A thriller that explores a frightening scenario where society rapidly descends into chaos. We follow Jack Colclough, a father who must protect his family after a sudden and inexplicable event causes millions of Americans to turn violently against each other. seemingly at random, these individuals begin to see others as enemies who must be exterminated—resulting in a horrifying national purge. Jack, along with his wife and children, must flee their home to avoid becoming targets. Traveling across a country, falling apart at the seams, they face not only the threat of violent mobs but also the broader challenges of a society in collapse: lack of resources, breakdown of law and order, and the complete disintegration of social norms. Throughout their journey, the novel delves into themes of survival, the fragility of civilization, and the lengths to which people will go to protect their loved ones. It’s a tense, fast-paced story about the struggle to maintain humanity and moral integrity in the face of utter chaos.

I devoured this book in a few days, reading late into the night because I could not put it down. Run by Blake Crouch is a roller-coaster ride of a book! Is the storyline always completely believable? No. A rescue seemed to always come at just the right moment. Did I care? Nope! Was the ending kind of a letdown? Yup! Would I still recommend the book? I would. The author has a great way of writing that keeps you on the edge, slowly building tension and suspense. This thriller delivers on its promise of a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat adventure. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author, for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

So, this early novel of Blake Crouch still packs a punch and is finally available for readers to relish. It takes us on a wild ride as a family caught up in madness brought on by mysterious lights in the sky runs from Albuquerque to Canada, seeking to avoid the roaming bands of killers and find safe haven. There are too many twists to mention here but I wouldn't want to spoil the suspense either.

Blake writes with such a sure hand and keeps the pace going. Of course, there are some horrific moments - cue crazy man with knife and protagonist's ring - and there is interpersonal drama as the married couple must come to terms with their various infidelities, but I couldn't put it down until I reached the end!

Is the premise a familiar one? Yes, it is, but the writing still kept me engaged and eager to find out what obstacle awaited the family next.

Initially I didn't realize that this was a re-release, as I had never read it. I was excited for a book by Blake Crouch, because I've liked his other works in the past, and was looking forward to another exciting ride, and this sure was it!

This book follows a family at the "end of times" in the United States. Although I won't get much into plot, some of the population witnesses something that turns them into homicidal maniacs, putting aside all of their urge suppression and societal norms. Their only goal is to murder those who have not had the same experience as them.

This book has a lot of excitement and is a real page turner. Just when you think things could not get worse for Jack and Dee and their kids, it does. It shows the worst parts of humanity, and really makes me hope that nothing like this would ever actually happen in the world.

My only issue was that the first part of the book, the daughter's nickname was spelled "Na" (short for Naomi) which I thought was a weird spelling for that-- in my head I was saying "Nahh" instead of "Nay" About halfway through the book that changed to "Nay". Although I liked the spelling better, it was a little confusing.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this re-release, in exchange for an honest review.

Wow wow wow! This was so amazing. Visceral, haunting, terrifying. I could not put it down. Definitely recommend to any horror and thriller fans!

Thanks for the ARC Ballantine and Blake Crouch!

This is a story of a natural phenomenon causing a country to run for their lives, but it’s also the story of a family: Jack, a philosophy teacher, his wife Dee, a doctor, their 14-year-old daughter Naomi, and Cole, their seven-year old son. Jack and Dee are on the verge of divorce when things go haywire, and they are forced to stick together to keep their children safe.

This book was self-published in 2011, and is now being rereleased. I can’t help but wonder if this year had anything to do with it, as the Aurora Borealis that swept much of North America in 2024 is very similar to the events that cause this family to RUN. Those who saw the Northern Lights (most of the United States and northern Mexico) are now subhumans who are intent on killing anyone not like them, causing cities to be burned and mass graves to be dug.

While this book is not at all like “The Stand”, there is a slight resemblance in that there are two groups in the country - those “affected” who want to kill everyone they see, and those who are just trying to find safety in a world gone mad. Our family is in the second group. They are not affected, and they flee from Albuquerque, New Mexico, all the way to Montana, trying to find refuge in Canada. Along the way, they endure many near-death experiences, many injuries and spent many nights starving and thirsty.

This was a page-turner from start to finish - you’ll want to read this in one sitting, if possible! The book was horrifying, thrilling, heartbreaking and suspenseful; this one isn’t for the faint of heart. I absolutely loved it and I’m glad it’s being published again for a new audience. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Random House - Ballentine, Blake Crouch and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be rereleased on October 22, 2024.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!!

I have only read one book of this author’s, “Datk Matter,” and was so intrigued that I had to request this ARC. I’m usually just a thriller or mystery only type gal, but this book truly kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Having read Dark Matter, Recursion, and Upgrade, I was excited to see that Run was available. I jumped in head first and found myself with the start of a great story as I expected. However, it didn’t take long for me to notice a completely different vibe to this book and for what seemed like a dark story to completely black out along with the power.

The level of violence and unnecessary detail of the depravity was a departure from anything else I’ve read from Crouch. There is resolution to the story at the end of the book, although a few loose were left undone because the book was already too heavy. I’m sticking with Departure as a better title for this re-release. Read this if you are a die hard Blake Crouch fan. Otherwise, start with Dark Matter and the Pines series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Publishing for an ARC of this book.

Well, that was a quick read! "Run" grabbed my attention, and Crouch crafted every chapter with so much suspense that I had to keep on reading this apocalyptic thriller.

The story revolves around a family of four who find themselves running for their lives in a world where it seems as though EVERYONE wants to kill EVERYONE. They aren't sure why they have become prey, or who the predators are. "Run" is a story of survival, grit, and total mayhem. Was it a believable plot? Not really. Has this type of story been done and redone? You betcha. Was it an entertaining read? Hell yes!

Although I enjoyed this wild ride, I was a bit disappointed with the ending. I won't spoil it by giving details, but I will say that after all the suspense and cliff-hangers, the ending was awfully "soft". But, if you are looking for a quick and fun read this will do the trick!

Chilling but compelling. The smartest thing Crouch ever did was to put a beating heart (a man and his family) at the core of every thriller he's written; because underneath the horror is a group of people unwilling to give up on love and their humanity in a world torn to pieces. And "Run," being republished by a traditional publisher 13 years after it was written, does that very, very well.

Most interesting to me was that this book was originally published in 2011. What a great timely concept with our recent northern lights sighting in the US. As a thriller, it checked all the boxes. Some of the near scrapes started adding up and made the story feel a bit like it was full of coincidences instead of merit and perseverance. I liked the story of Dee and Jack falling back in love but wish it was a little more drawn out as they realized family comes first.

AMAZING. CAPTIVATING. COULDNT PUT IT DOWN. This book had me in a chokehold and wouldn’t let me go. Blake Crouch has such an amazing way of writing thrillers and his books never disappoint. Run had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I wish the ending was a little more detailed and where is Cole now? I have so many questions that I need answered but I’m so happy with this book.

Blake Crouch never disappoints, and Run is no exception. I couldn't put this book down over the weekend--I just had to see how it all unfolded for the Colcloughs.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was my first book by Blake Crouch and I see why his books are always being talked about. I loved this book the storyline was amazing. I did get scared at night reading this which is rare of me. Great read

Thrilling, Crazy Story!

This book is like nothing i've ever read before. It's a very intense, page turning thriller that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Recommend to anyone whose into post-apocalyptic thrillers!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC to review!

Run by Blake Crouch offers a fast-paced, thrilling ride through an apocalyptic America. The story of Jack Colclough and his family fleeing for their lives amidst a nationwide epidemic of rage is gripping, with plenty of tension and suspense.

Crouch excels at creating an atmosphere of urgency and danger, making it hard to put the book down. However, the characters often feel one-dimensional, and some plot points strain credulity. While the premise is intriguing, the execution leaves some questions unanswered, making it a mixed experience.

Overall, Run is an engaging read for fans of apocalyptic thrillers, though it falls short of Crouch's best works.

This book was weird and interesting at the same time. It had me on the edge of me seat at moments and WTF at other times. Would recommend as a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, it was a fast paced read and kept me entertained throughout. I didn't find the characters particularly likeable but I think that added to the believability of the characters and their choices.

I enjoyed this story, and I would recommend.

I really enjoyed this fast paced book. There was a lot of great storytelling.
The characters were a bit complicated, yet unencumbered with more base feelings then just survival.

It was a good story about fighting to survive for your family and just for yourself, The horrors the characters faced were overwhelming, yet the author did a great job of bringing the human element to the story, the mom shielding the children, the kids trying not to look but trying to understand what is happening.

The only downside was the premise of the story itself. The announcement of names on the radio. If the people affected could see halos, why would they announce names?
Further, if the affected were murderous, why didn't the son kill?

Overall a good book, as long as you don't think too hard on the whys.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blake Crouch for an ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

While I definitely was hooked on this story in the beginning, it fell flat for me towards the end. I was somewhat bored. But it definitely had a strong start!