As a huge fan of Recursion and Dark Matter, I was SO excited to see this pop up on NetGalley. I didn't realize that he self published it in 2011 but was ready to dive in nonetheless. I will say, it makes sense that this came before the others as I'd describe it more horror with sci-fi elements. I overall enjoyed the plot and the characters, and really liked following Jack and Dee as they found their way back to eachother. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book, literally heart racing at some points. Overall would definitely recommend!

I love Blake Crouch books and was super excited to receive this ARC. This book had an exciting premise, and is extremely violent. I found the first 3rd to be a bit repetitive - they get attacked, they escape, they travel, repeat. It got more interesting later on, when different circumstances affect the family. I didn’t totally feel there was a need for the marriage issues, and felt the storyline would have been stronger without it. My other complaint was that the characters feel very shallow. I would have liked some more depth to the family members so I could connect with them more. Overall, I enjoyed the excitement and fast-paced thrill of the book, but wouldn’t call this my favorite Crouch novel.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an E-arc for Run, a re-release of Blake Crouch's first self-published book. I have really enjoyed a lot of Blake Crouch's books- Dark Matter and Recursion were incredible.

Run was a total miss for me. I hate to give this book a low rating, but I was hoping that the story would have a resolution that made it worth the read-- but there really isn't any. The story is focused on a family of four that start in New Mexico and are trying to get to the Canadian border after a large portion of the US population goes on a rage-killing spree. The name of the story is apt- the characters are running the whole time. It gets tedious and because we are following one family throughout the novel, we don't get any more answers than they do. The story reads like a made-for-movie thriller, and didn't have any of the depth that I've seen in Crouch's other work. Happy to be finished reading this one, and I wish I had enjoyed it more.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group for an e-arc of this book. Run will be re-released on Oct 22, 2024.

Blake crouch did it again! Is there anything they can’t do? What a kickass book!!!!! It was so hard to put down. It’s been a week and I am still thinking about it.

Blake Crouch never fails to entertain! This book was everything I expected and it certainly did not disappoint. I simply adored the protagonist and loved reading from their perspective. Honestly, I couldn't stop biting my nails while reading this one. It was scary in certain ways but it was in the best way possible. My only complaint will be it drags at places and certainly could have picked up its pace. All in all, it was very enjoyable sci-fi/thriller read. (Original rating at 3.5 stars).

Thanks to Random House and Ballantine Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

This family of four is on the run as the world around them crumbles into violence. People are suddenly killing their family members, friends and strangers and reveling in the acts of violence. Jack, Dee and their kids begin a sprint across the country from Albuquerque to Canada where they believe there are refugee camps. This is very much an active situation where they are trying to figure out what is driving the violence and how to stay alive. Throughout they learn the value of love and loyalty and how important each day is in the face of imminent death.

Blake Crouch does it again. I know this is a re-release of one of his older novels, but I feel like it's hard to tell that. The writing is perhaps a bit more choppy and direct without the finesse Crouch has now, however, I felt that worked for the gritty nature of the story. From page one I struggled to put the story down, I really was so drawn in. This one reminded me of the best parts of These Silent Woods.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read an ARC of "Run" by Blake Crouch. I learned after I put the book into my GoodReads that "Run" was actually published in 2011, which certainly threw me off. After a bit of digging, I learned it will be 'Reissued" on October 22, 2024. It is unclear to me whether this is the *exact* same book as was released in 2011, or if it has been re-edited and changed. If I had to bet, it is most likely the same as Crouch wrote in 2011. "Run" is not even remotely in the same league as his recent novels such as "Upgrade", "Dark Matter", and "Recursion". It is clear that he wrote this 13+ years ago, and is a nice example of how writers improve over time. His newest novels have been smart, packed with easy to digest science, fast paced and action packed, while still maintaining solid character development. "Run", to me, only checks two of those boxes: fast paced, and action packed. It is equivalent to a low budget action movie. It was highly entertaining, but did not have substance of any kind. Quite graphic and disturbing.

"Run" is an apocalyptic thriller, following a family of four that is trying to get to Canada by any means necessary, Seemingly out of nowhere, America has gone mad, and everywhere, normal citizens are brutally murdering anyone who crosses paths with them. The unaffected are then competing for resources, while not knowing who to trust. We follow our family as they travel from New Mexico north, and accompany them on their journey to search for food, shelter, and water, transportation, and safety.

Did I enjoy it? Sure. Would I recommend? Ehhh. I would be leery to straight out hand this to someone who has a history of loving Crouch's current work and expect something similar. I would recommend this novel to someone who loves action, and does not need complex plot or character development to be entertained.

