A review by mnboyer
Running by Cara Hoffman

5.0

A runner's job is to lie about where he lives, then convince people to come home with him. (p 11)

Warning:I've included several quotes here because the passages struck me. Some may/may not reveal 'secrets' from the novel. Mostly not, in my opinion. But I wanted to be upfront because, of course, maybe you don't want to see a review with lots of quotes!!

Running is a story that begins with a group of "runners" in Greece that stalk tourist areas (mainly transport trains) and convince non-suspecting tourists to come stay at a particular (shitty) hotel. The concept was interesting and between the inside jacket and the cover, I picked this book up on a whim from the public library. I'd not read Cara Hoffman before, but definitely appreciated her writing immediately.

His breath had the sweet medicinal bite of licorice and a cool flammable underlay. His eyes were a calm marbled green; skin so tender it looked like he might not yet shave; dimples beside a pair of fine, full lips. Jasper's was the kind of elegant placid face you saw in old portraits. His posture straight, his shoulders wide. It was only after half and hour of standing beside him that I noticed his left arm was in a cast. (p 3).

In no way is this an easy read. The story is non-linear and there are multiple characters, added angles, and some of the chapters are brief (1-2 pages) and you have to unravel the story as it continues. Milo, Jasper, and Bridey are the main characters and they become a sort of family. It is fair to say that most of the romance stems first from a relationship between Milo and Jasper.

Milo pressed his body against Jasper's and felt the boy's breath on his lips, put his hand up beneath Jasper's oxford to feel his thin smooth chest, brought his face down against his skin. his nipples were hard, petal pink, tasting of sweat. When Jasper knelt before him glassy-eyed, smiling, he felt his skin grow tighter. Tight to bursting at his touch, at his wet mouth, his tongue, the slick hard edge of his teeth. Jasper's throat opened as Milo moved deeper, holding fistfulls of his rain-soaked white-blond hair. (p 10)

Despite the quote above, the book is not a romance. And despite a few moments of heated passion, there's nothing pornographic about the novel. The language is what I fell in love with. Eventually... Bridey also slips into a sexual relationship with Milo. This, honestly, was quite interesting to me because I was not sure there was an emotional relationship there (past friendship) yet I appreciated the fact that Bridey took risks (as did the author) with this coupling.

He gave us something we couldn't have taken from him if we'd tried. Jasper was the kind of rich boy you could respect. The kind who would kill himself in front of you. (p 185)

There are some moments where I struggled with the characters--not every character can grow in a story, this can be true. Yet there are moments where I wanted to shake the characters, yell at them, smack them around, tell them to "get over it" or "move on," and I was frustrated by this. Yet again, I appreciated that this was not an easy story and the characters were not perfect either.

I turned eighteen on that island. And felt through the skin of my belly the pressing and turning of another body, the quick silent tap of a knee or elbow or head or foot. And I laid my hand there so we could feel each other. (p 245)

And this.... my favorite passage from the novel.

I left before he woke, in one of the neighbor's boats, so he wouldn't be stranded. It was cold and windy and there was a light rain. The sky was glowing pink and orange when I shut the wooden door of the cliff house. It took hours to row to the harbor, sticking close to the coast. I used his money for food and a ferry ticket. Sat in the hold this time, rocked and slept above the rolling sea.
I loved Milo Rollock, and I loved leaving him where he was, lying beside his notebook, alone. (p 251-252)

As promised, it is not a "happy" story and it is not an "easy" read... but it well worth it. I plan to pick up a few more Hoffman novels and see where they take me!