Title: Going the Distance
Series: Fadeaway, #1
Author: John Goode
Genre: Young Adult/Sports
Length: Novel (210 Pages)
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press, Dreamspinner Press (November 27th, 2014)
Heat Level: Low/Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Blurb: Looking like the perfect all-American boy—tall, handsome, and athletic—makes it easy for Danny Monroe to blend in with the in-crowd of a new high school. It’s a trick he picked up moving with his father from one Marine base to the next. When you aren’t going to be around long, it’s better to give people what they want. And what they want are his quick hands and fast feet on the basketball court.
On court, he can be himself and ignore certain strange developing urges. Everyone knows you can’t like boys and be a jock, but for Danny his growing attraction is becoming overwhelming. At the thought of losing the only thing that matters, Danny starts to panic and realizes he has a choice to make: happiness or basketball.
ISBN: 9781632166210
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5774
Reviewer: Aerin
Review: Cliffhanger!!!! Damn you cliffhanger!! John how can you do that to me???
This was the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last. Going the Distance was a very real and very touching book about a young boy’s journey to becoming a man. This isn’t a book where boy meets boy and they live together happily ever after. No, in this book, we meet Danny as a young boy of 11 years old and we witness his struggles with accepting who he is.
Danny is not perfect; he struggles with his identity, with his sexuality, lacks self-confidence and he is scared to death of disappointing his father. Danny’s mother died when he was a young boy and now he’s afraid that if he accepts who he really is, his father will leave him as well. It’s heartbreaking, that insight we get into his private thoughts and feelings. He struggles with trying to be “normal” and just fit in, hates that he’s attracted to boys and will do anything at all to prove to himself and others that he can be straight. I wanted to hug him so tight because he needed someone to show him he’s perfect and loved just the way he is.
Danny does have people who support him; mostly his friend Nate (the absolute best friend anyone could ever wish for) who he met at Basketball camp and his father (whom I wanted to beat the crap out of at first). Danny is an athlete, he has a bright future ahead of him, and I understand his reluctance to accept his sexuality. People still make a big deal about gay athletes and once an athlete comes out, everyone thinks his/her private life is open to their judgment and opinions.
Nate and eventually Danny’s father try hard to convince Danny to accept who he really is, but Danny struggles. Religion came into play at one point and I really hate it when that happens. But in this case the Father’s speech was amazing and it should have had a positive effect on Danny. Instead, Danny becomes obsessed with reading the bible and believes that being a homosexual is a sin.
Danny had a few love interests throughout the book, mostly other boys; his efforts to prove his non-gayness drive him to start dating a girl. Not a big deal, right? Yeah….umm about that! I cringed the whole time Danny and the girl had any sexual encounters because they were very graphic and just…Yuck! I read MM books for a reason, and while I don’t mind hints about hetero sex, this was way too much for my tastes. *shudders*
I loved Danny and I loved his story. I can’t wait to read the next one and find out what happens next in Danny’s life. And I really hope we won’t get tortured with M/F sex in the next book and please oh please John, insert some more MM romance and MM sex. I recommend this book to those who love coming of age stories and young adult books in general.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *