The real world skins you alive. It's a hazard of growing up in rural Suffolk... or possibly, it's a hazard of growing up. Either way, the Dorian Andrade and Isaiah Matalon who reunite at a party in Oxford have become equally disenchanted imitations of the boys who used to spend summers eating apples on the riverbank. A lot has changed in the six years since they saw each other. One thing is still the same: the longing for each other's company. But aren't the objects of our yearning so much easier to encounter in the imagination than when they're standing in front of us? GENRE: literary fiction, queer romance TROPES: second chance romance, friends to lovers, mutual pining COMP TITLES: A Little Life, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Call Me By Your Name, basically Wolfstar Muggle AU featured in Ambassador Reads featured in Ambassador Recommendations: Living Beyond Labels Dec 24 featured in Ambassadors: Slice of life featured in ContemporaryLit: Ambassadors' Picks featured in ContemporaryLit: LGBTQ+ Contemporary featured in ContemporaryLit: Literary Fiction featured in lgbtq: ManxMan (NA/Adult Fiction) featured in FreeTheLGBT: Diverse Literature featured in WattpadLitFic: Novels featured in WattpadMulticultural: September 2023 Reads of the Month

Seeking an escape from his overbearing mother, Evan McKenna fills his free time with hockey practice and extracurricular activities, counting down the days until he graduates. Hoping to keep a routine, and after being diagnosed with severe anxiety, Peter Delacroix hides behind the front desk of his father's quiet hotel. When his best friend starts an astronomy club to help him socialize, nobody expects Evan McKenna to walk through the door. As Evan struggles with acceptance and his ever-changing plans for the future, Peter slowly forms a bond with his club members and attempts to reconcile with his past. With the astronomy club's preparation for a meteor shower and an eclipse on the horizon, Evan and Peter have two hundred days to make sense of their hectic lives before parting ways forever. || Content Warning: Descriptions of abuse, alcoholism, and homophobia as well as discussions of mental health and sexuality. Please use discretion while reading. || * Cover by @newsies- ! *

[A psychological thriller] When you can't even pay for a bottle of water, you might want a friend like Casper. This may be hard considering he's the God-given prophet of Seabrook high; the type of kid who offers existential philosophies on a Monday and spews poetry the next. Friends are a select few for Casper, and Holden doesn't have the right kind of luck for a golden ticket. But he isn't worried. After all, to win the heart of a prophet, all you need is intelligence. And intelligence is all he's got. Cover credit: Photo by Martin Stranka. Design by toska_. Trailer Credit: Clips from Xavier Dolan films. Made by me.