I am a big fan of Crouch. Dark Matter and Recursion are books that I recommend to people all the time. And I loved Wayward Pines. So I awas predisposed to like Run....and I did!

Run is a lightning fast apocalypse-in-progress chase story. Our main characters are on the run from...well...almost everyone. And they have no idea what's going. It is only as the book unfolds that we get a hint of why most of the United States has gone feral.

The story moves quickly and the emotions are high. I cared very much about the characters by the end of the book and I was invested in what was happening to them.

Crouch has some themes and motifs her comes back to over and over again- and they are all here. This is an earlier work, so the storytelling isn't as polished as in some of his later works. There was one plot point towards the end that made me roll my eyes at its implausibility, but it didn't kill my enjoyment of the book.

All in all, another enjoyable book by Blake Crouch.

Run reminds me of one of those horror movies where anything that can go wrong, does. I had no idea what to expect with this one, as it was my first Blake Crouch novel, but I really enjoyed it. It was gory, suspenseful, terrifying, and exhilarating. It’s truly like a car crash you can’t look away from!

This was very much a Crouch book. He does dystopian fiction that feels real so great. This book was no different. I wasn’t expecting the level of detail in some of the more gruesome scenes but still a great book.

I've said it before, but it deserves repeated: I will read anything this man writes.

While Run was not my favorite of his work, (Recursion still holds that title), I definitely enjoyed it and was on the edge of my seat for most of it.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one.

First off, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really really enjoyed this book. Blake Crouch sucked me in with “Dark Matter,” so I had a feeling I would be hooked pretty quickly once I started this one.

The premise of a family having to survive and navigate an apocalypse brought about for seemingly unknown reasons is interesting and provides plenty of action, but the family itself is what got me hooked. The characters are imperfect and as such felt real.

Maybe it’s just where I am in life but I had no trouble whatsoever seeing myself in the main character and feeling all the fear, rage and responsibility that came with the task of keeping his family alive. I definitely got emotional a couple of times, especially near the end.

This is for sure grittier than “Dark Matter,” and almost leans near the horror world a bit. If you want to a read that feels like a fast paced movie that still has heart, this one will do the job!

I was immediately caught up in a gripping and intense narrative that explores the lengths a parent will go to protect their family. Crouch's writing style is both immersive and propulsive, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the story unfolds with relentless tension. The premise is captivating following a family that suddenly finds itself targeted in a terrifying game of survival and I appreciated the way Crouch layered suspense with emotional depth, making me genuinely care about the characters.
However, while the pacing was generally fast, there were moments where exposition felt slightly clunky, pulling me out of the otherwise exhilarating flow. Additionally, some plot twists felt a bit familiar, leading to predictability in certain key areas.
Despite these minor setbacks, Run is a thrilling rollercoaster ride that left me breathless, and it's a testament to Crouch's ability to blend heart-pounding action with meaningful stakes.

This book confirmed two things for me.. 1. I do not have the strength or willpower to live in a world described in this book. And 2. Even if I did, I wouldn’t want to.

Is it the best apocalyptic thriller ever written? No. But it is intriguing and the constant anxiety of the story kept me reading. The characters kind of sucked and some of their “trials” felt a little far fetched and impossible to me, but I guess I can’t say what is possible in a time like this.

The part about Donald absolutely gutted me though 🥺 it’s super interesting to read one of Blake Crouch’s first books now after reading other of his books first. His writing has definitely improved but this was still a great, quick, read!

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

I initially rated this 2.5/5, but this was a quick read, and the ending was a surprise I wasn't expecting.

Run follows married couple Jack and Dee and their two children as they navigate surviving what seems to be an apocalyptic event where mass murders are happening all over the country. We've seen this storyline before, however, Crouch's approach to setting up the characters and story was done well. If one of the objectives was to make readers dislike Dee as much as possible -mission accomplished! She was the least likable character and expected Jack to make the impossible happen as they overcame different obstacles while trying to make it to safety. Overall, it's one of those stories you can read in a few hours, it's fast-paced and has a bit of a surprise at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, and Blake Crouch for the ARC!

Run is a fast-paced apocalyptic thriller following one family's epic fight to survive. I love Blake Crouch, and his writing never fails to captivate. Despite the fairly standard dystopian storyline, I couldn't put this book down.

Was the story original? No.
Was the book wholly entertaining? Yes!

You will like Run if you like...
📚End of the world speculative thrillers
📚Body gore/fight to survive
📚Complex character relationships
📚High-stakes drama

Writing Style 4.5/5
Characters 4/5
Plot 2/5
Readability 5/5
Gut Rating 3.5/5

I received an ARC from NetGalley in anticipation of the book's re-release in October 2024.

⭐️ 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ⭐️
Run by Blake Crouch
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

sᥡᥒ᥆⍴sіs:
Five days ago, the epidemic of rage began.

Four days ago, the rash of senseless murders swept the nation.

Three days ago, the president addressed the country and begged for peace—even as the murders increased tenfold.

Two days ago, the killers began to mobilize.

One day ago, the power went out.

And tonight, the killers are reading the names of those to be killed over the Emergency Broadcast System.

Jack Colclough is listening over the battery-powered radio on his kitchen table in Albuquerque, and he just heard his name. People are coming to his house to kill him, his wife, his daughter, and his son.

He has no idea what’s happening, or why, but the time for questions is long past. 

His only chance is to run

mᥡ rᥱ᥎іᥱᥕ:
Run was the first book he wrote in which he self published. He’s now republishing it through a publishing house so it gave me a chance to read it through @netgalley .

While reading I could definitely tell it was an earlier book by him but I still loved it so much. The plot and characters weren’t as complexed as in Dark Matter or Recursion, but Run was face paced and stress inducing. At every turn I really didn’t know what was going to happen to the family. I could not put the book down, every single page was packed with suspense.

I recommend this book for a fast paced thriller that you won’t be able to get enough of.

America is in chaos. The power is out, there are no cell or radio signals, and people have turned violent for no apparent reason.

Run is an apocalyptic thriller that follows Jack Colclough and his family as they run for their lives.

While this type of storyline is a little out of my box, I found it intriguing . . . but also a little slow and gory. I think this book is better suited for those who enjoy the sci-fi genre.

I would like to thank Ballantine Books, Blake Crouch, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 days ago it was like a switch flipped. Brutal murders started happening and it's progressively gotten worse and more chaotic. Now the killers have banded together and have a list of those they are after. So, Jack and his family are on the run. They don't know what caused all this, but they do know to save their lives, they must get out now.

When I saw on Netgalley with a release date of August 2024, I requested it without even reading the synopsis. I loved Dark Matter, Recursion, and Upgrade so Blake Crouch has earned his status as an auto read author for me. Since I thought it was a new Crouch novel, I was a little confused because it didn't feel like the same vibe, but it was compelling so I kept reading. It wasn't until I was 75% in and I went looking for clarification on something that I saw that this is a rerelease of a previously self published title. So this book isn't the same kind of speculative sci-fi that I loved in those other novels, but it still has the heart and compulsive plot I love in a Blake Crouch book.

If I had read the synopsis I might have not picked this one up. If I had read reviews, I likely would have avoided it. But this book, like all the other Crouch I have read, sucked me in. It kept me awake at night wanting to read AND laying in bed scared thinking about what if I was in this situation. I was IN IT.

This book is gruesome and horrific and graphic. If you have any sensitive reader bones in your body DO NOT pick this up. But l could not look away. I was on the run with Jack and his family and even though I didn't want to see the horrific things they saw, I endured it all with them.

Thanks to Ballantine Books for a digital copy. All opinions are my own.

Definitely a page-turner! This started fast and didn't let up through the entire book. It was a little heavy on the gore for my taste, but overall an engrossing book.

