A review by yitka
Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr.

2.0

I'd wanted to read this one for a long time after hearing all the cult classic hype...but was disappointed to find less of it about running than I'd hoped. Most of the description on the book jacket about Quenton's decision to drop out of school to train for the race of a lifetime hardly even entered the plotline until 75% of the way into the novel. The last few chapters were great - gritty, inspiring, etc...but I found myself really working to get through the first few hundred pages, which just didn't speak to me much. A lot of banter and side plots without enough substance, and not much at all for even a geeky, hardcore runner like myself to connect with on a meaningful level.