Run is a relentless, high-octane thriller that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Blake Crouch delivers a terrifying post-apocalyptic chase story filled with suspense, danger, and heart-pounding action. The pacing is lightning-fast, and the stakes feel incredibly real as a family fights to survive in a world turned violent overnight. While the breakneck speed sometimes leaves little room for character depth, the sheer intensity and cinematic feel make it a gripping read. A must for fans of edge-of-your-seat thrillers.

I'm a huge Blake Crouch fan but his books are coming too fast now. The quality just isn't there and Run is the perfect example of this. It's thin on plot and characterization. It feels phoned it and worse, forgettable. I love his work, but I think he needs more time to craft his books.

I have really enjoyed previous books that I have read by Blake Crouch, and I found the plot of this one quite intriguing. The pacing was spot on, and it made me want to know what was going to happen next!

The book was thrilling, but I felt like it lacked character depth. I didn't really grow attached to the characters, so I didn't feel like i cared enough for their success. They are mostly unlikeable, but given the circumstances they found themselves in, that's understandable.

My biggest gripe about the book was the lack of explanation about why the murders occurred. It's theorized, but I didn't feel like it was enough. It left too many plot holes. Another gripe I had was the ending... it felt too abrupt. Almost as though the author was like "okay, I've got to end the book somehow, so I'm just going to end it now."

Alternatively titled "Riding around in my automobile"
Although filled with spooky vibes, the plot (goal) was ill defined with the main characters wandering about exclaiming, "Ah! Ah! Ah!" (paraphrasing)
The characters are also underdeveloped. Why should I care about Jack and family? Even some of the standard tricks weren't utilized. For example, readers usually cheer for the character that they start with. However, the book doesn't even start with Jack.
But put away your pitchforks. This was Crouch's first novel, and he has evolved as an author. For reference, Philip Pullman's first book was so bad that he doesn't even like talking about it, and it mysteriously disappears from his biography.
Everyone has to start somewhere. In Run, you can see the seeds of Crouch's brilliance, but it just isn't all there yet. And it will. It will. Check out Recursion, Dark Matter, or Upgrade!
*Thanks, NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

🚨 No time to think. No time to ask why. Only time to RUN. 🚨

That’s not just a catchy tagline—it’s your new mantra once you crack open Run, Blake Crouch’s heart-pounding, sleep-snatching thrill ride through a country gone berserk.

Let’s rewind this apocalyptic horror show:

Five days ago: People started snapping like twigs in a hurricane.

Four days ago: Random, brutal murders spread like wildfire.

Three days ago: The president pleaded for calm. Spoiler: it didn’t help.

Two days ago: The killers got organized (because that’s what nightmares do).

One day ago: America’s power grid went poof.

Tonight: The Emergency Broadcast System is reading out hit lists. And guess who’s on it? Jack Colclough and his family.

With his name echoing from a crackling battery-powered radio, Jack knows two things: people are coming to kill them—and there’s no time for answers. Only escape. NOW.

What follows is a non-stop, adrenaline-soaked dash through a country tearing itself apart. Run isn’t just a title—it’s a command, a mood, a 300-page sprint through chaos. Crouch ditches fluff and dives headfirst into the mayhem, dragging you along whether you’re ready or not.

Think The Purge meets The Road, with just enough eerie realism to make you glance nervously at your radio.

If you’re a fan of smart sci-fi, apocalyptic dread, or just enjoy books that make your pulse race faster than a caffeine overdose, Run is your jam. The story gripped me like a vice and didn’t let go until the very last page.

Final verdict? ★★★★☆ (and that missing star is only because I’m still catching my breath). Highly recommend—just make sure you don’t start it right before bed. Or before a road trip. Or ever, if you’re easily spooked by radio static.

What would you do if your name came over the airwaves?

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a thriller full of action. We follow a family running for their lives after something causes some people to turn into murderers.

This book was originally from 2011ish and is now being republished.

I enjoyed this book. It was very fast paced and full of action. The action starts pretty much page one and just never lets up. I was definitely stressed throughout this book.

This book reminded me of shows like the walking dead. This definitely reminds me of books that were written in the early 2010s.

This book did lack a bit of depth for me. It was just full action the whole time so I wish it would’ve been a little deeper.

If you’re looking for something super fast paced and full of action, I would recommend this one!

Run
Blake Crouch
4.5⭐️

Pub Date: 10/22/2024

This book gave me SO MUCH ANXIETY! If you're looking for a that will give you the perfect amount of discomfort and curiosity, this one may be for you. I was in such a limbo of wanting to read it and also not because of how it makes me feel. There's a supernatural aspect to this, the reason why they're on the run, but the bulk of this is for sure a thriller. Basically, the whole plot revolves around a family of 4 being on the run. For the whole duration of this book. But I really enjoyed the tidbits in between where it also showed survival and camping in the woods/mountains, the little events where the family almost broke apart and how they all found solidarity again because of their situation. It's not all hopelessness which I truly truly appreciate. I wouldn't have had the guts to finish this book if that was the case. The writing style was so effective as you can tell from my initial statements. The whole mystery though of why the plot happened was not fully explained. It kind of annoyed me but also I also kind of enjoyed not knowing the full truth. The ending was decent. I don't think I can say that it's open ended but I'm not sure what exactly happened. I assumed things so I can make my peace with it. I hope I'm right.

