Hitting rock bottom to find redemption is the poignant message "Runaway Train" makes loud and clear. The story revolves around Nico, a 16-year-old grappling with the sudden loss of her sister, Kristen, against the backdrop of 1990s grunge culture. With her parents consumed by grief and a dysfunctional relationship, Nico seeks solace in her rebellious behavior alongside her friends, Winter and Jeremy, until they suggest a journey to Kurt Cobain's house in Seattle.

Nico's journey is fraught with emotional turmoil as she grapples with grief, anger, and self-destructive tendencies. Along the way, she encounters a diverse cast of characters who offer glimpses of hope and redemption amidst the darkness. The presence of her sister's spirit and a mixtape created for Kristen add depth and poignancy to her odyssey, while highlighting themes of resilience and the power of music to heal.

"Runaway Train" expertly captures the essence of teenage angst and the turbulent spirit of the 1990s. While Nico may not always be likable, her raw emotions and authentic struggles resonate with readers, making her journey one of self-discovery and redemption. Goldberg's writing style skillfully navigates the complexities of grief and coming-of-age, resulting in a compelling and deeply affecting narrative that will stay with readers long after the final page.

Captures so many our teen years.. The nineties were my seventies. This story could be relatable to just anyone who is or ever was a teen. Well into being a grandmother now, and can still relate. Mr. Goldberg captures teen angst very well. Kudos on a great story. Timeless tale.

So, this isn't the type of book that I normally pick up for myself, but perhaps what drew me to this book most was the cover, which is absolutely stunning. There is just something about it, that when I saw it for the first time, I felt like I absolutely had to read this book. (So, kudos to the artist/designer!)

I did enjoy this book, however there were a couple of things that put me off a little bit. I'm not a massive fan of books that feature substance abuse, and I really disliked the fat shaming in parts, which is why I did not give this book five stars.

I absolutely loved that this was a bildungsroman set within the Grunge scene of the 1990s. Having been born in the late 90s myself, I could vividly imagine every little detail that this described.

Nico is a wonderful epitome of a teenager in the 90s on the search to find herself, and feeling deeply and honestly, but not having the means by which to express it; and thus finding refuge in different lyrics from Grunge songs.

One of my favourite things about this book, is that each of the chapters was titled after a specific song. Not only did it help to create atmosphere for each chapter, but it provided such an insight into Nico's psyche. Lee Matthew Goldberg absolutely nailed the 90s vibe, and I was enthralled by this story.

Another thing that I also loved about this book was Nico's road trip. I am a massive fan of any book that includes road trips, as I feel that they always bring something special to the story; and in Nico's case, her coming to terms with her sister's death over the course of her travels was such a brilliant use of this road trip – in order to explore her grief, her motivations for self-sabotage, and discovering who she is as a human being.

(In order to really add to the atmosphere, it would have been amazing if there was a link to a playlist at the back of the book, where you could go and listen to all of the songs alongside reading, to really immerse yourself in the experience.)

This was a great story about growing up and being who you are. I really enjoyed this one and I read it so fast! I will for sure be recommending this one to my friends!

DNFED at 40%

I thought the concept was good. The writing was easy to read and accessible. I enjoyed the music references too.

Sadly, that was where my positives end. I found it unrealistic, that the teenagers didn’t act like teens, the adults didn’t care about this teenage girl being by herself. The way he wrote the teenage female character made me wonder if he had ever met a teenage girl.
Parts of the writing were cringe, to the point it was painful.

At 14-15, I probably would’ve enjoyed it when I was in my pick me phase, however I have long since outgrown that. The dialogue feels juvenile while the concept doesn’t match.

Maybe if I had finished it, I would have a different opinion, but I couldn’t bring myself to it.

This book wasn’t my favorite. To be honest the plot was to slow, and I just found the characters annoying. I would not recommend this book.

God, this hit me right in my damn heart-shaped box!
I never expected to find a book about a teen girl in 1994 going on a road trip with the hope to end up meeting Kurt Cobain and when I bumped into this on netgalley I was absolutely mind-blown! Running away from home with a plan to go knock on Kurt Cobain's door sounds either like something no one would think of doing or like something only my absolutely Nirvana-obsessed mind would think of doing! I was super excited to dive into a book with such a heavy 90s punk-rock atmosphere and I was so rewarded!
I absolutely adored the fact that the "grunge"/punk-rock Seattle 90s scene was depicted so well in this! The atmosphere seemed to be conveyed beautifully! All the pop culture references were so on-point and so was the fan-girling! As someone's whose favorite bands are Nirvana and Hole it was so incredible for me to see all these correct facts and references to not only these bands, but the whole music scene of that place and time, in general! I could relate to the main character's love for Kurt, Nirvana and the whole punk movement so hard and it was magical for me to be submerged in this setting! In that sense, I think this was of the most "special" books I've ever read, considering the fact that the 'targeted audience' of it seemed to be me, as well as everyone else with a huge passion for the 90s punk scene, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana! It just felt so good to be able to get every reference, knowing exactly what the characters were talking about without needing any explanations, and having the facts ready in my head for every story told that related to that music scene! I wish there were more fiction books with that kind of setting, which felt so comfortingly familiar for me!
I also loved how the title of every chapter was a song, and listening to each 'designated' song while reading each chapter made it an even more enjoyable experience!
However, I would like to note that if you aren't a big fan of the grunge scene, it's quite possible that you'll find it difficult to enjoy this book; as a YA story it's not that gripping or special. The story of the runaway teen trying to cope with her family and personal problems was quite the cliché, told in a not that unique way and the protagonist was really hard to like and had quite an annoying behaviour throughout the whole book!
Therefore, just as a YA story it didn't really excite me, but it was the special setting and the very successful references and descriptions of the era that made the whole difference and offered me a very enjoyable "personalised" reading experience!

I thought this book was fine but ultimately wasn't really my taste. I was really excited going into this because I love road trip books, books where a character was to complete a list of tasks/ bucket lists/ scavenger hunt type of situation, and the description made me think of "Amy and Rodger's Epic Detour" which is one of my favorite books, I think the reason I didn't really get into it is because it wasn't really super clear what the MC's motivations were. I know her sister died and she gets another curve ball thrown at her but she's just like "okay, I'm out, bye!" . It didn't feel like she was running away or running towards anything and so I didn't really care as much. Also it kind of bugged me that the MC was basically never sober.
I have to mention that the author does a FANTASTIC job with depicting the setting. This book just oozes "teenagers in the 90"s " which is kind of crazy to me because I was not a teenager then but because I had good friends who got really into a lot of that pop culture when I was in middle/high school I felt like this book made me feel like I had been a teenager at that time. I felt transported to a time I never experienced first hand- Amazing!! It was like weird Deja vu.

Actual rating:: 3.5 out of 5


Tw: death, suicide, alcohol, drugs, sex, mental illness


Runaway Train follows Nico as she deals with life and grief after suddenly losing her sister. She goes on a road trip, bringing her bucket list and a mixtape she made for her sister with her idol, Kurt Cobain’s house as her destination. A book filled with emotions and dealing with those emotions with music.

Took me a while to read this book because it also took me a while before it sucked me in. I was struggling to read it because I couldn’t connect with the main character and the decisions made by all the characters were all so questionable and I sometimes couldn’t push myself to read them. But I got through it and when I got to the point where everything was crashing together and falling apart, I started to be completely interested with the book.

Because of how the book and I started, I didn’t really expect to end up liking anything about it, but I bounced back to having good expectations because the book finally started giving me something. When Nico finally started to actually face her issues and discuss them, that’s when I felt attached to her. At first she just sounded like a whiny teenager but as time went by I started to understand and see from her point of view just as she started to open up and understand herself as well.

I absolutely loved certain parts like whenever she does something to check off one of the things in her bucket list (though some of the things she did, I definitely do not support). The way the scene during her first time singing in front of an actual audience was written was amazing! I felt it in my heart and the rest of the book after that was really great. I’ll definitely check out the sequel because DUHHHHHH EVAN?? I need more of him.

Nico is sassy, fun and honest. Her voice, as it it a first person person narrative, is angry, upset, and drowning. She finds solace in spiralling out of control with drugs and alcohol.
But to pull herself out if that, she is on a quest to find herself and her identity, fighting her parents' neglect.
Her arc was beautifully done in a way that it pays tribute to the last events that shaped her, and as she gains a sense of self.

There are also many other interesting characters that we meet along the way.
This novel was truly a delight to read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

If I were 13 and back in my I-am-not-like-other-girls phase, I would probably like this book, because the protagonist was the definition of not like other girls. Some parts of the story were also so unrealistic: like her parents just letting her go live with her best friend's mom without actually asking the latter if it was okay. The writing was cringy and it read like a badly written fanfic. I am not a fan of male authors writing teenage female protagonists, because oftentimes they write laughable stuff, but here it felt like the author watched a later episode of Riverdale and decided that that is in fact how teenagers talk. No, we do not call each other "bitch" every other sentence and we most certainly do not punch each other in the boobs.

I usually love any retro 90s stories and this one was a pretty good one. There were times when I felt like Nico was a little too whiney I enjoyed following her on her journey to complete her bucket list. This one brought back some memories of high-school which I thoroughly enjoyed. I absolutely loved the music references and how each chapter was titled after a song. I'm so glad that Nico found herself and ended up happy and healthy. It shows that even when you think there's no where to go other than rock bottom that as long as you don't give up things can get better.



Go Into This One Knowing: drug use, suicide.

The premise of Runaway Train sounded so good, I was expecting this to be at least a 4 star read, however I found it just wasn’t for me. I tried and failed to connect to the main character Nico, which in turn made the book harder to get through because I just didn’t care about her. I did really enjoy the 90’s references though.
I can see why a lot of people enjoy the story but sadly that wasn’t the case for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

DNF
TW: Abortion, alcohol, drugs, fatphobia, S.A, Self harm (mentions), death, underage drinking and drugs, no consent.