RUN by Blake Crouch is apocalyptic and disturbing.....While it was fast paced, I did not enjoy it as much as I have some of Crouch's newer work.

There were definitely parts that did not flow well together and I felt like some parts didnt even make a whole lot of sense to the story. I did feel like the story became repetitive at times and very predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so good. I kept seeing different reviews, but I really enjoyed it.
People see some lights one night, and those who see them go crazy and start killing others. Jack and his family are forced to leave their home and do whatever to survive.
I was hooked from the beginning. There was a little of everything in this book. I couldn't put it down! I was holding my breath through some parts because the way they described the killings were a little too gory for me.

I have loved everything Blake Crouch has written but this is one of his earlier works and I wasnt blown away like I have been in the past. But, that’s the nature of writing, it improves over time. So, I look forward to his next new book.

Blake crouch has been a hot topic and a great author for some time-


This wasn’t my favorite.

I will say it’s entertaining but if you’ve read apocalyptic style books before- this is nothing new, nothing very exciting and I haven’t disliked an ending as much as I have with this since “the mist”


I do say it’s worth reading to check the differences between 2011 and recent. Blake has grown as an author!!!

I will still continue to look forward to his newer stuff though.

LOVED IT-

The premise of the apocalypse occurring when the US saw aurora borealis made me think he got that idea recently when it occurred of the US...but at the end I learned that this was one of his first books, circa 2011!?! I am a big fan of Blake Crouch; this is my 3rd novel by him...I have the remaining reads on my never ending TBR.

The husband’s character development throughout the book was really endearing. It was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat.



5 / 5

Read 07.05.2024
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy/early read opportunity!!

This book was not for me. I really did not care for how ridiculous it was and the ending was such a disappointment! I really was hoping for a better resolution other than everything just changes and goes back to normal like a flip of a switch!

Thank you to the powers that be for the opportunity to read this book! To start, if there’s even just one thing you can count on in a Blake Crouch novel, it is ATMOSPHERE. Crouch, without fail, always manages to paint a picture that can have chills running down your spine and looking over your shoulder at every turn even though it’s only a story. For those who enjoyed The Last of Us (TV show and/or the game) and The Purge would absolutely enjoy Run from start to end.

Though I loved other books I've read by Blake Crouch, I didn't care for this one at all. I found myself very annoyed by the husband, Jake. He felt weak to me and he sometimes made bad decisions..
Right from the start, the wife, Dee, is not likable in the least.
Parts of the writing felt like it started in the middle of a sentence. Example - one sentence started with the word "Drove". Another started with the word "Sat".

I was really looking forward to this story, but sadly it left me disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for a copy of Run in exchange for my honest review.

The only good thing about this book was that it was short.

I could see this being semi interesting as a dumb Netflix movie. But reading it feels pointless. It would play out better visually than on paper.

I feel like I’ve seen and read this story 100 times before. It lacked originality. I think Netflix has about 100 movies just like this. It’s a little different with the Aurora, but ultimately the same.

The characters were all kinda lame. They had the most amazing luck ever. Kept doing everything wrong but then would survive the impossible over and over again.

The dialogue was awful. The writing was not great.

This book is VERY easy to skim.

Great story about the ties that bind family and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones. Fast, intense, kept me engaged (and awake most of the night reading).

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me access to this book. I don't think this is at the level of some of this authors other works, but I thought this book was good and very suspenseful. It really kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I would recommend for any fans of survival horror.

✨️Review: Run - Blake Crouch✨️

2/5 🌙's

Overview: Something has caused people to turn on each other. Killing family or any name they hear read over the emergency broadcast system. You have nothing to do but RUN.

Thoughts: This review may contain spoilers please proceed with caution.
I didn't like this book which is surprising because the synopsis was very intriguing. But after finishing the book I continued to think about the way the story ended and I feel the synopsis was a bit misleading. It's hard to explain but the book emphasizes the radio broad cast but in the end little was explained, there were no answers for what happened or why it happened or how the people on the radio even knew who saw the aurora. I feel like there were plot holes that weren't filled and the story that I did read drug on for quite a while.

I think I would recommend this book if you are specifically interested in run and chase movies. Ones that focus on the action and they never truly dive into the characters. It's mostly action driven.

Always have and always will read anything Blake Crouch writes. My favorite of his is definitely Upgrade. Run was such a fun ride. I enjoyed every page and the characters were great as well. I do not think I have anything to complain about for this book which is rare for me. I do think It could have taken some time in the end to wrap things up and things were a little rushed during the last 20 pages.