Run Time Review!

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for this gifted copy of Run Time, in exchange for an honest review. Run Time is out August 16th!

This one wasn’t for me. I went into this one thinking that it was a horror. It was a mystery at best, a very confusing mystery. Run Time was a 2.25/5 ⭐️ for me! I really loved this creepy storm in the secluded woods setting. This had so much going for it I thought! It turned out to be very underwhelming and confusing and it felt like I was back in high school with the petty drama. There was a great build up to the mystery, but it fell flat for me. I haven’t read any other books by Howard, but I still want to read 56 Days. I do love the way she builds up the atmosphere in her books, this one just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Synopsis: Adele has been down on her luck. Being a child star for years and years in a soap opera she decided to call it quits and act for different movies. The thing is, no one will hire her. When she gets a random call to do a horror film in a secluded forest in Ireland, she thinks this might be her big break.

This may not have quite been the scary psychological horror I was expecting but, wow, it sure is fun and thoroughly entertaining!

The story is a wild ride that is a little outlandish but, somehow, it just works. The structure reminded me of CRH's previous book, ‘The Nothing Man,’ in a sense that this is a story within a story, with both plot lines impacting and intertwining with each other. It gives the reader such a meta feeling that, if pulled off well, can be a really trippy, which is what CRH does here. I loved seeing how a fictional book within a screenplay mirrors the events of this story - it felt like a game to see if I could spot all of the parallels and connections!

Overall, a very solid and decent addition to CRH's bibliography. I love how consistently her mystery/thrillers hit the mark every time!

A strange thriller film in a remote part of Ireland with little known about it and an actress who commits and doesn't tell anyone where she is?! Sign. Me. UP!

Run Time was a TON of fun. Adele, our lead, is struggling to find work in LA after some career hurdles in Ireland. But when she gets a call from a director to come back, that will pay enough to cover her rent and extra, she doesn't think twice. However, once she arrives, things are unusual- the location, the size of the crew, the NDA... and when weird things start to happen, they are starting to mimic the script for the movie. Is it a prank?

While the book starts off a bit slow, I thought the way it was told really worked for tension building and mystery elements. We read parts of the script throughout the story, which isn't always for everyone, but helped piece together the direction the story was going in for me. The plot is very fun, perhaps a bit ridiculous, but Howard made it an enjoyable ride right up until the end. I found the reveals quite smart and I didn't expect any of them. While I wasn't personally intrigued by Adele much, the plot and planning made up for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!

Catherine Ryan Howard is one of my all-time favorite authors and she is back with another slam dunk of a book with "Run Time." The story is like nothing else I've read before and told in a new inventive way as well. Movie lovers and book lovers will all enjoy this book with a nod to the love of films.

Read this if you like slasher films, a story within a story, filmmaking aesthetics, deep woods, and new age thrillers! I’m going to be honest, I was expecting a little more from this book but I’m still glad I read it. Did I get sucked in? Yes. Did I love it? Eh, not really. It definitely kept me turning the pages until the very end, but I could have used more thrill (and maybe some more murder thrown in there? 👀) I guess I was expecting more of a “bang” towards the end.

I love the way CRH’s mind works. Nothing is ever straightforward. I may trust that the characters are telling me the truth, but in the end they always manage to surprise me. In RUN TIME, CRH takes the theme of your typical horror movie and runs with it, drawing on her brother’s experiences with the world of film. I really enjoyed how the book managed to be both a “book within a book” as well as a movie within a book, with all three mediums intersecting to create a deliciously descriptive backdrop. The concept of life mirroring a horror movie script was an intriguing and refreshingly original concept. I also felt that the chapters of screenplay provided an interesting contrast from the main story and were very “visual” – it gave me the feeling of bingeing on a favourite Netflix series.

As with her previous book, 56 DAYS, RUN TIME relies heavily on an atmospheric, claustrophobic setting – in this case the film set of a horror novel deep in some dark Irish woods (at night time in the rain). As it plays out over a short period of time, the story is both character driven as well as paying attention to the little details that will ultimately give you the clues to what is really happening here. Our main character Adele’s fragile state of mind and overactive imagination adds another element to the unreliable narrator theme that worked well here. Some old worn horror movie tropes were skilfully woven into the story in a way that both played them down as movie props and simultaneously added tension to the story as things started to happen to Adele that she couldn't explain.

