I was super excited to get this ARC as I really enjoy Blake Crouch’s books. This one, however, is not in the same league as his other books. Be sure to read the book summary so that you know what events lead to the start of the book. Otherwise you will be quite confused. This information is not included anywhere in the book. Disappointed.

I read this on kindle unlimited in May 2023- see review on Goodreads. I always enjoy reading Blake Crouch even though sci-fi is not my favorite genre. His books are so imaginative and well written and always make me think long after I finish reading.

I was disappointed by this book given how much I love his other works. It's a re-release of his first book and you can tell how much his writing has grown since. Given what I know he can do, I have to give it a lower rating. It is a page turner at least.

Wow this was intense! This book was go go go and did not let up. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I really enjoyed it. And it’s also really scary to think about something like this happening. I love Blake Crouch and this book was no exception.

No question, this is a scary story. With next to no exposition or reader preparation, the apocalypse was released onto the normal population by the "affected" members. There were no zombies, vampires, werewolves or undead, but the affected people were transformed into murderous monsters simply by witnessing a beautiful aurora-like light display in the night sky. There wasn't much speculation in the storyline - but then again, the characters didn't really have time for such speculation, between avoiding these 'affected' people who are bent on killing anyone who isn't affected, recovering from injuries suffered in confrontations with those people, and just trying to move on and survive in a landscape not designed for human travel.  The beginning and ending were a little rushed or abrupt, but the middle 80% was compelling and very fun to read.

I rated this re-release four stars. This was a good example of skillful storytelling, just enough character development, and creative, imaginative ideation. An edge-of-seat read!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books publishing for the advanced re-release of this intense fast paced thriller for my honest opinions.

Blake Crouch has come a LONG way since this debut novel, "Run," which he self-published in 2011. This edition will be released in October 2024 by Random House Publishing Group.

His novel, "Upgrade," is one of my favorite books ever, and I thought "Dark Matter" was terrific, also!! Those were thrillers.

"Run" is a very realistic horror. There is more human to human violence than anything I've read since "Night" by Elie Wiesel, which wasn't hardly graphic at all in comparison.

In this book, something causes a large percentage of the population to be "affected" and turn violent. They start killing and torturing others. Many kill themselves before they follow that imperative. Those who live become the worst monsters imaginable in humanity. Eventually, the affected work together to create mass destruction.

Jack and his family, which is his wife, Dee, and his daughter, Naomi, and son, Cole, have to run to get away from a violent neighbor who is targeting them.

Jack and his wife have been estranged when they have to go on the run. They travel from Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition to avoiding the bad guys, they need to find water and food and shelter.
Working together to save their family, they come back together with deep love and caring. That's the best part, along with a couple of times at temporarily safe hideouts.

When you find out that it was viewing the aurora that triggered the violence, it brings it home even more so. (The cover should have an Aurora.) In reality, we just had huge sunstorms that caused Aurora Borealis to be visible across a large part of the US. It seems like it could happen here and now. How terrifying!!

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 0/5
Cover - 2/5
Overall - 23/7 = 3 2/7

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Blake Crouch for providing this e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Review of Run by Blake Crouch:

I am a long time Blake Crouch fan, and have read his numerous books. I was excited to receive an advanced copy of Run for my review. However, in my opinion this book reads very differently from his others. The story was fast paced, and I did finish the book because I was pulled into the narrative. However, trigger warnings abound. This book is filled with graphic and descriptive violence. I had multiple nightmares after reading it. I would not recommend this to friends and followers based on this. Read with caution.

Overall I am giving the book 3 stars, because it was an engrossing story, just not to my taste.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review.

This is not the typical Blake Crouch book that I’ve come to know and enjoy. I loved the idea of the plot but it fell short. It seemed like it just kept going with no real peak in the story, no big twists or surprises. It reminded me of Leave the World Behind but with more substance. If I hadn’t read other Blake Crouch books, I don’t know if I’d pick up another one. Overall, it was fine but it lacked the punch that Blake Crouch brings. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC!

I, like many others, have read some of this author's other books and loved them (specifically Dark Matter.) This is no comparison, though. While the premise seemed quite interesting, the story fell flat. The whole book, all 300+ pages of it, is strictly what the title says. It is a family of 4 running for their lives. The whole book! Every step they took was unrealistic and unbelievable, and I had a hard time suspending my disbelief. The ending didn't make it any better. 2 solid stars for this one.

This book was fun! Was it great? Nope! The ending was a bit of a let down and rather unrealistic when compared to the rest of the book. I didn't realize this was a rerelease of one of Crouch's older works. You can tell his writing has really improved over time. I would still recommend readers to check this one out!

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

Didn't realize this wad an old book that wad being rereleased until I started reading. It's a decent enough story, but clearly old work that hasn't improved along with the author. Would have been nice if it had been made clear that this was a rerelease or that the story had been updated.

i actually have read this already! i didn't realize it was a rerelease. i reread it as it had been awhile since i picked it up and i remember why i love blake crouch so much. i think his newer, more commercial work is more my cup of tea but this is still a fun pick in the genre.

Jack and Dee Calclough are forced to flee their home with their two children when Jack's name and address is among those read off on the radio, targered by a stranger for reasons they don't know or understand to die. Taking only what they've managed to gather so far, with only minutes of warning, they start a journey with no destination in a desperate attempt to protect each other and their children.

This is a fast-pacedd apacolyptic type thriller written in a snippet style that really grabs your attention and keeps you saying 'just one more'. Jack and Dee are such relatable people, struggling with their marriage and on the brink of divorce, but putting all of that aside in a heartbeat for the sake of their children's safety. The lengths they're willing to go to, the things they never thought they could do, how far they're bodies can really be pushed, and what they're willing to sacrifice are explored startlingly fast as the world changes much more rapidly than any of them ever though possible.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys apocolptic and post apacolyptic style fiction. Especially if you're a fan of seeing how normal everyday people find out exactly what they're capable of and how far they'll go to survive and to protect those they love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an eARC copy of this book.

I am a huge fan of Blake Crouch. That being said, this definitely reads like an early work of an author that evolved. I downright hated the main characters in the story. The only dimensions I got were - cheaters & liars. The kids were written well, but I was still rooting for the bad guys. I also suffered from adrenaline overload. It was 30 action scenes tied together. I would have preferred more of a setup with and fewer chases. I can see the brilliance in the concept (loved it) but the execution left me wanting.

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.)