An exhilarating ride filled with action! I love apocalyptic thrillers, so I was thrilled to read this book. "Run" by Blake Crouch is a fast-paced, dark Doomsday novel and a republication of an earlier work from 2011.

The book follows a family on the run after an epidemic of rage turns the affected people into vicious murderers who kill all those who weren't affected. Jack Colclough, a professor of philosophy, his estranged wife Dee, and their two children have to run for their lives after hearing on the radio that people are coming to kill them for some reason or another.

The epidemic has affected a large portion of the US and Mexico, leaving nowhere safe. Additionally, the power has gone out, so there is no electricity, no internet, and no cell phones. Combined with the killing rampage, the picture is dark indeed. Their harrowing journey leads them through burned cities, mass murders, and other horrific acts of violence as they search for a safe place to take shelter. What follows is one hell of a ride.

The story is told from the third-person points of view of Jack and Dee, and it plays out against a vast, unforgiving landscape. I love a good survival story, and this book certainly met my expectations. I loved the concept, even though it is not entirely original, and enjoyed the book very much. I have to say that I found the wife a bit irritating at first with her complaints every time Jack wanted to refuel the car. There were some repetitious sequences (running, fighting, finding bodies), but there was enough tension to keep the story going. There are some graphic scenes that some may find disturbing. The reality can be even more stark, though.

This is an action-packed tale that kept me turning the pages as I sat on the edge of my seat. It would make a great movie. It may be a "popcorn" read, but sometimes popcorn is just what the doctor ordered. The pace of the book is intense and pulls you from one action-packed event to the next without letting up. This keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what could happen next to our main characters.

Overall, "Run" by Blake Crouch is an intense and thrilling apocalyptic ride that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Despite some repetitive elements and graphic scenes, it’s a gripping survival story that fans of action-packed, suspenseful thrillers will enjoy. If you’re looking for a fast-paced read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this book is a great choice. I highly recommend "Run" to fans of apocalyptic thrillers, fast-paced narratives, and survival stories. If you don't mind a bit of violent action, then this is totally for you.

Did much of the story feel unrealistic? Yes. Was I still on the edge of my seat the entire time? Yes! What a freaking adrenaline rush of a story!!!

This is a fast paced, fun ride thriller! It feels very in line with a fun weekend read or a beach read. I really enjoyed the story and following the family closely, the writing is easy to follow and not overly descriptive or meandering.

I feel that the book accomplished to be an entertaining thriller, which is what I expected from this storyline/plot. I don't think it is as memorable as some of Crouch's other novels but I could easily see the transition into a tv series or movie which is what I've come to expect from the author.

This story is not one that will "stay with me" and that's okay! I would recommend this to fans of Riley Sager - and I hope that Crouch continues to deliver fun, fast paced thrillers. It would be great to continue seeing competition in that space. I think for an October release near Halloween this is an excellent story that will give readers that spooky fun feel they are looking for!

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

3.5 rounded up. Jack, his wife who is having an affair, Dee, and his daughter and son set off from Albuquerque as the U.S. starts to fall apart. Something has happened and several people are suddenly overcome with rage that compels them to turn on others on violent ways.

The novel is certainly thrilling in a bit of a speculative way. You are closely following Jack and his family through an intense nightmare of a violent journey. It's a fast ride, though I'm not sure it has the staying power of the author's other novels. This is a republication of a early novel published in 2011.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an ARC on NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This book is due to be published 10/22/24.

Wow! This one was like watching a train wreck and you can’t tear your eyes away. Disturbing imagery but fell in love with the main characters.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy of Blake Crouch's - Run. My review link is below. I 100% enjoyed this book from cover to cover. It sent me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions all the way to the end. Blake never disappoints!

Wow, what an adrenaline rush! The book begins with a dig into a burial pit of over a hundred massacred people. Then you step back in time and learn what led to this. You are dropped into the life of a family in Albuquerque, NM who are running for their lives and as unprepared as any of us would be. For some reason, connected to a special aurora, people have gone on killing sprees and the violence is escalating. It seems to be impacting the US where the lights were seen. The family can trust no one they come across and are heading north to Canada, which they heard was safe.It is one wild ride, fighting crazy people, dehydration, hunger, and exhaustion. This may be an early book, but it is intense!
Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

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

"Run" by Blake Crouch is a heart-pounding thriller that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. The story centers on the Colclough family, who find themselves fleeing across the country when a mysterious and violent event turns ordinary people into relentless killers.

Crouch's writing is fast-paced and gripping, with a relentless sense of urgency that mirrors the family's desperate escape. The characters are well-developed, particularly Jack Colclough, whose determination to protect his family drives the narrative. The suspense is palpable, with each chapter raising the stakes and drawing readers deeper into the terrifying ordeal.

The plot is tightly woven, filled with twists and turns that keep readers guessing about the true nature of the threat and the fate of the characters. Crouch expertly balances action with moments of emotional depth, exploring themes of survival, humanity, and the lengths one will go to for loved ones.

Overall, "Run" is an exhilarating and intense read that will appeal to fans of dystopian thrillers and fast-paced action. Blake Crouch delivers a compelling and chilling story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

I've loved everything I've read from Blake Crouch so far, so I was ecstatic to be provided the opportunity to read it in advance in exchange for my honest review, thanks to Netgalley.

This is a rerelease of one of Crouch's first books, and it does lack some of the polish that make up some of his more recent titles. The book has that signature pacing that keeps you flipping the page to see what happens next, and it excels at building suspense and making you feel like you're on the run right alongside the main characters.

