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The Before Now and After Then

Peter Monn (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 594 ratings · 144 reviews

**2015 ELit Book Award Silver WInner for LGBT Fiction**

Danny Goldstein has always lived in the shadow of his identical, twin brother Sam. But when a hurricane of events forces him into the spotlight, he starts to realize that the only thing he’s truly afraid of is himself.

With the help of his costume changing friend Cher, a famous gay uncle with a mysterious past of his o ...more

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Published July 29th 2014 by Pen Name Publishing (first published July 28th 2014)

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· 594 ratings · 144 reviews

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Jun 25, 2014 Bill Griggs rated it it was amazing

This is not my normal genre of literature: I'm more of an Urban Fantasy/Epic Fantasy guy. But I knew Peter in High School. He probably has no idea the profound effect he's had on my life. I read the book because of him, and I honestly found it difficult to put it down. It's very rare that I find a book that I read in one day: I did that with the last Dresden Files book and with the last Wheel of Time book, but I found this fascinating. It was a good read, and it kept me going. I even found mysel ...more

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Jul 09, 2014 Coquille Fleur rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, favorites, twins, lgbt, romance

Peter Monn's debut novel is amazingly rich and full of life. While technically this novel is geared toward young adults, it's one of those books adults can appreciate just as much. The characters are real, with problems and dreams and all the crazy baggage that makes them seem so true to life. I love Uncle Alex, the famous uncle who wrote the great American indie novel, yet is still struggling with his own past and Cher, Danny's kooky best friend whose bravado belies a sensitive girl with a big ...more

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Aug 14, 2016 SUSAN *Nevertheless,she persisted* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I found this author on YouTube's Book tube under his channel, "Peter Loves Books". I enjoy his channel,his enthusiasm and love of reading is infectious.

This book is so well written,the characters have such an authentic feel. The book is a sweet coming of age story that acknowledges loss, bullying, homosexuality in a very realistic way. The writing is beautiful in its simplicity,beautiful in its powerful storytelling.
I highly recommend this book,as well as the authors Book tube channel,you won't ...more

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Aug 05, 2014 Sharon rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy

First, I'm getting this out of the way - I hate the name of this book, and I hate that cover. I don't think either do it justice because this is without a doubt, one of the best YA books I've ever read.

Sam and Danny are identical twins. Both golden-haired and beautiful, but that's where the similarities end. Sam is straight and confident, Danny is gay and quiet. Sam is Danny's protector and confidant - until something happens and Sam can't do that any more. When Danny starts a new school, he att First, I'm getting this out of the way - I hate the name of this book, and I hate that cover. I don't think either do it justice because this is without a doubt, one of the best YA books I've ever read.

Sam and Danny are identical twins. Both golden-haired and beautiful, but that's where the similarities end. Sam is straight and confident, Danny is gay and quiet. Sam is Danny's protector and confidant - until something happens and Sam can't do that any more. When Danny starts a new school, he attracts the same taunts and bullying that he has experienced all his life, but he also attracts something else - real friends, and the possibility of happiness. He has to learn to let people in - and let himself out.

Rusty and Danny's relationship was beautiful, if at times rushed. You can keep your John Greens and your Steven Chboskys, this is the one YA book I'll be recommending to people. It made me smile as much as it made me cry (which was a LOT). The side story of "Uncle" Alex was heartbreaking and heartwarming, and I bawled like a baby when the full extent of his story was finally revealed. Danny's parents were the coolest set of parents I've come across in a long time, especially in their acceptance and willingness to help Danny deal with everything that he was going through. I think despite what Danny would think about the strength of others being superior, he turns out to be the strongest character in the book.

What I liked most about this book was that even though the main character was gay and it was a big part of his life, this book is not about being gay. This book is about being a teenage boy in love, dealing with loss, and learning about who you are. It also has an EPIC soundtrack. How can a book have a soundtrack, you ask? This one does.

