Respectfully, no thank you. Blake Crouch was clearly in his Stephen King era when writing this book, and it's not working for me right now. There is way too much horror and not much of anything else. I can see how he went on to write Wayward Pines after this and I'd honestly just finish that (much better) series instead. Life's a little too short to waste time reading books I know I'm not gonna like.

However, this book would probably appeal a lot more to horror enthusiasts. If you're one, run toward the book. If you're not, run away (and toward his better, more recent books).

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC of the re-released book in exchange for an honest review!

**Review of "Run" by Blake Crouch**

Blake Crouch's "Run" is a fast-paced thriller that grips readers from the very first page and doesn't let go until the very end. Known for his ability to blend high-stakes action with psychological depth, Crouch delivers a compelling narrative that is both intense and thought-provoking.

The story centers around a family on the run in a dystopian America, where a mysterious and violent phenomenon has turned society upside down. Crouch excels at creating a palpable sense of urgency and fear, immersing readers in a relentless chase that tests the limits of human endurance and resilience.

The characters are well-drawn and relatable, with each member of the family facing their own unique challenges and growth. Crouch's skillful character development ensures that readers are deeply invested in their survival and emotional journey. The relationships within the family are explored with nuance, adding a layer of emotional depth to the high-octane plot.

The novel's pacing is one of its strongest attributes. Crouch keeps the tension high and the action constant, making "Run" a true page-turner. The descriptive writing brings the bleak, chaotic world to life, creating a vivid backdrop for the unfolding drama.

While some plot points might feel familiar to seasoned thriller readers, Crouch's execution and the emotional stakes set this novel apart. His ability to blend heart-pounding action with moments of quiet introspection and character-driven storytelling makes "Run" a standout in the genre.

Overall, "Run" earns a solid four stars for its thrilling narrative, strong character development, and relentless pace. It's a must-read for fans of high-stakes thrillers and anyone looking for a gripping story that explores both the physical and psychological aspects of survival.

I did not know what to think of this book at first but I’m glad I stayed with it. It was thrilling and engaging and even though I was not the biggest fan at first of the main characters I grew to have affection for them and wanted to find out what happened. I couldn’t put the book down by the end and felt it was a great story rich in details and super fast paced!

Crouch continues his ability to grab you and keep you engaged throughout the whole book. Dark Matter is still number one for me but Run takes a close second. Fans of Crouch’s writing won’t be disappointed!

As a fan of Blake Crouch's newer works, I was excited to delve into Run. The premise of the story is undeniably intriguing and has the potential to be a thrilling page-turner. However, I found the execution to be a bit disappointing.

The pacing felt slow and repetitive, which made it challenging to stay engaged. Additionally, certain plot points came across as unbelievable, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the story. The inclusion of unnecessarily traumatic events, especially those involving children, felt excessive and detracted from my overall enjoyment.

That said, the central idea of the story is compelling, and Crouch's talent for creating gripping scenarios is evident. While Run didn't quite meet my expectations, I still appreciate the creative concept and remain a fan of Crouch's other works.

A family, on the run from people trying to kill them, seriously going through some bad luck and fighting to survive at every turn.

I’m torn on this one. I started reading, expecting something more on the lines of Blake Crouch’s recent work, but halfway through I was thinking “man, this is not what I was expecting at all…” and finally looked it up and realized Run isn’t a NEW upcoming release, it’s one he wrote many years ago. Oops! My fault for not realizing that. That being said, just because it’s not similar to his more recent writing, does not make it bad. Blake Crouch definitely knows how to suck you in and keep you turning the pages!

There were some moments while reading that made me feel icky, and it was a bit sluggish at the halfway point, but I’d still recommend this book to anyone who might like to read a what is through and through a survivor story in the desert and mountains, with lots of violence peppered throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with a copy of the book and allowing me to share my honest opinion!

Me reading this: huh, this seems familiar somehow.

Me continuing reading this: have I read this before?

