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thepetitepunk's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have quite a few mixed feelings on As Far As You'll Take Me. Although there were some really important themes explored, I'm not too sure I enjoyed the execution. It was a hard book to get into, with a weird combination of a slow beginning but also a shockingly fast insta-love relationship. This also made it really hard to get to know the characters. I felt like I couldn't connect to any of them, and at some points, I actively disliked a lot of the characters. There were also some things that seemed to be brushed over, like Marty's disordered eating habits, that really should have been explored more.
However, there were still some genuine and enjoyable moments, which is why I gave this book 3 stars. I'm still not really sure what I think about it, since there were so many parts that were good and so many parts that could use improvement.
I have quite a few mixed feelings on As Far As You'll Take Me. Although there were some really important themes explored, I'm not too sure I enjoyed the execution. It was a hard book to get into, with a weird combination of a slow beginning but also a shockingly fast insta-love relationship. This also made it really hard to get to know the characters. I felt like I couldn't connect to any of them, and at some points, I actively disliked a lot of the characters. There were also some things that seemed to be brushed over, like Marty's disordered eating habits, that really should have been explored more.
However, there were still some genuine and enjoyable moments, which is why I gave this book 3 stars. I'm still not really sure what I think about it, since there were so many parts that were good and so many parts that could use improvement.
dsauriol1991's review against another edition
3.75
This was a really good coming of age novel. Marty’s experiences were told realistically and showed him making some real growth throughout. He does make some questionable decisions but by the end he’s started to push forward and is in a new place. I also think the mental health representation with Marty’s anxiety and disordered eating were well done.
shrinkingmary's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
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
3.0
ddrosche's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Outing, and Emotional abuse
samwalburn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
4.25
octobussy's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
tessa_stephens's review against another edition
2.0
Expected a cute romance and a found family, instead got: toxic relationships, eating disorders, anxiety and a forgettable found family. Really liked the Gravity of Us and this was just disappointing :/
lia18's review against another edition
3.0
7/10 I liked this book, it was a good read. One thing I would appreciate, is that it could contain TW in the first page or something
drakoulis's review against another edition
4.0
As Far As You'll Take Me is the middle of the three (so far) Phil Stamper YA books but it's the third I read, sitting on my TBR list for a while.
It has a different tone than both The Gravity of Us and Golden Boys . While the debut book is dreamy and optimistic, and the newest release shows how relationships evolve but true friends always stand together in the end, this is a more anxious book, a bit darker and way less rosy.
Marty essentially escapes in England under false pretenses to get away from his religious homophobic parents in Kentucky. His friends back there are a toxic inflence, and we quickly realise that. London is like Wonderland for him, a new world with new connections (his cousin's friend group) and a cute boy interested in him.
The book isn't heavy on plot, it barely has any, it's Marty's journey searching for his true self as he slowly (much slower than the reader) understands the true motives and real nature of every person around him. Which is also the book's weakness, since it's a bit frustrating watching a constantly self-doubting character adamantly refusing to open his eyes. This and the fact that most characters weren't really likeable are the main reasons why this book is for me inferior to the other two Stamper books.
There's a lot of focus on music, playing music on the street, going to an academy, vocabulary about musical instruments, it's definitely a huge plus for whoever loves this sort of thing. There's also the first impression of London through the eyes of a person who hasn't really travelled, and a rather stereotypical but adorably cute description of how Americans see Italy when they visit !
It has a different tone than both The Gravity of Us and Golden Boys . While the debut book is dreamy and optimistic, and the newest release shows how relationships evolve but true friends always stand together in the end, this is a more anxious book, a bit darker and way less rosy.
Marty essentially escapes in England under false pretenses to get away from his religious homophobic parents in Kentucky. His friends back there are a toxic inflence, and we quickly realise that. London is like Wonderland for him, a new world with new connections (his cousin's friend group) and a cute boy interested in him.
The book isn't heavy on plot, it barely has any, it's Marty's journey searching for his true self as he slowly (much slower than the reader) understands the true motives and real nature of every person around him. Which is also the book's weakness, since it's a bit frustrating watching a constantly self-doubting character adamantly refusing to open his eyes. This and the fact that most characters weren't really likeable are the main reasons why this book is for me inferior to the other two Stamper books.
There's a lot of focus on music, playing music on the street, going to an academy, vocabulary about musical instruments, it's definitely a huge plus for whoever loves this sort of thing. There's also the first impression of London through the eyes of a person who hasn't really travelled, and a rather stereotypical but adorably cute description of how Americans see Italy when they visit !
claire_melanie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book is impossible to rate because 99% of the characters are utter arseholes. All round dreadful reading experience