Running with Lions

Updated review 6/14/2018
Sebastian is an awkward teenage soccer player whose whole life revolves around his favorite sport. He is the one with the cool head in the team, a peacemaker and negotiator, total captain material but at the same time, he is also feeling lost because he doesn't have a clue what to do after graduation. He also turns into a clueless idiot when having to talk to Emir – his British Pakistani once-childhood-best-friend-turned-noone – whom he wants to help with the game.

Their relationship is the sweetest part of this book. It takes time for them to uncover their resentments about becoming apart during their early teens and now slowly have to start building up the trust again. There are lots of hurdles in the way - Bastian has to deal with his insecurities and low self-esteem issues and the shy introverted Emir has to come out of his shell and try to open up to Bastian and also the team. While they have some trouble in navigating their newfound feelings for each other, their sexuality is never an issue. Bastian may be a little terrified of telling his family he is bisexual, but his friends know and it's all cool with the team. Emir is a practicing Muslim gay teen who is totally comfortable with his orientation while also being true to his religious beliefs. They both are so cute together and I absolutely loved their morning runs, rainy soccer lessons and the adorable summer dates. Their feelings for each other are so obvious even though they never talk it out but everyone around them can totally see it.

This book has some amazing side characters. Bastian's group of friends are super cool - I loved Willie and Hunter and Grey. Mason and Zach act like douches sometimes, but are also very supportive of everyone in their team. They are also a very diverse group of teens but their races or orientations are never an issue in their friendships or team. Coach Patrick is the best example of how a mentor should be - tough, dedicated, motivating and also very inclusive and encouraging of all his players. His belief that anyone should be able to play on his team, purely based on merit and irrespective of their sexuality forms the crux of this story and that's the attitude he inculcates in all the boys. The parents in this book are also very accepting of their kids and their support shines through.

There is obviously not a lot of plot here. It's just about a boy finding his footing in life, falling in love and accepting himself for who and how he is. The whole vibe of this book is very positive with wonderful messages about being okay with feeling lost, letting life take it's course, playing sports not just for the sake of winning but for being a part of a family based on mutual respect, parents being the biggest champions of their kids, and not judging anyone based on social constructs and inherent prejudices. 

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves character driven, wholesome and heartwarming stories. Perfect summer sports romance with beautiful friendships.

6/13/2018
This book was lovely and cute and so heartwarming... Definitely another perfect summer read with the perfect atmosphere..
RTC

*4.5

3,5*

4.0 ★
this was so cute, i really really liked it. sometimes it felt like some football related aspects were a bit off and it confused me a little bit, but i don't know if it was for the way they were written or because the author just didn't fully understand them.
i loved the characters and the plot, i wish some relationships were a bit more developed and even some more depth to some characters. some of the few things i didn't enjoy very much was the implication of mason and grace possibly getting together, and the fact that sebastian and willie never got to talk or just have a deeper conversation. the writing was repetitive at times, but none of these bothered me TOO much

some parts of this book really clicked for me and some parts just...didn't, so it's really hard to rate it. i guess it's something like a 3.5 because i love the whole childhood friends to enemies to lovers vibe but the language sometimes just didn't work and it was very slow in parts. i wanted to like it way more than i actually did which sucks

DNF - PG 148

Why?

Because I dislike so much of what's going on. This is, slightly, my own fault because I ignored the little bit in the synopsis that says Emir hates Sebastian. Or, rather, Sebastian thinks Emir hates him. You see, I actively dislike enemies to lovers romances. And that's what this is. Or, rather, tries to be. The real reason they are no longer friends is rather shallow and even kind of stupid - and like they are supposed to be these amazing enemies, but...the author didn't want to actually have to deal with a reconciliation. So, for me, it was too enemies to lovers but for those that adore the trope, it'll probably be not enough true enemies to lovers. (For me, it's too much because I kind of characterize the trope as ‘I hate you, but you're so hot' which Sebastian has in spades.)

Okay, besides that: I don't like Sebastian. I truly hate Mason (more on him later). Emir is ... okay, but I really think that to form any attachment to him at all, we'd need some of this to be told from his POV. The rest... seem kind of shallow. I could like Willie. I do kind of want to like Grey, the same way I still want to like Juvia from Fairy Tail (more on her later). I don't feel the bonds of friendship. I don't know if it's because teenage boys are notoriously - well - teenage boys, but they don't feel like they care much about each other. Not like I was expecting from what I'd heard. But, I mean, I've basically reached the halfway point, and I really don't care what happens to these people. (Except maybe Grey and Willie. ... Maybe a couple others.)

I do like the idea of a team that isn't mired in homophobia. And our Coach and his Rocky pep-talks seriously reminds me of Coach Finstock from Teen Wolf, so that's fun.

Now, I want to talk about the romances a bit more. Rather, the secondary romances, because there's two of them and I've said all I can imagine I need to about Sebastian and Emir.

First we have Grey with a crush on Mason. So, I knew going into this book, it was going to be all boys. It's about a boys sports team. I was fine with that. Then I first met Grey and was thrilled. Now, I don't know if anyone else has seen the movie Crooked Arrows but it's about this boys (and Native American) lacrosse team. There is one girl that kind of acts as co-coach for the team and, when Grey shows up, I was thinking ‘cool, kinda like that.' Well, Grey has a crush. On a guy that treats her horribly. (Quote found while searching through the book for something. You know, how you do.)

Mason has a soft spot for her. Being an ass is just his way of showing it.

That's like ‘he pulls your pigtails ‘cause he likes you' level crap. Honestly, if a boy pulls a girls pigtails, she should haul off and punch him. More on this in May's review. (Scroll down towards the bottom to find it.) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2300562826?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

The other romance I'd like to talk about is Willie and Hunter.

Behind him, Willie and Hunter are bundled under an afghan on Willie's bed, snoring and dead to the world. Willie's face is mashed in Hunter's neck. Hunter's fingers are twisted in Willie's hair; their lower halves are tangled. A pair of cuddling bros.

That romance, sweet friends to lovers, I would have loved to read instead of this one. (I might have actually liked it, too, as Willie seems to be someone I'd like more than I do Sebastian.)

So, in short, I just...really don't care about this book and I just read what I thought would be a 4 star contemporary romance and it was kind of bad and I think I need to stay away from contemporary - especially YA contemporary and... I'm just done.