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Member Reviews

I loved Dark Matter and apocalypse fiction is my jam, so I was so excited to dive into a new novel by Blake Crouch!

This story is pretty dark, even for Crouch. From the opening, the reader is thrust into the world of chaos as it descends upon our characters. The short version is that Jack Colclough is a husband and a father in New Mexico, and people are coming to find him and kill him and his family. He does not know why, and he has no where to go. All Jack knows is they need to RUN (hence, the title!).

One of the things that endears me to Crouch is that all of his book's center around the importance of family and loved ones, and this book is an epitome of that theme. Like I said though, it is dark, so check your trigger warnings!


Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Blake Crouch for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I read this book very quickly - it was definitely a page turner (and a bit more gory than I’m used to) - and my only complaint is that it resembles a lot of other end of the world/family in the run tropes that are popular today. However since this book was written a while back I can’t blame the author for that.

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Blake Crouch is one of my favorite authors and I was ecstatic when I got a copy of Run. This book will grab you by the face in the first chapter and drag you around by your eye sockets until it finally releases you at the last page. If you can actually stop reading this book you have more personal strength than me - I'm glad I started reading this early in the day because I finished it all in one day and I don't know if I could have gone to sleep without knowing how it ended. This book is also super relevant to real life right now - so many people that have "seen the light" that are now out to destroy the lives of others - so reality made the book that much scarier. Highly recommend, you won't be able to put it down.

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The country is in chaos as citizens are killing each other and burning towns to the ground. A voice on the radio announces that Jack Colclough is a target for the next hit. Jack's only course of action is to immediately pack up his family and run. It is the only way to save them.

I had a hard time reviewing this book because while I like the premise and Crouch is an incredible storyteller, I just don't think this story was for me. As a parent to young kids in 2024, this story feels all too real and terrifying. It was a little too gruesome for me as well. I will continue to read everything by Crouch, but this one made me very uncomfortable and scared.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of Run.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher. This is a reprint of a book Blake Crouch published in 2011.

This is definitely not my favorite of his as I couldn’t even finish it. I tried a few times and couldn’t get past 30% which is a great deal of this shorter novel.

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I have read and LOVED many of Blake Crouch’s books, so I was incredibly excited to be approved for this eARC of the re-release of his debut novel, Run. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t a hit for me.

The premise of the book gripped me right away! Increasing masses of Americans are mobilizing for an indiscriminate murder spree, for no discernible reason. No one is safe, and Jack Colclough makes the decision to flee with his wife and two children. What follows is fast-paced, disturbing, pure chaos.

I sped through this book, because it truly is an edge-of-your-seat thriller! However, beyond the pacing, I found it to be lacking. There wasn’t much character development, and I really didn’t get attached to the main characters. It also became somewhat repetitive, with the family doing the same things over and over again seeking safety. It became rather predictable, and had it not been for the pacing, it would have been a bit dull.

Knowing this was Crouch’s debut novel, I have to give credit where credit is due! While I felt it needed more refinement, Run shows the beginning of the inner workings of the author’s mind. I can see how this has developed into the books of his I know and love (and recommend to everyone!). I’m excited to continue to read through Blake Crouch’s backlist.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC!

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thank you netgalley for the e-arc. gotta love crouch and a post-apocalyptic thriller! i was hooked from the beginning and loved the ending.

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4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Run
Author: Blake Crouch
Thriller

This was a re release from 2011! Fast paced as f, in true Blake fashion. If you want a quick read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this one is for you. Bizarre murders start happening all over the country, and we follow a family desperate to escape and stay safe, while trying to figure out what is going on. When they start broadcasting the names of people they need to kill, our main character, Jackson, name is read. What is going on? I love Blake’s books and this one did not disappoint. Curious if anything was changed for the re release. Either way, a fun thriller read if you’re in the mood for something anxiety inducing. 😂. Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

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Did not finish this book. I really enjoyed Crouch’s Recursion, it was a 5 star read for me, but this book isn’t it.

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😰 Run by Blake Couch 😰

Pages: 336
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5️⃣
Book Goal 2024: 110/100

✨Did you go and look at the northern lights when they were more visible ?✨

Wow this book! When I requested it, I didn’t realize it was one of Blake’s previous writings but I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. This world is in a weird place right now and it almost felt like the perfect apocalyptic story to read.

I felt like I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book and was just waiting to find out why things were happening!

I felt for this family and the horrors that occurred for many others. I felt the raw emotion that came through the pages from the characters. It was a wild run.

Highly recommend for a quick, world chaos read for my thriller or horror friends.

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I'm not much a fan of apocalyptic thrillers but Blake Crouch wrote this one well and I was invested from beginning to end!

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Jack and Dee’s marriage is on the rocks and Dee is now sleeping with Kieran. Then one day Jack hears on his radio that a group of people have targeted him and are coming to his house to kill him, Dee, and their kids (Naomi and Cole) and they decide that they need to hop in their car and run away from their New Mexico town. On their way out of town Kieran catches up and is one of those trying to kill the whole family. Somehow, an atmospheric phenomenon has made a large segment of the US population into heartless mass murders and Jack and his family are on the run trying to figure out how to survive in this new dangerous world, and maybe find more of their own kind.

This was a propulsive crazy adventure to read. Dystopian novels are not my usual choice but I like Crouch’s work and I wanted to read this one (I didn’t realize it was a reissue when I requested it from NetGalley). It was hard to put down but, like most dystopian works, very depressing (and not necessarily what I should be picking up a week after a difficult and divisive election). I partially read it fast because I needed to know what was going to happen next and partially because I needed to get out of that world as fast as I could (I too wanted to run). This one is not a “have to” read but it is a roller coaster of a ride if you like that. I actually think it would make a fantastic movie.

3.75 stars

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC to review

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I was so excited to read Run as I have read wayward wines before by Blake and I was disappointed with this one.

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I like Blake Crouch's other books but I struggled to get into this one and it was a little too violent for me to read at this time in my life so I had to set it down a little bit into it. It just wasn't my vibe.

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Unfortunately, I will be giving this a 2 simply because I finished it even though it was hard too. The way the book kept going with a story but still felt like there was no story and not any reason as to why any of it was happening boggled me. I love Blake Crouch's writing but this didn't feel like his previous works.

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I requested this book because I loved Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and I also enjoyed this story. It is a bit predictable, but I felt it is still entertaining as a popcorn thriller.

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I think this should have been closer to novella length. While the premise was interesting and the story kept me engaged enough to continuing reading, I didn't form any connection to the characters. I thought the reason for why people starting acting abnormal was thin and not that exciting or interesting; there's only a few sentences to why they start attacking others but nothing on how it works. Ultimately, just not my favorite Crouch book.

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I loved dark matter so I had high expectations for this one . I found it repetitive , the constant seeking food and gas . It felt like an action packed movie . I didn’t like any of the characters , they weren’t developed well .
Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I have read several of Blake Crouch's novels, however this one didn't really do it for me. I had a really hard time getting into it and then a hard time to keep it going. It was fun at times and fast paced, but it wasn't one of my favorites.

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Blake Crouch is one of my fav authors. However this is not a favorite of mine. It was entertaining and easy to read. Action as soon as you start reading, different from some of his other novels which take time to develop. It was disturbing and apocalyptic. But this was forgettable. I didn’t find this memorable or even something i was excited to pick up.

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