I can hardly think of a book more perfectly titled than this one. The entire story is non stop action of a family running from something terrible. It takes a long time to know what the terrible thing is and the action picks up even more after that. This is a hard book to read and a harder book to put down. I'm a big fan of Blake Crouch and this is a reprint of one of his earliest books from 2011. Reading it, you can see his development as an author and the beginning of his foray into speculative stories. While his later stories have better development, this is still an interesting story to read, and if you are a Blake Crouch fan and missed this one, I would recommend picking it up.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ecopy. My opinion is my own.

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Run by Blake Crouch from Ballantine Books via NetGalley. This book was first published in 2011. It is out again now!

Run by Blake Crouch gave me an anxiety attack from the first few lines. Run is an apt title because that is exactly what I wanted to do from the very start. If you read a synopsis in advance, you might have an idea of what is happening in the beginning. I did not do that, and I suggest you don't either. It is much better to let the story unfurl as the characters learn. It ramps up the intensity. I also probably should not have read this right before the election because things were already tense. This book did not help matters. Without giving too much away, the book is rooted in science fiction but could easily happen in real life, the only difference would be the cause. If you are already spiraling, maybe save this one for later. But if you are ready to RUN, I'd pick this up right now.

Sometimes Crouch is too smart for me to follow his books as closely as they deserve to be read. I still absolutely love them, however. So what I’m about to say is A COMPLIMENT even if it doesn’t sound like it. Run was an easy read. It wasn’t anything superbly complex. However, it was still riveting. You get so involved with Jack and his family. The tension and fear is palpable through the writing. You can tell Crouch has leaned further into his creativity with his more recently written novels, where this one is more straightforward. (Like I said, not a bad thing!!!) I think this would be the perfect book for someone to dive into his work.

I really enjoyed this book despite not having any idea what it was about initially. It was a wild ride and different from Blake's current books, but I found it exciting. It have end of the world, apocalyptic vibes, and reminded me of the movie The Purge, which I couldn't even watch. It did a great job of giving me mild anxiety imagining if our world ever came to this.

This was definitely a page turner and I finished it quickly in one day. With peak aurora season coming upon us it definitely was a fun speculative read. I had SOOOO many questions though and I would have enjoyed this story more had these questions been answered. I felt like we were just thrown into this apocalyptic world and it often times different turns felt a bit abrupt. Overall, a fun read though. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publsiher for this digital read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC (but apparently previously published?) title by Blake Crouch. I’ve enjoyed Crouch’s other novels and this one did not disappoint. It was very fast paced, edge of your seat action. I don’t typically enjoy apocalyptic stories but I really enjoyed this one. Will definitely recommend to patrons and fans!

Run By Blake Crouch is a sci-fi thriller novel set in a dystopian like society where some humans start becoming violent, after witnessing an aurora borealis. I've read several of this author's other books so I was very excited to read this ARC, its unfortunate that some didn't seem to appreciate it as much.

Blake Crouch is known for incorporating scientific ideas like alternate universes and advanced technology in his stories. That being said the plot in this story felt fresh and unique which is something I really enjoyed from this particular novel. Its refreshing to read something that is clearly fiction, but still has this "realness" to it. I wouldn't call this a horror story per say, but just asking yourself, "what if this happened" is fear inducing enough.

The author does a fantastic job with pacing and had me immersed in the story from beginning to end. Not many books can grab my attention so quickly, but this novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. At one point it gets a little predictable as we see the protagonists constantly get out of these "impossible " binds, and you start to ask yourself how they manage to survive, but this is a fictional story and I feel like its common for this authors stories to wrap up pretty well, especially when family is involved.

Ultimately Run is a story about a fractured marriage, and a family trying to survive in this new aggressive world, where those who didn't witness the aurora are hunted and killed. The characters are unlikable as the story begins, but you learn to appreciate them as you see the love they have for each other grow as they try to survive. This ones for you if you like high stakes novels that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Run by Blake Crouch - ★★★☆☆

Blake Crouch's survival thriller "Run" struggles with pacing issues but eventually delivers an engaging story. The first half suffers from repetitive chase sequences and frustratingly withheld context about why the world has suddenly changed. However, the final 40% picks up significantly, introducing more varied challenges and meaningful exploration of family dynamics.

While Crouch excels at painting vivid pictures of the Western landscape, the children remain underdeveloped throughout. The book's dark twist on the northern lights may unfortunately taint readers' appreciation of this natural phenomenon.

Bottom line: A slow-burning thriller that rewards patient readers, though it could have benefited from tighter pacing and better character development.

Jack, his wife, and two kids are on the run, trying to survive and find a safe place to go during a rage epidemic. For some reason, half the people in the US are murdering the other half.

Questionable decision to pick this one up during election week. But, I was able to use it to escape reality. This book starts at 100 mph and the pace does not let up. It's one of those books where your smart watch thinks you're exercising, but you're just sitting there reading a book. (Just like T. J. Newman's books)

QUICK GLANCE-
My format- ebook
Other Formats- 📖Physical (306 pages) 🎧Audio (8 hours and 48 minutes)
Spice: 🚫
Language: 🤐🤐 moderate
⚠️Lots of TW for this one... see below

I absolutely LOVED Dark Matter so I jumped at the chance to read this! I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this one! It felt like a movie was playing out in my head and I was on the edge of my seat the entire read. Crouch does an excellent job of painting vivid and terrifying scenarios, making the reader feel like they're right there with the Colclough family. While the concept of RUN might require some suspension of disbelief, the masterful storytelling and the raw emotion embedded in this story make it a thrilling ride worth taking.

