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ninetalevixen 's review for:
Running with Lions
by Julian Winters
This review (and more) can also be found on my blog, Nine Tale Vixen.
content warnings:
rep:
"You are not defined by who you love. It's a slogan for a poster or a T-shirt, but, holy shit, it says so much."
This made me so nostalgic for my own high school days — I was a marching band (color guard) member for all four years, and I have such fond memories of the camaraderie and banter evoked by Running with Lions. (Though LGBTQ+ inclusion was more a feature of my particular friend group than the band as a whole, which wasn't outright queerphobic but we just didn't really talk about it.) I also really related to Sebastian's anxiety over figuring out post-graduation plans, plus the responsibility for his teammates.
My own nostalgia aside, Winters gives us a highly lovable band of brothers (plus Grace "Grey" Patrick, Coach's stepdaughter and a tagalong) who are living, breathing, dreaming of soccer for the summer. I always love reading about characters pursuing their passions, so it was easy to get swept up in their enthusiasm.
The relationships between the boys are also fantastic, mostly supportive but with the shit-talking and emotional constipation you'd expect from a bunch of (archetypal) teenagers. Although certain developments are a bit tropey, it's still emotionally satisfying to watch things play out as characters learn life lessons, communicate, and/or decide to put it out there; the only moment that made me sigh with exasperation was.
Prose-wise, some of the passages are lovely, like the descriptions of sunrises/sunsets or Coach's motivational speeches. Others border on corny/cheesy, like Sebastian's musings and epiphanies. And some are awkward, like. In general I found more of the latter two, but at least the emotions come through clearly.
So overall this is a fun coming-of-age sports story, one that I can definitely see myself coming back to for good feels.
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CONVERSION: 11.85 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5
content warnings:
Spoiler
bullying, body-image issues, queerphobia (challenged in-text), xenophobia/racism, Islamophobia, fade-to-black sex scene, ableist language, slut-shaming, facetious suicidal ideation, underage drinking & smoking, mention of alcohol as coping mechanism, mention of marijuana use, precanon loss of loved one (grandmother)rep:
Spoiler
bisexual MC [Sebastian], gay British Pakistani Muslim LI [Emir], M/M main & secondary romances, queer/questioning major character [Mason], gay best friend [Willie], black MLM secondary character [Hunter], Mexican-American secondary character [Gio], diverse minor characters"You are not defined by who you love. It's a slogan for a poster or a T-shirt, but, holy shit, it says so much."
This made me so nostalgic for my own high school days — I was a marching band (color guard) member for all four years, and I have such fond memories of the camaraderie and banter evoked by Running with Lions. (Though LGBTQ+ inclusion was more a feature of my particular friend group than the band as a whole, which wasn't outright queerphobic but we just didn't really talk about it.) I also really related to Sebastian's anxiety over figuring out post-graduation plans, plus the responsibility for his teammates.
My own nostalgia aside, Winters gives us a highly lovable band of brothers (plus Grace "Grey" Patrick, Coach's stepdaughter and a tagalong) who are living, breathing, dreaming of soccer for the summer. I always love reading about characters pursuing their passions, so it was easy to get swept up in their enthusiasm.
The relationships between the boys are also fantastic, mostly supportive but with the shit-talking and emotional constipation you'd expect from a bunch of (archetypal) teenagers. Although certain developments are a bit tropey, it's still emotionally satisfying to watch things play out as characters learn life lessons, communicate, and/or decide to put it out there; the only moment that made me sigh with exasperation was
Spoiler
Emir and Sebastian's abrupt fight and cessation of communication, which seemed to come almost out of nowhereProse-wise, some of the passages are lovely, like the descriptions of sunrises/sunsets or Coach's motivational speeches. Others border on corny/cheesy, like Sebastian's musings and epiphanies. And some are awkward, like
Spoiler
an analogy comparing Emir and Sebastian getting it on to a cat rubbing up against a scratching postSo overall this is a fun coming-of-age sports story, one that I can definitely see myself coming back to for good feels.
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CONVERSION: 11.85 / 15 = 4 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 4 / 5