What do you think?
Rate this book
Afterglow
Sequel to Award-winning "Naked in the Rain"... "Afterglow is a riveting read, not to be missed." - Midwest Book Review. Now available as a Nook e-book via Barnes & Noble!
Brian and River have escaped the Houses, but can they survive Los Angeles on their own? Drugs and childhood demons seem set to destroy them. Not to mention working the streets....
Is their love and Brian’s music enough to survive the ultimate test? Crisis leads to a journey across the country to face the past, to Arizona to find peace, and finally to Portland, Oregon to find a home.
Click on the author's name for more info or to read the first chapter.
Brian and River have escaped the Houses, but can they survive Los Angeles on their own? Drugs and childhood demons seem set to destroy them. Not to mention working the streets....
Is their love and Brian’s music enough to survive the ultimate test? Crisis leads to a journey across the country to face the past, to Arizona to find peace, and finally to Portland, Oregon to find a home.
Click on the author's name for more info or to read the first chapter.
735 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Eowyn Wood
2 books51 followers"Afterglow" -- the sequel to "Naked in the Rain" -- is now available! "Afterglow" was named as a Finalist in USA Book News Best Books 2010 (Gay/Lesbian category). More info at www.eowynwood.com.
"Naked in the Rain" is the award-winning debut novel from Eowyn Wood. In addition to her work as an author, she performs editing for Crooked Hills Publishing and works at a non-profit AIDS organization. She has lived in many areas of the United States. After five years in Los Angeles–-where much of "Naked in the Rain" takes place-–Wood relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she has now resided happily for over ten years.
"Naked in the Rain" has won several awards, including the international 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Winner, GLBT); Best Books 2007, USA Book News (Winner, Gay/Lesbian fiction); and ForeWord Magazine’s 2007 Book of the Year Awards (Silver, Gay/Lesbian fiction).
"Naked in the Rain" is the award-winning debut novel from Eowyn Wood. In addition to her work as an author, she performs editing for Crooked Hills Publishing and works at a non-profit AIDS organization. She has lived in many areas of the United States. After five years in Los Angeles–-where much of "Naked in the Rain" takes place-–Wood relocated to Portland, Oregon, where she has now resided happily for over ten years.
"Naked in the Rain" has won several awards, including the international 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Winner, GLBT); Best Books 2007, USA Book News (Winner, Gay/Lesbian fiction); and ForeWord Magazine’s 2007 Book of the Year Awards (Silver, Gay/Lesbian fiction).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 25, 2023
Disturbing, upsetting, heartbreaking, fantastic. It goes straight to the top of the list of my favorite books. I've never cried so much over a book, but Brian and River's story grabbed me and didn't let me go. There are moments in the story when the emotions were so strong I had to put the book down for a few minutes. One scene in particular upset me and made me cry so much I had to pace the room for a while. Even now, when I think back about the story, I feel an ache inside me for many of the things the two main characters had to go through. I'll never forget Brian and River.
April 4, 2010
My review is late in coming, but I had to wrap my head around this story and come to terms with first, but now you have it.
First off this book which follows Naked in The Rain has a shitload of content advisorys that should be seriously taken into consideration.
Everything you can ultimately imagine occurs on this book which might not be appropriate to some readers such as: Pedophiles, rape, minor underage prostitutes. There's details on a suicide attempt. The use and abuse of drugs using different methods. There's acts of violence, S&M, BDSM and you will also read content of interactions such as M/M, M/M/M, M/F AND M/M/F/F between adults and underage minors.
I'm safe to probate I've covered all the bases regarding the books contents to those of you who haven't read read this 2 book set. I came across many unsavory and distasteful scenes. Factory in the children's involvement as being such. Aside from that, the story is intriguing and will have you glued to your seat, eager to turn page after page and get it read if at all possible in one sitting. I managed getting through both books in 3 days total. I was glued and became unglued with the acts, events and story in and of itself.
Secondly, in the second book the author makes a note that this book may stand alone. Perhaps, but for the full effect to enjoying this daramatic story I do highly recommend reading Dancing In The Rain first.
Lastly my thoughts: Eowyn, does an excellent job with these books. She takes you into a world that you don't want believe exists and true these ones are fiction, but to an extent it is out there and very real. It's sad, heartbreaking and depressing what these boys contend with under the control of grown men who have power, gain, and it's their way of catering to the world of pedophiles under what they deem a controlled environment making the almighty buck in the process. The books are also about love, devotion and heartbreak.
I completely and utterly shocked myself to reading this, but not turning the last page that ends the stories without mental scarring.
My review although it seems like I'm trying to defer you from reading this is not so. If you can get past all the negatives aspects I urge you to read it. It's exquisitely well written, vividly detailed and an exception to the rule of being mint.
I haven't seen another book yet from Eowyn, but I'll be vigilly on the lookout for more to come and hope she will write more. Note: When you buy the books from the author's website she autographs the books personally. A bonus right there.
