This book was a wild ride—suspenseful, thrilling, and deeply impactful! It perfectly illustrates the lengths people will go to in order to protect their families and survive against all odds. I found myself on the edge of my seat, fully immersed in the fast-paced storyline and captivating concept. Blake Crouch really knows how to pull you in!

Even though it’s based on his debut novel, this version felt fresh and exciting, compelling me to read it in one sitting. I can’t wait to share it with my friends who love thrillers and suspense as much as I do. I received this ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books, and I genuinely loved every moment of it!

My husband loved this book and really enjoyed how immersed he got in the story. He couldn’t put it down! Blake Crouch is an auto buy author for him.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on October 22, 2024.

This narrative presents an engaging and swift reading experience, characterized as a gripping apocalyptic thriller that can be unsettling at times. Each chapter is replete with intense action sequences that effectively showcase the resilience and bravery of the characters as they navigate a world filled with peril. The emphasis on their determination to overcome adversity is a central theme that resonates throughout the story.

However, despite my admiration for Blake Crouch and his previous works, I must express that this book ranks as my least favorite among his offerings. Several aspects of the plot felt disjointed, leaving me with lingering questions even after I finished reading. Certain narrative threads appeared unresolved, contributing to a sense of confusion regarding the overall storyline.

Moreover, the pacing began to feel repetitive, as the structure of the plot followed a predictable cycle: characters would run from danger, seek shelter, scavenge for food and water, and confront various threats, only to repeat these actions. This cyclical nature ultimately diminished the suspense, making the story feel formulaic and less engaging as I progressed. As the tension waned, I found myself less invested in the characters’ fates.

While the action sequences are undeniably compelling, the repetitive nature of the storyline detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. Crouch's ability to craft thrilling scenarios is evident, but a more varied approach to the narrative could have significantly enhanced the reading experience. In summary, while the book has its merits, it ultimately fell short of the expectations set by Crouch's earlier works.

I feel like this is false advertising and not a new release. This is a very old book by Blake Crouch.

Oh my gosh what a read! I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. Loved this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Blake Crouch!

I didn’t realize until after I finished this book that it is a re-release of Crouch’s first novel. With that in mind, a lot of my issues with it make sense. His more recent books are quite good, particularly Dark Matter (go watch the Apple+ series!), which was the main reason I jumped at the chance to read this one.

I also think my timing in reading an apocalyptic, extremely violent, heart-pounding book a week before an already anxiety-inducing election was probably not a great idea. I could feel my heart thumping away every time I started reading, and it definitely wasn’t great for my mental health, though I did still keep reading…

The overall premise is intriguing, but the amount of violence felt heavy handed and the story became extremely repetitive and boring the more I read. Shelter, sleep, food and water, shooting/other violence, escape, deal with injuries, transportation/gas, etc. Repeat for many pages. I wasn’t convinced about the changes that occured in the relationships between the main characters. And, what exactly happened at the end? And why? Quite unsatisfying.

I will still seek out Blake Crouch novels, but this one wasn’t a great one for me.

Please note: I received a digital copy from Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

Bookish thoughts: This is my 4th book by author Blake Crouch and this explosive apocalyptic thriller about a man and his family running for their lives packed a huge punch. My heart was pounding from start to finish. This story reminded me of the movie The Purge. I found it hard to put down and wanted to keep reading late into the night to see how it ended. This action filled story was scary at times… a perfect book for spooky season. Fun fact: Run was his first novel; first self published novel in 2011; first speculative story that helped to define Blake Crouch as a writer. Run was re-released in October 2024.

one of the most boring books i've read in my life, i would rather stare at a blank wall than have read another page.

i do wanna give blake crouch a fair shot since he's so loved so im going to completely ignore i ever read this. i just wouldn't personally recommend this to anyone at all.

thank you to netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Ballantine and PRH audio for review copies! *my apologies for a late review, I thought I had submitted this one, I really liked it!

TLDR: This is classic intense action Blake Crouch. Apocalyptic action, end of world doomsday vibes blended with walking dead like horror.
Run is a suspenseful, high-stakes thriller that combines sci-fi elements with horror, making it a compelling Halloween or October read. It’s an intense and often unsettling exploration of survival, following a regular suburban family as they navigate the terrifying unknown. The relentless pace and dark atmosphere create a near-constant tension, while its imaginative sci-fi aspects are both intriguing and, at times, stretch the bounds of believability. The characters are well-developed, each bringing emotional depth to the story, and the action is punctuated by unexpected twists that keep readers on edge. The story doesn’t shy away from depicting cruelty and horror, adding a haunting layer that makes it truly memorable. While the ending may feel a bit convenient, the journey is gripping and raises thought-provoking questions about one’s ability to survive in an apocalyptic scenario. If you’re looking for a short but intense read that blends mystery, suspense, and horror, this book is a fantastic choice

I've been a superfan of Blake Crouch since my mind was blown by Dark Matter, which is still my favorite if his. But Run gave Dark Matter a run for its money. I love books with a countdown theme and loved that it takes place in the west, where I live. This was an excellent addition to Blake Crouch's library.

I have read many of Blake Crouch’s previous novels and was so excited to get my hands on one I’ve yet to get to. This story was originally released in 2011 so this is a re-release. However, I’m so glad that they brought it back again. With Crouch’s more recent success, this novel deserved some attention.

Intense, smart, and utterly bingeable. This was a fantastic read!

A book dripping in blood. This is my first Blake Crouch book and I loved his writing style. The pacing, plot and characters all flowed together making this such an easy quick read. This book was such a journey where you felt like you were with this family each step of the way. That being said this story was bordering on a little too much for me. There's a lot of bodies, which you could probably figure from the summary. But that's just me discovering that I don't like extremely violent stories that at various points felt so hopeless. It was a similar feeling watching the first season of AOT.
That being said I look forward to reading more from this author. Might just be a little pickier in the future on which of his books I read.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc! I really appreciated it!

Harrowing and tense speculative fiction from Crouch rereleased and still just as timely. A mass extinction event befalls humanity when people turn on one another, culling the population with a sweep of brutality that is cosmic and cataclysmic, but still deeply personal. I loved the cinematic feel, the rich characters and the heart stopping pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Hmmm. I didn't hate this book but I didn't love it. He's definitely got Stephen King elements in the story. But I guess I didn't care about the characters so therefore all their struggles weren't that interesting.

Half of humanity is trying to kill the other half, essentially. And this family has to escape about 10,000 awful scenarios. Like, enough, I get it, it's fucked up. And yet it doesn't explain enough about what's going on in the world for it to be exciting. I don't know. I guess I just wasn't invested in the characters for some reason. They weren't likeable. So I didn't root them on. So then them being in danger constantly was just ridiculous and monotonous when I know it should have been exciting.

And I didn't find it realistic. Which is weird to say about fiction sometimes except I wanted this to be more grounded in reality. Physical, political -- a lot of it just didn't seem plausible. Like, Dark Matter is about traveling to multiple universes and that was 100 times more believable to me than what happened here.

Well, there you go. My insightful review. I'm sure other people love it. Me, not so much. Or maybe just not as much as I wanted to.

This book was originally published years ago, but I had never read it. I do love a Blake Crouch thriller. This did not disappoint. An epidemic of rage is sweeping the nation. Names of those who will be killed are read over the Emergency Broadcast Network. Jack has heard his name, so he must run. Whew, this one is fun. I couldn't put it down.

2.5 Stars
Great premise, but didn’t hold up to his other book.
I think there just wasn’t great character development in this one, and the writing was a bit lackluster. I loved Dark Matter so much, and so this one was just disappointing to me.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in Exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ Very intense, dark, apocalyptic, and graphic thriller. The action starts right from the beginning and doesn’t let up. This is an early novel from Blake Crouch and does not read the same as his newer books like Dark Matter, which I loved. At times, this is one long road trip book, which are not my favorite. Some scenes are very graphically violent and very disturbing so this is not for sensitive readers. The predicaments the family seemed to get out of were sometimes farfetched. Overall, this was not my favorite of his but i do think this will appeal to readers who don’t mind some horror, violence, and are not looking for deep character development. I did enjoy the survivalist aspects and trying to put myself in the character shoes to see how I would react (or not) in those situations. I also liked the parts of self reflection and the parent- child bonds.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

You call this a thriller.........?

I was severely underwhelmed by this book. It was incredibly uninteresting and the way it starts out is a little jarring. The reader is essentially just thrown straight into this unexplained disaster situation and after that it is just a ton of car rides, camping, and annoying a** kids being annoying. Imagine being in ONLY episode 4 of The Last of Us (minus the rebel group asides) for over 300 pages. Not a riveting experience to say the least.

This is my first Blake Crouch book, and I am hesitant to read any of his other books now. I know this is an older book of his that is being republished by another publisher and maybe his books have improved since then, but I won't hold my breath.

Thank you to Ballantine Books & Netgalley for the e-arc.

This is a fast-paced story with a unique storyline: people who saw a weather event (similar to the northern lights) suddenly experience rage and the need to harm the people who didn't see the weather event. The story is from the perspective of a family, trying to stay out of harm's way. My heart was pumping several times from the tension and the unpredictability of the story. However, you can tell that this is one of Blake Crouch's earliest indie-published novels because the writing just wasn't the greatest. He writes in a lot of incomplete sentences - which can be done to a certain extent. But had it been re-edited from the initial published before it was traditionally published, I think the story could have felt more cohesive instead of chopped up from the writing.

Still a solid story, but the writing could use a lot of improvement.