David has a mind that never stops running. He reads Dante and Moby Dick, he sinks into Hemingway and battles with Milton. But on Florida’s Gulf Coast, one can slip into deep water unconsciously; at the age of 14, David runs away from home to pursue a girl and, on his journey, tries crack cocaine for the first time. He’s hooked instantly. Over the course of the next decade, he fights his way out of jail and rehab, trying to make sense of the world around him—a sunken world where faith in anything is a privilege. He makes his way to a tenuous sobriety, but it isn't until he takes a literature class at a community college that something within him ignites.

All Day is a Long Time is a spectacular, raw account of growing up and managing, against every expectation, to carve out a place for hope. We see what it means, and what it takes, to come back from a place of little control—to map ourselves on the world around, and beyond, us. David Sanchez’s debut novel resounds with real force and demonstrates the redemptive power of the written word.

Classified as “new adult,” this book fits well into that category as we follow David on his way toward adulthood. The narrative is non-linear, as David rethinks his life and the moments that have brought him to the path he is on. Our protagonist is bored with the world, hiding in books and obsessing with nature. His first contact with drugs was traumatic and has shaped his life.

It’s almost a cautionary story; we learn a lot about drugs and what they do to the human body, how they make an addict feel. We follow David’s thoughts: the temptation and his great struggle to win a war against himself.

Lonely in his pain, abused and lost, David finds that using drugs provides an escape from his anxiety and depression, from himself and the world. There are moments, like with his first love, when things get a little better, and he can enjoy life. But his sensitivity is still there; he is angry with the world, with his family, with life.

His family and first love try to help as best they can. But for someone who is not an addict, who don’t understand depression and anxiety, it is difficult not to judge, to make assumptions that only cause more conflict. The journey of forgiveness on both sides is very real and difficult.

This is David Sanchez’s first novel, and he makes his mark. The characters are real and palpable. The book is full of lyrism and long descriptions that are so atmospheric you can only dive into the consciousness of the narrator. The words move you; David’s emotions are so vivid, sometimes you must take a break to breathe. This is his journey, his search for meaning, for God and for peace.

It is a sad history written in a beautiful way, touching and sincere. This is not a plot- driven book; the summary above describes almost all the story we follow. It is a reflection on existence, the search for meaning. These 250 pages can change the way you think about addiction, drugs and life itself.

A gritty absorbing tale…well.written.
Many thanks to Mariner Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I picked this up because of the Florida locale, and the story didn't disappoint. I'll look forward to more by David Sanchez.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper for the ebook. When our lead character is 14 and growing up in the Gold Coast of Florida he tries crack cocaine for the first time. What follows is over ten years of battling addiction, losing family and slowly winning their trust back, rehab, halfway houses and even jail. The book feels very lived in. The lead character has the same first name as the author. The best parts are when the author pulls you along into addiction, with no explanation, this is just what we’re doing now, but also shows you signs of a love of literature, which may ultimately save his life.

A powerful and unforgettable debut novel, The writing is what really stands out the most - brilliant, captivating, and so lyrical.

Thank you Mariner Books and Netgalley for the digital arc.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I have issues with my Netgalley app, so I was unable to access it! I will look for it at my library.

David has a mind that never stops running. He reads Dante and Moby Dick, he sinks into Hemingway and battles with Milton. But on Florida’s Gulf Coast, one can slip into deep water unconsciously; at the age of fourteen, David runs away from home to pursue a girl and, on his journey, tries crack cocaine for the first time. He’s hooked instantly. Over the course of the next decade, he fights his way out of jail and rehab, trying to make sense of the world around him—a sunken world where faith in anything is a privilege. He makes his way to a tenuous sobriety, but it isn't until he takes a literature class at a community college that something within him ignites.

All Day is a Long Time is a spectacular, raw account of growing up and managing, against every expectation, to carve out a place for hope. We see what it means, and what it takes, to come back from a place of little control—to map ourselves on the world around, and beyond, us. David Sanchez’s debut resounds with real force and demonstrates the redemptive power of the written word.

David Sanchez has written an important, compelling, disturbing, sympathetic and at times infuriating novel about addiction. It is written from the perspective and random thoughts of protagonist David, who at fourteen tries crack for the first time. It reads like a dream and reminds us always of Davids humanity, as he steals from family, becomes more and more isolated, ends up on the street, spends time in jail, halfheartedly tries to meet probation requirements while always thinking about drugs. Meth. Cocaine. In flashes we see his middle class childhood, the youngest of five children, his love of reading that continues for awhile in the library where he can find relief from Florida heat. But even that devolves into watching porn at the library computers. He feels worthless. He thinks he is stupid. Every word he writes and every thought he has shows he is far from stupid. He is, however as stuck as anyone in addiction can get and rock bottom does not lead him toward redemption. He reconnects with a man who enabled much of his behavior and used him as a teenager, and that man is now sober. David believes that when people like this get sober, it is a stage and relapse is inevitable. And many of the people that pass through his drug addicted life prove that point. He has periods of sobriety, but no attachment to the idea of sobriety. And then, after years of estrangement from family and living an isolated life on the streets, he takes the first committed step toward sobriety. This book is so beautifully written and tells us so much about the human condition, how each of us struggle, drugs or no drugs. It is not judgmental, although David judges himself and so does everyone around him. It is just a very true story where the ending is necessarily a question mark but a person achieves tremendous progress in caring about himself and making hard choices to change.

This book was absolutely stunning. First and foremost, and above all else, Sanchez writes in a way that moves you, deeply and instinctually. There were times when reading this where I felt myself fall right into his stream of consciousness, my mind following the ebb and flows of his. The imagery created is stunning, vivid, and visceral. The recurring themes and memories in the jungle or bodies of water always took me to a different world. And, as a science lover, I appreciated just how much information was woven into this story about how the body works and different chemical processed. This book was truly beautiful, and an astounding debut work. Thank you to the publishers for making this available to read!

Incredible. The writing is so full - electric and sobering. What a debut. I found myself holding my breath while reading at times - so absorbed and invested in the character as he tried and tried and tried. Highly recommend. Brilliant. Heartfelt thanks to Mariner / Harper for the advanced copy. Man, that was good.

The greatest things about this book were the writing style and the atmosphere. This writer is also skilled with character development, but the settings he puts his character in are real and palpable to the reader. I had a visceral reaction to certain scenes. The writing is both beautiful and gritty. It has a poetic feel to it, but it is not "overwrought" in the slightest. As a "quiet" book, this is more character driven than plot-driven. In fact, the whole synopsis that is provided for the book IS the plot, but that does not detract from the novel at all. To me, the first-person narrative and stream-of consciousness writing style made this book read like a personal journal of a teenage boy and the character growth is very apparent. It took a bit to adjust to the writing style for me personally, but it was a very enjoyable read. I could see this classified as a literary coming-of-age story and targeted to new adults. I am so grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC e-book copy! I feel privileged to be such an early reviewer of a lovely book.