The Long Run

De: James Acker

Narrado por: Lee Osorio, Max Meyers

2024 Stonewall Book Award Honor for Young Adult Literature

"A boldly authentic new voice in queer fiction." —Abdi Nazemian, author of Stonewall Honor book Like a Love Story and The Chandler Legacies

Two track and field athletes find an unexpected but powerful love in this unapologetically blunt and unforgettably real YA debut.

Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.

Sandro Miceli is too nice for his own good. The middle child in an always-growing, always-screaming Italian family, Sandro walks around on a broken foot to not bother his busy parents. All he wants is to get out and never look back.

When fate—in the form of a party that gets busted—brings these two very different boys together, neither of them could’ve predicted finding a love that they’d risk everything for…

©2023 James Acker (P)2023 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

So good!

I loved this story! The characters, the performances of the two readers, the ending! I never wanted it to end. I hope the author continues their story.

I want more

takes me back to my first crush in high school. so cute and written with a great perspective.

Finally a good LGBT story

Magical. Powerful. Listened in one sitting during work and bought the actual book.

I won’t go into details on the story/plot but it’s real life and I loved it.

Ending with a quirk

Narrators we’re great AND great for their characters!

I was recommended this book on instagram as a top 5 gay must reads. The books description pushed it
towards the top of the 5. Not having read the other 5 and not really interested in 2 of the 5, this book was a top contender.
The first part of the book is difficult. Both characters were full of angst - teenage to young adult angst. Thoroughly described teenage to young adult angst. PAINFULLY described teenage to young adult angst. WE ALL GET IT THEY HAVE TEENAGE TO YOUNG ADUKT ANGST!!!! I was almost ready to give up and almost quit but the book was so delightfully reviewed.
I stayed on board and the book became a delightful and very often funny read (ok listen). Both characters became more fully developed in personality, humor, sympathy, depth of feeling, and emotion. WAY beyond angst. Very descriptive of emotions and feelings that were both teenage and young adult. Beyond the first season, I started to actually like both characters instead of really not liking or relating to either of them.
It’s worth the painfully torturous appetizer beginnings to get to the meat and potatoes of the middle to end
The humor is amazing, the emotions are matured and developed, the exchanges are real and understood. Well worth the read or listen, hang on through the beginning. It gets you there.

It was enjoyable. But it got a bit over the top in certain places

It was a mostly enjoyable listen, and I have no problem recommending it. But there were parts that were just way way over dramatic and where some of the characters actually sounded a bit bonkers like they needed psychiatric care. Was just a bit too much in a few places

Fantastic

This is one of the better YA LGBTQ romances. The two MCs were wonderful. Their story was believable and heartwarming. There was so much the two boys had to deal with during their senior year of high school. But these trials made each a better man. The love the boys had for each other was adorable. I could feel the connection the two had. But the love each had for their families was even more touching. And the work they had to into their families made that love seem more real. An excellent book!

Sweet, authentic

This book is well written, well paced and s very enjoyable story. Love that one of the characters is bisexual!

my current top 2023 read

i felt. i sobbed. i picked up my fallen pieces to reattach with Scotch tape.

*this* is what i call a coming-of-age story: a grand character study underpinned by grounding pathos, steering clear of over-sentimentality and caricatures, to deliver the most unflinchingly raw take on two young souls becoming - becoming unbound, becoming themselves, becoming each other's safe harbor.

entering their senior year, Bash and Sandro are without a compass as everything they've managed to side step creeps to a head. the only option is to confront the bone-deep weariness head on, or be crushed under its weight. it's everything all at once: playing to outside expectations; losing sight of one's authentic self, with whom they've had no more than a brief acquaintance after a lifetime of donning masks to bluff and conceal; navigating the topsy turvy world of familial relationships, toxic masculinity, open communication and purposeful introspection. it's fear of the unknown. it's dread of being alone. they work so, so hard for their happiness, and with each passage, unerringly prove that they deserve every single bit of it.

this is my first time listening to these narrators, but i was blown away by how much personality and emotion they put into their performance. i wouldn’t hesitate to listen to another audiobook with this talented pairing.

hereby making this book my personality for an indeterminate amount of time while i continue my failed attempts to ignore the storm cloud of bereavement hovering above me ✌️

dear author,

i would do anything for a sequel, an epilogue - heck, even a two line update on their future. ANYTHING.

sincerely,
your new biggest fan

Amazing book. I cried.

I’m a mess in a great way. The author did amazing and I can’t wait to listen to it again.

My new #1. Some of the best narration and delivery.

I fell in love with both of the characters and their chemistry immediately. I couldn’t get enough of how much they loved each other throughout this. Im not joking when I say this may be my favorite lgbt book of all time now… and it didn’t leave off with the ending I thought it was gonna leave off on (spoilers ahead) usually when two characters are getting ready to go to college in this scenario. I was expecting a breakup but both of the characters said they want to make it work long distance in the end and I was so happy. I really hope a second book is actually coming like the author teased but I’ll have to wait and see! The narrators in this book were phenomenal to me, both of them did absolutely amazing delivering their lines and setting a mood for the scenes. I recommend this book to anyone looking for exactly what they think they’re gonna get from this. PLEASE LET THERE BE ANOTHER BOOK(WITH ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING)