Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This YA novel is unquestionably at the top of my list of the best novels I've discovered in 2020. It was both a pure escape and an inspiring look at American civics for me. Mariana's father, a Florida Senator, has announced his intention to run for President. What effect will her increased focus and responsibility have on her relationships with her immediate family and peers? This novel reminded me of the heartbreaking lows and necessary highs of campaigning.

To avoid spoilers, I'll just share some of my thoughts while reading: Which parent in this family is willing to thoroughly investigate the possibility of public (even illegal) scrutiny? Is it permissible for a minor in such a household to disagree with the ruling parent? Adults will dismiss (or even insult) teen protesters. How did Cuban immigrants obtain green cards so much more easily than Haitians?

There was one early typo that was distracting, but that was it. I'm excited that this story may offend some adults due to some profanity (representing modern teen speech) and progressive themes (LGBTQ+, environmental advocacy). Some may object to one of the characters, a Cuban-American, taking a political stance dubbed "sellout" in Spanish, but I welcomed it as a potential conversation point.

This is one of the best books I read in 2020. Gripping, complicated, and incredibly powerful. Bravo.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book. While this title is no longer within the realm of my current reading interests I appreciate the opportunity in receiving an ARC.

I am so happy to read this book written by Natalia Sylvester. Each and every book of hers that comes out is something to devour as it will always have a message deep within. This young adult book plays a very important role in dealing with the current political situations and how we need to make changes for a better life.

Amazing look at the parent-child relationship as the child becomes older and starts to form thoughts and opinions outside of the belief in their parents. The story about fighting for what's right and the reality of politics was deftly written as well. Very good story.

Running by Natalia Sylvester really resonated with me because we see how fifteen-year-old Mariana Cruz deals with having differing political views from her father. I see this book helping young people use their voice to enact change for causes they believe in. Mariana’s journey was such a great one to read. I think we all hit a point where we have to reconcile how we always saw our parents with the idea that they are also human and can make mistakes, and this book navigates that transition beautifully.

Mariana "Mari" Ruiz has always supported her charismatic father’s political ambitions. Mari and her family have been by his side during every campaign, from local South Florida positions to his current role in the U.S. Senate. Now Senator Ruiz has eyes set on being the first Latino and Republican candidate for the President of the United States. As the Florida primaries approach and the primary race is in full throttle, Mari's is taken aback by the growing demands expected of her (i.e. no social media presence and being on her best behavior) and the breaches of her privacy. Running away right before a national televised family interview, she becomes the focus of viral videos and manufactured tabloid articles.
The first half of the book is slow and the focus is on Mari's sudden impact of her father's campaign and her gradual awakening that her parents are fallible and not heroes that she placed on pedestals. There are allusions to her mother's issues with the campaign as well, particularly her assistance in writing her husband speeches and being involved in other aspects of his campaign that are not acknowledged and taken advantaged of by her husband. The second of the book, in my opinion, is much stronger and layered as Sylvester weaves political issues such as immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, the environment, and gentrification. Senator Ruiz is a multifaceted politician who is trying to stay true to his Latinx heritage and family while catering to developer donors in order to pursue his political interests. I have not encountered many young adult novels in which a person of color is running for office or has political privilege so I found that aspect really refreshing. I was intrigued by the white passing Latino narrative to be interesting as well and I wished this was explored a bit more in the novel. The diversity of South Florida is represented here with nuance; Mari’s friends have Haitian, Dominican, and Peruvian ancestry, and some important secondary characters identify as LGBTQ+. Spanish is also sprinkled throughout the novel and enriches the narrative’s setting. While I did sympathize for Mari as her individual rights were overlooked, I liked her much more when she started her journey of being an activist as she looked beyond herself and held her father accountable for his actions. I appreciated the book's messages about the power of activism that come through but do not feel didactic.

This book blew me away with how expertly it tackled the realm of politics from a teenager's point of view, and the confusion that comes from questioning what one has believed their entire lives. Sometimes there's a big disconnect when authors who are 25+ try to write as a teenager, but Sylvester accurately captures MC Mari's doubt, worry, and eagerness at going against the grain and making her voice heard after years of being told to only act and speak one way. I appreciated how Mari really struggled with figuring out who she was, how she wanted to express herself, and how she wanted to stand up against her father and his politics, because those are *such* big decisions while growing up. The writing style also worked wonderfully with the story, pushing me further and further until the crescendo that is the end. The characters were all very realistic, and I'll say this - the way Sylvester writes him, Papi may be one of the worst YA parents I've ever read. *cringe* I enjoyed/was frustrated by the subplots involving him and Mari's mom, and how he had weakened her voice and actions, as well as his self-centered portrayal that rang true to a lot of GOP candidates and politicians in office now. This is a great book for any teenagers who are starting to dip their toes into the political world and wanting to make a difference, as well as the adults who love to read YA and might see a bit of their young selves in Mari.

