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A review by galacticvampire
Running With Lions by Julian Winters
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
I came to Running With Lions looking for a simple, lighthearted romance, and for that I don't have many complaints. It is a very simple story about teenage love, thinking about the future and figuring out who you really are. But that's pretty much it, it did it's job and I was satisfied enough.
The flaws come mostly in the writing, that really surprised me as something that went through an editorial process. We see quite repetitive dialogue, character presentation as simple as "this is x. He has this hair and is this minority", and a very unimpressive attempt at both soccer and British lingo. (I get it, the character has an accent, you don't need to use the words bloody and mate in every sentence he says).
There were many plot points that showed potential but were merely nodded at, and I feel that exploring these struggles could've given greater depth to the book. Some characters are assholes just because and everyone is ok with it, they hate each other because.... I guess they do? 300 pages is comfortable enough to develop storylines.
But it was overall a good experience. I liked the main couple and the message about self-acceptance, and Sebastian's anxieties felt extremely real. It's not mesmerizing, but entertaining enough.
The flaws come mostly in the writing, that really surprised me as something that went through an editorial process. We see quite repetitive dialogue, character presentation as simple as "this is x. He has this hair and is this minority", and a very unimpressive attempt at both soccer and British lingo. (I get it, the character has an accent, you don't need to use the words bloody and mate in every sentence he says).
There were many plot points that showed potential but were merely nodded at, and I feel that exploring these struggles could've given greater depth to the book. Some characters are assholes just because and everyone is ok with it, they hate each other because.... I guess they do? 300 pages is comfortable enough to develop storylines.
But it was overall a good experience. I liked the main couple and the message about self-acceptance, and Sebastian's anxieties felt extremely real. It's not mesmerizing, but entertaining enough.