Blake Crouch’s Run is a high-octane thriller that plunges readers into a terrifying apocalyptic scenario where survival is the only goal. The book grips you from the first page with its relentless pace and intense action sequences, but by the end, I couldn’t help but feel that it ran on a little longer than it should have (pun intended).

The story centers around the Colclough family, who are thrust into a nightmarish world after a mysterious event triggers widespread violence and chaos. As they flee across a landscape teeming with danger, the stakes are constantly high, and the tension rarely lets up. Crouch excels at creating an atmosphere of dread and desperation, and the storyline is undeniably exciting, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

However, despite the adrenaline-fueled narrative, I found it difficult to suspend disbelief when it came to the family’s journey. The idea that they would become separated in such a chaotic, apocalyptic setting and then somehow manage to find each other again felt too far-fetched. In a world where everything is falling apart, their reunion stretched the limits of plausibility.

Another aspect of the book that stood out was the sheer amount of pain the characters endure. The Colclough family goes through excruciating physical and emotional torment, and while this adds to the sense of urgency, it also becomes almost overwhelming at times. The relentless suffering left me feeling more drained than engaged as the story progressed.

In the end, Run is a thrilling ride, but one that might benefit from a tighter narrative and a more grounded approach to its characters’ journey. While the intensity of the plot is certainly a draw, the believability of the story and the unrelenting pain the family experiences can detract from the overall enjoyment. If you’re a fan of fast-paced thrillers and don’t mind a bit of disbelief, Run is still worth the read, but be prepared for a story that might push your endurance to its limits.

Thank you to #RandomHouse and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #Run. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Crouch has become a "must read" author for me and this re-release of one of his earlier books didn't disappoint. Set in (presumably) present day America, random, mass violence has erupted across the country and it's everyone for themselves. Jack, Dee and their kids, Naomi & Cole, barely escape their home in Albuquerque and start heading north. Along the way, they face unspeakable horrors, but they keep fighting for their lives and each other. This is a page-turning thriller that will keep you up late just to know what happens next.

Oh my gosh. I’m obsessed with these book. It is so well paced and engaging. It’s a story of survival and emotional strain. It bears the question of what would you do for those you love in a world of chaos. Well done Blake, well done!

Another amazing book from blake crouch. seriosuly do not know how he comes up with the stuff that he writes, because everytime I read one of his books I am just blown away.

I did not realize when requesting this ARC that it was an older published book by Blake Crouch. I loved Dark Matter and Recursion, this felt different and I could not understand why until realizing it was his early work.

I liked that it was fast paces and filled me with adrenaline. I wanted to keep reading to know what would happen next! It was graphic and vivid in that imagery. The beginning of the book kept me engaged but the second half of the book felt somewhat repetitive. Overall it was a simple palate cleanser, but not one of my favorites by this author.

Thank you for the ARC!

This story is about a man, his wife, his teenage daughter, and young son. The father's name was read on the Emergency Broadcast System from a list of people to be killed. Certain people from certain parts of the country are killing other people in massive numbers. They hunt them down and murder them with no questions. What is happening and why? These are the main questions from the reader who, like the characters, don't have an immediate answer.

The story keeps you on the edge of your seat from the beginning while cheering on the main characters as they dodge their killers at every turn while on the run. Everyone is suspicious as they don't know who to trust. It's fast pace with little "down time" for the reader, much like the characters.

No age range or family dynamic is off limits. If you are on that list, you and possibly your family dies. No questions asked. And the way they died was terrible. By any means.

There were moments in the book where I felt that the transitions weren't really smooth and a bit jumpy. Was that on purpose? I also expected more from the ending. I guess the sudden halt to the killings was to mimic the sudden start of the killings. And what about the son and his ability? Why? And that list soon became obsolete as one didn't really need it to know who to kill. I do wish there was more of an explanation to these killings than what was given. It didn't really satisfy me on those points.

This was a fun read. The premise is simple, the characters are believable, and the action is really good. This is one of those books that feels like your watching movie and the format without chapters or breaks really works. I could agree that the world building is light and some of the aspects of the story have major plot armor but I’ll forgive it given how engaging it is. I can see why this book is polarizing but if you like his other novels I would recommend this one.

