It turns out this was originally self-published in 2011, so not a new title for Crouch. This definitely reads very raw and unfinished, but it still decent and good something fans of the author may enjoy.

Honestly? If Blake Crouch wrote the phone book, I'd read it. I will forewarn you, if you pick this up expecting something like Dark Matter or Recursion, you will be disappointed. 'Run' is just as masterfully brilliant but in a very different way. Previously released in 2011, Run is a testament to the genius of Blake Crouch.

Big fan of Blake Couch and his other books. This was a good read Definitely would recommend to others looking for a good read

This book took off running straight away and was fast-paced the whole way through. It was just as expected which is why I would rate it 3 stars, the plot seemed very familiar to something like The Walking Dead or even A Quiet Place. It was just like a movie playing in my head that I had seen before. I did really enjoy it, I just would have preferred a little something extra to rate it even higher.

This book was interesting. I am not one to be a fan of apocalyptic like books and ones that speak of survival. The only thing that made it hard for me was the not having the divider for the chapters.

Wow. There are so many mixed reviews for this book. As a Blake Crouch fan, I can see how this may differ too much from his more recent releases. I’ve been told this was actually the first book he wrote and self published (so this is technically a rerelease).
However, I loved it. It was dark, and so intense. It was shocking and fast paced. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I feel like the vibe was more reminiscent of his Pines series than, say, Dark Matter or Upgrade.
Run is gritty, mysterious, and edgy.
This is a pretty hard story to swallow being apocalyptic with plenty of graphic violence. I was so immersed in the story it gave me anxiety (which isn’t really hard to do I guess 😂).
I don’t think this book will be for everyone. But, if you want a fast paced, semi-sci-fi thriller, check it out 👀

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine for an e-ARC of this book!

This was, like, such a wild ride! 😱 If you’re into fast-paced, apocalyptic thrillers, this one’s totally got that high-energy, edge-of-your-seat vibe. The whole premise of a family fleeing from chaos and mayhem as society crumbles is super intense. 🚗💨

Jack and his family are, like, thrown into this insane situation where everyone’s suddenly going on killing sprees, and they have to navigate through a chaotic world just trying to survive. The action never slows down, which I loved. 🌪️🔥

However, even though it was entertaining, I have to admit it didn’t quite hit the mark for me like. The plot felt kinda familiar and didn’t dive into the deeper themes I was expecting. It’s definitely a gripping read, but maybe a bit forgettable compared to Crouch’s other works. 📚💭

Big thanks to NetGalley for the online copy in exchange for my honest review. If you're looking for a quick, action-packed thrill ride, give this one a go! 🙌

This white-knuckle thrill ride puts your heart firmly in your throat right from the start and is unrelenting until the very last line. The writing and style and pacing are intense and go a long way to propel this story. By and large it is written in short bursts as we follow this family on the terrifying journey, a journey that is more about surviving one more day than it is about reaching any proper destination. It is almost cinematic, with every chapter divided into a number of discrete scenes, keeping the story in constant motion. The writing is clear and direct and brutal, not shy of displaying the gruesome alongside the intimate. This frantic pace and staccato rhythm do a lot of work in setting the atmosphere of the story. The journey is well-paced, with moments of peace just long enough for you to think maybe it is okay to let out that breath you had been holding in, only for any pretense of serenity to be ripped away a split second later. The world-building is both simple and chilling, because it is the America we know with only one small difference… and that difference is, maybe most frighteningly, even less different now in 2024 when this novel is being re-released than it was in 2011 when it was first independently published. When people are motivated by an unmitigated, uncompromising call to violence, how can you respond and keep your humanity intact?

The characters feel genuine, but they also feel a little bit empty. What I mean is that they feel like an audience surrogate, with enough personality and character traits to make them somewhat distinct but not so much as it isn’t remarkably easy to see yourself in their shoes. Usually, character depth and exploration are my way into a story, but here that is mostly eschewed in favor of pure adrenaline. We see the characters’ commitments to each other and to their humanity as they navigate the traumas and terrors of the story, and you spend too much time trying to catch your breath to be really concerned with character growth—though, with that said, there are a few moments of reflection that are tender and go a long way to making this story feel more human.

What I think I especially enjoy about this story is that this is just a snapshot of a family during this apocalyptic event. We aren’t following members of the government or military or high-level scientists that are working to fix the situation. This is a story about one family’s survival, not about saving the world. That makes it feel more intimate and makes it easier to relate to the characters. I don’t know what it feels like to have the fate of millions of people resting on my back, but I do know what it is like to feel personally threatened, to feel like everyone is out to get me. This story forces you to ask what you would do, how would you cope, in a scenario like this. Will survival instinct become intertwined with love to make you stronger in the face of wanton nihilism? Or would you give in to a more craven, self-serving impulse and sacrifice others just to keep your head above water for a few minutes longer? What storehouse of human emotion and strength will you turn to when literally everyone is out to get you?

I want to thank the author, the publisher Random House - Ballantine, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After reading Dark Mattter I was super excited to read Run by Blake Crouch. For me- this fell flat. I wanted to dnf it as it got super painful to read/finish and just felt absolutely ridiculous at some points. I powered through to finish but just didn’t love it.

Wow! Read this straight through! This book started out at 90 miles per hour and never slowed down. The family was so easy to fall and cheer for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC. This one was only OK for me. Can't really pin point it. Just expected more compared to his previous books.

Wow! This book was terrifying, disgusting, fast-paced, and gripping as hell! I loved it. My heart was literally racing as I read. Thinking about how I would handle being in an apocalyptic situation and trying to keep my family alive, like the characters in the book, made the story even more riveting. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

I gave this book 5 stars.

I love Blake Crouch’s writing. I was a little confused why I was getting an arc of a book that had been out for a long time, but I guess it’s just now officially getting published in the U.S. for the first time.

There may be some small spoilers in this review.

Jack and Dee are on the run with their 2 kids, Naomi and Cole. An astrological “light event” had happened a couple days before, and anybody who didn’t see is being sought out and murdered. While Jack and Dee’s marriage has been falling apart, they are forced to work together to save their family and try to survive. Their youngest son, Cole, did see the event, but he hasn’t become violent or murderous yet. He can see the difference in people though. And he knows the people with light around their heads are the bad people.

They leave Albuquerque, and want to make it to Canada because this phenomenon is only happening in the lower 48 states. While millions (?) are being murdered, Jack and his family run into many road blocks and people who want to murder them, as well as natural problems they have to get through.

Like all of Crouch’s writing, this had me on the edge of my seat. I love the way he started the book, with Dee and Keirnan just starting to change, and the way the book ended. As always with his writing, I highly recommend this book! He writes characters that you just want to root for.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I was so excited to get this one as I'm a big fan of 3 of his other books. I have a the Wayward Pines series high on my TBR. While the first 3 of his that I read are more sci-fy thrillers, this is apocalyptic and disturbing. It gave me like the Purge/Bird box type vibes. Creepy and suspenseful at times. A family of 4 have to flee their home and the country, because one day a large portion of the population woke up homicidal and are going on killing sprees. It was entertaining and a quick read, but nothing special.

I love reading books by this author, this is my third read. I love the suspense, but gravitate more toward his latest works. Thanks for the opportunity for an ARC.

A fast-paced, and at times, gory story of a family of 4 on the run for their lives against their neighbors--who are somehow being turned into killers. This was my first book by Blake Crouch, and a great example of a tension-packed thriller. It's not my typical type of book, but it was a fun change of pace. I'd recommend for anyone who likes stories like these!

Intense and horrifying. I finished this in one sitting.

To be fair, it was obvious that this was one of his earlier books and, like James Bond, too many things worked out a little to perfectly in the end. Having said that, it was intense. This one will keep you at the edge of your seat and turning pages. With it being political season in the US, as they were reading names of professors at the beginning of the book, I had visions of the divide in the country turning into something like this.

Entertaining, gut wrenching, and in the end, a story about a family coming together and reconnecting in a crazy world.

I was teetering between four or five stars for this read, and usually I rate conservative and go with the lower rating, but this book stuck with me more than usual, so I decided to go for the full five.

The narrative of this novel is told without chapter numbers in short, clipped sections. It makes for an easy read, but it helps build the tension and the sense of urgency as these characters run for their lives. Because of his narrative choices, there's a sense of nothing being safe and everybody being vulnerable, which plays into a feeling of unease as you read through.

Crouch doesn't shy away from the horrors of what is happening, which is equal parts disturbing and appreciated. There were times where I almost DNF'd because of the imagery of what is happening, but I kept with it because I had to know what happened to these characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the genre and look forward to reading more from this author.

🔪🌅 Run 🌅🔪
By Blake Crouch
✨ Thank you to Randomhouse and @netgalley for the eARC - out 10/22/24! ✨

🔪 Thriller
🌅 Apocalyptic
🔪 Family
🌅 Survival

🔪 Characters 🔪
We follow a family of four; Jack, Dee and their two children Naomi and Cole as they run for their lives against a strange phenomenon turning neighbors to killers.
I am glad these characters felt human in their decision making. We see them progressively get more determined to keep their loved ones safe by making choices they never wanted to make.

🌅 Plot 🌅
I liked the way I was taken on this horrifying and gore filled journey with the family.
There were many different settings and situations they found themselves in that made the plot move forward and the stakes increase.

🔪 Overall 🔪
Fast paced, action packed and filled with tension. This will have you on the edge of your seat the entire ride.
With an added air of subtle mystery that keeps you engaged without feeling like you’re missing half the puzzle.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️: No

Run is a totally different storyline than I was expecting, and much better as well. What an intense plot, as a family of 4 runs for their lives from any and everyone. Worst part is, they have no clue why they are being hunted, or who, if anyone, can be trusted.