I had a lot of problems with As Far As You’ll Take Me.

Firstly, as a Londoner, I could most certainly tell that this was written by an American, and I was shocked to discover Stamper had actually spent time living here. It definitely felt distinctly touristy, and there were a few cultural subtleties that didn’t feel quite right.

In addition, there were simply too many side-characters, none of whom felt strongly defined, which made them difficult to keep track of. I was similarly uninvested in the main players. The character writing felt very black-and-white, with characters either being wonderful, or beyond redemption, which was extremely frustrating, and made the book feel younger than a teen/young-adult title.

Finally, I felt that the exploration of eating-disorders was pretty surface-level: lacking nuanced, and resolved without much struggle, which underplays the seriousness of the issue in the first place. I imagine it could be pretty triggering, without offering much catharsis, which really isn't an ideal combination.

While I appreciated the attempt to tackle potentially contentious issues, especially ones which are overrepresented in the queer community, I really don't feel like this novel was successful in doing so.