This beautifully illustrated, bittersweet exploration of first love is nicely done. The setting brings to mind Call Me By Your Name. Yet, while Call Me By Your Name (the movie since I couldn’t bring myself to read the book after watching) gave me the ick with the age difference and power dynamics, Selznick’s book is wholesome in comparison with both boys having a similar age and experience. The historical / mythological stories sometimes go on longer than I’d like, but contribute to the boys’ coming of age and discovering the joy and beauty of love between two men amidst the harsh news and prejudice during the AIDS epidemic. What shines most is two lonely boys finding each other and holding on to hope that maybe two men could live a happy, fulfilling life together.

Danny is spending his summer in Italy with his mother. He meets a mysterious stranger, Angelo. The two develop strong feelings for each other while exploring the city and its past.

This story moved very slowly and was boring. I wished for more images, perhaps that could have helped the story move more.

Run Away With Me (publication day April 1, 2025) is my first book by author Brian Selznick, though I understand that his The Invention of Hugo Cabret is beloved by many.

Set in 1986, 16-year old Danny is living in a small apartment at a museum in Rome with his mother, an expert in ancient book restoration. He is used to exploring on his own, as they have lived all over the United States and in other countries while his mother works on different projects.

He doesn’t know Italian, but he meets Angelo, who at first I thought was a magical person, like an angel, because he knows so much about Rome and its history, its stories. But he is a real boy, another 16-year old who lives across the street from the museum where Danny and his mother live. Angelo tells Danny stories of the obelisks, including the one that is built atop an elephant, and of the museum where his mother works. They spend time in the cemetery where the Romantic poet John Keats is buried.

They fall in love, which Danny knows is limited, as each chapter begins with how many days he has left in Rome. They make a secret hideout in a small room in the museum where they can be really alone. And they learn of the stories of other men in love, including one pair who ran away to a new city where they could live as brothers in public and live their truth in private.

It is so beautifully written and atmospheric, full of the wonders of young love and the magic of an ancient city. And Selznick’s pencil drawings of many of the landmarks in the story are beautiful and add a lot. It made me want to go back to Rome to see more!

And it was completely weight-neutral, no negative descriptions of fat people.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. While I LOVED the description, it was really difficult for me to get into this book. The beginning was too obscure and mysterious to grab my attention, not to mention starting with NINETY PAGES of illustrations with almost no context. I was confused for most of the first half of the book. When the story became more grounded in reality around the halfway point, I became much more invested in Danny and Angelo as individuals and as a couple. I wish there was more substance and less mystery at the beginning because ultimately the story was interesting and satisfying. It was just a struggle to get there.

3.5 stars rounded up!

This is my first encounter with Brian Selznick, but I was so blown away by the combination of beautiful atmospheric artwork and cozy story and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next. This is just a lovely, undemanding story of first love set to an adventure through mid-1980s Rome as two boys find each other and fall in love over the course of a summer. Along the way, they discover the queer love stories buried into the foundations of Rome in the people they meet, the tales they tell, and the architecture surrounding them.

It's obvious that Selznick has a deep love for the city, in both his descriptions of the boys' adventures and in his illustrations. It's the type of book that leaves you with an aching desire to see the places described within, and in some ways the story seems almost secondary to that beautiful atmosphere.

I wanted to love this book about two 16-year-old boys spending a summer together in Rome in 1986. However, most of the book describes Rome and its history. Although interesting, especially to someone who has been to Rome, the story often gets lost. I think this book might have a hard time finding its intended audience, but I would highly recommend it to any teen traveling to Rome.

Selznick weaves a tale of young summer of love for two teenage boys set in 1986 Rome along with his illustrations opening and closing the book. The atmospheric telling weave together their longing and budding relationship with two other queer stories of love and Italy. Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for an advanced copy for a honest review.

3.5 stars. The illustrations were beautiful and I loved the setting - Rome in the 1980s. The romance between the two main characters was lovely and I enjoyed reading about their adventures throughout the city and also learning about one of the character's mother's book resoration profession. The book starts a little too slowly and gets bogged down at times in the folk lore weaved throughout and I would have liked to see Danny's relationship with his mother developed a little more, but the resolution of the mystery was sweet and made it a worthwhile read in the end.

