<i>Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I have quite a few mixed feelings on <i>As Far As You'll Take Me</i>. Although there were some really important themes explored, I'm not too sure I enjoyed the execution. It was a hard book to get into, with a weird combination of a slow beginning but also a shockingly fast insta-love relationship. This also made it really hard to get to know the characters. I felt like I couldn't connect to any of them, and at some points, I actively disliked a lot of the characters. There were also some things that seemed to be brushed over, like Marty's disordered eating habits, that really should have been explored more.

However, there were still some genuine and enjoyable moments, which is why I gave this book 3 stars. I'm still not really sure what I think about it, since there were so many parts that were good and so many parts that could use improvement.

First off, this book was recommended to me by a very dear friend and I was thrilled when I received the ability to read an advanced copy myself. I can say without a doubt that I was not disappointed by this book at all.

I want to start with the cover of this book before I even get to what's under the cover. The image of the oboe drew me in instantly, even before I read the summary. As a musician and someone who's best friend played oboe in high school it made my nerdy self geek out and want to find out the story behind it!

As a reader that has read a lot of amazing YA contemporaries in the last year I adored Marty's story in this wonderfully written book. It gave me similar vibes to that of something like Simon Vs. The Homosapien's Agenda. A story about finding yourself and growing into who you are meant to be and who you really were all along always touches my heart and Marty's story felt so real and raw. You can't help but feel for Marty and what he's going through. If you are looking for your next read or want something to make you feel all the feels do your self a favor and pick this one up!

I thought I was prepared for this book by the super talented Phil Stamper but I was not. It was far more deep and serious than I was expecting. There were a LOT of heavy topics covered that I wish there had been a trigger warning for as some hit far too close to home for me personally. Stamper did handle them with grace and beauty and I appreciate that. Stamper did a marvelous job of adding these topics for a reason, not just for the shock factor. Overall this was outstanding and I highly recommend, but will preface with a Trigger Warning label.

As Far As You'll Take Me is the story of a gay teenager who leaves his conservation small town to try to make his own way in a whole new world. He is confronted with having to make peace with his family at home despite their lack of acceptance, developing new relationships, and overcoming his anxieties.

While I felt like this is a story that's been told in so many other ways I appreciated this one. I love a book that allows me to feel, without telling me what I should be feeling. Anything that can realistically deal with mental illnesses is a bonus in my book, especially to be relatable to teens in these situations.

This review is based on an ARC copy.

Wow, what a novel. I wish this sort of novel was written when I was a teenager. The themes in this novel were well crafted and poignant. I think any teenager should read this novel and they definitely will find something that speaks to them. I felt the anxiety and the insecurities of being young and wanting to follow the first thing that brings you happiness and this book showed both the beautiful but also the fallout of that. Then it did not stop there it went a tep further and showed how to start picking up the pieces, which is what young teens need to know.

Marty, the main character, leaves his small town in the US, where he has been largely closeted and had a difficult relationship with his parents. to move to London, with the hope of living openly and exploring making a living as a musician. At first, everything is going well -- he has his first ever boyfriend, he has made a group of new friends, and is getting some traction with his music. But beneath the surface, all is not going so well and Marty must face that a change of location may not be the solution to all of his problems.

As with The Gravity of Us, the characters in this book are terrific -- compelling and authentic, as they each face their own struggles. The author deftly explores issues related to body image and mental illness. And it is a good story.

Highly recommended!

3 Stars

CWs: bullying, toxic relationships, manipulation, homophobia, religious bigotry, graphic descriptions of body dysmorphia and disordered eating, self harm in the form of self-starvation, use of queer slurs, public outing without consent, near instance of sexual assault, anxiety and panic attacks, and several HP references.

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Set in London where our MC Marty decides to travel abroad, As Far As You'll Take me is a queer romance novel about music and discovering yourself.