Natalia Sylvester is such a talented author! I loved her debut, Everyone You Know Goes Home, and Running was just as wonderful. I adored this story! Timely, unique, and heartwarming. Books like Running should be required reading for teens (and adults!) I cannot wait to see what she releases next.

A much-needed story from a perspective we rarely get to see. Natalia Sylvester managed to create something so timeless that I hope is celebrated in the Young Adult community for many years to come.

This was an excellent coming-of-age YA about finding your voice and standing up for the things you believe in, which is hard for anyone, let alone someone under intense public scrutiny. Mariana's voice was so strong and vibrant; I really enjoyed reading from her perspective and seeing the way her thoughts and opinions changed as she gained new insight about the world around her. I also loved the cast of characters that surrounded her, and it was refreshing to read a YA contemporary with no romance or even a romantic subplot. Running contained so many of my bookish buzzwords-- a political YA contemporary that deals with race and identity-- and I'm happy to say it truly delivered on my expectations. A timely read for election season, for sure!

Another amazing and timely book!

I'm giving this 4.5 stars because the topics addressed were amazing, but I did find the writing to be simple.
It was still a great read, one that I highly recommend, but it just wasn't an all-time favorite.

I enjoyed how this story was all about how our heroes may not be all that we think they are. Especially, for family members. You can love someone and they could be profiting off the misfortunate of others. Or their decisions make no sense to you and finding the power in our voice to speak out against those we feel are harming others.
This is so timely because I know a lot of families are having those debates now. It was also interesting because the ending was realistic. After all, the "villain" didn't truly change his ways, but now Marianna regained her power.
I did appreciate that this YA book didn't have a huge romantic plot because it allowed readers to feel they can make a difference without romantic partners.

Because it's YA the "evil" people were a little too obvious. We had two characters who were the wrongdoers and in reality, it's much more complicated. I wish we could have seen more of the complexity around political choices. The message of putting people's health first could still be the main argument not having to change the heart of the story.

It was also interesting how this book admitted that certain people have more privilege and voice, who choose not to use it until their effected by it. I wish someone would've pointed that out, but I'm interested to see if a younger reader will pick that up.

I also love the Cuban rep and how Marianna flipped from Spanish to English was very nice.

A good book that's empowering youth to start having an open discussion of politics, morals, and expression.

Mariana Ruiz's dad has always been her hero. He says that he became a politician so that he could make the world a better place, and Mari's always supported that dream. But ever since he started his campaign for U.S. President, Mari has been having doubts. The media scrutiny and unreasonable expectations are making Mari feel powerless and violated, but her dad brushes off her concerns. Even Mari's mom doesn't seem to be listening anymore when Mari tries to express her feelings. As Mari starts to lose faith in her dad's promises to her, she starts to realize that his political promises might not hold much weight either. Does Mari agree with her father's stances? Does she even actually want him to win? Will she be able to make her own voice heard?

While I find it a bit unbelievable that fifteen-year-old Mari would have no idea what her father's policies are, after a lifetime of attending speeches and rallies, overall I think Running presents a very realistic and nuanced look at a young teen becoming disillusioned with her rosy image of her parents and becoming politically awakened. As Mari begins to feel emotionally abandoned by her family, she turns to some new friends who open her eyes to the real consequences of her father's policies. Environmental activism takes the main stage in the book, but there are also mentions of LGBTQ+ rights and immigration reform.

I liked the plotlines of Mari getting involved in activism, but I personally felt more compelled by Mari's deteriorating relationship with her family. In the flurry of campaigning, Mari's rights and desires are continually brushed aside by her parents, until she feels as though she has no agency at all. Every assertion of personality that doesn't align with the campaign is accused as "betraying" her father, or "sabotaging" the campaign. Basically her dad acts like a complete man-child completely dismissing his actual child and her needs. I felt so frustrated and angry along with Mari, and couldn't help but root for her to stand up for herself to her parents. I really got in my feelings with this one, which is the main reason I liked it so much.

There's no perfect conclusion to all of Mari's problems (which would have been too unrealistic) but her character growth over the course of the book provides hope for her future. As a personal preference, I would have liked to have had more of a cathartic confrontation between Mari and her dad than there was, but the ending was still satisfying in a lot of ways. I loved taking this journey with Mariana, and I think this is a really great YA book for teens who find themselves at odds with their families politically.