Me finished: oh yah, I've read this one. Makes sense since they're republishing it.

Look, I'm not mad. I thought I was getting a new Blake Crouch but instead I reread one I'd read 4 years ago. That's ok. I love his writing. I became kind of obsessive in his writing when I first discovered him years and years ago. His writing sucks you into the stories and you fly threw them. This may be earlier work of his but you can tell he is who he is in each of his books. They captivate all your attention start to finish. Personally, I'd recommend any and all of his works. I haven't found one I didn't like.

Run is a thriller that was originally published by Blake Crouch himself. Now reworked and traditionally published. I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. A majority of the population waking up to witness the aurora events happening one night going homicidial against the population. Now a family of four is on the run trying to out run everyone in order to save their lives. Jack and Dee are married and have a daughter, Naomi, and a son, Cole. Cole is the only one who witnessed the aurora. The rest of the family slept through it. Now they are just trying to stay alive. Trying to scrounge up gas, food, water, find adequate shelter, and amunition when they can and stay off the road from the convoy from the affected they header that Canada may be a safe place.
I sometimes felt that the responses of Jack and Dee were interesting and maybe wish I could have seen more character development with them. Otherwise it was a superfast read, I read it within 3ish hours and found that the end of the chapter made me really push into the next one as I really didn’t want to go to bed without finishing the book, even though I have to be up at 430 in the morning! This is my first Blake Crouch read and I do have a few other one my shelves including Dark Matter that I will be moving up on my TBR! 3.75 stars

Run is a thriller following a New Mexican family of four as they try to survive after an aurora over the US caused those who saw it to become significantly violent towards those who didn’t. Jack, his wife Dee, and their children 14-year-old Naomi and 7-year-old Cole have nothing to do but run.

I found Jack and Dee, the two POV characters, not to be very sympathetic. Terrible things happen to them in this violent story, and I wouldn’t wish that on them at all, but they just weren’t as likable as the children. I especially felt bad for Naomi. She was treated pretty harshly by her parents in favor of Cole, and sometimes seemed like an afterthought.

I consider the text really engaging. The mountain scene (if you know, you know) made my hands sweat. A couple of parts made me gasp. The last act shocked me as well.

There seemed to be a little too much unnecessary dialogue. It felt repetitive in some scenes where time was really of the essence. That said, the pacing was overall quick and thrilling, exactly what you’d want out of a book like this.

Quick but engaging read. I think fans of Blake Crouch and thrillers both would enjoy this one.

(PS: I didn’t see the aurora earlier this month but I’m glad I read this AFTER it happened.)

The newly republished version of Blake Crouch's *Run* reaffirms his talent for crafting intense, high-stakes thrillers. This edition, highlights Crouch's early work, showcasing his signature blend of horror and sci-fi elements. *Run* is an exhilarating, non-stop ride that hooks readers from the first page. The breakneck pacing and relentless action make it a page-turner that you won't want to put down. While some readers found the ending less satisfying, the journey itself is undeniably thrilling. Fans of Crouch's later novels like *Dark Matter* and *Recursion* will appreciate seeing the evolution of his storytelling prowess in this gripping and absorbing tale.

This is a revamp of Blake Crouch earlier work getting new cover and updating from when he first started. This is after the Pines trilogy and before dark matter and you can see his scifi future in the writing. this was more of a horror novel with sci-fi elements but it was such a fun, non stop action pact ride. From the start of the book to the end was a ride going straight down the largest hill known. My favorite book will still be recursion by Crouch, dark matter, and run will take third. 4 star for me

Read this is one sitting! It’s a very fast paced action book that had me wanting to rip through the pages. This page turner had my heart racing to see what happens. The book follows a family of four as they try to outrun this unknown virus that has made the public violent.

I read a lot of mixed reviews about this book and I can see why as the ending fell a little flat. The reasoning and explanation of why this violence is happening leaves me feeling a bit frustrated. However, the book as a whole read like a movie in my head and kept my complete attention.