Runaway train follows Nico's journey after the death of her sister Kristen, She makes a bucket list to check off along her trip.

I got up to 40% before I decided I couldn't keep reading. The premise made me think it was similar to "Love letters to the dead", both lost MCs had lost their sister, looked for a way to cope, liked Kurt Cobain, etc. Well, I didn't like this book.
I felt really uncomfortable about how the sex was handeled, a grown up man writing about a teenage girl wanting to have sex with each and every guy who crosses her eyesight was weird..
I have nothing good to say about this book

This just wasn`t for me. I had a hard time connecting with Nico through the pages. I understand she was mad and all, But running away like that, just felt wrong. She was understandably mad, but it felt like that was almost all she was mad and sad. The parents were just ghosts and didn`t take care of her like they should have. Plus the fact that Nico`s mother got angry with her, when she was the one who had f-ed up..ugh. Sadly not for me.

Runaway Train is at times a heartwretching story and at other times, a heartwarming story. Not the normal kind of novel, for me, but well worth the read. Nico has recently lost her sister to an unexpected death. Things with her parents aren't going well either. So, she decides to run away, using her bucket list as her inspiration. She travels the west coast, coming across some amazing and some not so amazing people. Nico also experiences some amazing firsts. If you're a fan of coming of age novels and/or 90s grunge music, you're sure to enjoy this story.

“Runaway Train” is emotional, moving, adventurous, and uplifting. We all go through the phase where we lose someone close to us. If we don’t get the outlet to release these emotions, they bottle up and hurt in the long run. The author beautifully shows how Nicole’s life becomes a runaway train about to collide unless she takes control and makes changes.

Firstly, I loved the way the author paced the story. Nico’s adventure got me glued to the story, and I had to find out what happened to her. It was interesting to see the various situations and people she came across as she tries to check off the items in her bucket list. I also adored Winter and Jeremy and even Aunt Carly.

Also, let’s not forget all the pop-culture references. Although I was never into the grunge scene like Nico, I loved all the musical and pop-culture references the author makes of the early 90s. I also adored the 90210 references, as it is one of my favorite shows. The author did a fantastic job of making me feel like I was in the 90s era as Nico experiences the various events. One scene that particularly stood out for me was how the author brought Courtney Love’s speech at the vigil to life.

However, there were certain times when I was not fond of Nico and didn’t appreciate how she treated those around her, particularly when she lashed out at Stephen and Evan. Although I understand her reasons for behaving this way, I wished she saw things from their perspective.

Apart from that, I loved reading this story. Overall, if you are looking for an emotional, adventurous, coming of age, YA novel that talks about life, I recommend “Runaway Train.”

Nico is about to crash. Her sister died not long ago, her parents are a train wreck themselves and her friends are just as messed up if not more than Nico.

She ends up making a bucket list and going on a journey encouraged by her two best friends. I loved how she felt her sister with her the entire time.

It is a well written coming of age story. I loved all the nineties references, especially the music.

this book is so sensational. i love nico so, so much-- she's such a character.. she has an amazing personality, her sense of humor is immaculate, her sassiness remains unparalleled and she's so brutal and honest... to a fault. this book captures the "live while we're young" "smells like teen spirit" type of vibe. a perfect example of teenage angst, runaway train does not care about the readers emotions at all. it's a lightning fast book with traces of dark humor and sarcasm all over but it's smoothly laced and not overdone to the point where it'd be plain edgy;- this book is such a classic, you shouldn't be sleeping on this at all. i'd also like to thank nico for introducing me to grunge;- i finished this book yesterday morning and i haven't been able to stop listening to green day and nirvana!

2/5

It was just... can’t describe it but the best words are probably it just wasn’t good. It wasn’t horrible and the premises sounded interesting but that’s all there is to it.

Nico, after the death of her sister, runs away and tries to check off her bucket list while dealing with her grief and meeting new people on a journey of self discovery accompanied by music of the 90s.

Nico, the mc, was just unlikeable. Theres a difference between lashing out bc you just lost your sister and jsut straight up being a shit person (making a weird comment jsut because someone wants to save themselves for marriage?). Speaking of that, imo it had a lot of discussion of sex, drugs and alcohol, cussing & suicide, a little too much to be really young adult. Honestly this is suitable for 16+.

Another issue i had was the development of the mc, who has a passion for singing but is afraid to sing in front of people, something that hinders her from pursuing this. Getting convinced on her road trip to sing in a local cafe it was like bam magical voice. Everyone was blown away by how perfect her voice is and that’s it. Her fear of singing in public is gone after that and she never struggles again because her voice is so perfect? just doesn’t seem realistic in a book that tries very hard to portray struggles in a realistic way.

The characters were just meh, there wasn’t much to them they were flat and that’s it. The friendship between the mc and her supposedly two closest friends was horrible, they didn’t even seem to really care for each other unless they’re intoxicated.

The writing was okay, even thought i struggled to really get into the book. I didn’t laugh or cry but it could’ve been worse.

Overall it was just underwhelming. I wouldn’t recommend it to really anyone unless you’re looking for a quick average read that you might forget in a week