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.

The country is impacted by an epidemic of rage, power outages, and violence. Jack and his family are on the run, as his name has been announced over the Emergency Broadcast System as a target. The story follows the family’s attempts to find safety in this strange new world.

I’m a big Blake Crouch fan and was so excited to read this one. It was reminiscent of his other works and unfortunately didn’t feel unique. However, I always love the writing style, pace, and action that Crouch packs into his novels.

This book is important to Blake Crouch. A book of firsts he calls it. The first book he was able to self publish and the very book that put him on the map to enable his career in writing. I’m so happy that this re-release enticed me to read this.

What a fast-paced and addicting novel! I couldn’t put it down. The plot is devastatingly apocalyptic and reminiscent of The Purge.

A family on the brink of tearing apart at the seams is put to the test. People throughout the US have started brutally killing each other and groups set out to burn down every city, leaving no souls behind. They hit the road and RUN. No one can be trusted.

This is a story of heart break, rekindled love, family, and growth.

I’ve read some of Blake Crouch’s more recent work, so reading this in his earlier style is interesting. A couple things I noticed-

There are no chapters- just breaks. I honestly didn’t mind this and I feel like it went well with the story and how those characters felt at the time. Living in one long, never-ending nightmare.

A lot of sentences started with verbs. Sometimes it was weird enough that I would pause, but otherwise maybe just a quirky way to write.

That ending though- heart wrenching perfection. 4 stars.

A great thank you goes out to Blake Crouch, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wild, fun ride. Not a ton of exposition, which actually worked well. Read it in a day, felt like I was on the run right along with them,

Read an e-arc of this novel

I’m finding it hard to write a review for a book that is 14 years old and was originally self-published by the author. I am a fan of Crouch’s work and have loved several of his more recent novels. He knows how to write a propulsive story that can keep me turning the pages. Does this compare and is it worth reading? I found I could see the early seeds of Crouch’s later writing. The novel does show its age a little and was light on plot with heavy dose of thrills and way too many machine guns and close escapes to be in any way believable.

It is a family driven high action thriller with only scant information on why this family is being hunted and why the world has turned into a high stakes survival game for this family of four. There is a hint of infidelity in the marriage during the first pages but has little to do with the story presented. There are husband and wife and two children. None of the characters are fleshed out much and I had little engagement with them. It was hard to care about them as people. They seemed to have an abnormal ability to escape bullets and live for long periods without food or water. It was the action that was always front and center. Slowly the story revealed the reason for all the mayhem as the family learned it but it was one more less than believable facet of this story.

I wanted to like it more than I did. I am not a thriller reader but I did find it good for that type of story. If you like thrillers, especially one with many close escapes in which no one can be trusted this maybe a book you would like. I enjoyed it most for seeing how a writer develops and grows in his craft and how this book was just beginning to scratch the surface of great stories to come.

Boy did this book make me anxious. Seriously, edge of my seat anxious at times. So if anxiety-provoking storylines are not your thing, maybe steer clear of this one. But if you enjoy writing that makes you feel, even if it isn't exactly pleasant, scoop this baby up.

No spoilers to ruin anything for other readers beyond there is an event that causes people to change and this forces the family to go on the run to save themselves, kind of like a zombie-apocalypse story but without any zombies. The only point of confusion for me wasn't in the book, but rather why it was an ARC if it had been first published in 2011.

Down the rabbit hole I went. Turns out this was the author's first self-published book after leaving traditional publishing. He left traditional publishing due to the mediocre sales and reception of his books at that time.

Self-publishing was the right move and he hit pay-dirt with his Wayward Pines series. After finding this success he returned to traditional publishing for Dark Matter and the books that followed. Luckily for those of us who didn't have the author on their radar back then, Run is now being reissued by traditional publishing.

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely could not put this down, stayed up all night to finish it. It’s been 14 years since I have done that. Riveting, fascinating, not unfamiliar premise. I love that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility, which also terrifies me. Would absolutely love to see this turned into a feature film.

A book hasn’t given me this much anxiety since “Intensity” by Dean Koontz. It was so well written and fast paced and so many emotions. It was thrilling to the point I had to set it down but then so good down I had to pick it right back up.

If you have ever thought about reading a Blake crouch book do it !! I urge you to pick one or 4 up from your local book store full of mystery suspense twists and turns around every corner something me an my husband read this together on my kindle because o told him about the first page an he begged me this books is amazing

I have to admit, I’m a fan of Blake Crouch’s latest tech/science-based books. I wish I’d known that this was an earlier work of his (per the copyright page, this was written in 2011) because this was not quite up to what I’ve expected from Mr. Crouch's books. The idea is there - a family of four try to survive complete and total chaos after an event that turns the contiguous US on its head. The writing wasn’t as sharp as Crouch’s later books - though the idea was a solid concept. While it’s understandable that one needs to find the basic things (food, water, shelter, safety) and avoiding “bad guys” during post-apocalyptic times, it became very repetitive. Additionally, I didn’t really care for one of the family members and felt meh about two others. While there were chapters explaining the event that happened, it never felt fully explained in the “why.” And the ending … so many questions … If you like post-apocalyptic survival stories, this might be one you’d enjoy. I’m rather on the fence about them, and while I’m okay with suspending some reality belief, this one I had difficultly in doing that and still believing it.

Here’s my confession…

Give me a post apocalyptic, survival story any time, and I will read it.

“Run” follows 4 different families as they try to survive after an unexplained nighttime light show. After which, many people are turned into raging killers. So, the world is different, and Hell has come calling. These families must struggle to keep clear of those killers, find food, water, shelter, and safety. Lather, rinse, repeat. Throw, some violent and vicious scenes that aren’t easily forgotten, and there you have it.

The novel was too repetitive and became cumbersome and tiring.

The last half dozen chapters tried to give a reason for the lights, however, never stick the landing. The ending was not fleshed out, and left too many unanswered questions.

I’m a Blake Crouch fan, but was disappointed here.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.