A bit too brutal with the amount of violence. Very hard to get through in spots. I would recommend more about the event, death tolls, cities affected, global response etc...

Jack and Dee are suddenly on the run with their two children, fourteen year old Naomi and seven year old Cole, after a celestial event affects a large portion of the United States. They hear that there is refuge to be found across the Canadian border, if only they can make it there safely from their home in New Mexico.

This was a heart-pounding thriller with peril on every page. For as fast paced as this book was, the characters had a surprising amount of depth. It was a fun read and it definitely entertained.

All that said, I do have some complaints about plot holes, some of which contain spoilers so skip if you’d like.

SPOILERS AHEAD


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This was a celestial even that was likened to an aurora borealis, which would have been more likely to affect Canada and the upper portion of the US, but this instead affected the lower 48 - why? This was never explained.

They started out from New Mexico, why not head south instead of the north? Maybe I missed if they said Mexico was affected but they just mentioned “the lower 48” several times. Also none of the rest of the world was affected but no one else came to the US’s aid?

What actually happened to the affected? Did it alter their brain chemistry? Why did it last 30 days? These questions were never answered.

Why were radio stations reading names? How did they know they were unaffected? Why the university professors? This was never brought up again.

Blake Crouch writes a dark and mesmerizingly horrifying scenario with real gravitas that cuts to the bone with its chilling narrative and its emotional arc.


Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

Review: From the onset this novel follows a family as they escape, er crazy people and it goes like this....."Oh shjt they are trying to kill us!" then a miraculous save and RUN AWAY!!!! They always find peace and respite not to mention convenient gas depots and places to stay. Rinse and repeat this sequence about 70 times and tag, yur it.

Dee was written as an asshat who makes it clear she is fucking another guy, so that is ok. When he tells her that he had a short affair (vs her open and long winded one) she has a tantrum and cries all day. But not without first telling him that he needs to man-up. Huh? There are a few instances where she was better left getting chewed on by coyotes. BUT, somehow through their trials of surviving multiple attacks with two kids in tow (riiiight) they find love again under da sheets.

Despite some character flaws, this was an ok read. I hung in there as the instances that constantly repeat are under different circumstances and settings. Yeah, Dee is tiring with her Super Slut persona, but who wouldn't be, when crazy people that seem normal just want to kill you because they must. Not the best apoc novel I have read as reality dictates a grim outcome for 2 kids and city bred parents. If you want some light entertainment, then this is for you.

p.s. The idea that a POS modern Land Rover could even make it 30 miles overland is stretching the imagination. This hunk of shjt made by TATA survives bullet holes, mountain passes, extreme 4x4 country and 110 mph chases while running over harley bikers. Too funny.

3.0/5

I was so excited to get this galley from Netgalley because Blake Crouch is one of my favorite authors! I love books where the characters are running and hiding and trying to survive. I also love an apocalyptic novel. This one has it all. A few days before the novel opens, an event has happened and since then things have gotten steadily worse in the world. Now they are calling out names over the radio of people who must be killed and now Jacks name is on the list, so he and his family decide to run. Run captured me from the first page and it was hard to put down til the very end! My only qualms with this one is the slight abrupt ending and the way things wrapped up ( or didn’t?). #netgalley #netgalleyreview #run #blakecrouch

I'm so bummed this wasn't a new book by BC but an old one that's republished. I loved Dark Matter and Recursion so I figured I'd like this one too but this was not the same at all. I gave it a shot anyway but it was not for me.

I do think others who like the following will enjoy it though:
-Fast-paced
-Post-apocalyptic
-Thriller/horror

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books, and Blake Crouch for the ARC of this republished title.

3.5. This was my first Blake Crouch and I enjoyed it! This was a solid read, that kept me on the edge of my seat. I'm now eager to read more Crouch.

Run exceeded all my expectations, showcasing Blake Crouch at his finest. As an avid reader of Crouch’s works, I appreciate how he consistently maintains his distinct writing style while infusing each book with its own unique flair.

This gripping sci-fi thriller follows a family of four in the aftermath of a bizarre event that triggers widespread chaos, including mass murders and violent confrontations.

The plot is straightforward yet compelling, and the well-developed main characters are easy to connect with, enhancing the overall experience.

Thank you Blake Crouch, NetGalley, and Ballantine Books for this ARC.

Starting off with this was honestly not what I expected. I loved Recursion and a few others so I jumped into this one without reading the blurb. I enjoyed it, while it was quite like a couple other books i’ve read, it was fast paced and enjoyable. I can’t wait to read more!

Excellent story that grabs you right from the beginning. It was such a heart pounding, page turning thriller, that I couldn’t finish it. It gave me too much anxiety. It’s that good.

This was great from the start. I liked how there was no build up, that we just get thrown into this action pack adventure. This is your usual family adventure except humans have witnessed a natural event that has made them feral. I liked how this author writes the relationship between characters and essential life skills. He seems mindful of knowing the limitations of this skills and his characters.. I loved how it never dragged, while it was a simple concept that has been done plenty of times, but it seemed refreshing to do it without using zombies. I wish we could have gone more scientific than we did for the explanation, but I did liked how it was open ended to one of life’s many mysteries. If you like The Violence (movie) and The Last of Us, you would love this novel.

