I’m honestly not sure what I’m supposed to be feeling, having finished this. What was the point? Appreciate my family? This was awful, downright disgusting, redolent of Holocaust stories. But it was also somehow good? Well written. Impossible to put down. But I hated it?

A special thank you to NetGalley, Blake crouch and the publisher for the oppty to read this uncorrected proof in exchange for. My honest review. So, as a fan of Blake Crouch’s dark matter and wayward pibes books, I loved this one! A post apocalyptic novel in which the world reacts to an aurora borealis that results in them going Mad and murderous! I loved the family trying to survive and remain together through the chaos and turmoil! Classic Blake crouch with action from page one to the last! Great characters that you cannot help but route for from page one through the last page!

Five days ago, the epidemic of rage began. Four days ago, the killing started. Jack is listening to a battle operated radio when he hears his name - and he knows they’re coming to kill him and his family. There’s no time to think, no time to plan - he just has to run..

Not my favorite Blake Crouch book, but still a solid thriller. With its quick pace and dystopian feel, it had me on the edge of my seats.

Wow- this was intense from the very beginning! This apocalyptic thriller chronicles the story of a family on the run from blood-thirsty anonymous killers who have been affected by a mysterious phenomenon. I can envision this making it onto the screen at some point. Some of the events in this story are graphic and disturbing, reminiscent of holocaust descriptions I have read. I felt like the storyline was missing some complexity for me and was a little over my threshold for suffering and violence (however probably on par with other doomsday thriller storylines). Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book!

A decent thriller from Blake Crouch. I've read a couple of his writings and have generally found them to be enjoyable. He is undoubtedly a fantastic storyteller. This one was no different, although I couldn't quite put my finger on what was lacking. Although the tempo and characterizations were strong, the halfway mark felt a little repetitious in terms of content. While not a terrible tale by any means, I found it to be ultimately better than decent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of Run in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a big fan of Blake Crouch since reading Dark Matter. I’ve read both of his new novels since then ( Recursion and Upgrade). So when I saw Run on NetGalley, I assumed it was a new novel, immediately requested it, and was delighted when I was approved for it.

Later I learned that Run is actually a release of a novel Mr. Crouch self-published in 2011. The plot could not be more straightforward. For reasons initially unclear, America has descended into a violent chaos—not our usual violent chaos, but a kind where the power is out and some unknown group has taken over the Emergency Broadcast System and is reading out the names and addresses of those to be killed next. Our hero, Jack Colclough, hears his name and tries to escape his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home for the safety of Canada with his wife Dee, his 14-year-old daughter Naomi, and his 7-year-old son Cole.

Run is a pure thriller, with action pretty much from start to finish. But the story has so many holes. When you learn why huge groups of people have gone on this killing spree, you’ll have to trust me but the reason doesn’t mesh with that cool opening idea of announcing the names of names of the people to be executed on the radio. Because the story jumps into the action, there’s little time for any character development. The plot is like someone compressed five seasons of The Walking Dead into a single story: scramble, escape, survive, find temporary safety, scramble, escape, survive, find a person thought to be friend but really a foe, scramble, escape, survive, etc. As the story reaches its climax, the problems and escapes become more farfetched and more reliant on unlikely coincidences and miraculous timing.

If you’re looking for a book with the complexity of Mr. Crouch’s recent science-based thrillers, Run will not be for you. But if you’re in the mood for a simple adrenaline-fueled story, Run could scratch that itch. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Blake Crouch, for this arc of Run out October 22, 2024!

Right off the bat, this story took off like a fast paced rollercoaster. It was a violent, end of the world, thriller and it was so good. I’ve read a few of Blake Crouch’s other Sci-Fi books and also loved them but this is my first thriller written him. I literally could not put it down. I couldn’t wait to see how it ended.

⭐️Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

This novel was provided by the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.

This book did not meet my expectations. I really enjoyed Dark Matter. It was one of my favorite books, so I was so excited to get approved for this arc. Unfortunately, it didn't work as well for me. I didn't connect with the characters or story enough to care.

Run surprised me with its unique storyline, which surpassed what I expected from this story.

This book starts off with brutal crimes, which creates complete chaos and fear. We then follow Jack Colclough's and his family as they run from the unknown.
They don’t know why they are targets, or who they are able to trust.