LGBTQ+ Coming of Age
YA-MM-Summer of love
2.5 Stars ⭐️

Thanks netgalley for the arc but unfortunately this didn’t work for me. This book is about two 16 year old boys who meet in the summer of 1986 in Rome, Italy and spend almost 2 months together. I loved the setting and the fact it took place in the 80s really helped establish their bond because there were no modern distractions. However, because Angelo is really into history and myths, a lot of this book is him telling Danny all sorts of stories which bored me to tears. What kept me reading it though was seeing them sightseeing, holding hands, and being together because those parts were incredibly sweet but I found myself skimming this because I just did not care about most of the stories. There was one story I did enjoy though about a couple who ran away together because they couldn’t be together ages ago and were outcast by their families. They ran away and changed their last names to match and pretended to be brothers in public so they could live their truth in private.

I think my favorite part of this book besides the love story was the illustrations. They really added an extra dimension to this book and showed me their travels around Rome. My least favorite part was the way this ended and I can’t say more without spoilers but I wanted more. I definitely think most people will like this book especially if you’ve ever wanted to travel to Rome, this is atmospheric and rich in culture. The author’s note at the end says he got to visit during COVID when everything was quiet and shut down and it’s where he got the inspiration for this book. Unfortunately it’s just not for me. Absolutely love the cover though.

This YA romance begins with a visual tour through some of Rome’s famous works of art, including the Mouth of Truth, the Elephant and Obelisk, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the fictional Monda Museum, a souvenir shop, and the cobblestone streets and buildings of the city. Occasionally a person is seen in a window, or a shadow is seen on the street.

The narrator of the story is a teenage boy who is temporarily living in Rome while his mother, a book conservator, helps restore and decipher an old book found in the Monda Museum. While out exploring one day, he meets an Italian boy, Angelo, who summons the narrator with a note left on a statue. Angelo (not his real name, and he calls the narrator “Danny” even though that’s not his name) has an adventurous spirit, knows a whole lot about Rome, likes to tell stories, and claims to be 3,000 years old. Danny is enchanted by him, and the two fall in love, though they are always aware that their time together will soon come to an end.

Angelo tells Danny a story about the sculptor of Bernini’s Elephant and Obelisk (not Bernini, but his assistant)--how he found the elephant and took it on a ship, where he fell in love with another man. This story is connected to the story of the Mondas, who claimed to be two brothers but were actually in love. This secret is revealed by a slip of paper found in the book that Danny’s mom is restoring. And there’s another couple, a Jewish Polish man who was in love with a boy he met as a refugee in Rome when he was young. Angelo ties all of these love stories together, using the broken-off hand of a statue made by Bernini’s assistant that made its way from one couple to the next until it is in Angelo and Danny’s possession.

This is a beautiful story, very romantic, nice writing. However, it’s extremely slow for the first 150 pages or so. (Of course, the first 80-ish are drawings.) But the story itself takes a long time to pick up, and even then it is slow moving. The boys spend most of their time wandering around the city, looking at things, telling stories; there’s also very little dialogue to move the story along. I never felt we got to know the characters’ relationship very well, so I didn’t feel the romance as much as I would’ve liked. I fully decided to give up halfway through, and then I changed my mind and went back to finish it a couple of weeks later. I’m glad I did finish, but that’s how slow it was.

Run Away With Me is a lovely YA story of 2 young men falling in love over one summer. The book contains many beautiful illustrations that really let the reader see the story unfold and understand the relationship. I don't think this book is for everyone but the right reader will definitely enjoy it.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved Brian Selznick’s books in middle school and high school, but haven’t read him in years, and I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from his first queer YA. It took a little bit to warm up to the story and the characters, but then I was immersed. Like his other books, there’s an element of mystery connecting the characters in the present to the past. I thought the romance was really sweet and pure. The story is very lyrical and beautifully written, if a little pretentious at times. I loved that, even though this story wasn’t told mostly through pictures like many of his other books, some drawings were still included; I especially thought the ones at the end were very moving.

If you’re a fan of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, I think this one could be for you!

The magic of Brian Selznick is that he makes being inquisitive and curious an exciting adventure. Through his middle grade books he taught young readers about movies, and theater, and magic. He turned the every day into a mystery. He does the same with his first YA book. Taking the reader on a journey through Rome, itself a journey through time. And, as he does with The Marvels, he imagines one of the many untold stories of people throughout history who had to hide their love because of an innate part of who they are.

