RUN!!!!!!!

The positive attribute of this novel is it is compulsively readable and hard to put down. One would think that is high praise, and it is praise, but at the end of the day the novel is a bit unsatisfying.

First, the premise is in much of the southern United States people go suddenly crazy and get violent and start killing people. Mutilating them. It's bad, really, really bad. And seems to have been done in similar ways in other novels.
Second, you have a suburban family with a husband, estranged wife, a teen daughter and pre-teen boy RUNNING for their lives. The superhuman things they must do to escape across the Western United States and avoid the killing spree is a bit unbelievable. But it is wild and entertaining, kind of.

They find out through the grapevine that Canada seems unaffected and that is where they head to, while trying to avoid being caught in the maw of the nasty people effected by whatever is causing people to go crazy.

The theory of the event that made people go crazy was SUPER fortunate for a reissue of the novel because it just so happens that the southern US experienced the event in this book in 2024 before it's re-release. This is speculative fiction, and no spoiler here so I won't say what it is just a good hint, but I thought the theory was ehhhh, not believable.

Overall, a fast paced read but kind of unfulfilling. Kind of like indulging in a bag of potato chips, fun for a few minutes but empty calories.

Run is an early novel by Blake Crouch, getting an updated re-release in October 2024. Run is a propulsive action/horror speed run of a novel, starting with a terrifying premise - a husband and wife in a collapsing marriage take to the road to save their children as gangs of regular people begin killing their neighbors based on a list of name read over the radio - and turning it into a story of survival, perseverance, and what it means to truly love someone. Crouch also deals with wat may be the cause of the violence but doesn't make it the main part of the story, which is wise, as why this is happening is somewhat unimportant to the narrative. The important parts are the couple, their children, and their race across the American West to outrun the violence exploding around them. It's a fast read, and shows Crouch coming into his own as an author. Recommended for fans of his previous work, as well as survival horror fans. Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC.

Take the vibe from Into The Wild and transplant it into an apocalyptic world of violence and mayhem, and you have Run. I enjoyed this one; it was overall a slow burn, but with just enough thrills and violence dispersed throughout. This book was at times very emotional, atmospheric, and almost poetic; while at other times, it read more like notes jotted down by someone on the run. It took me some time to get used to the latter writing style as well as the juxtaposition of the two styles, but once I did, I really enjoyed the way it was written. There were times when I wanted to shake the characters for the decisions they made, but I always say that I think this is to an extent essential in a thriller. I did feel that the transition into the resolution could have been more developed, but I also understood the sort of ending that the author was going for, which I did appreciate. Overall, very well written with good character development --an enjoyable read.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this opportunity.

I am a huge fan of Blake Crouch and have loved other books he has written, but I could not get into this book and ended up not finishing it. I usually love dystopian novels but this one just wasn't clicking for me.

This is a newly published backlist title of Blake Crouch's and as a big fan of his, I was pleased that this book still felt like his writing. As I would expect, it's an excellent thriller - fast paced and unputdownable. I finished it in probably fewer than 24 hours and would probably have read it all in one sitting if I could have.

Once again, Blake crouch manages to deliver a really touching love story in the midst of a heart-pounding suspenseful story. I raced through the whole thing and was brought to tears a few times by the story. Crouch is one of my favorite thriller authors because of the way that instead of making a story high stakes by making it about the end the world, he writes about the end of the world and makes it high stakes by making it about a family.

This does feel like an earlier story from Crouch - it did not have the well-researched science that I've come to expect from him, but it does still deliver when it comes to the feeling of reality that his books always have to me. It was a really solid read, and although it is probably my least favorite of the titles of his that I've read, I still give it a solid 4 stars.

This book seemed like a gigantic step back for Blake Crouch until I realized it was his first published novel, from back before he had massive success and critical acclaim with Wayward Pines and other books. So it makes sense to me now why it was so basic. I finished it very quickly, so it was very readable, but going in knowing that it is his older work will make it more enjoyable for other readers.

Not as multilayered as Crouch’s other books, but this was a mostly fun & quick read. The plot jumped around too much for me to really get invested in the story, and I felt like there was something overall lacking in the character development. Concept-wise, this was incredible; the overall execution just wasn’t quite where it needed to be. It was cool to look back on an earlier book of his and see just how far he’s come in terms of storytelling.

