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dododenise's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Fatphobia, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Mental illness
whatifitsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Homophobia, Islamophobia, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
phoebebebbebe's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Homophobia
Moderate: Islamophobia and Fatphobia
ladylaurenexplorer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Racial slurs and Body shaming
tieflingreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Bullying and Homophobia
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Islamophobia and Acephobia/Arophobia
itshardizzy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
this was such a heart-warming book!!!
running with lions deals with important themes such as queerness, belonging, found family, the hardships that we go thru as teenagers and the fear of the future. all of the themes really impacted me and i felt so connected with some of the struggles the characters go through.
the team is so cute and friendly. it was a refreshing take on the themes of soccer themes, when normaly there isn't that many queer individual in the team (sometimes none), and the athletes usually are repulsed by femininity in a boy (which btw this book really deals with it well, boys doing things that would be consider female). it was important to see a group of boys that support each other no matter the sexuality, they are a family and one where everyone will always be there for the other.
we also have a strong representation of Pakistani people and the struggle they go thru, talking about the prejudice people holds against them. it was heartbreaking seeing Emir talking about that.
our mc, Sebastian, was the one that i felt more connected to. he and i share a struggle: not knowing what we want for the future. in the moment I am, it felt really good and reassuring seeing this being represented in a book, and then seeing that the author wanted to talk about that because he wants teenagers to understand its normal, and everyone has its own time. and also he coming out as bi was just like "woooooah is this me?".
another point I wanna talk about is the development of the characters and how each of them accepts their flaws, and work to get better — this is visible in Mason.
but one thing that felt a bit off for me was Grey, in the beggining it felt that she doesn't really like femininity and I felt really bothered by it, but I guess later on i understood that she probably feels this way bc Mason treats her like a little girl, which made her have to be more "masculine". but in the end she really does a girlboss move (hahah) and accepts that she doesn't have to do a lot just so Mason can stop seeing her as just a little girl, and it was my fave moment of her.
this book felt like a warm hug and it was exactly what I need this new years eve. i'll most definitely reread it just to see me beautiful character again
Graphic: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Abandonment, Bullying, and Body shaming
e_ve_l_in's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Body shaming and Dysphoria
Minor: Bullying
reading_isalifestyle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I can’t tell you how many times I belly laughed during this book. The slow burn AHHHH YESSS
I never knew how much I liked childhood friends to strangers to rivals to lovers till now.
However I didn’t like how Grey was one of those type of sports girls that reject any kind of femininity towards themselves (it’s obviously ok not to be feminine but I didn’t like how it was portrayed in this book).
But toward the end it died off and she was just Grey, none of that stuff.
So yeah that’s all lol, 4/5
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Islamophobia
alex_the_birate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Fatphobia, Islamophobia, Biphobia, Homophobia, and Body shaming
yarnbug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Moderate: Alcohol and Body shaming
Minor: Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism