too much miya

So, another day, another book read while in self-isolation. I read Running with Lions by Julian Winters after I saw Anna recommending it on her Twitter and I was not let down.

Running with Lions

by Julian Winters

Genre: Young Adult, LGBTQ

Pages: 299

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis: Bloomington High School Lions' star goalie, Sebastian Hughes, should be excited about his senior year: His teammates are amazing and he's got a coach who doesn't ask anyone to hide their sexuality. But when his estranged childhood best friend Emir Shah shows up to summer training camp, Sebastian realizes the team's success may end up in the hands of the one guy who hates him. Determined to reconnect with Emir for the sake of the Lions, he sets out to regain Emir's trust. But to Sebastian's surprise, sweaty days on the pitch, wandering the town's streets, and bonding on the weekends sparks more than just friendship between them.

“To every LGBTQIA+ person who has questioned their place in life: You're strong. You're important. You're a lion. Let the world hear you roar.”
― Julian Winters, Running With Lions

“Let life happen. All the plans we make are not guaranteed.”― Julian Winters, Running With Lions

“The future is only grim because people see it that way. It's unpredictable. Life is a summer storm of insecure thoughts. There's an umbrella of precautions to prevent insecurity, but it doesn't always keep the rain out of your face.”― Julian Winters, Running With Lions

In Running with Lions, we follow Sebastian Hughes (seventeen, bisexual, on track to become the Lion's captain) throughout his last summer as a high schooler. As a part of the school's soccer team, Sebastian and his best friends (and teammates) attend their beloved training camp and it's there where he reencounters Emir Shah, his ex-best friend from a long time ago, who can barely acknowledge his presence anymore.

I honestly had no expectations for this book. Not because I thought it'd be bad, but because, I did not know a thing about the plot/author before picking the book up. In reality, I saw the beautiful cover art (by the amazing CB Messer), found out it was a summer camp/sports romance and thought 'ok, let's do it'. And I truly don't regret doing that. Running with Lions was a great read for me (one sitting, fun, totally right for the moment).

Concerning the characters, I don't think I have a favorite one (properly), but I have to say I definitely liked (or at least understood) the majority of them and their actions. However, I'd also like to point out that Mason Riley is an asshole and this blog does not support his actions. I actually felt like he was supposed to be like the typical male love interest from some straight romances? The super hot and arrogant dude with a tragic backstory and horrible behavior towards women? Ugh.

“Guys are beautiful. And girls are handsome. Words aren’t gender-specific.”― Julian Winters, Running With Lions

Anyway, the book is an LGBTQIA childhood friend to enemies (kinda) to lovers and lemme tell ya: I was here for it. I don't think I've ever read a book with this trope of t and I was excited about it. Emir and Sebastian didn't disappoint, there were were cute. Don't get me wrong, the whole book felt a bit green, as debuts normally do, but their relationship was well written enough to secure a story with that much romance in it. Some parts weren't exactly clear (at least to me), but I can excuse them in the name of the first-person narrative.

Speaking of that, this type of narrative can be a little dangerous because for me is a hit or miss situation. Basically, if I don't like the main character, and they're the narrator, the probability of me liking the book is small. In Running with Lions, I was surprised to find that Sebastian has a relatable personality. He's the mom friend, the peacemaker, the captain. But, also, he's a student who has no idea what the future holds (I guess we've all been there), a teenager stressing out about his sexuality and a friend struggling with his roll in the group.

“But being a teenager is one good day of being a superhero, followed by a hundred days of being self-conscious about every little damn thing. It's one big, selfish moment when you don't give a shit about other people's opinions, but you still want your friends to love who you are and what you do.”― Julian Winters, Running With Lions

The plot was what I had problems with. As mentioned before, the story felt green, which is understandable as it is Julian Winters' debut and has almost a fanfiction-like pace (the latter I did not mind, actually). A couple of details were never properly addressed (such as Sebastians's body dysmorphia) and the ending was a bit disappointing as well. To be honest, I kind of hate when the main couple finally gets together for real and then the rest of the issues just magically solve themselves? For me, it's just rushed and lazy.

As for Julian Winters, How to Be Remy Cameron has been on my TBR since before it was released but I kind of forgot about it and picked up Running with Lions on a whim (I did not even know it was the same author, actually). I think he did pretty well as a start and can barely wait to read his other works! Also, it was so great to find a #OwnVoices author accidentally!

“Let life happen. All the plans we make are not guaranteed.”― Julian Winters, Running With Lions

In short, the book is a fun one, with a cute love story and a fanfiction feel to it. Perfect if you're looking for a light read with some representation and the following tropes: summer camp, sports romance, childhood friends to enemies to lovers.

till next time!

Este livro estava na minha tbr há muito tempo, por causa de toda a hype na gringa e também porque vi muitos leitores (latinx) realmente gostaram da história (que é #ownvoices, ou seja, a autora também é latina), então, mesmo sabendo pouco sobre o enredo (do jeito que eu gosto), eu tinha certas expectativas. Aí, presa na quarentena, pensei: por que não começar Não Namore Rosa Santos, não é mesmo?

*pequeno aviso: eu li o livro na versão original, mas a Plataforma21 já traduziu o livro no Brasil*

Enfim, vamos começar a resenha.