This book, published in 2011, is a very rough and raw book comparing to Blake Couch’s more recent works.
But - I loved every moment. The sense of urgency that is created makes it very hard to put this down.

Run is a thrilling and captivating read that will leave you wanting more. If you're into fast-paced thrillers, then this book is for you.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

Run was an intense ride right from the start. Strange things start happening to people around the world who witness the Aurora Borealis. They become violent, burning entire towns to the ground and massacring anyone in sight. The story follows a young family who have drifted apart but must come together to stay alive. Run was full of suspense and horrific scenes that made you feel like you were living it too.

This was a fast paced thriller engaging from the start, but the plot and character development seemed a bit too reliant on sexist, cisgendered, and heteronormative stereotypes. I wasn’t personally a fan of the ending, but would still recommend this for anyone looking for a fast read.

Wow! This was so suspenseful, thrilling, and deep! Truly shows you the true value of family, plus how far people will go to survive and keep their family safe. I was on the edge of my seat the majority of the time! Super fast-paced and intriguing concept! Loving the concept of the story, Blake Crouch truly never fails me! I read it in one sitting as I was so consumed by this book! I know it was based on a debut novel for him, but this truly stood out to me! I'll definitely recommend it to my other thriller/suspense loving friends!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

ARC 📖 Review: Run by Blake Crouch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(4.5 stars)

Pub Date: 10/22/24

😮‍💨 This one did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat this entire book and could not put it down! This was originally self published by Blake Crouch in 2011 and now being rereleased. You don’t want to miss this one, I highly recommend it!

🚙🔫🔥

On the Emergency Broadcast System they’re reading the names of those to be killed. When Jack hears his name him and his family are on the run to survive. They have no idea why they are being hunted or what is happening to cause this apocalyptic outbreak. Will they stay together and survive the madness?

Blake crouch is such a great author. I really enjoyed read Run as it was thrilling and made my heart pump so fast. This book follows a family who is literally in fight and flight mode when mass chaos breaks out in several cities. Cities, villages and towns are buring, people killing one another and the only way to hopefully survive is run.

Run kept my attention and had me guessing what the heck is going on here. This isn't my favorite Blake Crouch book but it was really darn good. This was a sold 4 star read.

I didn’t realize initially this was one of Blake Crouch’s first books but it makes sense as the writing was not what I had grown to know and felt disjointed at times. Beyond that this is an intense, heart pounding and fairly gruesome read. Not for the faint of heart! Thank you to Net Galley and Random House / Ballantine Publishing for the ARC

Almost didn’t finish this as it was so dark and bleak. Good characterizations but the story was a bit over the top at times.

I love Blake Crouch’s books but something was off with this one. The premise has been done so many times before and that’ll make this book somewhat forgettable. It was a gripping read and thrilling for sure, but nothing spectacular.

I got 50 percent through this book and decided that it wasn’t for me. Which is unfortunate because I have read several books by this author and loved them so I was excited about this. This is a rerelease of his first book and I think it show. The writing style is very choppy and I didn’t feel any connection to the story or characters. I think someone who has never read anything from this author may love this book but when you compare this to Dark Matter or Recursion, it just doesn’t have the same feeling to it.

I was thoroughly captivated and left breathless by the heart-pounding narrative of Blake Crouch's "Run". Despite not being a regular reader of science fiction novels set in apocalyptic landscapes, this book undeniably commanded my full attention. Following Jack, his wife (who is also a doctor), their teenage daughter, and young son, we witness their harrowing journey amidst a world thrown into chaos by the occurrence of the aurora borealis. The pacing of the story was exceptional, leaving me completely engrossed. Although I would have given it a perfect five-star rating, my only slight disappointment stemmed from the ending, which felt somewhat hurried. Nevertheless, "Run" is a commendable and compelling sci-fi read that I highly recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House / Ballantine Publishing for the ARC to review with my honest opinions.

This book was fabulous! It was exciting from the very beginning. An absolute page turner. An interesting take on the northern lights. Loved the mass extinction theories. Didn't know who was a help or a hindrance to survival. Even a bit of a love story in the book! Loves it!