I think I was thinking about this plot a lot that I had a semi-nightmare one time 🫢

Thank you @netgalley and Ballatine Books for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books, thanks so much for the ARC! WOW I love Black Crouch as an author - his books make me think, feel ad sweat. Once I got into this book, the time FLEW by. I actually couldn't put it down. This isn't typically a genre I gravitate towards (post-apocalyptical) but I'm glad that I was able to read this one.

Thank you so much, Netgalley, for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Following a family of four who flee their hometown in the middle of the night due to massive killing sprees taking place in the US and Mexico, Jack, his wife Dee, and their two kids Naomi and Cole, must embark on a journey where safety is a mystery and fear is hiding around every corner. It's a story akin to works like "The Road" and "The Last of Us" making us witness and reconcile with what one would do to keep their family safe under any circumstances.

While this, in theory, is a really amazing plot, I felt like a lot of it fell flat for me. I didn't find the story to be very original, and a lot of the comparisons I was making while reading were far more enjoyable than this read. I don't think it was poorly written, but I wasn't exactly attached to any of our characters, so the stakes felt low. It was very short and fast in my experience, and I would still recommend this to those who want something fast and entertaining to hold their attention.

Run by Blake Crouch is a gripping, high-octane thriller that plunges readers into a terrifying post-apocalyptic scenario where survival hinges on speed and trust. Crouch excels at maintaining relentless tension, and his brisk pacing keeps the pages flying. The emotional stakes feel real, particularly in the portrayal of a fractured family forced to flee across a devastated America. While the plot occasionally leans on familiar tropes and the character development can feel rushed at times, the sheer intensity and cinematic quality of the narrative make it a compelling read. A solid 4-star thrill ride for fans of fast-paced dystopian fiction.

Thank you @Netgalley for my #gifted digital copy of Run in exchange for an honest review.

“There is no decent place to stand in a massacre.”

One family escapes their town as much of the population seems to be affected with some sort of condition. Those who have it are going on massive murderous rampages. The power is out, the internet is out, and every person is a threat.

The family of four drives around a lot, looking for safety and evading randos who just want to kill for seemingly no reason.

I loved Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter and enjoyed Pines, so I was excited for the chance to read one of his first novels with its re-release and new cover.

The premise of this story is great. Feels like The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, basically a zombie apocalypse except no zombies. Being an early work, it makes sense that the dialogue felt kind of fragmented and I didn’t feel particularly connected with the characters.

The pacing was fast, and I finished this in one day! I was never bored. However, I wanted the family to do more than just constantly encounter the same kind of dangerous people. It needed something to set it apart from those other storylines that are similar. Starve, run, fight off violent people, starve some more.

Overall, this was the start of Crouch’s voice, and it’s neat to see how his storytelling has evolved.

Thank you, NetGalley and Blake Crouch for this eARC! Blake Crouch is truly one of the masterminds of writing and designing suspenseful plots.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Run in exchange for my honest review. I always appreciate the chance to check out new thrillers, especially when they are by Blake Crouch. While this one definitely kept the pages turning with its quick pace, a Crouch signature, it just didn't quite grab me the way his more recent books have. I found myself wishing for a bit more depth with the characters, and the story, While exciting, didn't have that same intricate, mind-blowing quality I've come to love in books like Dark Matter and Recursion. It's a solid read if you're looking for something fast-paced, but personally, I think his later work blows this one out of the water.

I really enjoyed the suspense and edge-of-your-seat feel that this book had a moments. However, most of the book felt incredibly slow and the I didn’t care for the characters. I didn’t find myself rooting for them like in other Blake Crouch novels.

thank you to netgalley & ballantine books for this digital copy!

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY ↡
🔪 apocalyptic thrillers
📕 fast-paced action
🫣 gory plots

REVIEW ↡
i have such a love/hate relationship with this book. i was hooked by the suspense of the story and needed to know how everything would resolve, but it was also so dark and disturbing!! this was my first and probably last apocalypse-type thriller. it was extremely stressful and certain details were very gory. but blake crouch definitely knows how to write a compelling novel that will keep you hooked!! i wish the ending had more closure and details to explain the rollercoaster i had just read about LOL. but overall it was definitely well written and a crazy ride!

Kept me entertained and engaged - I think the book was just the right length, anymore would have made the story tiresome. Ending was a little meh, but overall, good for a quick, page turner!

The Run by Blake Crouch is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller with a strong sense of urgency. The plot moves quickly, keeping you engaged, and there are some solid twists along the way. It’s an entertaining and satisfying read for fans of high-stakes suspense.

For some reason I thought this was a new book so I excitedly requested it but come to find out my best friend read it almost a decade ago. I can certainly see why people love this book however it just wasn't my favorite. It was too much of a wild ride for me that ended up feeling repetitive in a way. I'm also really picky about books with apocalyptic/crazy town vibes. That being sad I thought it was decent, just not my fave of Crouch's books.

This book is very quick and easy to read. A apocalyptic thriller, each chapter is filled with intensity. I love Blake Crouch's other books so this one was a disappointment for me. I did want more from the characters, however I did enjoy the high stakes survival elements.
The story kicks off with something strange happening to the population, and suddenly this family need to go on the run to save their lives as the population is on the hunt for them.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. After reading and living Dark Matter, Recursion and Upgrade, Blake Crouch has become an auto-buy author for me. One of my favorite things about his books is that they are tense from beginning to end. That was mostly true of Run, though there were some slower moments where the reader could catch their breath. It wasn't my favorite BC book, but overall the tension was there, making this a quick, exciting read.