Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Long Run by James Acker

12 reviews

greenlivingaudioworm's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Homophobia, Blood, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

axel_p's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love this so much

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Content Warnings

Minor: Vomit, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Outing, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, and Grief

20sidedbi's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book was EVERYTHING. Absolutely delightful (and so nostalgic for life in Jersey/Philly) Made me laugh and weep and feel hope again.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Bullying, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Death of parent

quasinaut's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a romance, yes, but it's also a book about two high school boys getting to know themselves, both separate from and in reaction to how others perceive them. We see Bash turn into someone else around his jock friends, his stepdad, his teachers, Sandro's family. Meanwhile, Sandro is dealing with how he fits with his family and kids at school, who like him but don't really see him. 

The main downside for me is that this feels like a book written 10-15 years ago (and maybe it was, but just didn't get a chance to be published until now). I see the comparisons to Aristotle and Dante, a book from 2012 set in the 1980s; this book from 2023 feels like it could have been set in 2010, maybe. Like it's more millennial than gen Z. But I am a millennial, so what do I know about today's teen experience, ha!

Other good things: I appreciate that Bash and Sandro have identity issues that are separate from their sexual identities. I liked that there are real adult figures, who aren't perfect but are trying. (Though I would have liked to get a taste of how Sandro's family dynamic evolves, beyond just his interactions with his mom!)

All in all, just two kids making mistakes and figuring stuff out and fighting and loving and doing their best. Good stuff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content

Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Vomit, and Medical content

chris_reads's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is one of the most honest and evocative queer coming of age books I've read. It takes itself seriously without coming off saccharine or brutal. The characters are well rounded and so easy to root for. I loved it. No notes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Cursing, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

pey333's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Cursing, and Sexual content

Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit, Outing, and Abandonment

tragicgloom's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Homophobia, and Body shaming

Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Grief, Outing, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Vomit, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical content, and Death of parent

imstephtacular's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, Medical content, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, Racism, Biphobia, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Blood, Drug use, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Vomit, Abandonment, and Panic attacks/disorders

fieldfarmer's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol

annikaa's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Misogyny, Cursing, Homophobia, Violence, Bullying, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Alcohol, and Blood

Moderate: Outing, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content