I took my time perusing every inch of every page of Selznick's signature pencil drawings- I would never miss a new book with his remarkable talent printed on the pages. This one just happens to be more timely and relevant for me because I will be visiting Rome for the first time in just 6 weeks! I was swept up in the setting as presented in the first third of the book- through sketchwork only. And then I was equally swept up in the story that commenced: of first love, youthful adventure, and the excitement of self-discovery and secrets. And not only the secrets of our queer protagonists, but those of the men from generations past who also had to keep their love hidden. Though the circumstances and time in history meant that our mmcs wouldn't have an HEA, I was happy to be a witness to their HFN. (happy for now)

Lyrical and poignant with Selznick’s trademark storytelling artwork. I loved tagging along with Danny and Angelo on their summer of discovery!

Brian Selznick is an amazing author and illustrator. Every one of his novels is rich with depth of its characters. This book contains so much history of Rome, that I kept looking things up to see if they were real. The intensity of the relationship between Danny and Angelo is powerful. Another wonderful and well researched novel!

Brian Selznick has written a beautiful love story that I know I will remember for a long time. Run Away With Me is a story about young love, history, and the city of Rome itself. I always adore the way Brian decides to tell his stories with both illustrations and words. He does an incredible job with Danny and Angelo’s story and showing the beauty of Rome. The boys explore the city and fall in love along the way. I also enjoyed reading Angelo’s stories he tells Danny about the history of Rome and also about other young loves.

I highly recommend this stunning book to fans of Brian’s other books and those who love a great romance. This is one of my favorite romances I have ever read and that is not an exaggeration. I cannot wait to add it to my Brian Selznick collection.

This was such a sweet romance! I loved the illustrations at the beginning of the book, they made me want to be in Rome. I've enjoyed Selznick's other books and this was such a treat to read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for a copy of this ARC!

An epic love story for the ages! This is the most romantic YA book I have ever read, either with cis heterosexual characters or LGBTQ+ characters. I love Danny and Angelo's love story and won't soon forget it. What a feast for the senses--Rome in the summer of 1986, with two boys who are swept up in the history, stories, and love of the most romantic place.

I rooted for Danny and Angelo to find happiness and the beautiful illustrations by Brian Selznick give the reader such an emotional high. Selznick, who is known for his amazing illustrations, takes a turn writing a heartfelt, beautiful love story. Readers will be swept away in the adventure and love. Highly recommended for high school libraries and public libraries.

I've been a firm Selznick fans since I first got my grimy, child hands of a dogeared copy of The Invention of Hugo Cabret in late middle school. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Up until then, I had been one of those unbearable people who thought that graphic novels were inferior to text-only novels. Clearly, I learned my lesson as I now read more graphic novels than not these days. Regardless, Hugo was a very important book for me and I was a bit scared to read anything new because what if I didn't like it as much?

Well, that was silly. Of course the new Selznick title isn't just amazing and clever and chock full of jaw dropping illustrations, but it's entirely different than Hugo, too. Both are historical fiction but that's about where the similarities end.

Run Away with Me is a love letter to young love, the power of history, and the city of Rome. The first and final section are entirely conducted in Selznick's iconic shadowy illustrations (at least in the physical ARC I have) while the middle is the equally artistic narrative prose that feels a bit like wadding through balmy, sun-dappled waters. The story takes place over a summer where Danny, an American teenager in Rome for the summer thanks to his mother's job restoring old books, meets Angelo, a mysterious Italian teen with a knack for storytelling (and potentially, lying). Together, Danny and Angelo roam the city and the histories of multiple historic people and places unfold through their adventures. I'm not sure how much of the history is true (again, Angelo's stories are presented as not fully reliable) but the history feels true in a way few novels are able to achieve.

I want to keep this review spoiler-free so I'll end it there. Just know, if you're like me, and Hugo Cabret made an irreplaceable mark on you, fret not- this book will make an entirely new one, all it's own. This is definitely Selznick, but a new side to his storytelling that plays with familiar themes and patterns but in a completely different way. I absolutely loved every summery second.