Spoiler alert! This book is being republished and is one of Crouch’s early works. Much like any of the greats, you gotta start somewhere and this is definitely one of those books. I love Blake Crouch: Dark Matter was my first foray into sci-fi that I actually enjoyed, and I quickly read his succeeding novels. Run is disappointing, in the way people love the Goldfinch but not The Secret History. It is a junior novel, full of heart racing drama, but little to no backstory. Honestly, this didn’t keep me from pulling an all-nighter to finish, but it wasn’t the best thing he’s ever written. If you like Crouch, and you want to pretend that we live in a dystopian society (oh, wait….) then pick it up!

Thank you to @randomhouse, @netgalley and @blakecrouch1 for an ARC!

Oh my God. I'm absolutely ruined. This book was PHENOMENAL! I've seen such mixed reviews about this book, but I feel like it really comes down to the type of person you are. This book touched on ALL of my real life fears and had me so emotional through every single page. My heart was racing from the first chapter to the last and I found myself laying in bed at night unable to sleep because my mind was on overdrive! I literally could not sleep.

I don't think I'll be able to read for awhile because this book has me in such a chokehold, I really need to reflect and just soak in the aftermath before I replace every feeling I have with another book. I will tell everyone I know to read this, and read it now.

This was originally published in 2011 and is being reprinted in the fall and I am begging you to get your hands on a copy and READ IT.

Infinity stars for this book. Thank you so much @blakecrouch1 for writing this and putting it in my hands. 🙌

Ok, I am going to mention something that the blurb doesn't mention: this is Blake Crouch's first book. He wrote this before he wrote the other best sellers you might have read.

Here's why this matters: While it has some things in common, in a lot of ways, it's a completely different style than his books. First of all, it has little to no science in it. It's not really futuristic (in my opinion) even though there are several elements that could be construed as futuristic also it has very little plot. Basically the whole story is about running away and trying to get to the border. A lot of stuff happens but the plot itself is basically that.

The why and what are thin in this story. It's much more action and gory/horror action for the most part. Which is also more uncharacteristic of his later novels. At least not this much. At some point I was overwhelmed with the amount of gore and violence especially since it feels senseless and there's nothing grounding the reader to the why.

The one thing that's most consistent with his current style is the adrenaline rush you feel as you read the story. It's nonstop adrenaline. In this case it's full of violence and gore and horror but the pacing is so on par with his usual style.

It's hard to say i loved this because it is so disturbing and so violent. And in some ways unsatisfying. But it's also not easy to put down.

with gratitude to netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Literally over 300 pages of nothing actually being explained as to why it all happened or how it was resolved. Lazy plot work. This is a generous three star.

I was sweating reading this whole book. After Dark Matter, Blake Crouch could never write a book I don’t enjoy. This book was no different, but was so dark.

This book revolves around a family who is running away from an apocalypse that causes people to murder those around them. The family is trying to outrun the evils that be.

The writing in this book was amazing, and although there are so few characters, the book never felt dull to me. I will definitely be recommending this book.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or pain.”
Revelations 21:4

When I received the ARC of Blake Crouch’s Run I didn’t realize that it is a republication of a book Crouch set-published in 2011. Upon learning that, I came to Goodreads to check out its reviews. I was discouraged to read some less than stellar reviews. Well, I’m glad I decided to read and decide for myself. Four stars from me!
Run follows the typical format of a post-apocolyptical, the sky is falling, fright novel. One man, Jack Colclough, struggles to save his family from unthinkable acts of violence committed by people affected by viewing an unusual aurora borealis.
Jack and his family face nearly insurmountable odds as they race from their home in Albuquerque to hoped for safety in Canada. The trials they face along the way will shock you and keep you flipping pages, anxious to learn the outcome of their escape.
I offer just one caution: some very gruesome stuff goes down in this book! You’ve been warned!
My thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and the author in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

I had fun with this book. It was a perfect fast paced thriller. That being said it didn’t do anything new for me that makes it crazy memorable. But I would still recommend it for people depending on what they were looking for!

When I requested this book to read in advance of release, I had just finished Dark Matter and was so excited by the idea of reading another Blake Crouch novel. What a disappointment to discover this is a re-release of an older novel without any updates from this brilliant author. I am not someone who reads horror and so I was so put off by the extreme amount of violence. I could not finish. So sad that this was not up to this authors usual writing standards.