TW: brief instances of bullying, references to homophobia and racism, illness due to contaminated water, media infringement including dissemination of photos of a minor

First off, Running didn’t feel overly YA to me (a must for me to like a YA novel). It deals with the cost of living in the spotlight (the level of sacrifice and invasion of privacy required of a politician’s family is heartbreaking), living truthfully, working through the process of figuring out what you believe, and what you’re comfortable doing about those beliefs. It’s kind of like Mari’s political awakening…she starts to notice the imbalances in her own parents’ marriage (i.e. how her mom has become an accessory to her Dad) and there are some race and LGBTQ themes. The story uses lots of language and themes that’ve been used in racial injustice conversations recently and it feels timely to current events. Mari might be super relatable to some people as she’s not used to talking about politics (her Dad had a “no politics at the dinner table” rule even though he was a politician) and is uncomfortable with it. She struggles with how to balance these personality traits with feeling compelled to do something about an issue she’s passionate about. There are some “teachable moments” in the book that might’ve felt contrived in adult fiction, but were palatable to me since this YA. A timely story in this election year!

This book is perfect for younger readers to read for the upcoming election! I loved that this book really touches on finding your voice while the entire world is watching or going against your parents beliefs, in a world where social media is 24/7 I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to the main character Mari.

After reading and loving Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester, I requested Running immediately.

Mariana is not your typical 15 year old, her father is running for president. Mari loves her father, but doesn’t like the attention that comes with his job. As she starts taking interest in the election and the issues, she starts having a lot of questions, and not liking the answers. As she tries to reconcile who her father is to her and who he is to the public she starts finding her voice and speaking up for what she believes in, even if it means going against her father.

This is a timely YA book, as we are in an election year, but also a good book for empowering teens and showing them that their voice matters. I wish there were books like these when I was growing up! I’m going to buy a physical copy so my teenager can read it and we can discuss.

I recently read Running because a reading committee I am on for the Texas Library Association is considering It for our list for next year. I think students will enjoy reading it this year as we are in the midst of a voting year for president just like it is in the book,

We've all seen them standing behind their politician parent... many looking uncomfortable. After all, not every child falls in line with their parents political stances. I'd imagine that speaking up would be rather uncomfortable especially if the parent is not willing to really listen to their child.

Running by Natalia Sylvester hones in on this complex relationship. Sylvester takes us on a journey of what it is like trying to figure yourself out while your father runs for President of the United States. Mariana is 15 years old when her father, Senator Anthony Ruiz, decides to run for the Presidency. There were just so many things frustrating with being a child of someone in the spotlight. Her life is not her own. She has zero privacy. Strangers have opinions of her. Even going to school is a spectacle some days. People assume her father's views are her views and treat her poorly as a result. However, the Ruiz children have always just been props to their father's campaigns. Politics was never talked about in the house unless there was an event. Mari is given cue cards to read but no one ever actually asks her opinion. It is not until she meets some new friends that run an activist group at her high school that anyone actually asks her what she thinks.

It was interesting to read how Mari works through her feelings of wanting to be heard and not wanting to upset her father. I highly recommend this book. It tackles some important issues and challenges the reader.

Thank you to Netgally and Clarion Books for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

RUNNING follows the life of young Mari during her father's presidential campaign. During this campaign, her views don't align with his father's political views and she also finds out some truths behind his campaign.

This YA debut is utterly authentic and thoughtful! In the beginning, I didn't agree with some of Mari's attitudes/behaviors and found her a bit reckless, however seeing her growth throughout the story I soon began to root for her. This book shows us the importance of speaking up your beliefs and standing up for what you think it is the right thing to do - Mari's voice in this novel was so powerful as she didn't choose to be erased or silenced. Sylvester digs deep into the politics and social issues and shows us that our voices shouldn't be buried under the social pressure and one's image.

I found Mari's journey quite tiresome yet real in a sense that it's not an easy task to change the many realities which we encounter, knowing that they are ultimately cracks in the foundation. It is an invisible line between supporting and performing and Sylvester did a fantastic job addressing this theme. Moreover, topics of gender role and privilege are also richly explored.

The characters were developed in nuance and I really enjoyed how my opinion changed about Jackie. I found the friendship between Mari and Vivi very genuine and precious. The relationship between children and parents is a highlight in this novel that I want to discuss with everyone.

RUNNING is a YA that packs a punch and I can't recommend this novel enough!