I just don't understand why I can't just be a teenage guy who happens to like other teenage guys. I don't understand why you can't just leave it at that instead of forcing it to define me.

Believe the hype. Read it.

Thanks so much to the publisher for providing a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

...more

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Apr 17, 2015 Larry H rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

Sam and Danny Goldstein are identical twins. Sam is the confident one—athletic, popular, and tremendously protective of his brother. Danny is more than content to live in Sam's shadow, sharing his friends, and knowing that the two share an inseparable bond. Sam is always looking out for Danny, and plans an elaborate scheme for Danny to finally come out to their parents.

In an instant, everything changes, and the world and the life that Danny has known and depended on is to I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

Sam and Danny Goldstein are identical twins. Sam is the confident one—athletic, popular, and tremendously protective of his brother. Danny is more than content to live in Sam's shadow, sharing his friends, and knowing that the two share an inseparable bond. Sam is always looking out for Danny, and plans an elaborate scheme for Danny to finally come out to their parents.

In an instant, everything changes, and the world and the life that Danny has known and depended on is totally turned upside down. He finds himself in a new school, living in a new house, and realizing that the reason he was always to content to live in Sam's shadow is that he's not comfortable standing out or being noticed. He isn't really sure who he is, and he doesn't know if he's all that interested in finding out the answer to that question. But what he does know is that he's tired of people telling him how he should feel, or what he should do, and he's tired of being angry and sad all the time.

"All of my life, I had always felt like I was watching other people's lives instead of being part of my own."

When Danny meets Cher, a larger-than-life fellow classmate who has always been dying for a gay best friend, she starts to force him out of his shell, little by little, even if he's still not quite comfortable talking about himself or knowing how to be a good friend. And then he meets Rusty, a boy who appears fearless, who helps Danny discover who he is, and what his heart wants. All the while, Danny's journey is helped, and at times complicated, by his former punk rocker parents and his mother's lifelong best friend Alex, an author whose most famous book was a way for him to deal with the isolation he felt about being gay.

I've said this before, but I wish books like The Before Now and After Then existed when I was a teenager, if only to help me convince that I wasn't alone, that life beyond the angst and anger and bullying of high school could and would dissolve into something better. This is a sweet, funny, emotional book, and Peter Monn does an excellent job making you care about his characters and what happens to them. The book is a little overly dramatic at times, and Danny in particular isn't always the most likeable person, but I kept thinking of him as if he were real, saying, "Well, he's been through a lot..."

Books like this give me hope, and I hope they bring those same feelings to others who are lucky enough to find it. I look forward to reading more from Monn in the future.

"I realized that time kept ticking whether we liked it or not. Life kept happening. And sometimes things weren't measured in time. Sometimes, hours, weeks, and even years went by without us even noticing. Sometimes people died and sometimes people left, but not always. Sometimes they stayed."

See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo.... ...more

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Aug 25, 2014 Kaje Harper rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, ya

This book is surprisingly non-angsty in tone, to me, for the story of a seventeen-year-old whose twin brother is killed the day he also comes out to his parents, as they also decide to separate over the dad cheating. The world has fallen on Danny, but he closes it all inside, and through the book his responses are a bit muted. That's a matter of perceptions, of course, and for some this book may evoke far more emotion. I actually thought the tone was apt especially at first, because as the main This book is surprisingly non-angsty in tone, to me, for the story of a seventeen-year-old whose twin brother is killed the day he also comes out to his parents, as they also decide to separate over the dad cheating. The world has fallen on Danny, but he closes it all inside, and through the book his responses are a bit muted. That's a matter of perceptions, of course, and for some this book may evoke far more emotion. I actually thought the tone was apt especially at first, because as the main narrative opens, six months after Sam's death, Danny is still pretty frozen in non-reaction.

Having lived all his life in the shadow of his more popular and skill-blessed brother, Danny has been left bereft not only of his best (and only) friend and brother, but also of any sense of self. He's let Sam define both of them all along, other than knowing his own sexuality. And the day he put that difference front and center, Sam died. Danny has a white room in a new house, with all his memories packed away in the closet. His parents let him shut himself off from his old life, school and friends, for six months after his brother died, and the result is a void where nothing much touches him. He's had therapy, but his therapist has let him get away with not talking in sessions for six months as well. (This pushed my belief a bit - Danny is quiet, but not stunned into immobility, or severely socially anxious or mute. And six months is a long, long time. A competent therapist should have coaxed him at least somewhat past that point before now.)

Anyway, Danny is beginning at a new school. In the first day, he experiences some bullying for being gay, and is befriended by Cher, who pounces on the possibility of a gay best friend. I wasn't totally convinced by Cher initially, although she was cool and created some of the book's fun moments. Her insecurities and complexity became more visible later, which helped.

Danny also sees Rusty, the first boy who really, really rings his "I want that" bells. Danny's known he was gay for a long time, but until now it wasn't a really personal thing in his day to day life. Suddenly there's a flesh and blood guy he actually knows whom he'd like to date. That's the crack in his indifference, that will wedge open the shell around everything he's been going through, and let the real Danny emerge.

I did like the way the gay component of his life wasn't a source of big angst for Danny. Despite the fact that it made him different from his twin, he's content with that part of himself. It causes problems with bullying, but he's more concerned about hiding that from his mother than traumatized by it. Having a gay "Uncle" Alex who is a family friend and who is clearly accepted and admired within his home as a famous writer no doubt helps. I like Alex as mentor and parental figure for Danny, with just a hint of hands-off understanding that was no doubt supportive for Danny. His mom was appropriately more clingy, although honestly? I thought both his parents had themselves together more, and clung to him less, that I might have 6 months after the loss of a child.

There is a little, low-impact childhood sexual-abuse moment described which goes nowhere much. I think it could potentially have been left out, since it neither informs the behavior of the adults noticeably, nor seems to have had a big impact on Danny himself. There are a couple of moments when the topic comes into play, and then goes away. Maybe that's the point, that it happened, but wasn't a big thing, and didn't define him.

If there was something that felt out of place in this interesting book, it was the relationship between Rusty and Danny. It happens fast, and it has far more perfect than awkward moments. Rusty is too good, and too eloquent, to feel quite real. Admittedly, a life of moving around place to place trying to find help for a severely ill sister will make a guy grow up fast. But still, he'd claimed only one previous boyfriend, and yet he knew the right things to do, the right gifts, the meaningful gestures and words. It was lovely, but felt idealized. The speed I could believe - teens often fall head-over-heels that quickly. But usually they're afraid to share it, and unable to express it that well. When Rusty screwed it up at last, it was a highlight.

The book is well written, and a fast, easy read. There are a few more typos than there should have been, and a couple of homonym confusions, but unless you're a stickler for editing they don't interfere. And it's nice to read a teen gay coming of age novel where the gay aspect is only a bit of the whole picture and not the most emotional one. This book didn't touch me deeply, but that may be a matter of taste in prose styles. I did enjoy the read. ...more

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Jun 04, 2016 Rj rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I picked up this book not knowing what to expect, but at the end my heart grew about ten times or maybe more. There are many life lessons hidden within this YA novel that I only wished I read when I was back in high school.

Peter Monn created these relatable characters who I fell in love with. Speaking of love, a majority part of the book is a love story and honestly made me realize I wasn't crazy at all to fall in love too fast.

Feelings are feelings and emotions are emotions. Love is love. I h ...more

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Feb 26, 2017 Elizabeta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: lovers of "We Are the Ants"

I'm a big fan of Peter's blogs and wanted to check out his book. I liked that there were some "Peterisms" in the book, like his dog's name, his husband's name, Venezuelan boyfriend, taste in music, love of curly hair and many more :)

It totally reminded me of "We Are the Ants".