First off this book which follows Naked in The Rain has a shitload of content advisorys that should be seriously taken into consideration.
Everything you can ultimately imagine occurs on this book which might not be appropriate to some readers such as: Pedophiles, rape, minor underage prostitutes. There's details on a suicide attempt. The use and abuse of drugs using different methods. There's acts of violence, S&M, BDSM and you will also read content of interactions such as M/M, M/M/M, M/F AND M/M/F/F between adults and underage minors.
I'm safe to probate I've covered all the bases regarding the books contents to those of you who haven't read read this 2 book set. I came across many unsavory and distasteful scenes. Factory in the children's involvement as being such. Aside from that, the story is intriguing and will have you glued to your seat, eager to turn page after page and get it read if at all possible in one sitting. I managed getting through both books in 3 days total. I was glued and became unglued with the acts, events and story in and of itself.
Secondly, in the second book the author makes a note that this book may stand alone. Perhaps, but for the full effect to enjoying this daramatic story I do highly recommend reading Dancing In The Rain first.
Lastly my thoughts: Eowyn, does an excellent job with these books. She takes you into a world that you don't want believe exists and true these ones are fiction, but to an extent it is out there and very real. It's sad, heartbreaking and depressing what these boys contend with under the control of grown men who have power, gain, and it's their way of catering to the world of pedophiles under what they deem a controlled environment making the almighty buck in the process. The books are also about love, devotion and heartbreak.
I completely and utterly shocked myself to reading this, but not turning the last page that ends the stories without mental scarring.
My review although it seems like I'm trying to defer you from reading this is not so. If you can get past all the negatives aspects I urge you to read it. It's exquisitely well written, vividly detailed and an exception to the rule of being mint.
I haven't seen another book yet from Eowyn, but I'll be vigilly on the lookout for more to come and hope she will write more. Note: When you buy the books from the author's website she autographs the books personally. A bonus right there.
March 27, 2018
***May contain spoilers***
Let me begin by saying that Afterglow is the sequel to Naked in the Rain. The author, Eowyn Wood, states that Afterglow can be a stand alone novel but recommends reading Naked in the Rain first. Now, if you plan to read the whole series I can understand why it may seem daunting at first. Naked in the Rain clocks in at 435 pages and Afterglow is a staggering 735 pages! However, I don't think Afterglow works as a stand alone. You've got to start at the beginning to truly understand these characters and their journey.
Speaking of the size of Afterglow, I feel that its length actually hurts it more than helps. This book desperately needed a better editor. I understand that this was meant to be Brian and River's swan song and the author may have been hesitant to cut anything out but because of this the book suffers greatly. At some points it becomes redundant and painfully dragged out. There are scenes that just aren't necessary that could've easily been deleted without taking anything away from the book.
That being said, this book series is not for everyone. As other reviewers have mentioned, it contains very graphic and mature subject matter. Fortunately, I love novels that delve into the darker side of humanity. One of my favorite books is Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim so Naked in the Rain and Afterglow were right up my alley.
Naked in the Rain definitely deserved the praise poured down on it. It's a thrilling journey from beginning to end. It, however, ends on a cliffhanger. The author concluding it simply by saying, "To be continued..." There's no way the reader can refuse to read the sequel to see what happens next.
Where Naked in the Rain succeeds, Afterglow sadly fails. I entered the sequel unsure of what to expect but excited to find out. Instead of having trouble putting the book down, I had many moments where I needed to put it down because it became too frustrating to continue.
Upon finishing it, I still feel frustrated. I think River becoming abusive to Brian was a strange decision. Granted, River suffered abuse from his stepfather but it just seemed so out of character. It ruined the main love story that made Naked in the Rain great. I knew immediately where the author was going to go with River's character and was unsurprised when he suddenly died of an overdose. I think the only shock was just how quickly River is eliminated from the story.
My biggest complaint is the lack of character growth from any of the characters. Honestly, as the story droned on I found myself rolling my eyes too many times to count and becoming disenchanted with every character, especially Brian.
Brian. Oh, my. The character is understandably a train wreck, I can accept that anyone who went through what he goes through would suffer some serious mental issues. Even still, in moments where the author seems to think Brian has made a major breakthrough it doesn't change him. He's still self-destructive, self-centered, and ultimately more annoying than he started out. I hated that I slowly fell out of love with the character when I know that that wasn't the author's intention.
As the book goes on and on, we don't really get any resolution to the Grant story until the very end. It ultimately feels like a missed opportunity thrown awry by an unnecessary attempted kidnapping that ends up being more laughable than frightening.
Don't get me wrong, I feel like the drug addiction story was handled extremely well and told very realistically but, once again, Brian's lack of character growth, even after achieving sobriety, was disappointing.
Overall, I feel Eowyn Wood tried to do too many things within Afterglow, much to its own peril. That being said, it is worth the read but don't expect a satisfactory ending. Brian doesn't change and the people in his life happily go on enabling his ego and selfishness.