SYNOPSIS
- A family of four has to flee Albuquerque when the world starts going crazy.
- Jack hears his name and address broadcast on the radio, so he knows it’s time for his family to run.

MY THOUGHTS
- Fast-paced. Action.
- Disappointed that there isn’t much exploration into the why behind what’s going on or how it eventually resolves.
- So much suspension of disbelief required while reading.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️lots of suspension of disbelief required. not much depth here.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on October 22, 2024.

“Run” could not be a better title for this book. It takes off at a sprint and only increases the pacing as it moves towards the fiery conclusion. I was absolutely on the edge of my seat for this thrill ride of a novel. The family bond is visceral and I loved the flawed nature of the two protagonists. Life isn’t perfect, and neither are our main characters. You will fall in love with them and root for them throughout the chaos. This book will grab you from the beginning and leave you gasping for what comes next! ‘Run’ and get this book. You won’t be disappointed.
A huge thank you for the ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a very quick read.
If you're looking for a fast paced, post-apocalyptic, thriller/horror to keep you on the edge of your seat, this certainly is not bad choice. The writing is good, the story is fine. It's just not very unique, and a bit predictable.

The characters in this felt realistic. They were imperfect, messy, and downright annoying at times, but you couldn't help but root for them.

Now I don't believe this book is anywhere near as good as Dark Matter, and some of Blake's other books, it's still a decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Run is a quick read and will be enjoyed by anyone who likes books about apocalyptic events and their aftermath. If you are in the mood for a generic apocalyptic book this is for you. If you are a Blake Crouch fan and loved Recursion, Dark Matter or Upgrade you might be disappointed.

Personally this was such a let down for me. There is nothing new here and at times I felt like I have already read a book like this or seen a movie or series very similar. But my biggest issue is this is written by Blake Crouch who writes really great Sci-Fi novels with a heavy focus on the expansion of science and there was no science, no expand your mind plot points, nothing that makes a Blake Crouch book so good.

I later read the author's notes and found out this was his first self-published book which explains a lot.

I adore Blake Crouch books. This one is not going to be leading the pack on my favorites. Had I not read a lot of Blake Crouch prior to this, I probably wouldn’t feel as indifferent about this book. But I also guess that’s a good thing - the quality of books has gotten better and better. The overall premise is great, especially since we just had an aurora event that made it to the Midwest. But, some of the transitions between chapters or scenes were choppy and abrupt. The characters also were just meh. While I get there needed to be conflict to drive the plot, I hated Dee. She was just annoying and while she went through a character arc, it wasn’t really believable (I’m pretty sure if Kiernan wasn’t killed she’d have gone back to him after everything settled out). All in all, it was fine but not the pinnacle of Blake Crouch-ness.

I'm a big Blake Crouch fan, but the writing in this book isn't my favorite. It felt forced and overly choppy. I appreciated the fast-paced plot but the ending wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped. I just saw that this is a book written over a decade ago, and it shows how much Blake's writing has grown since then.

fast-paced and thrilling. hard to put down. there's a lot to like here, this isn't a book of depth and drama, it's definitely a book that flies rather than meanders. definitely recommend for fans of post-apocalyptic thrillers, rather than for those looking for in-depth characterization and relationship dramas.


and yes, I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Blake Crouch is one of my all time favourite writers and the king of balancing timing, story, genre while maintaining his unique point of view with a whole lot of technical skill.

The only book of his I had never read was Run and when I saw it was being rereleased and an ARC, I jumped at the excuse to finally read this story. As always, Crouch has a unique perspective on something that’s been done a myriad of ways. This was like reading The Walking Dead (there are no zombies) from Rick’s perspective if he was still with his family and it just go, go, GOES. Run is a fast paced, honed in view of a family who has no room to breathe while trying to survive an apocalyptic situation while being hunted around every turn

But I do have to say my favourite part of reading this book was seeing just how far Crouch has come as an authour and the growth when it comes to his skill. Crouch is known for dropping you right into the meat of the story and it just never stops and Run does this but not nearly as tightly as Recursion. Dark Matter, etc. I can see where he has fine tuned the lines of train of thought and keeping you in the action while still pacing in a way to give you reprieves. Run doesn’t quite nail the nuisances in technique that I’m so used to! And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, he started as an innovative voice but it definitely felt like reading a first book by someone who could one day be the best.

I love that he rereleased this and it was a unique experience seeing how far he’s come but I would be so fascinated to see him rewrite this story with all the things he’s learned throughout the years. It’s a solid thriller but it doesn’t quite capture the genius of Blake Crouch I know and love today.

Unfortunately I DNF'd this ~30%. I loved Recursion and Dark Matter, but this just didn't grip me in the same way - I found the plot to be confusing and I think more details about what was going on were needed upfront. I think I'll stick to the authors more recent works