If you loved
After the Game
Abbi Glines · Book · 2017
What hooked you in After the Game was the raw, emotional tension of returning to a town that refuses to forgive you.
Films on the same thread
Forever My Girl
Bethany Ashton Wolf · Film · 2018
Like the homecoming in After the Game, this story centers on the complicated burden of returning to your roots and facing the person you left behind years ago.
Palmer
Film · 2021
You will recognize the heavy weight of a tarnished reputation from After the Game as this protagonist struggles to rebuild his life while trapped by his past mistakes.
The Second Mother
Film · 2015
This film mirrors the maternal struggle found in After the Game, focusing on the deep-seated guilt and social isolation that often comes with navigating motherhood and broken family ties.
Home Team
Charles Kinnane · Film · 2022
Much like the protagonist in After the Game, this character must confront his own history and seek redemption while attempting to reconnect with family in his old hometown.
Series on the same thread
Rectify
Ray McKinnon · Series · 2013
If the social stigma and false accusations against Riley in After the Game resonated with you, this intense drama perfectly captures the isolation of returning to an unforgiving community.
Sharp Objects
Marti Noxon · Series · 2018
The suffocating atmosphere of returning home to face dark secrets in After the Game is mirrored here, as the protagonist confronts lingering trauma in a judgmental small-town setting.
The Capture
Ben Chanan · Series · 2019
This story echoes the themes of miscarriage of justice found in After the Game, focusing on a parent fighting to protect their child while battling a public narrative.
Chesapeake Shores
John Tinker · Series · 2016
Similar to the journey in After the Game, this series explores the messy process of returning home to navigate past romances and the heavy weight of family secrets.
Podcasts on the same thread
Up and Vanished
Tenderfoot TV · Podcast · 2026
Just as the town in After the Game turns against those who do not fit its expectations, this investigation uncovers how small-town silence can hide deep institutional failures.
To Live and Die in LA
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy · Podcast · 2023
This investigation into a disappearance captures the same investigative spirit found in After the Game, highlighting how systemic corruption can impact the lives of those left behind.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is After the Game a standalone story or part of a series?
After the Game is a 2017 novel by Abbi Glines. The story focuses on Riley Young returning to Lawton, Alabama, three years after she fled the town following accusations made against Rhett Lawton. It follows her life as she raises her young daughter while Rhett is away at college.
What is the central conflict in After the Game?
The central conflict in After the Game involves the fallout from Riley Young accusing Rhett Lawton of rape. This accusation caused the town of Lawton, Alabama, to turn against Riley, forcing her to leave. Upon her return, she must navigate life while raising the daughter that many believed was Rhett's.
Does After the Game take place in high school?
No, After the Game does not take place in high school. Although Riley Young left Lawton, Alabama, three years prior, she is not returning to finish her senior year. She is back in town as a mother raising her two-year-old daughter while Rhett Lawton is away attending college.
How much time has passed in After the Game since Riley left Lawton?
In After the Game, three years have passed since Riley Young fled Lawton, Alabama. She left after accusing Rhett Lawton of rape and returned to town as a mother to a two-year-old daughter. The narrative picks up with these established circumstances as she reintegrates into the community.