On a random night Jack CoClough and his family find themselves on the run after hearing on the radio that a group of people are coming to fill them. A death threat for no known reason. Instantly, Jack and his family are thrust into the night only to find that world has exploded in an upheaval of violence. Buildings on fire, businesses looted and violence of the “Mad Max” variety. The only connection…a meteorological event that occurred a few nights ago. A sighting in the night cosmos. Those that saw it become changed and those that didn’t suddenly find them being hunted and murdered.

But there is one that saw the event and remained the same. Jack’s son. But he did receive an ability. He can sense the halo around those that have become affected and violent. Follow Jack and his family through their journey to find safety - the decisions they make, the people they become, and the aftermath of those horrific days. Run.

Let me save you a lot of time. Run is not a brand-new novel by Blake Crouch. It is his first novel, which he self-published back in 2011, and was recently published by Ballantine Books in October. As such, it’s not the Blake Crouch novel you’re hoping for. This is not on par with Dark Matter in the least.

Instead, what the reader gets is an incredibly gory and often tedious novel about a family on the run. From what, you might ask? People who all went out to watch the aurora borealis one evening. See, those who watched it have turned into bloodthirsty killers who target those who slept through it. People are hunted down and brutally murdered and whole cities are burned to the ground. Now, I know you’re wondering if this is ever explained in the novel. Why would watching the night sky turn star-gazers into homicidal maniacs? Well, it seems as if Crouch, the author of this insane plot, didn’t have an explanation for this himself, because even at the end of the novel when you think you’re about to get an answer, you get a “Sigh. I guess we’ll never really know” sort of ending.

So I’m mad. I gave this the benefit of the doubt because I’ve really liked Crouch’s last few novels. I sat through all the gross descriptions. I forced myself to read through my boredom as this family continued walking through the middle of nowhere without food. I suspended my disbelief when they were saved a few times by random coincidence or chance. So for the author who has made a name for himself with sci-fi thrillers to not give me ANYTHING at the end of redeem this amateurish writing exercise is inexcusable. If I wasn’t reading and reviewing this for NetGalley, I would have quit it before I made it 10% into the story. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Run by Blake Crouch is an almost eerily timely dystopian story that feels less like fiction and more of a prediction of what the future holds. While you can tell this is one of his first books, the timely storyline and engaging characters are all there.

I always love Blake crouch books. His story telling is spectacular and stories of survival always add a good thril

What the heck did I just read???? This book was so weird, confusing, graphic for no reason and just odd. I read the synopsis before selecting and understood what I was getting for but it was just strange. Something happened five days ago and the purge began with lawlessness and senseless murders. We meet Jack, Dee and their two children who hear Jacks name on a list of people who are to be killed. The family goes on the run and things are just so twisted with no clear reason for the reader as to what’s happening or why. The storylines wrapped up but I got to a point where I was no longer invested but needed to finish.

Blake Crouch’s Run is a wild, heart-pounding ride that grabs you from page one and never lets up. It’s about the Colclough family trying to survive in a terrifying, dystopian America after a mysterious cosmic event turns most people into violent hunters. The story is packed with intense chase scenes and gut-wrenching twists, but it’s also about the emotional struggle of a family fighting to stay together against impossible odds. Crouch’s writing is vivid and fast-paced, almost like watching a movie unfold in your head. While the action is nonstop, you might find yourself wishing for a bit more backstory on the sci-fi element. Still, if you love survival thrillers, Run is an absolute must-read.

Apocalypse
Fast paced
Cliffhangers
Family drama


Jack and his family are on the run and try to survive as they are forced to face an apocalypse in their area. This started off great, but that ending... it was not. Throughout this book, I did not care for any of the characters. I was so excited about receiving this arc because I really enjoyed Crouch's writing/stories. However, this was one story I didn't fully enjoy.
This was a low 3 stars for me

Thank you, NetGalley, and publishers for this arc ebook for an honest review.

Crouch writes fast paced books that always keep me engaged! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Holy crap. This was a fast-paced, action-packed, sci-fi thriller. It reminded me of The Purge, The Walking Dead and Last of Us. And I loved it for that.

We follow a family of four running for their lives. Seemingly overnight, a portion of the population turned into murderous psychopaths— the electricity is gone, cell service is out, and food is growing scarce.

The only form of communication is the radio and right now a man is telling everyone a man’s home address and encouraging them to murder him.


First off I just loved the fast pace, something was always happening and I didn’t want to stop reading. I think I just also enjoy these end of humanity stories, seeing how far we can go to survive.
The reason behind the murder spree in this story was cool, and it’s not something I’ve seen before (doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist in some story somewhere, I just haven’t seen it).

There were a few times in the dialogue where I rolled my eyes— it felt dated and quite obvious it was written by a man. But thankfully it didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

Definitely recommend!
4.5 stars

Thanks Random House - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the DRC!

I’ve really liked everything I’ve read by Crouch, but this was definitely my least fav of his. The idea was excellent, but you could definitely tell this was an early novel of his. The writing wasn’t to the level I’d expect from him, I found the dialog

What I liked:
- Dark apocalyptic world
- Lots of action
- Quick, easy read

What didn’t work for me:
- Repetitive to the point I zoned out
- The story didn’t mesh together well
- Discrepancies in the plot
- The ending

I’ve seen many great reviews for this one so it might have been a me thing, or that my expectations were too high based on his previous books. I’m glad I read it, but it’s definitely my least fav by the author. I’d give this a 3.5⭐️ rounded up.

This was so captivating. I always feel like apocalyptic stories can be hit or miss but this one was done right. Crouch writes such fast-paced books that keep you on the edge of your seat and reading about Jack and his family’s attempt at survival was definitely entertaining. I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, action-packed dystopian read.

This book scared the mess out of me! While I was reading, all I could think about was what would I do? This post apocalyptic story follows Jack McCollough and his family across the desert while they try to escape a deadly phenomenon that has taken over most of the country.

I read this at night and my heart was racing the entire time. The terror & sense of hopelessness kept my attention fully. One thing I was reminded of was to make sure my gas tank is always full or as close as possible!

I loved this book! I was hooked from the very first chapter. One of my new favorite books! I will definitely be reading more by this author soon.

This book was a wild ride. One I honestly could have gone without. I finished it late into the night because I just couldn’t be in the world Crouch created any longer.
Don’t get me wrong. This book was well written, and such a compelling story, but it is hella dark. Apocalyptic books have a natural darkness to them, but this was on another level. The torture and visual human destruction was hard to read. What the characters have to go through to stay alive and together was hard to read.
I have only read one other Crouch book and I absolutely loved it. I love his supernatural sneaky sci-fi elements, and while this book had that, it wasn’t as well done.
If you want something super dark and disturbing, this one is for you.

I have not finished this book, eventhough the pace is insanely good,
The story is veryyy intense, and the plot seems thick! Im at around 20% and a twist has already happened, and high stakes chase and death follows!

Loved it, its just not really my realm of sci fi reads

Run is a re-publishing of Blake Crouch's very first novel. You can definitely tell that the writing in this book is not as good as his others and I am a huge Blake Crouch fan.

Run is a story about a family of four running to get away from the people who are killing others. There is a epidemic happening across the nation and the only way to survive is to run.

Thank you Blake Crouch, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel hooked me from the first page, and I read it in a couple sittings. Be warned - you'll have to put your life on hold for a few hours once you start reading.

The action begins almost immediately. Unchecked violence is occurring all over the country. Jack's name and address are read over the Emergency Broadcast System, and he and his family have only minutes to pack up and leave their home before a mob arrives to kill them. With few supplies and no planned destination, Jack needs to get his family to safety. But is there anyplace left that's safe?

The story opens with Dee (Jack's wife), and I was afraid she'd be the MC. I didn't care for her, so I was relieved when the story focused on Jack's POV. Dee constantly questions him about his plans, what would happen to them, says he's a man and should be able to take care of his family - you can see why I might have voted to leave her behind for the mob. But to her credit, she steps up when it's necessary. Jack does unfathomable things to keep his family safe, acts of which he never thought himself capable.

Some reviewers weren't happy with the pacing. There are some slower areas, but with the intense situations these characters are in, downtime is needed. This is a re-release of Crouch's first novel from 2011, and as with all his novels, the terrifying premise and gripping storyline are there.

Events of extreme violence play out, so this may be a tough read for some. Jack and his family (he and his wife have two children) experience horrific atrocities, and as a parent, it nearly ripped my heart out. Highly recommended to fans of strong family bonds, post-apocalyptic settings, and survival stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Run by Blake Crouch
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book had a wild premise.. and I was super excited because I've loved a few previous books by the same author. However, I don't know what happened to this book. It didn't scratch the same parts of my brain as previous works by the author had. I found the writing just really oddly off-brand for Crouch. I'm not going to get into specifics, but I will say the book was enjoyable enough to read through but it wasn't without some self-talk and pep lol

#review #bookreview

The first half of this was intriguing, well-paced, and exciting. I was fully invested and on the edge of my seat.

The second half felt interminable. There were a dozen endings, each of them less satisfying than the one before it. Crouch really didn't know when to say when.

Blake Crouch really knows how to write a pulse pounding edge of your seat thriller.

This is my second book by Crouch and it certainly won’t be the last. This one literally takes off from the very beginning and didn’t let up until the last page.

I love that I can be so easily transported into the story and feel all of the emotions the characters feel. This one definitely had me on a roller coaster.

I definitely look forward to more of his novels.