I may sound a bit harsh, I'm trying not to, but I just think this could've, should've, been much better than it ultimately turned out. Even still, I recommend the series. If at times frustrating, it still is a good read.
Let me begin by saying that Afterglow is the sequel to Naked in the Rain. The author, Eowyn Wood, states that Afterglow can be a stand alone novel but recommends reading Naked in the Rain first. Now, if you plan to read the whole series I can understand why it may seem daunting at first. Naked in the Rain clocks in at 435 pages and Afterglow is a staggering 735 pages! However, I don't think Afterglow works as a stand alone. You've got to start at the beginning to truly understand these characters and their journey.
Speaking of the size of Afterglow, I feel that its length actually hurts it more than helps. This book desperately needed a better editor. I understand that this was meant to be Brian and River's swan song and the author may have been hesitant to cut anything out but because of this the book suffers greatly. At some points it becomes redundant and painfully dragged out. There are scenes that just aren't necessary that could've easily been deleted without taking anything away from the book.
That being said, this book series is not for everyone. As other reviewers have mentioned, it contains very graphic and mature subject matter. Fortunately, I love novels that delve into the darker side of humanity. One of my favorite books is Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim so Naked in the Rain and Afterglow were right up my alley.
Naked in the Rain definitely deserved the praise poured down on it. It's a thrilling journey from beginning to end. It, however, ends on a cliffhanger. The author concluding it simply by saying, "To be continued..." There's no way the reader can refuse to read the sequel to see what happens next.
Where Naked in the Rain succeeds, Afterglow sadly fails. I entered the sequel unsure of what to expect but excited to find out. Instead of having trouble putting the book down, I had many moments where I needed to put it down because it became too frustrating to continue.
Upon finishing it, I still feel frustrated. I think River becoming abusive to Brian was a strange decision. Granted, River suffered abuse from his stepfather but it just seemed so out of character. It ruined the main love story that made Naked in the Rain great. I knew immediately where the author was going to go with River's character and was unsurprised when he suddenly died of an overdose. I think the only shock was just how quickly River is eliminated from the story.
My biggest complaint is the lack of character growth from any of the characters. Honestly, as the story droned on I found myself rolling my eyes too many times to count and becoming disenchanted with every character, especially Brian.
Brian. Oh, my. The character is understandably a train wreck, I can accept that anyone who went through what he goes through would suffer some serious mental issues. Even still, in moments where the author seems to think Brian has made a major breakthrough it doesn't change him. He's still self-destructive, self-centered, and ultimately more annoying than he started out. I hated that I slowly fell out of love with the character when I know that that wasn't the author's intention.
As the book goes on and on, we don't really get any resolution to the Grant story until the very end. It ultimately feels like a missed opportunity thrown awry by an unnecessary attempted kidnapping that ends up being more laughable than frightening.
Don't get me wrong, I feel like the drug addiction story was handled extremely well and told very realistically but, once again, Brian's lack of character growth, even after achieving sobriety, was disappointing.
Overall, I feel Eowyn Wood tried to do too many things within Afterglow, much to its own peril. That being said, it is worth the read but don't expect a satisfactory ending. Brian doesn't change and the people in his life happily go on enabling his ego and selfishness.
I may sound a bit harsh, I'm trying not to, but I just think this could've, should've, been much better than it ultimately turned out. Even still, I recommend the series. If at times frustrating, it still is a good read.
June 17, 2014
This is a continuation of Naked In The Rain and the journey which River and Brian take to survive the harsh realities of Los Angeles. River and Brian make a dramatic escape from the Houses with the help of Brian's friend Stuart, and decide with the money they have saved thru prostitution to move into an apartment in WeHo. Things run smoothly, for the boys, River surfs and Brian starts a band with his friend Stuart called Pandora's Box. The boys feel that their love will last forever and decide to get married, they perform their own ceremony and vows are exchanged. Happiness can't last forever drug abuse surfaces, the money begins to run out, and the two find themselves falling back to a skill they both know. This novel is heartbreaking and sad because you know that the abuse these two young men have suffered in the past, has never been dealt with but covered up by sex, drugs, and alcohol. River is jealous and angry, he accuses Brian of having sex with Stuart ( who is straight) because he can't see anyone just wanting friendship with Brian without sex being involved. Brian is bisexual and feels even though they are committed to each other those vows didn't include not having sex outside that relationship, the prostitution is just a job to pay the bills. I will only say that the abuse these two have suffered begins to become a part of their relationship,and neither is willing to walk away from each other because they love each other. This book is a journey of self-discovery and painful as it is, it's definitely worth the trip.I felt the tears and the lump in my throat and can honestly say, I never been as touched by characters as I was by River & Brian and they will stay with me for a long time. Bravo Ms Wood's for these two beautiful books!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews