything to Lose by E.M. Denning
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsZane’s in trouble.His younger brother is off to college in California and he makes Zane promise to look out for the best friend he leaves behind. It shouldn’t be a problem but being around Dante makes Zane question everything he thought he knew about himself. The more time he spends around Dante, the more alluring he becomes. But… Zane is straight. Right?Dante is alone in a strange city... -
Noah Goes Nuclear by Simon James Green
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNoah Grimes is back, in a new, original short story!Noah is v excited: his class have been shipped off to a hotel in the Lake District to study a nearby Nuclear Power Station! On arrival, all Noah wants to do is settle in to his crisp hotel sheets and get proper rest, but his conniving secret half-brother Eric Smith has other plans... -
Swimming Against the Tide by Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsZachI wanted what I thought was the ideal college experience—an excellent school and a great fraternity. Since I was a legacy, it was Zeta from the get-go. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. In fact, I had so much fun I didn’t pay enough attention to one very important thing—the culture. The very conservative, closed-minded culture... -
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A Secret Edge by Robin Reardon
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI love the long distance run, when you feel like you're about to die...and then you reach this place where you feel like there are no boundaries for you anywhere...In many ways, Jason Peele is like any other teenager. He hits the books, hangs with his friends, flirts with girls, and omits the full truth of his life from his Aunt Audrey and Uncle Steve, who have raised him since his parents died... -
Boys on a Train by Amy Coomer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings2022 FINALIST: Leapfrog Press Global Fiction PrizeA journey through adolescence, one ride at a time...EDDIE: Resident loser. Hair that never sits right. Vintage acoustic guitar.DYLAN: Brooding charm. Good genes. Rising star of the footy team.Despite the distance that divides them, fate sees these two sharing more than just a train to school... -
Glass Closet: The Price of Silence, The Triumph of Voice by Iam Obsydian
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings'Glass Closet' is not merely a story—it's a symphony of emotion, a rich, resounding anthem of self-love and acceptance. It offers a profound reflection on the battles fought in silence, the quiet strength drawn from the soul's deepest wells. Every page unfurls with an elegance that will stir your heart and ignite a flame of understanding within... -
With or Without You by Brian Farrey
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEighteen-year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik - whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year. Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status... -
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales, Cale Dietrich
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage... -
Star-Crossed by Mimi McCoy
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA sweet new addition to the hit Candy Apple line! Will Abby's horoscope make her superstitious, or will she take fate into her own hands?A fabulous new title from Mimi McCoy, author of Candy Apple's debut title!Abby has it all together: she gets straight A's, she's a star on her junior high track team, and she's 7th grade class vice president... -
A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWell, in summary, your fake date's in the bathroom with a hangover and a crispy hairdo, while my fake date is out wandering the Willard, searching for his heterosexuality or something. High school senior Cameron Hayes gets coerced into going to the prom with a girl, even though he'd rather be with his boyfriend... -
Ryan and Avery by David Levithan
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of EVERY DAY, this is a queer love story for the ages--told over the course of a couple's first ten dates.When a blue-haired boy (Ryan) meets a pink-haired boy (Avery) at a dance--a queer prom--both feel an inexplicable but powerful connection... -
When You Don't See Me by Timothy James Beck
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing Invisible Is Nick Dunill's M.O. For nineteen years, he's been "the one who disappears" to his disapproving, Midwestern family. And now in New York City, a metropolis of anonymity built on not making eye contact, he feels right at home... -
The Biggest Scoop by Gillian St. Kevern
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Biggest Story Milo's ever found is one he can't tell.Everything is going wrong for Milo Markopoulos. The future of the school newsletter is in jeopardy, he doesn't have a single friend among his junior classmates, and his film script has just been rejected again. Worse, he has only one day to find a story that will satisfy newspaper editor, Candice. Enter transfer student, Taylor... -
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Toil & Trouble: A Know Not Why Halloween (Mis)adventure by Hannah Johnson
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's that Halloweeny time of year, and Howie, Arthur, Kristy, and Cora are on a mission to create the perfect haunted house event at the store in order to win over new customers.Turns out, it's not as easy as it sounds -- especially when you're trying to charm the town's most popular (and terrifying) arts 'n crafts blogger into writing your store a favorable review... -
Hiding Him by Adam Hattan
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAre you looking for a funny, romantic and slightly spicy read this Summer? Then Adam Hattan has you covered with his debut novel Hiding Him! Kick back with this heart-warming story that's got buckets of charm, characters you'll quickly fall in love with and a fair amount of drama that'll leave your heart racing. This Hardcover edition is finished with a beautiful red foiling... -
We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPart Coming-Out Story.Part falling-in-love story.Part falling-apart story.Harvey's dads are splitting up. It's been on the cards for a while, but it's still sudden. Woken-by-his-father-to-catch-a-red-eye sudden. Now he's restarting His Life In A New City, Living Above A Cafe With The Extended Greek Family He Barely Knows.Sotiris is a rising star... -
If I Told You So by Timothy Woodward
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe summer you turn sixteen is supposed to be unforgettable. It's the stuff of John Hughes movies and classic songs, of heart-stopping kisses and sudden revelations. But life isn't always like the movies. . . For Sean Jackson, sixteen is off to an inauspicious start... -
Cherry Bomb by Madelynne Ellis, Clara Leigh
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBad Boy checklist: English accent, dirty imagination, and an even dirtier mouth. Sex whenever and wherever I can get it. V-card carrying co-stars beware!Felicity Caine:I know what I'm doing when I invite A-list actor Dare Wilde to step into my life.He's the badass villain to my sweet ingénue.I know how to play this role, even if it's my first time... -
Never Do a Wrong Thing by Marcus Herzig
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing out is hard enough on its own, but if you have a crush on your best buddy, things get really complicated.Best friends since kindergarten, best friends forever. That was the plan. High school sophomores Tim and Tom know everything there is to know about each other … or at least they should, but Tim has a secret that could change everything he doesn’t want to see changed...
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