Não Namore Rosa Santos

por Nina Moreno (trad. Isadora Próspero)

Gênero: Jovem adulto, contemporâneo

Páginas: 342

Nota: ★★★★

Sinopse: Dizem que as mulheres da família Santos são amaldiçoadas. As águas do mar tragaram os homens que elas amaram. E é por isso que namorar Rosa é um mau agouro, especialmente para garotos com um barco.
Ela vive numa cidadezinha no sul da Flórida. Mas seu grande sonho é conhecer Cuba, a ilha que sua família deixou para trás há alguns anos. Para realizá-lo, precisa entrar numa faculdade que ofereça um programa de intercâmbio. E aí está o grande dilema de Rosa: contar para sua abuela, a curandeira mais amada da comunidade, sobre suas intenções. Ah, e ela não pode se esquecer de mencionar esse plano para a mãe… que sempre está chegando e partindo.
Entre duas culturas e tantas escolhas, Rosa Santos precisa encontrar seu lugar além do horizonte. Quem sabe, nesse meio-tempo, ela também possa quebrar a maldição e enfim ser livre para se apaixonar.

“Eu era uma coleção de hifens e palavras bilíngues. Sempre pega no meio. Duas escolas, duas línguas, dois países. Nunca muito certa ou suficiente para qualquer um. Meus sonhos foram financiados por um empréstimo feito muito antes de mim, e eu paguei com culpa e sucesso. Paguei de volta cuidando de um jardim cujas raízes não consegui alcançar.”― Nina Moreno, Não Namore Rosa Santos

A leitura não foi nem um pouco chata. Eu estava procurando um livro para me livrar do tédio e as tragédias diárias no noticiário e Não Namore Rosa Santos acabou funcionando pra mim para mim nesse sentido. Eu li de uma vez só em algumas horinhas e foi leve e divertido (então se você está procurando alguma indicação para se distrair, definitivamente recomendo esse livro).

Eu também consegui me identificar com os personagens em vários momentos(o que é sempre um bônus para mim). A personagem principal é uma aluna estudiosa que tem grandes planos para o futuro e que sente dificuldade em se sentir 'latina o suficiente' (devido ao fato de que nasceu nos Estados Unidos e não em Cuba, como sua mãe e avó). Eu consegui me enxergar na Rosa na sua vontade de estudar no exterior, no seu desejo de conhecer o passado de sua família (também sou neta de imigrantes) e, acima de tudo, pude me identificar com os conflitos geracionais em torno da família Santos.

Falando nisso, o relacionamento das três mulheres que compõem a família Santos, Mimi, Rosa e sua mãe, foi uma das minhas partes favoritas da história. Lendo todas as discussões, as histórias dolorosas e os comentários passivo-agressivos deram camadas a essas três personagens. Eu amei o modo como a autora, Nina Moreno, retratou essas três mulheres. Definitivamente foi o ponto do alto do livro.

“Eu deveria ter usado melhor a minha dor. Você e sua mãe merecem isso.”― Nina Moreno, Não Namore Rosa Santos

A trama em si tem um papel secundário, na minha opinião. A maioria de seus elementos foi um pouco previsível, mas acredito que o livro gira mais em torno do amadurecimento da protagonista do que do enredo. Em certos momentos, a própria Porto Coral (a cidade onde se passa a história, que precisa ser salva) foi um pouco ofuscado por outros elementos (como o romance, a família Santos etc). Enfim, antes de ler o livro, eu estava esperando meninos fofos (Alex é maravilhoso, gente) e algumas crises existenciais (adoro), e foi basicamente isso o que teve mesmo.

O final para mim foi um pouco agridoce, no entanto. Acho que essa foi uma das razões da minha avaliação de Não Namore Rosa Santos ser quatro estrelas e não cinco. As últimas três páginas do livro não funcionaram para mim e fiquei um pouco decepcionada, mas no geral acho que o livro atendeu às minhas expectativas.

até a próxima!

This book has been on my tbr for ages now due to all the buzz surrounding it. On top of that, I saw that a lot of Latinx readers had really enjoyed this #ownvoices story, so, even though I knew close to nothing about the plot (just the way I like it), I had some expectations. And stuck in self-isolation, I thought: what's better than a fun, summery read?

Anyway, let's review.

Don't Date Rosa Santos

by Nina Moreno

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Pages: 336

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis: Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that's what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you're a boy with a boat.
But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.
As her college decision looms, Rosa collides - literally - with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

“I was a collection of hyphens and bilingual words. Always caught in between. Two schools, two languages, two countries. Never quite right or enough for either. My dreams were funded by a loan made long before me, and I paid it back with in guilt and success. I paid it back by tending a garden whose roots I could not reach”― Nina Moreno, Don't Date Rosa Santos

The reading was nowhere near boring. I was looking for a book to get me out of boredom and the daily tragedies on the news and Don't Date Rosa Santos definitely worked for me in that sense. I read it in one sitting, in my room, full of excitement (as teenage girls usually do).

I also was able to relate to the characters in multiple ways (which is always a bonus for me). The main character is a hardworking student who has big plans for the future and has a hard time feeling 'Latina enough'. I could see myself in Rosa wanting to study abroad, in her working so hard during high school, and, most of all, I could relate to the generational conflicts surrounding the Santos Family.

Speaking of those, the whole relationship between Mimi, Rosa and her Mom was one of my favorite parts of the story. Reading all the bickering, the hurtful backstories and the passive-aggressive commentaries brought layers to these three characters. I loved how real it got, how messy and complicated and ultimately, how meaningful everything was. Definitely what stood out the most to me.

“I should have used my pain better. You and your mother deserved that.”― Nina Moreno, Don't Date Rosa Santos

The plot itself was secondary, I believe. Most of its elements were predictable, but it's a coming of age story so who cares, really? At some point, I thought it was a 'saving our town' trope, but it was a bit overshadowed by other components (again, the Santos family, love them). Anyway, before reading the book, I was expecting cute boys (Alex is adorable, you guys) and existential crises (love these), and that's what I got.

The ending for me was a bit bittersweet, though. I believe that's one of the reasons I didn't rate Don't Date Rosa Santos five stars. The three pages or so of the book didn't exactly work for me and I was a bit disappointed, but overall I think it fulfilled my expectations.

'till next time!

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