I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt and I wanted a little more about why the aurora affected certain people but overall, I recommend it if you’ve enjoyed his other novels or are looking for a suspenseful story about family and survival.

🏃‍♂️ Do you think you’d survive an apocalypse?

Post-apocalyptic stories
Survival fiction
Family drama
End of the world scenarios

CW:⚠️ infidelity, mass execution, murder, violence, torture, gun violence, grief, child death, physical abuse, medical trauma, car accident, suicide

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books, and Blake Crouch for allowing me to review this face paced sci-fi thriller. This is an earlier book that has been reprinted. I feel like this book is well written and still a great sci-fi thriller, but I could tell it was one of his earlier books. He has grown as a writer and storyteller, but you can still see the heart of who he is in this earlier book of his. If you love Blake Crouch books then give this one a try too. It is well worth the read. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Thank you again for allowing me to review this book.

Quite underwhelmed by this one. I understand that Blake Crouch’s previous works are popular (big fan of Dark Matter and Recursion) so a republish of his first book doesn’t seem like a bad idea on the surface but it only highlighted how much better of a storyteller Crouch has become since. I could not find it in myself to care for the characters and with essentially the whole plot taking place in a car I felt like the least the story could have would be characters easy to connect with.

Of course this will not discourage me from continuing to pick up and enjoy Crouch’s subsequent releases but I am grateful to see that he evolved past this.

Could've been better but I've definitely read worse. lol. The ending was just...terrible. And it started off SO interesting!! Reminded me of the M. Night Shyamalan movie The Happening. P.S. That's not an alien on the cover (old cover).

I really enjoy Blake Crouch's novels. This was a political thriller, which, although different from some of his other books, was just as good. it kept me guessing as I read the story right up to the end.

If you’ve seen the movie The Crazies this felt like that. Some auroral phenomena happens and the towns people who saw the lights go on a violent streak creating mass genocide and destruction. A family of four is on the run trying to survive in the apocalyptic thriller. It’s very mundane as you’re following them trying to get to a safe place with some thrilling components. I loved Blake Crouch’s newer SciFi thrillers but this one didn’t hit like those ones did.

Update: TikTok review posted 11-7.
Fast-paced, intense, horrific, and real. Run had me in a chokehold from the beginning with muscular, vivid writing that doesn’t hold back. Crouch is a master at immersive storytelling. Every detail of this is real to me.

When Jack's name is read out on the radio, he and his wife and children go on the run.  This novel's hair-raising, horrific, and heartfelt. The breakneck pace kept me captivated. I couldn't look away. The book took me on an emotional journey through a nightmare event and a marriage. It's a high-impact experience.

There were implausible instances and the ending frame dialogue struck an odd note, yet the novel kept me engaged with relatable characters and excruciating suspense.

Highly recommended to readers of dystopian, apocalyptic, horror, and speculative fiction.

Blake Crouch’s Run is a relentless, high-octane thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story follows a family caught in a life-or-death situation after an inexplicable disaster, and the pacing never lets up. What I loved most was how quickly the tension escalates, there’s a real sense of urgency as the characters are forced to make impossible choices to survive. Crouch does an excellent job of blending suspense and sci-fi elements, keeping me hooked with each unexpected twist.

What really set this book apart, though, was the emotional depth woven into the action. While the plot is filled with pulse-pounding moments, it’s the relationships between the characters that give the story its heart. The family dynamics feel real, and I found myself genuinely invested in their fate, which made the stakes feel even higher. Crouch nails that balance between gripping action and emotional resonance, creating a thriller that’s not only thrilling but also thought-provoking. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, emotionally charged read, *Run* is definitely worth picking up.

This book was right up my alley, one of my favorite genres, apocalypse related. Could hardly put this down to sleep because I could not wait to see what was going to happen next. It started to give me Purge vibes a bit at the start but then ended up being pretty different.

Jack, his wife Dee, and their two kids are on the run. They have to get away from those that are affected, and fast if they want to stay alive. Those that are affected are wreaking havoc traveling through and the scene they leave behind is not pretty. Supplies are getting harder and harder to come by, food, water, and even places to sleep become harder and harder to find. Will they all make it through this alive?

Ride along with Jack, Dee and the kids on this wild adventure trying to keep everyone alive.

Thank you NetGalley, and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this book. This was a fast-paced, easy-to-read, and occasionally unsettling apocalyptic thriller. The action in each chapter was powerful and even challenging to read. This narrative emphasizes the protagonists' bravery, fortitude, and perseverance in overcoming adversity. Please understand that while each chapter was equally captivating and thrilling as the next, the book as a whole was lacking. This novel did not make the favorites list, even though I adore Blake Crouch and his other works. After reading the entire book, several portions of the plot didn't make sense since they didn't fit together well. It is a quick read, so I would recommend it to those who are looking for an easy palette cleanser in the thriller genre. The plot although has been done over and over again, it's not like anything I've read before, so it has that going for it. I was entertained throughout the book; I could guess what would happen next since the plot did become repetitive. 3/5 stars, not Blake's best work in my opinion. I would recommend his other books, especially Dark Matter.

A really good read by Blake Crouch! .I can tell it was one of his earlier books, but it was still a good read. I wish there was more closure though