Perhaps my only quibble is that the story got bogged down a bit towards the middle just as things started to go bump in the night - I would have loved to see those scenes exploited a bit more to ratchet up tension. That said, the final reveal took me by surprise and showed me just how cleverly plotted CRH's latest book really was. Whilst RUN TIME wasn’t my all time favourite CRH book, it was an enjoyable and captivating novel I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I look forward to what the author will come up with next.

Having read all of Howard's books, this was not my favorite book, but that being said it was still a very good thriller. A little predictable, but like a horror movie, it is satisfying at the end to know that all the instincts were spot on.

This was a creepy, atmospheric, twisty thriller. I enjoyed it, but didn't love the fiction within a fiction aspect. The book is about an actress in a movie set in a remote cut-off Irish cabin who experiences what is happening to the movie character. The movie is about a couple in a remote Irish cabin who find a book that mirrors what they are experiencing. It's like one of those dreams you have about waking up from a dream, and then you realize that was a dream too, If that sounds confusing, that's kind of how the book was too.

I am a huge Catherine Ryan Howard fan and have devoured ALL of her books so I was thrilled to get an early copy of Run Time. Thanks to Blackstone, Net Galley and the author. I was born and raised in Ireland, so I love to support Irish authors and Ryan Howard is a very talented one. She is on my must-read list despite what’s written below!
That said, I hesitate to post this review as this is my least favorite of all of her books to date. Maybe it’s me, but this novel didn’t grab me like her others for several reasons. First, the repetitive nature of the story within a story within a script. The movie script itself was excruciatingly boring to read. Maybe that was on purpose? I cringed every time I saw another part of it appear on my screen and that was usually when I took a break from reading. I’ve compulsively read all previous novels by Ryan Howard but this one took a few days.
Second, I felt like this book was a lot longer and could have used a tighter edit. It is also slower in its pacing than the others. I got irritated reading the scene where the main character is outside alone in the dark. I just wanted it to end and was not invested in what was going to happen to her. There was no horror element here for me. I didn’t bond with Adele like I did with Alison or Adam from previous books. I felt like the other characters were not as well developed as they could have been. Julia seemed to come out of nowhere and was so implausible. Some were just barely mentioned like Martin and Steven and others, like Donal, seemed not quite real.
The scenery here was a bit of a duplicate of the Cork holiday cottages in an earlier novel, Rewind. As I was reading the descriptions in Run Time I kept thinking of Rewind. Was that intentional or a lack of imagination? There are so many other great locations in Ireland, and I hope we get to see the west coast in a future novel.
The ending was a major letdown. I don’t think the rest of the book supported it at all and I really didn’t get it. I mean I understand the factual basis, but I don’t think the groundwork was laid to make it believable. We didn’t get to know Julia at all and the idea that Adele would be totally clueless as to Martin’s interest in her seems implausible to me. Again, maybe the author is being meta and playing with our expectations? Not sure at all here and I look forward to listening to some interviews upon the book’s release.
If this is your first Ryan Howard book, please go read Distress Signals for a tighter more interesting plot, better pacing and a more satisfying read.
Overall, I give this a 3.5 as entertaining but I’ve had better from this author!

Catherine Ryan Howard has written some really clever books I’ve enjoyed lately, and this was no exception! Keeping a story within a story within a story straight is no easy feat, but she managed it really well.
Adele is an actor who has been struggling since leaving her childhood soap opera (and an episode on her last acting gig). When she gets a call out of the blue, offering her the lead part in an upcoming horror film, she jumps at the chance. The fact that it’s all very hush hush makes it even more attractive, there’s people in the industry she’d rather avoid. The movie, Final Draft, is based on a couple finding themselves experiencing parallel events to a horror novel, First Draft and now Adele is finding herself drawing a few parallels in her own situation.

The chapters of Run Time flick between Adele’s experience and the movie screenplay, which was sometimes a little confusing, but I got the hang of it after a while! The whole book gave me 90’s teen thriller vibes, akin to Scream, which was super fun! The story actually managed to freak me out in several places. It was extremely atmospheric and there were enough twists to keep the mystery of both storylines alive. This was a hard one to put down and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a bit of a different take on the horror genre!

