Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Long Run by James Acker

12 reviews

amris's review against another edition

emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ravenk28's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

Emotional, hopeful and inspiring. These are the three words I would use to describe this beautiful book. 

This book is one of those coming of age stories that perfectly describe the reality of being a queer teen and how the ups and downs shape us as we grow as people. 

I’m really glad I read this book as it depicts such a range of thought and emotions. But truly I loved this book  because it had me laughing my ass off one minute and in tears the next 😭

Although it was a beautiful read I would like to preface that the f slur is used a lot at the beginning of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Fatphobia, Grief, and Outing

kitrook's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent

Minor: Outing and Toxic friendship

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

charlottedow's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful fast-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

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent

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

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: Sexual content and Alcohol

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

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, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Grief, and Alcohol

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

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: Body shaming, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship

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

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

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

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

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Abandonment