Set aside a block of time because once this thriller grabs you you won't want to stop reading! Blake Crouch writes a manic, intense rapid fire of a dystopia which rarely pauses for breath as it careens across a western landscape, a family that had been slowly disintegrating racing to survive in a world gone crazy. Those who've watched a rare auroral event have become murderous, seeking to kill all those who who aren't one of "them". The story line, characters and plot are well drawn out as this ordinary family fights in ways they never before thought possible as they seek even brief safety but find themselves lurching into one crisis after another. They grow together as a family as they struggle to survive, needing to find water, food, fuel while they battle those seeking to kill them amidst a harsh western landscape.

Fair warning, there is quite a bit of violence, blood and gore but it's a necessary part of this story.

Highly recommended.

Run by Blake Crouch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Blake Crouch for the ARC.

This apocalyptic thriller is extremely intense from beginning to end, verging on horror at certain points. Crouch is skilled at balancing plot and character, creating a crisp, emotional, and thrilling experience.

I appreciated the clever approach to providing the reader with information on what’s happening in this world within a paragraph; just enough to inform us, and then the action continues. My adrenaline was pumping as I devoured this book, unable to put it down. I read this in less than a day and it was a fantastic binge-read. I was horrified by the brutality of the situation, imagining being in the place of the MC’s and awed by their resilience.

While this is a fast-paced and action packed read, it’s also a story of humanity and family. Another hit from Blake Crouch!

I was only able to get about 15% of the way into this book before I found it so poorly done that I had to stop. I was particularly offput by the scene where the patient who has been in the hospital runs into the road conveniently giving the narrator an opportunity to explain the leadup to the current event. The characters acting so illogically to further the plot felt so weak and contrived to me. I really wanted to keep going but when it happened again pages later that they get out of the car to speak to another random injured woman for no reason, I knew this wasn't going to be a book for me.

I requested this because the concept was very intriguing and I have loved some of Crouch's other books, but I will not be continuing this one. I would need more purposeful story telling and character development in the first 15% of this book to justify the trauma porn I just endured.

I’ve read Recursion by Blake Crouch and really enjoyed it so was excited to read Run! The novel follows a family during an apocalyptic event and all that they have to face to survive. Overall and enjoyable read, I liked the thriller/suspense aspect of it but this is not my usual genre and felt like I would have enjoyed it better visually / as a movie. Anyone that enjoys apocalyptic and action stories will enjoy this one.

Thank you for an advanced readers copy of this title via NetGalley.

Talk about a wild ride. I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly happened with the story since finishing it, and I’m still at a loss. I really enjoyed reading this book, I’m just confused at what I read. The character development was lacking. I didn’t have a firm understanding of who Jack was, but he was the main character. He was running for some reason, what was the reason? I don’t know, but it was a fun ride. I enjoyed all the action, and it most certainly kept me on my toes, but again, I really needed more information. What was the big event that happened that caused everything to go to mayhem? There were references to some aurora, but nothing in detail. And then the book ended. The conclusion was not satisfactory in my opinion. I read afterward that this was an early novel by this author and that made a lot of sense, because it did not seem like his current works. As much as I enjoyed this journey, I’m still confused, and for that reason this book is memorable to me.

3.75 stars

This book was very Bird Box meets The Purge meets A Quiet Place. I thought it was a really interesting concept and I was definitely curious to find out what happened. I did find that it dragged in the middle and I was kind of skimming because it was just the same thing over and over (which is a problem I’ve had with other Blake Crouch books). This family was also way too trusting. They literally stopped for every person they saw and trusted them when they said they were good. I was begging them to have some common sense.

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

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Holy wow! This was my first book by author Blake Crouch and to say I'm now a fan is an understatement! Run started with action from page one. I was honestly surprised by the twists and turns that just kept coming. If you liked the Purge movies, you'll love Run by Blake Crouch!