A review by tristatereader
The Long Run by James Acker

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

I just finished an eARC for The Long Run by James Acker and can’t stop thinking about it. And it’s not just because I’m a Jersey girl, or that I could vividly picture every single Jersey reference that James put in this book, or because of the amount of cursing (we New Jerseyians love our swear words).

The Long Run is a coming-of-age story and romance about Sebastian Villeda (Bash) and Alessandro Miceli (Sandro/Dro). The two are both high school athletes navigating senior year, Bash being a track star and captain and Sandro being a field captain. While they’ve always been (at the most) acquaintances, it’s at a sports party where the two realize there might be something more between them.

I loved this book because it was so raw and real. It gave me Young Royals vibes as we saw two teenage boys seriously going through it. There were dysfunctional families, toxic friendships, homophobia, and sexual exploration (all very real things that high schoolers have to deal with on the daily). I was hooked on the self-acceptance journey and character growth for both Bash and Sandro, and the author did not disappoint. These two were navigating some serious shit and didn’t always handle it well. The author did a great job portraying this to the readers. In my opinion, there wasn’t really one central plot in this book, but rather several sub plots that worked so well and cohesively. And there was 👏🏼 So 👏🏼 Much 👏🏼 Incredible. Character 👏🏼 Growth 👏🏼. Not just for our MCs, but minor characters as well! WHO CHEERED?!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Look for The Long Run on February 7, 2023!
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