Title: Run for It All
Author: Carolyn Levine Topol
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Release Date: September 22nd 2016
Genre(s): M/M Contemporary YA
Page Count: 200 pages
Reviewed by: Belen
Heat Level: 2 flames out of 5
Rating: 2.8 stars out of 5
Blurb:
When fifteen-year-old David Martin is forced to go live with his dad and his dad’s partner in Connecticut, he dreads leaving his comfortable New York City life with his two moms, especially because his dad hasn’t exactly been there for him over the years.
But with both of his moms off on a year-long job in Europe, he’s got no choice. Another thing he doesn’t have a choice about? His growing attraction to other boys. To help him deal with it all, David takes up running, first with his dad’s partner, and then with his new crush and captain of the track team, the openly gay Kevin Ringer.
After David and Kevin are attacked in the locker room following a meet, David must come to terms with his own insecurities as he navigates the ups and downs of first love, gets to know his dad in a whole new light, and tries to create a life for himself far from the world he once knew.
This is a story that features running, but I will admit I didn’t expect it to spotlight it so much. I’m sure runners will probably find this far more fascinating than I did.
Additionally, it skewed quite a bit younger than I expected. I would have expected a fifteen year old, or sixteen year old, to behave a bit more maturely than David and Kevin do romantically. It’s not that I was expecting Gossip Girl levels of drugs, sex, and drama…but this was far more chaste and innocent than worked for me as an adult reading.
What did work for me was the open communication between David and his dad and Steve. I loved David’s relationship with Steve.
Look, some YA novels work for an adult to read, but I think this is one of those books that really is meant for a younger audience. If you’re looking for a book and you’re in your early teens, or if you’re an adult looking for something for your younger teen, then I would definitely encourage you to check this out.
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