Actual 4.5 stars.
Spoiler (kinda sorta maybe(ish)) Therefore, don't continue to read this review if you're worried about a possible spoiler (as if I have anyone reading my reviews in the first place...how adorable).
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I love and hate the end of this book, therefore, the half star that is missing represents my own pettiness over the lack of "where are our sweet baby boys now" scene that, while not obligatory, is usually present in most of today's novels. Perhaps, if there was an epilogue or a short follow-up novella, it would have been a whole 5 stars. That little bit of something that gave me a hint of hope for our two sweet boys. You know, that 5 year or 10 year later scene. The one where they a) stay connected and in love (somewhat unrealistic), b) broke apart as love interests while still maintaining a strong friendship and falling in love with another (all while breaking my heart), or c) broke apart amicably due to distance/college/real life, but reconnect years down the road (second chance sucker here, so I vote for this scenario). Alas, this was not the case, so I must withhold my half a star.
I also feel the need to (unhelpfully) share that I do feel a small affinity with Dro in the use of "anywho" (or more often "anyways") as a deflection tactic. Honestly, this really just shows one of the many reasons he, and Bash, stole my heart in this story. Which leads me to state that, other than my one small matter of contention, Bash and Dro's story is one worth reading and it will continue to sit with me for a very long minute.
This is a genuinely exceptional coming of age story.I found it very engaging emotionally (I cried three times reading it) and it has stuck with me for several days after finishing it. Categorizing it as a YA novel might be a bit misleading. While I hope kids do read it, to me it felt like a novel that just happened to feature two teenage protagonists. This is a book that doesn't pull its punches, but at the same time is very joyful in many ways. I love Bash and Dro. Like Aristotle and Dante before them, I love Bash and Dro. I loved the way the book demonstrates how two young men can care deeply for each other, how they can be gentle and be bros at the same time. I love what this book can mean for kids today who play sports and have to navigate how homophobic that world can be. I hope high school coaches read this book.I'm a fan of John Updike's Harry Angstrom books and would love to read more about Bash and Dro somewhere down the line in their lives. Also, while I don't subscribe to the idea that making things into movies is the highest form of cultural expression, I do think this book would make one hell of a movie. The author has a degree in screenwriting, so let me just put that suggestion into the universe.I've already bought copies of The Long Run to give to friends. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Sunshine Hafner
Bash and Dro's Story is Worth Your Time
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2023Chris
Excellent coming of age novel
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2023
This is a genuinely exceptional coming of age story.
I found it very engaging emotionally (I cried three times reading it) and it has stuck with me for several days after finishing it. Categorizing it as a YA novel might be a bit misleading. While I hope kids do read it, to me it felt like a novel that just happened to feature two teenage protagonists. This is a book that doesn't pull its punches, but at the same time is very joyful in many ways. I love Bash and Dro. Like Aristotle and Dante before them, I love Bash and Dro. I loved the way the book demonstrates how two young men can care deeply for each other, how they can be gentle and be bros at the same time. I love what this book can mean for kids today who play sports and have to navigate how homophobic that world can be. I hope high school coaches read this book.
I'm a fan of John Updike's Harry Angstrom books and would love to read more about Bash and Dro somewhere down the line in their lives. Also, while I don't subscribe to the idea that making things into movies is the highest form of cultural expression, I do think this book would make one hell of a movie. The author has a degree in screenwriting, so let me just put that suggestion into the universe.
I've already bought copies of The Long Run to give to friends. I can't recommend it highly enough.
I found it very engaging emotionally (I cried three times reading it) and it has stuck with me for several days after finishing it. Categorizing it as a YA novel might be a bit misleading. While I hope kids do read it, to me it felt like a novel that just happened to feature two teenage protagonists. This is a book that doesn't pull its punches, but at the same time is very joyful in many ways. I love Bash and Dro. Like Aristotle and Dante before them, I love Bash and Dro. I loved the way the book demonstrates how two young men can care deeply for each other, how they can be gentle and be bros at the same time. I love what this book can mean for kids today who play sports and have to navigate how homophobic that world can be. I hope high school coaches read this book.
I'm a fan of John Updike's Harry Angstrom books and would love to read more about Bash and Dro somewhere down the line in their lives. Also, while I don't subscribe to the idea that making things into movies is the highest form of cultural expression, I do think this book would make one hell of a movie. The author has a degree in screenwriting, so let me just put that suggestion into the universe.
I've already bought copies of The Long Run to give to friends. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Images in this review
