Book Review – The Before Now and After Then ★★★★★

I don’t usually post book reviews on Tuesdays, but I am today because I’m trying to catch up on my finished books to review. Peter Monn read his book on Youtube as a way to give back to the book community during Covid quarantine. I love Peter’s YT content. He’s authentic, inspiring, and hilarious. Here’s a spoiler-free review of his book, don’t forget to check out his Youtube Channel and listen to his book for free!

About The Book 📚

“I smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. Sometimes pain likes to be alone.”

Publication Date: October 2014

Publisher: Pen Name Publishing

Suggested Reader Age: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance

Triggers: child molestation, smoking, drinking, swearing, talking about sex, homophobia

My Review

› Danny and his identical twin Sam had it all planned out. Sam would go to the dog park, giving Danny the time and opportunity to tell his parents he’s gay, then Sam would return, ringing the doorbell pretending he lost his key so he could save Danny from the awkward conversation with his parents following the coming-out. Except, that’s not what happens. Instead, Danny’s world falls apart. Leaving him to discover who he is without his twin, which leads him to meet some awesome people like Cher and Rusty.

“He had never seemed breakable before, but in that moment, he was entirely fragile, and there was something beautiful in his sadness; something raw.”

› I didn’t like Cher at first, and you probably won’t either, but give it some time and she’ll grow on you. How could a girl with purple hair and combat boots not crawl into my heart? And Rusty. We all know how much I love a soft boy.

› Final Thoughts
• The Before Now and After Then broke my heart. I love this story and the characters so much. I can’t wait for Monn to write another book! One of my favourite books of the year. Highly recommend! ★★★★★