Ok this is not my *favorite* Blake Crouch - I have to save that spot for Dark Matter, but that being said, Crouch definitely knows how to mess with your head and make you think. I was excited for an apocalyptic story, something that is normally out of my wheelhouse but, with Crouch writing I knew this was my chance to give it a shot.

Let’s say, I won’t be eager to pick up another apocalypse book after this one. I know Crouch is talented, so maybe it is just that the theme here really can’t work for me. But the plot was hard for me to believe/care about, the characters were a bit 2 dimensional and maybe my expectations are set too high but for some reason the writing in this book simply wasn’t it.

With that being said though… I was at the edge of my seat and did keep flipping pages - I didn’t want to DNF but I also wasn’t fully invested like I would be if I felt more connected to the characters? So plot and attention grab? All the stars. Writing and characters? Not so much.

I may be in the minority here and this will not keep me from reading Crouch in the future - he’s got the ideas, this one just needed a bit more follow through in my opinion.

As a fan of Blake Crouch's three most recent books, particularly Dark Matter, I was excited to receive an advance reader's copy of his apocalyptic thriller, Run.

An atmospheric phenomenon in the sky causes changes in people who view it. The changes in this segment of society are not good; let's just say, they are evil. Jack and his family are one of many individuals and families trying to run from those affected by the phenomenon, who attempt to kill everyone in their path by whatever means necessary. Word reaches Jack of a rescue camp in Canada. As he tries to protect his family in their attempts to get there, he and his wife, Dee, use their wits and instincts and learn survival skills to dodge groups of killers along the way.

I have a few minor issues, one being the fragmented sentences as the story goes on, which I found disconcerting. There is a bit of a believability factor, as well. But that should not stop anyone from devouring this exciting book, which is one thrill ride after another. Highly recommended!

This review will be posted on my goodreads account closer to the date of the books release. I plan to post the review on October 15, 2024. I added a link to my goodreads account below.

4.5 ⭐️

Blake Crouch has done it again! He is easily becoming one of my auto-buy authors. This book is unlike any other I've read. I loved that the 'outbreak' was not a virus or biological agent that was obvious to everyone, but rather something internal that gave the infected an all-encompassing hatred towards the uninfected. This really made the 'villians' more terrifying n my opinion. This book had incredible pacing and kept me hooked the entire way. I will definitely be recommending to family and friends.

Super interesting and thrilling read. Definitely a standard Blake Crouch book but that isn't really a bad thing. If you like his other books you will definitely like this one.

Blake Crouch is a master of his craft. The way he writes characters, settings and most importantly, stories, is done in a way that sets him apart from other authors. And Run is no different.

This story follows the Colclough family who are faced with a choice: run or die. Something has caused the people of The United States to go on murderous rampages for no apparent reason. Dee, Jack and their children, Naomi and Cole must fight to stay alive in this tense and gripping novel.

I’m no stranger to Blake’s work. Whenever I’m asked to share a favorite author he is always the first to come to mind. So when I saw this title I was worried I missed a new work of his. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out this was originally a self-published title that is now getting a formal publication! Run was truly a unique experience. The writing style alone provided tense, sharp and jarring feelings as I was reading about a family fighting to survive. I will never stop singing the praises of Blake’s work. This is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blake Crouch and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a large number of people in America and northern Mexico start viciously killing their family, friends, and neighbors. These people are affected by a mysterious urge to murder anyone who isn’t “like them.” Jack and Dee Colclough, along with their children Naomi and Cole, are targeted and go on the run to survive.

What follows is a tale of both the best and worst of humanity in its various forms. The Colclough family struggles to make it from one day to the next as they head north towards Canada. The things they see along the way are apocalyptic and horrifying for them and the reader.

Blake Crouch is one of my go-to authors, but Run is my least favorite of his works so far (this is a rerelease, originally published in 2011). The gore was quite descriptive, but the backstory was really lacking, and I felt that did a disservice to what could have been a five star book. The explanation for why certain people started killing others was not given any detail, the groups of people out on the hunt were very much background characters, and it became almost comical how many dire situations the Colclough’s were able to escape. This would have been a two star read for sure if it wasn’t by one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blake Crouch, and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Solid page turner! I believe this is my first Crouch book, but it will not be my last!

Loved the concept of this book, reminded me of the Night of the Living Dead. You just could not imagine what they would run into next!

Im a fan of Blake Crouch in general, and this book was no different. Unique science fiction concept, quick read and kept me engaged throughout. Can’t wait until he writes another new novel!

Reminiscent of
- Alex Garland's "Civil War" for the fractured mirror it holds up to American society
- Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" for depicting that place in the mind beyond depravity
- Naughty Dog's "The Last of Us" for the kernel of humanity amid scenes of relentless gore
but unfortunately not as compelling as any of them.

The book suffers from a meandering plot, and the inciting event is so intent on symbolism that it lacks the substance to support the weight of the book.
But the thing that bothered me most was the immature ethics of the authorial voice. By the middle of the book, it was almost funny. What was this book even about?

Was it posing uncomfortable questions about the thin and flammable fabric of society? Was it a whispered condemnation of radical religion? Or was it a regressive male power fantasy about the need for (jazz hands) Manly Men who Shoot People With Guns and can Field Strip a Deer?

I understand the generic conventions of a zombie book. People are going to get shot. The land is going to be lived off. But those things can happen with or without the POV character waxing poetic about feeling like a real man for the first time or finding his true purpose because he killed someone to protect his kids. And they can *definitely* happen without his wife, in advanced stages of starvation, wondering what she'd look like in a bikini. In this case, the author chose "with." And it was weird as hell.

At least it wasn't boring. Three stars freely given because it kicked me out of a reading slump.

This was a short book and awfully terrifying. The depictions are gruesome and it will 100% have you on the edge of your seat. It had some twists and turns but also a lot of repetition. I kind of wanted an even bigger twist towards the end. Maybe I will try his other novels.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the preview copy of Run.

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.