Phil Stamper

Whoa, dang, this one is really sweet but full of the big feels. I really appreciate how it models living though grief in a number of ways. I love that cousin Riley is such a spitfire and such a successful streamer. I love that Eli and Mat get to be two kids crushing on each other and nobody but nobody cares. I love that it shows off the many faces of NYC -- close conditions, heat, bugs sometimes, many stairs and also the glory of an east coast big city neighborhood where people start to know show more you and the sheer amazingness of all the city has to offer. Great work on negotiating Dad-Eli relationship. Interesting foray into coding. And I feel like any book that succeeds at putting food at the center will succeed at bringing the heart. This one sure does. show less

Phil Stamper's As Far As You'll Take Me is a great new addition to the YA world. While I will say, it was melancholic reading about travel during a pandemic lockdown, it was also a bit freeing. Stamper's book may be just the get-away you're looking for during these unsettling times. And what a fantastic cover this book has! I'm loving the trend in YA books to engage artists for fantastic art !!

Marty is still dealing with the fallout of his parents learning that he is gay when this book show more begins. He's come up with the perfect plan. He's going to England, but he's not telling his family that he won't be coming back home. He's definitely on the run and sees his music career as an oboe-playuer gaining much more traction in Europe. While in England, he'll be staying with his cousin Shane - another musician. Shame's coming out experience was almost the opposite of Marty's thanks to his Mom and Marty's Aunt. it's been the cause of a bit of discord in the family...but Marty can't wait to stay with them.

Over the course of a few weeks, Marty goes through so many things that we all face throughout our lives. He meets a startling young man who seems to want to spend time with him,. He gains and loses friendships. He has to be honest with himself, his friends and his family in many different ways.

All the characters in this novel are well-developed and interesting in their own right. Marty deals with a variety of issues that may be familiar to most people. His anxiety is a constant companion and it appears that he hasn't received any sort of counselling or other intervention. He's struggling to deal with it on his own once he leaves behind his over-bearing best friend. In addition to anxiety, Marty struggles with issues regarding his weight, appearance and eating.

The supporting characters in this story are all given their own detailed lives. Many issues/challenges are touched upon throughout this book: competition, losing friendships, struggling to fulfill commitments, anxiety, queer lives, family discord. Stamper manages to wrangle all these issues into a cohesive storyline... without drawing the focus too far from the main plot.

Essentially, Marty is discovering who he is. His journey to London is about music for him... and becoming the person he's supposed to be. The problem appears to be that Marty hasn't really been standing on his own two feet. While he was at home, he was pushed by his best friend to face his fears, directed by parents to be a certain kind of person and when he gets to London he becomes enamoured with Pierce and the idea of having a boyfriend.

I loved the detail about London! It was like taking a little vacation again. I've been to London many times (I was born not far from there) and Stamper's attention to detail was perfect. There's enough description of London to make it familiar to those who may not have visited and not too much to make it bothersome. Marty learning the language differences and culturally unique bits about London was amusing and entertaining.

This is a very real look at someone's life and I loved it. Marty is authentic and familiar and I know that many readers will be able to identify with his challenges and battles. Go Marty! You can do it! If you're a fan of YA books, Queer books or just love an engaging story then pick this one up! show less

This is a sweet story about Teens falling in love, making mistakes and figuring shit out. One of the things that makes this book so great, is that Stamper has such a great grasp on the age of social media (for lack of a better way to put it).

Cal is living in NY when the book begins. He’s rockin’ the social media world with his guerilla journalism and planning his future. I love that Cal is a planner! Then everything changes when his Dad is accepted into the Astronaut program and the show more entire family is uprooted and moved in a weekend. A move to Texas means leaving his best friend, Deb and his newly acquired internship at Buzzfeed.

When Cal meets one of the other astrokids, Leon … things change. The two connect immediately and it’s not long before Leon reveals that he’s dealing with depression. One of the things I loved about this story was the way that Stamper lets Leon explain his depression. He’s clear that he doesn’t need to “be fixed” and Cal immediately begins the journey of learning how to meet Leon where he’s at rather than trying to fix things.

The relationship between Leon and Cal isn’t without its speed bumps, but it’s sweet and hopeful and I enjoyed it immensely. As much as Cal enjoys being in front of the lens, Leon is stifled by it and there is a lot of push and pull as these two try to find the sweet spot where they can both be happy being themselves.

Cal also becomes bogged down in the world of being onscreen on a reality show. As he navigates the complex road of blossoming celebrity, he gets caught in traps, sideswiped and is left wondering if everything will crumble around him. But, Cal has heart and determination and the courage to keep trying to do what’s right and hope for change. That is a message we can all use in this day and age.

This book is for people whose heart and imagination are big enough that they are still trying to change the world. You don’t have to be in NASA to reach for the stars. Stamper handles this young relationship with care and humor and it’s a joy to have read about it. show less

As Phil Stamper leads us through the quaint streets of Barton Springs in Small Town Pride, one cannot help but sense the underlying tension that lies beneath its seemingly innocent facade. This town, with its picturesque charm and close-knit community, echoes with the quiet whispers of a more sinister force—not one of malevolence, but the slow suffocation of bigotry.

In this story, we meet Jake, a young soul filled with hope for his future, for love, and for acceptance. Yet, behind the warm show more smiles and familiar faces, there lies an unspoken fear, fear of the unknown, of something that challenges the deeply rooted norms. The town council, in particular, emerges like specters of the old ways, bound by their narrow views.

Jake’s saving grace is his home, where love and support flow freely, and his circle of friends, who shield him from the town’s darker undercurrents. He cherishes Barton Springs, the very people whose minds he hopes to change, and with that love, he’s determined to break the town’s chains. His dream? To see it open its doors to its first Pride celebration, to tear down the veil of intolerance before it drives him away.

As he faces the looming threat of ignorance, Jake becomes a beacon in this sleepy, shadowed village, reminding us that sometimes the greatest struggles come not from distant evils but from the familiar faces of those who resist change. Can Jake's quiet revolution awaken Barton Springs, or will the weight of its bigotry drive him into the arms of a world beyond? Time will tell if the heart of this town is willing to embrace the future or if it will remain shackled to its past. show less