I hope one day we can get a memoir of Peter Monn :D ...more

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Aug 13, 2014 Lori rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bmbr-reads

3.75
A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

Throughout the time I was reading this book I found it difficult to judge how I was going to rate it. I'm a very instinctive rater, I go with my heart. For me reading is about the passion it inspires, the love I feel for the story and characters, so I often know quite early on if I'm going to rate a book highly. Equally, some stories aren't for me, and these (if I'm reading for the blog) I read with an analytical eye - I try and ...more

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Aug 19, 2014 Glire rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, netgalley, little-known, walking-on-soundtrack, venezuela-presente

Sam y Danny son gemelos idénticos, pero sólo físicamente. Sus personalidades no podrían ser más diferentes.

The way he was always so protective of me would make you think that he was the older one, but that wasn’t the case. I had left him behind in the womb for greater ventures of a new world exactly 18 minutes before he chose to follow me, kicking and screaming, as I lay quietly in my father’s arms. This grand entrance would set the direction for the rest of our lives; Sam fighting while I sa
...more

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Nov 05, 2016 Carrie (The Butterfly Reader) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: november-2016

OMG you guys! This book is everything I've been looking for to fulfill LGBT needs! It's a cute, heartbreaking, and eye opening kind of novel.

It's all about a guy trying to find out who he is after the death of his twin. It's about his family coming to terms with the death of their son and their other son being gay. It's about Danny finding this first love and first true friend. It's about his growing up in such a short period of time. It's about loss and love. It even had bullies. This novel ki OMG you guys! This book is everything I've been looking for to fulfill LGBT needs! It's a cute, heartbreaking, and eye opening kind of novel.

It's all about a guy trying to find out who he is after the death of his twin. It's about his family coming to terms with the death of their son and their other son being gay. It's about Danny finding this first love and first true friend. It's about his growing up in such a short period of time. It's about loss and love. It even had bullies. This novel kind of has everything except vampires... ha ha.

It's utterly wonderful! I loved watching the journey and Danny finding himself. I also thought it was also a great thing for Danny to be fine with his sexuality. Most LGBT books are about the person coming out and dealing with all that kind of stuff. This one isn't, Danny is gay, and he's already totally fine with it.

This book actually has one of my favorite quotes ever, it also hits home all of my problems about some authors and how they write their LGBT characters.

"You bring me books and movies so I can relate to these characters who I don't feel like I have anything in common with other than we're all gay. You want me to talk to Alex because you think he can teach me secret gay ways to the world.Why can't I just be some guy who happens to like other guys?" - Location 1513 (Kindle Version)

That ladies and gentlemen is the perfect thing I've ever read. I dislike that a lot of authors make LGBT characters that if you take away that character's sexuality, they vanish. They are nothing more than their sexuality. Which is not a real thing. We are and always will be more than just our sexuality. So I was glad to see this. Because this is how it really works.

I love that is you take away the fact that Danny is gay, he's still a real person. It's the same for me, if you took the fact that I'm bi sexual away, I'm still a person. My sexuality is not all of who I am, it's just a part of who I am.

The writing is fast and fun. I read this book at work and it was easy to follow while getting interrupted so many times. Also I could just see Peter's personality coming out during this book. I think that made it ever better for me.

This is such a needed book that I hope everyone reads it. ...more

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Jul 24, 2014 Sandra rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, little-or-no-sex, m-m, hearts-on-fire-reviews, contemporary, tear-jerker, coming-of-age

4.5 stars Holy crap, the Feelz! Get your box of tissues ready for this one. This is a wonderful story about life and loss and being young. The struggles that come with trying to find yourself, and the fact that it's okay if you haven't. It made me miss my crazy eccentric magenta haired high-school friends, and at the same time thank fucking God that high school is over.

Really well done. Amazing characters, not only Danny. I wish that we had spent more time on Danny and Cher together, once they b 4.5 stars Holy crap, the Feelz! Get your box of tissues ready for this one. This is a wonderful story about life and loss and being young. The struggles that come with trying to find yourself, and the fact that it's okay if you haven't. It made me miss my crazy eccentric magenta haired high-school friends, and at the same time thank fucking God that high school is over.

Really well done. Amazing characters, not only Danny. I wish that we had spent more time on Danny and Cher together, once they became friends. This felt like an important milestone for him, yet Rusty came soon after and then the rest of the book focused mostly on their relationship. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Danny-Rusty parts (dubbed 'Dusty'). But this isn't a romance. It's about relationships, yes. But it's about the relationships between friends, and between a son and his parents, and between two twins, and between parents, and between people who've lost someone. And I wish the second half hadn't become quite so romance heavy.

That being said, I adored the romance. This brought as many happy tears as it did sad. Because, young love. I was devastated at points (you know which ones), but I thought it took such a real course. That being said, I did not like Alex and Neil's advice to Danny (view spoiler) So inappropriate and unrealistic. This was the only part I found unrealistic, and starting to fall into romance trope territory (view spoiler) And of course same goes for the little drama at the end (view spoiler), although of course I liked that there were no straight up black-and-white evil villains (view spoiler)

Anyway, I could not put this down. Wonderful characters. Wonderful portrayal of love and loss, and grieving and moving on, and just generally dealing with life. It's just about "a teenage boy... who happens to like other boys."

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire

P.S. I've seen a few reviews comment that they don't like the cover, so I feel the need to say... I like it! I like the bold color and graphic print, almost T-shirt feel to it. It fits the story, and music played such a prominent role, specifically music and how it relates to specific events or times in ones life, that the mix-tape on the cover totally works. That's it. Sandra, out. ...more

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Feb 23, 2018 Matthew Hernandez rated it liked it · review of another edition

The novel follows Danny Goldstein and his journey in the aftermath of losing his twin brother on the day he plans to come out to his parents while his parents contemplate a separation. Six months later, Danny is a lost, lonely teenager starting his senior year at a new school...there he meets the fabulous Cher, his school bully Pat and his crush Rusty. I really like his Punk Rock parents, gay uncle Alex and the romance that ensues between Danny and Rusty...It's a story about finding your own ide ...more

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Jun 21, 2016 Sarahanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book wasn't perfect.

I think the next book by this author could be. Here's why

The imperfections were just little glitches in the writing. Some redundancy, a little too much description here, not enough there. Little stuff.

But the ideas? The stories, characters, and theme? They were right. They were true.

I felt myself leaning into the characters. Hoping for the best for them & waiting for the author to piss me off by getting too tragic or too Pollyanna. But he didn't. He didn't make any of ...more

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Jul 20, 2016 Graham Wilhauk rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-september-2016

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book blew me away. It is because it was a masterpiece? No. It was more because I wasn't expecting much from this book. Yeah, even though Peter is my friend on BookTube, I am going to admit, I was not expecting this great of a story out of this book. I was more expecting something cliche yet still a decent and enjoyable read, but I got something a whole lot better. What I got instead was a beautiful coming of age novel about a homosexual teenage couple whose lives intertwine with one another This book blew me away. It is because it was a masterpiece? No. It was more because I wasn't expecting much from this book. Yeah, even though Peter is my friend on BookTube, I am going to admit, I was not expecting this great of a story out of this book. I was more expecting something cliche yet still a decent and enjoyable read, but I got something a whole lot better. What I got instead was a beautiful coming of age novel about a homosexual teenage couple whose lives intertwine with one another throw numerous ways. It was amazing. Why? Well, let's find out!

The story, for the most part, was beautiful. I loved the way that this book was a page turner from beginning to the end. For YA, this is RARE. I also loved Peter's writing. It wasn't very groundbreaking, but it didn't need to be. It had poetic lines to it and really nice dialogue and descriptions as well. However, the thing that Peter absolutely NAILS in this book are the characters. I ADORED these characters. Even though this is not the very best book I have this month, this is the best character cast I have experienced since, and I am not even joking when I say this, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Danny was a fantastic and sympathetic lead and shares a great relationship with his love interest Rusty. There is also Danny's Mom and Dad who are very odd and complicated, yet loving and sweet, his Uncle Alex (who is really not his uncle but his mom's best friend), his bully Pat, and, my personal favorite character, a friend of his named Cher. MY GOD, I loved Cher. She brought humor to this book yet nicely tied Danny and Rusty together to make a great trio of main characters. She also has a nice twist to her character about two-thirds of the way through. If you have read this book, you know what I am talking about. Also, before I get to my complaint about this book, I love the way that Peter adds his own life into this book. He named Danny's dog Boo Radley, which is actually one of the names of Peter's dogs in real life. That is only one example and I can be here all day giving examples like that, but I need to get to something. What didn't I like about this book?

Ok, I am about to get into spoiler territory and this part is the reason why I will hide this review for spoilers, so SPOILER ALERT.

Near the end of the book, Danny and Rusty get into a fight about Rusty's sister being in the hospital and him having to move. This was set up as being a "temporary break-up" for the two. I am not going to lie, this part really let me down. Peter could of executed it a lot better by Rusty not cutting off Danny but more like Rusty being conflicted and worried about letting his love go. This should of been the tear jerker part of the book, but it was the only part of the book that I didn't like. Personally, the whole ending was good, but this part of the plot could of been arranged into something a LOT better. It just brought down what is otherwise a brilliant story.

So overall, I loved "The Before Now and After Then." Don't worry, I am not becoming a YA nut, but YA Contemporary does have its place in the world of coming of age literature. Peter's book is a PRIME example of this. It handles issues that no other author that I have seen tackle and he does it so well. While one part of the book did slightly annoy me, I did overall love this book. The characters were absolutely wonderful, the story had me on the edge of my seat (or couch), and the writing was what it needed to be: not too poetic and not too simplistic. So, if you are a fan of YA or just LGBT fiction in general, than I say make "The Before Now and After Then" your first stop. Besides "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides, this is my favorite LGBT novel of all time. I loved it? What else do I have to say?

I am giving this one a 4 out of 5 stars. ...more

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Oct 19, 2014 Alexandra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved, loved this book

This book revolves around teenager Danny and the loss of his twin brother Sam in an accident he feels he was partly the cause of. Danny is a gay teen, very unsure of himself because he always self identified through his brother Sam. In the coarse of 6 months Danny , through a little help from his friend Cher and strong willed boyfriend Rusty ( and pretty amazing parents and uncle) he ventures out to figure out who he really is. This book was extremely well written, the char ...more

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Jun 20, 2014 Mary Alice Simon rated it it was amazing

I've read all of John Green and David Levithan's books and this one holds its own with both authors. I just finished this book as a recommendation from a friend on Goodreads. I didn't really know what to expect before I started it although I knew that it was a gay young adult book and had been compared to Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Boy Meets Boy. I didn't expect to get so attached to the main character Danny and I'm definitely not much of a crier in books, but this book really melted my hear ...more

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Sep 08, 2014 Tellulah Darling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a wonderful and heartfelt exploration of one twin trying to figure out who is he both in terms of his position in the family, his sexuality and his very personality, in the wake of his brother's death. There was just a whole lot of yay about it. I do wish though that the character of Cher had been fleshed out better. She didn't really add much aside from being the wacky friend. And honestly, Danny wasn't much of a friend in return, so I wasn't sure wh ...more

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Feb 01, 2015 Les Joseph rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book gets ALLLLLL the stars! One of the very best YA books I've EVER read. It was sweet, funny, romantic, painful, poignant, heartbreaking, uplifting ... it had everything. Danny's journey to figure out who he is and who he wants to be is one that everyone can relate to, but that's what makes it so absolutely wonderful. The pain of loss, the wonder of first love, the disappointment that your parents aren't perfect, the fear of the unknown, the hope for the future -- it's all here in an incr ...more

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Dec 02, 2015 Kristen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtq

This is another one of those indie-publishing-company books that I like to find--and it was just lovely. Heartbreaking and hopeful and funny and gooey--everything I want in a good teen drama/romance. Danny is the perfect imperfect male narrator (which I'm currently obsessed with), and the relationships he forms with the other characters (Rusty, Cher...even his parents) just unfold in a way that is emotional and pleasurable. Some of the romance is a LITTLE cheesy and cliche, but I honestly didn't ...more

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Oct 24, 2014 Iuri rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very nice book, with interesting characters. I tend to fall for main characters, but I don't think Danny really got me here. But I understand a lot of things about him and we have, in fact, a lot in common.
It's also important to register that this book has the coolest parents (and other adults) in YA! I would love to read some Angry Alice / Alex stories from their teenager years. ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 Max Baker rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtqia, i-reviewed, read-in-a-day

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book

This book stirred up a lot of emotions in me, mainly because I identified with Danny a lot better than most people can. I live in Indiana, toured the same colleges he has, have a similar best friend, and I even have a twin (non-identical and alive thank god). I felt Danny's emotions because I could literally slip into his life. I can't imagine losing my twin, no matter how annoying he can be, and the mere thought of it makes my ...more

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Jul 14, 2016 georgia ☽ rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, age-young-adult, stand-alone, read-2016, my-unpopular-opinions, g-contemporary, 1-point-5-stars

1.5 stars

okay, so good things first: the writing was nice (maybe a little... faux-deep in places, but overall this was well-written) and it wasn't really offensive. otherwise- there was little i liked about this.

cher was... a strange character. it's not that she was loud, bubbly and quirky (there does seem to be an overabundance of those characters in YA books, but that wasn't what particularly bugged me)- it's just... beautiful boy? when they first met? it's just not realistic. (view spoiler) 1.5 stars

okay, so good things first: the writing was nice (maybe a little... faux-deep in places, but overall this was well-written) and it wasn't really offensive. otherwise- there was little i liked about this.

cher was... a strange character. it's not that she was loud, bubbly and quirky (there does seem to be an overabundance of those characters in YA books, but that wasn't what particularly bugged me)- it's just... beautiful boy? when they first met? it's just not realistic. (view spoiler)

the romance was cute- but i'm not a fan of insta-love and this book had it in spades. i will say kudos to the author for actually addressing that it was insta-love within the narrative, but i didn't feel it was really resolved. i can handle insta-attraction, but when characters are throwing around 'i love you' after only having met 3 or 4 times, it just becomes a little ridiculous. and whilst rusty wasn't exactly a gary stu, he came pretty close. he didn't seem to have many flaws, and the relationship drama at the end of the book felt a bit unecessary.

the loss of danny's brother sam is said to affect the whole family massively- but i didn't believe it. it was said that they were all grieving, and i know there was a time jump within the plot of a few months, but i didn't feel the loss of sam affected the family. to be honest, they all just seemed... fine?

i wasn't a massive fan of the plot line involving pat jones, either. i think it was said in the narrative that people tended to perceive danny as stereotypically 'gay', but that first lesson with pat was just... something else. i went to high-school- i know that guys like pat exist, and i know that homophobic slurs are thrown around constantly, both in the classroom and outside of it. but... it still felt so contrived. they had never even met before? (view spoiler)

i just think this one wasn't for me, but i do understand why most of the reviews so far are quite postitive- it is a cute, fluffy romance that deals with loss and finding your true identity. ...more

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Aug 01, 2014 Bianca Frances rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, sad, teen-problems-and-angst, chick-lit, book-hangover, better-than-expected, crushworthy-characters, advanced-copy, male-pov, lgbt

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"In the end, we're all just one big group of freaks I guess, trying to find ourselves in this crazy world. And all I'll ever be is that gay boy, trying desperately to find my own something to live for, never realizing that those things most important are always right in front of your face."

Danny has always been following his twin brother, Sam. From the clothes he wore, to the friends he hung out with. Danny w ...more

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Jun 17, 2014 Kristi rated it it was amazing

I will preface this review with letting other readers know that I am not the best review writer, but here goes... First of all, I thought that Peter Monn was effective in informing the readers about the issues that today's teens face. Some issues like teen pregnancy and suicide were issues when I was that age (a long, long time ago), and now others are in the media spotlight like bullying and hate crimes. I liked how Monn managed to touch upon so many teen issues without making any of them steal ...more

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Oct 01, 2014 Tammy Subia rated it liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed reading The Before Now and After Then. At times, the story had a very Perks of Being a Wallflower-feel to it. While some parts of Danny's character annoyed me (saying he's in love after one weekend, completely ignoring his best friend once he's in a relationship), I still felt like these parts lent authenticity to the character. Because teenagers, of course, aren't always perfect. They're often selfish and impulsive and fall in love too fast.

The relationship between Danny and R ...more

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Feb 28, 2015 Justine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This showed up as a suggested book for me on Amazon based on others I have purchased, and I'm glad it did. Between the fun and intriguing cover and the story line, I knew this was something I had to read. I started and finished it in a day; I couldn't put it down.

There was something about the relationship between Danny and Rusty that was just so sweet. They experienced the innocence of a first love and the hardships that come with it. I loved the character of Cher, with her quirky and feisty na ...more

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Jan 20, 2016 Charlie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I was granted the right to read this book for review a long time ago, it was one of the first ever books I had the right to read for review and therefore a very special book to me. The books cover itself has changed since I read it.

I have to admit the book completely blew me away, I wasn't worried about the book but I just kind of wasn't fully excited to read it but once I got into it I just couldn't stop. I connected with all of the characters, it was hard not to and there were almost instanta ...more

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Apr 21, 2015 Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, lgbtqia

I mean, I don't really know how to feel.

On one hand, the whole premise of the book is that Danny doesn't know who he is because all of his life he just followed in his twin brother's foot steps. So you would think this book would be about Danny discovering himself after his twin brother Sam dies in a car crash. But to be honest, I don't know how you can find yourself when you instantly enter into a relationship and everything you like becomes the things they like? That's not really discovering y ...more

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Sep 12, 2016 Brittany rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If I've ever read a book that is simultaneously sweet and gut-wrenching, it is this one. Danny had me hooked from the first page; his sorrow and quiet strength are so obvious is everything he does.

I felt myself whispering to Danny that it would be okay, and smiling at his old-soul comments to his parents, who are unique and complicated and amazing characters.

I like a character driven novel, and that's what this is...it's a bath of striking personalities in various stages of conflict, commotion ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
YA LGBT Books: * November 2014 BotM - The Before Now and After Then -Spoilers	5	111	Nov 27, 2014 12:43PM
YA LGBT Books: New LGBT Book Coming in July...The Before Now and After Then	2	36	Oct 30, 2014 02:51AM
It's a flash sale!	1	3	Oct 15, 2014 04:20AM
Cher	1	5	Aug 25, 2014 09:11PM
Available Now!	1	6	Jul 29, 2014 12:53AM

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About Peter Monn

Peter Monn

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Peter Monn is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana where he lives with his dashing husband Alex and their brood of dogs named after their favorite literary muses. . Besides being a YouTuber, a dreamer, a romantic, a moon-child and a lover of carnivals, night swimming and driving around late at night, he is also a writer. His first book, The Before Now and After Then, was released in 2014 and he is cu ...more