Thank you to #netgalley and #RandomHouse Publishing Group for proving an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Big fan of Blake Crouch, so I knew I had to request this ASAP. This is an earlier novel that doesn’t quite have the same depth as his latest offerings but is still propelled by the typical Crouch verve and action. This is a a brutal read, so come prepared.

I didn’t love the story. I really liked the idea of it, a family trying to escape being killed, hurt or kidnapped by people that are seemingly loosing their minds. It kind of made me think of the walking dead in terms of they just had to keep moving and keep going never having anywhere to settle really, just without the zombies. I don’t think I liked it very much though because the characters were just very hard to like. I don’t know I made just be a little over critical but I had to force myself to pick it up and keep reading. I will probably buy it once it comes out again and give it another try because the writing style is good and I enjoyed Dark Matter.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy. Run is classic Blake Crouch. Fans of his and fans of dystopia will enjoy Run.

I went into this with high expectations as I really love Blake Crouch books. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me.
I like mysterious thriller element and I thought that was done very well.
SPOILER ALERT:
However, the majority of this book is just reading about one family on the run surviving against all odds. Run, fight, run, fight, food, sleep, run, etc. I really wanted to love this book but it just didn't really grab me. I did read the author's notes that this is an older book that was republished, and that makes alot of sense. I think Blake Crouch's current books are much more layered and interesting. I'll give this 3 stars based on his excellent reputation and the fact that this was one of his earliest efforts.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I typically devour anything and everything Blake Crouch writes. This was just slight too apocalyptic for me, but I still liked it a lot nonetheless. Cool to read one of his earlier works that I hadn't had the chance to yet. This could be a cool TV show!

This book is A24’s “Civil War” (maybe because it was a recent watch for me, but it’s INCREDIBLY similar at times!!) with a dash of “The Road,” a smidge of “The Last of Us,” and a hint of “The Walking Dead.” But take the violence of all of those and crank it to eleven.

Ok that’s probably dramatic, but this is the only book I can think of where I almost put it down because it was making me physically ill. I don’t think I could forget a couple of these scenes if I tried!

The first half is SO fast paced. Literally a paragraph per event happening. It feels like skimming to get to the meat of the story. The writing was odd in some places, but this was one of Crouch’s first books, so I can look past that.

One things for sure though, Blake Crouch really must love his wife!!

Genuinely don’t know how to rate this, but these are some of my immediate thoughts! I guess overall a rough read, but intense/entertaining enough to keep me up past my bedtime!

This is a not-zombie novel that reads like a zombie novel. (Maybe a little too similar to Haters by David Moody?)

It’s an adrenaline packed (and grief-packed) read that’s perfect for people who like apoca-fic. Expect violence, horrific humans, and a world gone terribly wrong.

A super-fast read that will occasionally break your heart.

• ARC via Publisher

First published February 2011 and now republished October 2024 by Ballantine Books, is a journey through a now-familiar territory of a post-apocolyptic world with a family on the run. That being said, it stands out as incredibly well-written and absorbing. Jack CoClough and his wife Dee are the main characters. They have two kids, a boy (Cole) and a girl (Naomi), and a troubled marriage with Dee having an affair and Jack and Dee living in separate bedrooms. But the world is falling apart and there are groups of people, well-organized and well-armed, burning and killing across the country. In such a situation, all may not be forgiven, but the priority is to protect your family and they undertake a harrowing journey in a seemingly-indestructible (for a while) Range Rover from Albuquerque northbound through the Rocky mountains. Lightly armed, desperate, and in fear for their lives, Jack and Dee rise to the occasion and fight and flee their way through the wilderness with hunters on their trail. To this reader, it did not matter that such an end-of-the-world story has been told before, this is just plain good reading and absorbing from cover to cover. You feel moment by moment, primarily through Jack's eyes, desperation and determination.