Things I enjoyed:
- the travelling parts (where we see some of the landmarks of London and learn little pieces of history along the way, also bonus is adding parts of Italy too!)
- the anxiety representation was also fantastic, it was realistic and relatable.
- the growth Marty experienced was wonderful, including discovering his found family and learning more about himself and his preferences, after all your late teen years are all about life lessons and learning about yourself more.
- the inclusion and focus of music - it was interesting learning some things about an orchestra I didn't know before!

this book is definitely not a "cutesy travel romance", and, it delves into some deeper topics, such as:
- coping with a super religious family while being gay
- body image issues that come with dating and disordered eating
- anxiety with being in a new place and travelling
- toxic friendships where the "best friend" manipulates and uses what she knows about Marty against him

As Far As You'll Take Me had some aspects that I enjoyed, but overall, I think it wasn't really a read that was really something I was in to. The characters were complex, but the thing that didn't quite gel with me was seeing how damaging the main relationship was for Marty.

Let me begin by saying I deeply appreciated the explorations of anxiety, toxic friendships, and homophobia in families - I could relate to a lot of these themes, and I wanted to reach out to Marty and give him a big hug to tell him we were in this together. I also haven't read many books where the characters are so flawed but are also distinctly loveable in their imperfections. Marty's voice took me a second to get into, which was a bit rough because this book is largely character-driven, and coupled with the uneven pacing I was a bit frustrated, but overall the story and the character arcs were engaging and helped me settle into the story as I kept reading.

One thing to note is that the countless HP references was rather triggering for me, and it might be for other readers as well, so I hope this is something that the author will take into consideration for the future. Still, I think it was a good read on its own and is enjoyable enough.

Thank you very much to the wonderful publicist at Bloomsbury for sending me a copy to read and review!
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CW: anxiety, mentions of Harry Potter, homophobia, crash dieting, toxic relationships (ie. parental), queer slurs, outing, bullying
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"As Far As You'll Take Me" is a coming of age story about Marty's journey to self-discovery, family, love, happiness, and finding kindness in others and in himself. The journey for him was not easy by any means as he faces a lot of struggles and gets lost on the way despite his privileges.
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What I loved about this book was how the character's struggles felt very raw and authentic. The plot may be simple, but what Marty went through was darker, deeper, and more complex; all the while being told in a lens filled with hope.
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While I can see this appealing to a much younger audience, there were a few things I wished were done better and elaborated on more.
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Marty lived a privileged life, being able to fly out to a different place to find himself and pursue his passion for music to start a new life. It would have been an open opportunity for the narration to acknowledge that but was unfortunately missed. It is something that not a lot of books delve into so I hoped it was elaborated on.
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In the presence of a toxic relationship with his parents, throughout the story, I found that there were no redemption qualities and growth that could have been told to at least have an assurance as to whether the relationship would be an entirely better one for him especially that he's in a separate place from his parents limiting the communication to address it.
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The above mentioned would have great conversation starters especially to younger readers to explore people's differences and similarities in life, to develop more empathy and understanding towards others.
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I recommend it if you simply enjoy queer YA contemporary and coming of age stories!

As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper is a story all about found family and finding where you belong. I loved the parts of the book that feature music, especially since the oboe is a pretty unconventional instrument in YA, and the main character is realistic. What I wasn’t expecting was the book’s darker tone compared to Stamper’s debut, but while this wasn’t exactly what I was looking for at the moment, I would still recommend it to those looking for a more serious contemporary.

Sick of having to hide his true self in his conservative hometown, Marty travels to London to escape it all. What his religious parents don’t know is that instead of just a trip, Marty has decided to stay in London permanently, planning to join an orchestra and explore his sexuality without their disapproval. I loved the musical aspects of the book, and I actually learned more about the culture of music school and orchestras than I was expecting. This, combined with the descriptions of London had to be my favourite elements.

❀ MARTY IS A STRONG CHARACTER

I really felt for Marty, and he is such a strong character. He has a lot on his plate with his parents who don’t accept him, a toxic friendship back home, and homesickness. Marty’s struggles are so real, and I enjoyed how the author doesn’t shy away from his more heartbreaking conflicts. Eating disorders in men are severely underrepresented in literature, and I particularly appreciated this presence.

❀ HEAVY THEMES

I’m still not entirely sure what it is about this book that didn’t hook me. I think what it comes down to is the fact that it is much heavier than I was anticipating. There are many serious topics including anxiety, toxic relationships, outing, and eating disorders that are depicted, and I was surprised at the darker tone this one has compared to Stamper’s first novel. This doesn’t mean that it’s a bad book–I actually found that each of these topics are handled with sensitivity and care–but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for at the moment. I would still recommend this one, although please be aware of the heavier themes.

❀ A HEARTFELT STORY

As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper is a heartfelt story about finding yourself and your home. I loved the musical elements, and the main character’s strength is admirable. However, this book is heavier than I was expecting, which wasn’t for me right now. Despite this, this is a realistic story that I’m sure many others will love.

I love love loved this book! Marty is such a great guys who seems to have everything stacked against him. There were parts of the book I just wanted to shake some sense in to him but was so happy to see him stumble his way to the right decisions. I love the European-ness and the music aspect. Wanting to be a musician is not the most difficult thing is Marty's life and that was a great perspective to see. If you can listen, the audio book is fantastic too!

Thank you so much for granting my arc request. I have tried to read this book twice now, but I just cannot get into the story. I can see that some of the topics being brought up could be triggering for me as well, so I will not be reading or reviewing this work.

I didn't like this one nearly as much as I wanted. Firstly, the whole "escaping your small minded town" narrative is a bit stale. I'll give Stamper this: while Marty's parents start out as absolute stereotypes, they do have a moment of awakening. They're trying to be more understanding. Still, the rest of the narrative is entirely expected. WE can predict how his relationship will go, how different moments of attraction will play out. Readable but forgettable.

DNF at 34%.

Marty has quasi run away from his Bible-thumping, Kentucky-living parents. He told them he was accepted at a music program in London, but he wasn't... he plans to stay at his cousin's and try to find a job playing his oboe. But why, you ask, would Marty do this? Because he's gay, and his parents aren't exactly LGBTQIA+ friendly.

I got as far as Marty's arrival and first starting to make friends and get a crush on a guy. However, the anxiety is too real. As someone who significantly struggles with anxiety, Marty's anxiety gives /me/ anxiety. I recognize that this is good writing, but I can't handle it.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-read. I enjoyed the characters but I felt the story fell flat. The beginning pages flew by me setting up the scene but when it came to wrapping up the ending it was not as satisfying as the build up.

I loved every second of reading this book, honestly couldn't put it down. This was just the kind of entertaining read I needed.

Sometimes I just happen to read a book during a time when it perfectly alignes with what’s happening to me.  This was one of those. I'm currently living in a very conservative state and my Trump voting parents.  Reading this made me reflect a lot on my own relationship with them. One quote especially stuck in my mind “My family is supposed to be my rock, the one thing that keeps me going no matter what.  They’re not going to just become understanding and waving pride flags around overnight, and I shouldn’t have to be here while they figure it out” I really enjoyed reading this book, and the reflection in allowed me to have
This book did have its issues though. I wasn’t really into any of the characters, and has a character driven reader it made it difficult to get into the story at points. The writing style also wasn’t my favorite, and at some points was too fast paced and skipped over important scenes.

As Far As You'll Take Me is an emotional coming of age story all about finding your place and your people. It's about choosing what is important to you and working for it.

This book did such a great job at catching something so many of us have dealt with! The stress, the pressure, the feeling like you have to have everything figured out right away!

Phil Stamper didn't shy away from the mature issues of growing up queer, and I appreciated the care that each of the topics was handled with, as well as the sweet connection between the characters.

Content warnings: outing a character, eating disorders, homophobic language,

This is one of those YA books that the summary really intrigued me but once I got into reading it I was easily bored. This one took me a while to read mostly because of my lack of interest in the characters. Marty was the one I enjoyed the most but the people he meets throughout the story really lacked in well rounded category.

The story deals with a lot of important issues such as homophobia, religion, eating disorders, and toxic relationships. Many of them don't always get resolved neatly and I did like that, it's true to life that not all things can be wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end.

I think it's a good story for music/band loving teens, and queer teens from religiously oppressively backgrounds. It shows that sometimes parents won't change their feelings but finding your own family is just as valuable.

This title is much more serious than the cover suggests. It deals with homophobia, especially in religion, toxic romantic and platonic relationships, and disordered eating. I was sort of ready for a romantic, fun contemporary, but what I got was a much more serious book that is a huge improvement on the debut. I will absolutely be recommending this one.