Mind Twisting Suspense…
A horror movie being filmed deep in the forest of West Cork. ‘Final Draft’ - a psychological work of great suspense. Adele Rafferty, normally a soap star, has stepped in to play the lead. Will it be her big break…Or will it break her? Certainly, something is not quite right and the real horror may lie off the pages A book within a book, or rather a script within a book - this is a high concept, mind twisting suspense. Hooking the reader from the off as it sets down a tumultuous, rocky and disturbing path. It’s a hefty read, but never feels that way. Characters are well drawn and the plot convoluted while tensions are high and the pages swiftly turn. A first class thrill ride.

Thank you to Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for an ARC of this book.

4.5 stars.

This is my second Catherine Ryan Howard book; I read The Nothing Man last year and it blew me away. Therefore, I was so excited to receive an ARC of Howard's latest novel.

First things first: I couldn't put this down. I found myself trying to sneak a few pages in wherever I could throughout the day. Howard really knows how to hook her reader and keep her coming back for more.

About the story: too much of any synopsis here is going to sound utterly confusing, so I won't overdo it. This novel is very meta. But . . . don't let that turn you off if that's not your thing. It's easy to follow (and I'm saying that even though I read an ARC with minimal--and often poor--formatting. I'm sure the finished version, especially the print version, will be even easier to follow). It's about an actress who goes to shoot a film in a remote cabin in Ireland. The film is about a couple who . . . go to a remote cabin in Ireland and, once there, the fictional woman finds a book . . . that seems to reflect exactly what she's experiencing. It's totally creepy in places and anxiety-producing. The whole concept of a story within a story within a story is one I typically enjoy so I found this to be an interesting take on the genre.

It is true that you might see the major reveal coming (and I think, Ms Howard, you have provided us both twists and reveals here!) but that's okay. There are still lots of things to uncover and motivations to examine. Also, the end does seem to get away from the author a bit, but I think Howard is doing that intentionally. She's playing with our expectations and how we expect fictional narratives to be executed and resolved.

Overall, this is a clever book that takes the reader on a roller coaster of a ride. If you start it, be sure to have the time to finish it because Howard makes it impossible to put her books down. Have fun with this one!

AWESOME! Loved the plot and setting. The whole concept drew me in and I really enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

3.75
Really good typical thriller! Lots of twists and turns. Easy to read and hard to put down. I’ll certainly read more by this author.

Mystery and intrigue...love and romance...what will happen next? Why? Who did it? Red herrings...a main character who is intriguing but flawed...other characters who are not so likable...this story is unusual in that it is difficult to discern what will happen next. This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review electronically. The story does move slowly at times, but it comes to a satisfactory conclusion.

RUN TIME
BY: CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD

About 2.5 Stars

I discovered this author, Catherine Ryan Howard, when I by random chance I read and reviewed an early Advanced Readers Copy of her fabulous and unique novel which I loved, called "Distress Signals". That was her first book and it was fascinating and Unforgettable. I will insert a link to my review at the bottom, for those of you who may be interested. It has within it a link making her book all too real and quite terrifying. That one remains my favorite books of all time, but I wonder if it still would remain so highly esteemed so I am going to read it again after finishing this one. My second favorite of hers is called, "Rewind". I have read every single book that she has written, except for "56 days," having to do with the Pandemic, I believe, but escaped my radar.

This latest novel called, "Run Time," started out what I won't lie a bit hard to get into, but had some pretty well written horror scenes that scared me to death in the best sort of ways. Don't we all want to be terrified while reading a thriller?

Then the momentum was lost for me and it didn't quite work for me. One reason was the story within this story which was the movie script was annoying because it really only hinted at the main theme. It started to be a major distraction from the main plot where it started out to seem relevant but the more that I read I think that it just frustrated me to meander elsewhere. It just didn't seem like it belonged after a certain point. It wasn't important anymore at about three quarters towards the ending.

Catherine Ryan Howard is a gifted author and this had so much promise until explanations grew more outlandish. The script within this novel deviated from what it first presented itself to be to the point that it was underwhelming at best. At first I saw the similarity to the plot and by the end it seemed like it deviated from its original intention.

Adele travels from Los Angeles to revive her floundering acting to take a part without much notice and she travels to an isolated location in Cork County, Ireland. Some wonderful scary moments chilled me when she is left alone with the rest of the small male movie crew disappear without any clue to both Adele and at least this reader. The total isolation, loss of electricity and no cell service mixed in with the frigid temperature and the rain made for the creep factor. Especially when I got the sense that she might not be alone made for some great atmospheric chills.

When Adele made the harrowing journey out to the tar road and she didn't engage the police to take her seriously and when her fellow member of the film crew showed up with not being totally truthful is when I thought this was very unrealistic. It fell apart for me from the point he went up in the attic and was gone for so long is when I felt this book began to fall apart for me. Every scene after that strained credibility. I feel badly that I didn't love this but my rating is 2.5 stars. My review for "Distress Signals," can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Publication Date: August 16, 2022

I want to thank Net Galley, Catherine Ryan Howard and Blackstone Publishing for generously sharing an early review copy with me. I was excited to receive it and wish this author and Blackstone all of my best wishes. All opinions are my own.

#RunTime #CatherineRyanHoward #BlackstonePublishing #NetGalley

I am fully aware that someone may try to rob me knowing I have a copy of this book, and let me tell you, I would not blame them. It was THAT good.

I will be completely transparent, I requested this book based on the cover. It was eye catching and really got my attention. Little did I know the book would supersede all expectations.

Typically, I shy away from books that are over 500 pages as I feel they can be long and drag a bit. This is not the case for this book. I was not bored for even a second. This book instantly captivated my attention and put me on a wild ride I was in no hurry to get off of.

I completed this book over the course of two days and I call that a pretty fabulous weekend.

This is a character driven novel with a very detailed plot that will have you second guessing everything you think is happening. Catherine Ryan Howard, is a force to be reckoned with and this book deserves all of the hype surrounding it.

I will be recommending this book for years to come.

This is a book you do not want to miss, pre-order, and start your count down!

This wasn't my favorite Catherine Ryan Howard book, but it was really fun and fast-paced. I loved the interesting format and reading from the point of view of the main character Adele was enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

I hate to have to say this about a Catherine Ryan Howard novel, but this left me underwhelmed.

Adele is an actress who used to be on a famous Irish soap opera. Her star has plummeted to the ground in recent years, and she’s just about made the decision to quit following her dream...until an offer she can’t refuse presents itself.

The project is a horror movie called Final Draft (terrible title, which the book also acknowledges), and it will be shooting in Ireland. The director is desperate to have her after the previous actress left the project. The film will be shooting in the woods in a house that’s far from any main road or town.

What could possibly go wrong? A lot.

I am a HUGE fan of Howard’s books, and was quite sure this would be a winner…but it wasn’t. I saw where this was heading from a mile away, and even though there was one revelation towards the end that I didn’t know was coming, it was so OTT and unrealistic, and it just didn’t feel legit to me.

There’s also a lot of repetition, as this features a “script within a book”. We read excerpts of the script for Final Draft, and then something very similar happens to Adele while on location. It’s a bit gimmicky and didn’t really work for me.

The ending didn’t blow me away or really redeem itself. As one of the characters even states, “The explanation is actually…Well, it’s pretty mundane, don’t you think?” You got that right!

I will say that this is a super quick read, and despite the repetition, I was never really bored. It also has some great atmosphere, as I’m sure you can imagine when it involves a lone house in the middle of the forest. I probably wouldn’t have been so disappointed if my expectations weren’t sky high, but this was just a decent (not great) thriller to me. That being said, I’ll still be first in line for Howard’s next book, as I genuinely enjoy her writing style. I hope other readers love this one.

2.5 stars

Note to those reading the ARC: There seems to be at least partial sentences missing throughout the book. I don’t think it was enough to have difficulty following the story, but I found it interesting that it would go out to reviewers in such an unfinished state regardless of it being an ARC.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 8/16/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Another winner from Catherine Ryan Howard. Every twist and turn was surprising but came together to make a wonderful book.