The Long Run

By: James Acker

Narrated by: Lee Osorio, Max Meyers

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

"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

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!

Amazing

This story was a very touching story that was both emotional and introspective. The narrator’s were great and perfectly captured each character they voiced.

Wonderful

I read some of the reviews for this book, and I really couldn't understand some of the negative ones. I sat with my tablet on my lap, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying. I never wanted it to end. The narrators did an excellent job with the voice characterizations, I always knew who was speaking. I highly recommend, 5 giant stars!

Not worth the credit.

The difference in voices between the two main characters was so slight that it was difficult to discern who was speaking, despite the announcement at the top of each chapter.
The two boys seemed to go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye after the initial kiss, neither of them having much previous sexual experience. Not very realistic IMHO.
I almost didn’t finish this book. I kept hoping it would get better. But it just didn’t.

Impossible to finish

Amateurish writing. No real plot. Dorky, uninteresting characters. Tropes galore. No real conflict, no climax, no story. Don't waste a credit.

Loved it

A cute and emotional journey of two senior athletes discovering themselves and falling in love. I found both Bash and Sandro to be deeply relatable characters. Their issues felt very real.

Loved it

Loving story! This felt amazingly real and definitely came from somewhere real! I Can’t wait for more.

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.

Summer Heat (No Spoilers!)

By far one of the best audio books I've listened to since I started back before 2020.

A lot of it resonated with me and the struggles people have who are queer. As a bisexual myself, there are many moments that we over think and agonize about-- even more so as kids through teens where we're even more vulnerable. And because of that we go through so many different shades of who we are, and who we will become.

Both of the characters did things that made them likable and unlikable, they did things that we all say (in hindsight) "I'd never do" and we sometimes lie about so often that we start to believe ourselves.
They struggled both personally and socially, as even when I personally could say "I'm bisexual, not gay or straight." the correction still takes a silent toll on you since you're treated as a monolith, and feel invisible. Self-discovery being the other, in my case; I believe it was very well done.

There's so much to like here. Good humor, callbacks to memories even if the finer details differ case-by-case, characters who are genuine and good, and characters who are struggling and repeating things things they've been told to be true.
More over this book highlights that people can't be viewed as a simple term. The leads are both guys and sporty-- but they are so different that it completes them in areas their counterpart struggles in.
They form a bond, a pair. And I'd be lying if I said I haven't busted out laughing, audibly telling them "no!" or "it'll be okay..." as they are things I wish I could have heard at my worst, and even a mixture of happy crying and sad crying.

'The Long Run' is great. Honestly it warrants more than a single read. James Acker created a awe-inspiring story with so many goals and fears intertwined with a focus on growth and learning that want in of itself needs more... and that hardship breeds good and bad versions that we, as people, have to figure out the difference in.

Lee Osorio and Max Meyers did a phenomenal job, they brought their characters, and the supporting cast to life with very few instances of mixed/shared voices. They deserve a shout out... so again, Lee Osorio and Max Meyers did a phenomenal job! They made me recognize, love, and hate characters with just their tones.


This is most definitely in my top 10, possibly top 3 list. It's worth a credit or every dime asked for.
Amazing. It's given me a lot to think about at the age of 25.

A story for boys like us

A dope story that allowed me to connect so deeply with the characters. Writing and performance were excellent!

I was left with an immense feeling of gratitude for having read this book.