All Day Is A Long Time

The title character of David Sanchez’s debut novel All Day Is a Long Time—also named David—is as likable as he is tragic. The young man navigates a horrific life filled with drug use, poverty, jail, rehab, and relationships that never serve him well in this startling and, at times, very difficult to read book.

The novel uses second-person point of view in some places—“you’ve got one thing over here, another thing over there”—which might throw off some readers, but it is a tough trick to pull off and Sanchez does it so masterfully. The more crack David does, the harder the book becomes to read, especially if you or someone you love has a history of addiction.

The book is saved by the choice to not redeem David. He has great moments and not-so-great ones; he feels remorse and then reverts to old patterns. He is, in short, human. What All Day Is a Long Time does best is to remind readers that life is unbelievably hard and a network of people who support us, and opportunities to forgive ourselves can, sometimes, bring us back from the brink. If graphic depictions of drug use and sex aren’t your style, stay away from this book. But, if you can handle it, you will be rewarded by this surprising and brutally beautiful book.