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A review by beautifullybookishbethany
As Far as You'll Take Me by Phil Stamper
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm finding that I love the nuance and layers to stories by Phil Stamper, though I realize that it's not what everyone expects from a YA contemporary and some might want something more straightforward, less complex, or tackling fewer issues. That said, this is the second book I've read from this author and both times I have found them to be deeply moving, thought-provoking, and "going there" with difficult to tackle subjects.
As Far as You'll Take Me brings something new to the oeuvre of queer coming of age stories, this time in a narrative that includes such difficult subjects as: growing up queer in an evangelical household, toxic friendships and relationships, disordered eating and body dysmorphia in boys, and coping with severe anxiety. Is it intense? Yeah, it is. And there are no easy answers to any of this, which kind of mirrors real life, but this book begins those conversations through a character journey that I really loved.
Marty is 17, has just graduated high school, and is escaping his religious family and conservative Kentucky hometown by traveling to London with his beloved oboe, hoping to find a new life and musical career. One where he can be openly gay. Back home he has a toxic best friend, and parents who are less than supportive or understanding. In London he has new friends, new opportunities, perhaps even a new romance, but also severe anxiety and a developing eating disorder.
I won't say more about the story, but I really connected with this, messy as it sometimes was, and loved seeing Marty's journey towards being his own advocate and finding what he really wants. I do wish there had been more nuance to the handling of the eating disorder/body dysmorphia elements at the end because it comes across as a bit simplistic. But other than that, I really appreciated what this book was doing and think a lot of people will see themselves in parts of it. I received an advance copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Content warnings adopted from Adri's review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3751173941?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1):
CWs: bullying, toxic relationships, manipulation, homophobia, religious bigotry, graphic descriptions body dysmorphia and disordered eating, self harm in the form of self-starvation, use of queer slurs, public outing without consent, near instance of sexual assault, and several HP references
As Far as You'll Take Me brings something new to the oeuvre of queer coming of age stories, this time in a narrative that includes such difficult subjects as: growing up queer in an evangelical household, toxic friendships and relationships, disordered eating and body dysmorphia in boys, and coping with severe anxiety. Is it intense? Yeah, it is. And there are no easy answers to any of this, which kind of mirrors real life, but this book begins those conversations through a character journey that I really loved.
Marty is 17, has just graduated high school, and is escaping his religious family and conservative Kentucky hometown by traveling to London with his beloved oboe, hoping to find a new life and musical career. One where he can be openly gay. Back home he has a toxic best friend, and parents who are less than supportive or understanding. In London he has new friends, new opportunities, perhaps even a new romance, but also severe anxiety and a developing eating disorder.
I won't say more about the story, but I really connected with this, messy as it sometimes was, and loved seeing Marty's journey towards being his own advocate and finding what he really wants. I do wish there had been more nuance to the handling of the eating disorder/body dysmorphia elements at the end because it comes across as a bit simplistic. But other than that, I really appreciated what this book was doing and think a lot of people will see themselves in parts of it. I received an advance copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Content warnings adopted from Adri's review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3751173941?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1):
CWs: bullying, toxic relationships, manipulation, homophobia, religious bigotry, graphic descriptions body dysmorphia and disordered eating, self harm in the form of self-starvation, use of queer slurs, public outing without consent, near instance of sexual assault, and several HP references
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry