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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
'As Far As You'll Take Me' is a contemporary YA featuring Marty, an oboist who lies to his parents about being accepted into a prestigious London music program in order to escape the homophobia of his tiny hometown. In London, Marty deals with severe anxiety while navigating the difficulties of maintaining old friendships and forming new ones, coming to terms with his first situationship, and trying to survive in an expensive city with no job prospects and dwindling savings.
As a queer band nerd from a small town who has anxiety and ALSO moved to Europe with no money, I found Marty to be super relatable. His anxiety was portrayed realistically but never felt like it was his entire personality. Watching him grow into himself and build a home and family that respects him was a beautiful thing. I so appreciated the depiction of friend-breakups, which can be just as heartbreaking as romantic breakups. Perhaps the most engaging aspect of the story was Marty grappling with loving his parents when their Christianity meant they couldn't fully love him back.
After reading and loving 'The Gravity of Us,' I was so looking forward to Stamper's sophomore novel. It absolutely did not disappoint! I would recommend this for fans of 'Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda,' Adam Silvera, or David Levithan.
cw: homophobia, f slur, disordered eating
Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As a queer band nerd from a small town who has anxiety and ALSO moved to Europe with no money, I found Marty to be super relatable. His anxiety was portrayed realistically but never felt like it was his entire personality. Watching him grow into himself and build a home and family that respects him was a beautiful thing. I so appreciated the depiction of friend-breakups, which can be just as heartbreaking as romantic breakups. Perhaps the most engaging aspect of the story was Marty grappling with loving his parents when their Christianity meant they couldn't fully love him back.
After reading and loving 'The Gravity of Us,' I was so looking forward to Stamper's sophomore novel. It absolutely did not disappoint! I would recommend this for fans of 'Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda,' Adam Silvera, or David Levithan.
cw: homophobia, f slur, disordered eating
Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
