Title: Golden Boys
Author: Phil Stamper
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Publication date: February 8, 2022
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Summary
Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath have been close since elementary school. The only queer kids in their small town in Ohio, they stuck together out of necessity. Now, it’s the summer before high school and they’re all going their separate ways. And they’re worried their friendships might change because of it.
Sal is going to intern for a senator in DC. Reese is travelling to Paris for an art program. Gabriel is going to Boston to volunteer to help save trees. And Heath is going to work with his Aunt in Daytona Beach. As they’re all apart for the summer, what does this mean for their futures? It’s a final test before they all go off to college after graduation.
Review: Golden Boys
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an advanced copy of this to review! Ever since I read The Gravity of Us, Phil Stamper has been an author on my radar. Friendship, romance, summer adventure, what isn’t to like in this book? Plus, the summer vibes will be perfect to get you out of a February slump.
Let’s start out with the good. From start to finish, this book absolutely feels like a teen book. Honestly, even more than Stamper’s previous two books. Yes, the teens in it are generally more privileged than most. Especially lookiing at what they all have planned for the summer. But the choices they make, the overall voices in the story. They just felt really teen to me. Which isn’t easy to accomplish, so I applaud Stamper for that!
Additionally, the relationships felt natural throughout. Both the romance in the friend group and the romance that happens outside of it. They felt realy and authentic and accruately reflected teenage relationships. Each guy also develops new friends during the summer, and despite the number of characters in the book, I thought they were all pretty well developed. All four places had a distinct feel to them, which helps with the four points of view.
The beginning of this book was a bit rocky for me. I don’t think the story really picks up until all four boys leave for their summers. This is definitely a lot more of a character-driven story, and I’m not entirely sure how there’s going to be a sequel. The passage of time is also a bit unclear throughout the book, especially as we go between different characters.
Additionally, the COVID references just kind of threw me off. It made it unclear how far out after the pandemic this was happening, and some of the COVID scenes felt forced to me. In all honesty, I just kind of wish they weren’t included at all.
All in all, I felt a bit mixed about this book. It hit its stride by the end, but it took it a little while to get there. I think I did like the characters enough, though, to see where they go in a sequel!
3.5/5 stars