Awesome Debut into LGBTQIA & YA Lit

Running With Lions

-Julian Winters

Sebastian, our leading man, is heading off to his yearly summer soccer training with two of his best friends and teammates, Willie and Mason. They're all part of the Lions, a diverse high school soccer team with students from different races, ethnicity, and sexual orientations. I liked that Winters was featuring characters who were all so different from each other; I think that it not only is more realistic for many readers, but it also opens the door for so many more young readers to find a home in this book. Anyway, it seems like the summer is going to fall into the usual pattern until Sebastian discovers that his once-best-friend and now enemy (or at least awkward estranged acquaintance), Emir Shah, is also training to be part of the team. I wouldn't say that I gravitate towards the best friends-(fren)enemies-lovers trope, but I think Winters does it well. Even though he's there by his own choice, it seems like being a part of the team (and around Sebastian) is the last thing he wants to do. He's surly, doesn't want to take advice, and isolates himself whenever possible. But Sebastian can't get his mind, eyes...or other parts...of him to stop thinking about Emir Shah, so he makes it his mission to help him become a better player. The plot was well-paced, and follows the characters. It's not an "action-packed" book, per say, because so much of it is about the characters' emotional journeys and their relationships.

Now, these characters.

First of all, I just wanted to give the characters a hug. All of the main characters (even Mason) grew on me very quickly. The friendship between Sebastian (leading man), Mason, and Willie just felt very real to me. The way they tease each other, bicker, and support one another mirrored what I see in my own friends and what I see in my students. I loved their bromance and unwavering acceptance of each other. Not to mention, I think that every school in the world needs a Coach like theirs. The spirit of camaraderie and friendly love for each other was just too sweet. I want all young readers to see this example, so they can start to learn that it's not just OK to be open and accepting of others, but that we SHOULD live our lives that way. Also, his daughter, Grey. is wonderful. Give me a kicka** sassy girl any day, especially one who can make an entire men's soccer team shake in their cleats.

As prickly as he was, I have to say that Emir was my favorite. He's a complex character with a lot of well-done layers: socially anxious, gay, British Pakistani, family-oriented, practicing Muslim. It almost seems ridiculous to have so much packed into one character, but he was very well-written. The different pieces of his identity are revealed very naturally, and it never feels like he's been put into the story to be a token anything. Winters created this beautiful, complex human being who is just real. For me, that seals the deal.

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If you couldn't tell, I was really excited about this book. There are a few bumps along the road in terms of writing. Sometimes the narration is a little awkward, a little shaky, but it's a DEBUT novel, and I honestly believe that Winters is just going to get better from here. I would most definitely read whatever he puts out next. Overall, Running With Lions was heartwarming, entertaining, and a beautiful compilation of diverse boys who show us that acceptance and love can just be our way of life.