This was my second Blake Crouch book and it was great! Very entertaining from start to finish. My husband even read this one too and thoroughly enjoyed it! We will be purchasing a copy for our library when it comes out!! With the way the world is right now, it kinda makes you think! Great book, thanks to netgalley for the ARC!

Jack and Dee are an unhappily married couple with two children. They've been having problems for a while now and as their marriage splutters out, the world around them erupts into chaos. The US is tearing itself apart and nobody knows why. All of a sudden a large portion of the population just went feral- parents killing children, husbands killing wives, mass shootings, home invasions- all getting progressively violent until all the power in the country goes out. So Jack throws himself and his family in the car and they run for their lives. With no phones or technology to aid them it's a fight for survival as US civilization crumbles. They have to find somewhere safe for their family, but navigating highways full of convoys of rageful and brutally violent people make travelling in the usual way impossible. As they try to make it all the way from New Mexico to Canada, the trials this family faces pushes everyone to their limits, and Jack and Dee find new life starting to grow in their relationship as the adrenaline fueled journey goes on. This thrilling story is darkly compelling and readers will find it as hard to put down as it is grisly and violent. Crouch writes a very real feeling cast of characters that make this emotional journey worthwhile right to the end.

Run is a story about a family of four going on the run after Jack(the dads) name was announced over an Emergency broadcast system to be killed. His only chance of survival for his family and him is to RUN. An epidemic of rage has begun, power has gone out, and killers are mobile and taking over the country. We follow the family along their journey of survival and see the lengths they will go to in order to save themselves and their loved ones. However, what happens when one of their own is affected??

This story was a very easy and quick read, a gripping apocalyptic thriller, that was sometimes disturbing. Each chapter was filled with intense and sometimes difficult to read action. This story focuses on the strength and courage of our characters, and the persistence to overcome. However, as someone who loves Blake crouch and enjoys his other books, I would have to say this one is my least favorite. There were parts of the story that didn't mesh well together and after reading the whole book did not make sense. Also the story started to feel repetitive after time, for instance run, seek shelter, food and water, survive, killers come, run, seek shelter, food and water, survive, killers come and repeat. This repetitive story made the storyline become predictable, which I found boring the further I got along.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for early access to an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Net Galley Arc Review.

Very riveting. I felt genuine fear. I went into this book not knowing anything about it and became hooked from the first page. This was my first Blake Crouch novel. It won't be my last. I felt a sense of impending doom the entire time while reading, "Run." Time flew through this novel. Jack and his families' fight for survival was so tangible. It felt like I was right there running with them. At first, I was unsure about the story's direction as the climax drew nearer. In the end, I was not only satisfied with the conclusion, but the way Blake Crouch chose to address my unanswered questions, 4 stars.

Blake Crouch's latest novel, "Run," is an adrenaline-pumping, heart-pounding thriller that had me hooked from the first page to the last. Known for his mastery in the sci-fi thriller genre, Crouch delivers once again with a story that is as gripping as it is thought-provoking.

The plot centers around Jack, Dee, and their two children who are thrust into a terrifying situation when a select group of individuals across the United States begins a murderous rampage. The urgency and danger escalate as the family is forced to flee their home, embarking on a harrowing journey for survival. Crouch vividly portrays their struggle, capturing the raw emotions and intense desperation as they traverse mountains, scavenge for food, and confront the ruthless killers hot on their trail.

What sets "Run" apart is Crouch's ability to make the reader ponder their own survival instincts. As I followed Jack and Dee's relentless fight for their lives, I couldn't help but think about the lengths I would go to protect my loved ones in a similar scenario. The story's pacing is relentless, making it nearly impossible to put the book down as I anxiously awaited each new twist and turn, eager to find out who would survive.

However, while the book is undeniably thrilling, there were moments when the narrative felt somewhat repetitive. Despite this minor drawback, the intensity and suspense never wavered, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout.

"Run" is a testament to Blake Crouch's prowess as a storyteller. It's a chilling, thought-provoking adventure that challenges both its characters and its readers. If you're a fan of high-stakes survival tales and enjoy pondering the darker aspects of human nature, this book is a must-read.