A review by quasinaut
The Long Run by James Acker

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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