The book suffers in Act III, where the plot becomes a bit listless in its direction. I felt that it leaned a lot into coincidences and convenient timing across multiple scenarios that detracted from the realist survivalism that preceded.

I did not enjoy this book at all. I felt like by the end I was just so happy to be done with it but so disappointed that it really had no point. I kept expecting some big moment and it never happened.

That being said, this book is SO DIFFERENT from his other novels. The reason I was so excited to read this is because I loved his other books. So I would suggest reading his other books because he is in fact an amazing author.

Thanks to the publisher for early access to this book. A deeply satisfying thriller from the master of techno-thrillers. This book is eerily relevant to the environment in the US.

Run by Blake Crouch was non stop action from start to finish. Right away you're thrown into an apocalyptic world that follows a family of four that is on the run to survive. This was so entertaining to read and I finished the book in a day! I just couldn't put this down. I needed to know if our characters would survive. Every chapter was a cliffhanger and I found myself turning page after page until the end.

The world has gone mad in this book. People are doing horrific things and the violence was disturbing. Some passages were just brutal for me to read.

Is this story unique? Not really but its a wild ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat with your heart pounding. I was completely stressed reading this book and I l enjoyed every minute.

Thank you Random House Publishing and Netgalley for this eArc!

I had read two books by Blake Crouch before reading this book and thoroughly enjoyed them so I was so excited when I got to read this republishing. I was hooked from the first 30 pages. I liked that there wasn’t a big lead up to the action, it started right away. I was immediately attached to the characters and could feel their emotions. I think the author did a great job of capturing the panic, helplessness, and anger that the characters were feeling. The format that it was written in was really interesting and kept my attention. I’ve never read a book written like that before but I really liked it for this. The conflict at the halfway point had me s a t 🪑. I couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened. The ending had me so on edge. I flew through the last fifty or so pages. Not what I expected but a fantastic read!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review!!

Thank you to Blake Crouch, Random House - Ballantine, and Net Galley for providing an e-ARC of this novel, which is going to be traditionally published in paperback in this October 2024.

Typical to other books by Blake Crouch, this story grabbed me from the first few pages. This dystopian thriller is most horrifying because it seems entirely plausible, more so now than over a decade ago when Crouch first self-published this story.

The story is entirely character driven, and you find yourself feeling anxious, angry, terrified, and emotionally exhausted along with each of the characters as they struggle for survival following a sudden mass-murder event (think The Purge on steroids).

The only thing that was missing for me, which would have driven this to a 5 🌟 read, was a little more depth to the plot - the why and how of it all. That being said, speculative fiction doesn’t always have to lay out all the facts to be entertaining, and I couldn’t put this book down for a moment.

Somehow more poignant and relevant than it was 13 years ago, Run is an excellent example of Crouch’s body of work and a must read for fans of dystopian fiction.

A thrilling rendition of a somewhat apocalyptic event that kept me coming back for more regardless of asking, "how" and "why". Based on the description of this book I knew I would enjoy it. Crouch does a fantastic job of grabbing your attention and continues the story at decent pace. I found myself invested in the development of Jack and Dee's family and their relationship as a couple. There were occasions that my logical side started to win out...questioning how and why your "average Joe" would be able to outrun the "affected", but I was still able to enjoy the story overall. While the story does seem to be missing momentum at times, I mean... A family is running from people trying to kill them and can only do so much in the wilderness, Crouch does a great job at keeping your attention and giving enough information that kept me wanting more. I would give this 3.75/5 stars, but rounding up to 4.

This is my first book by Blake Crouch and did not know what to expect. I was about 5 pages in and knew immediately I was going to love it. I love a book that can pull me in within the first chapter and that's exactly what "Run" did. The book is about Jack and his family trying to escape the people who witnessed the light. Neighbors, friends, and family start killing and seeking out people who did not see the light. It follows their journey and all they have to go through to survive. The only thing I would change is to know more about how the people were infected and why they were infected. Also, I would have liked to get the infected point of view as well after the committed all of these unspeakable acts. Other than that I couldn't have asked for a better story, It kept me interested and I was on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last one. I cant wait to try some more of Blake Crouch's books. After this one I am definitely a fan and Im dying to read more of his books.

That was rough to get through. I had such high hopes too! I'm such a sucker for dystopian books, but I slogged to finish this.

The only way I can describe it is I felt like I was reading. Like nothing about this book created a world in my mind. The conversations were so flat and I had such a hard time with the writing style for some reason.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy.

What a compelling and terrifying read! Written in Crouch's propulsive style, Run is unputdownable. Something happens that seemingly half the country is hunting down the other to brutally murder the other half. Jack and his family are in their home in Albuquerque when they hear his name on the radio, marking him next for torture and murder. He and his family jump into their car and start driving to get away from roving bands of affected people. Along the way, they see unimaginable things and the reader pieces things together along with the characters. This was a very good read although I wanted to know more about the cosmic events before and the consequences of after.

Such a fun read! Blake Crouch writes pure mysterious thriller vibes with this one. If you loved Upgrade or Lost Pines, I highly recommend this one. He’s such a unique writer in the field of literature.

Many thanks to Blake Crouch, Random House - Ballantine, and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel, which is going to be re-issued in paperback in the fall.

This apocalyptic story of a family on the run, trying to survive in sudden, catastrophic circumstances, was dark and difficult to read — and by that I mean, dark and difficult in the manner of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Not for everyone, for sure, but I could not put it down.

This will be a great, quick read for fans of Blake Crouch and of apocalyptic/dystopian fiction.