Finally, does Blake Crouch own a car? He’s probably spending a lot of unnecessary maintenance money. A lot of the car nonsense was really over the top and unrealistic.

This book, as is in true Blake Crouch fashion, had me on the edge of my seat the whole ride. Set after an unknown “rage pandemic” blazes through the nation, it follows a family as they fight for survival and endure things no one person should ever endure. It showcases parents’ unconditional love and strength when it comes to protecting their family.

*this book had me FREAKED out for a majority of its pages. Quick read and will most definitely have you flying through it, rooting for the protagonists’ survival.

I found the title to be very apt. The Colclough family must keep running for their survival. Those who have seen the lights are trying to kill everyone. They don't know when or if they will ever be safe. Who can be trusted? What will happen when they run out of food or gas? What they do know is that they have to RUN to stay safe!

A good tense thriller. I liked the book overall and enjoyed the guessing. I will continue to read Blake.

Jack Colclough is listening over the battery-powered radio on his kitchen table in Albuquerque, and he just heard his name. People are coming to his house to kill him, his wife, his daughter, and his son.

He has no idea what’s happening or why, but the time for questions is long past. His only chance is to run.

HOLY SH*T!! This book held me in a death grip for the last two days!! I spent every spare minute with my face glued to the page, devouring words as quickly as possible, not wanting to put it down, NEEDING to know what would happen on the next page! INTENSE, TERRIFYING, VIOLENT, HEARTBREAKING, I never expected to experience such a wide array of feelings when I picked this one up... I'm not sure I can move on from this story. I fell in love with the MCs. My pulse raced when they ran, and skipped a beat when they stumbled. I held my breath, I cried, I prayed, and I was fully immersed in every word from page one!

There's definitely a reason Blake Crouch is a name I hear mentioned so often in the book groups I follow! He knows exactly how to draw you in and keep you there. Non-stop action! If I could rate this book 10; 100; 1000! stars, I would! PHENOMENAL READ!! Brilliant author!

For fans of dystopian, thrillers, and sci-fi/paranormal, Run is a nonstop action thrill ride. In addition to creative plotlines, the author is talented in character development, something sorely lacking in many thrillers and sci-fi novels. I recommend it highly.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

Another engrossing story from Blake Crouch featuring an atmospheric event that changes all who witnessed it into killers. One family runs for their lives from Colorado to Canada and the promise of safety. But it's a long way and there's danger around every turn. I loved this apocalyptic tale.

Always love a Blake Crouch novel. Just like all of his others, I flew threw this book and just thought "he's done it again!". Don't want to give too much away but fans will be thrilled.

I should’ve realized this was a re-release when I saw it but didn’t and was definitely disappointed. The story jumps really quickly from point to point without much exposition which may be what he was going for but it made for less investment in the characters. Overall the story is alright. Being almost 13 years old though, I’m not sure how relevant this review is.

Having read and loved “Dark Matter” and “Recursion” by Blake Crouch, I knew I would love “Run” too. This is a re-release of his first self published novel. While the quality of this book isn’t bad, you can tell there’s a difference and improvement in his more recent books.

This apocalyptic thriller was so fun and kept me engaged and locked in. I read it over the span of a few days, I was hooked! This book felt like a pretty accurate representation of what an actual apocalypse might be like- it was redundant in some spots, but that could be expected over days of travel, trying to cross a lot of ground. It can definitely be grim and gory in some spots, make sure to look up trigger warnings if that could bother you.

The ending was a bit quick and easily explained, but overall I really enjoyed this book! I fully recommend for fans of apocalyptic, action thrillers!

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and the author Blake Crouch for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love anything Blake Crouch writes and this is no different. I didn’t realize this is an older book being republished at first and enjoyed his newer work better but overall a great read.

It's been exactly one month since I read this book, in one sitting I might add, and I cannot stop thinking about it. This is a contender for best book I've read in 2024.

A picture of this book should go under the definition of "fast paced, edge of your seat thriller". When I tell you this starts with a bang and then never stops. Ever chapter seems to end with a cliffhanger, and I genuinely could not stop myself from finishing it in one sitting.

Crouch is one of my auto-buy authors, all of his books have been easy 5 stars for me and this one is my new favorite. Run follows a family who is on the run after something horrifying happens in the United States. People are turning on one another and brutally murdering each other. The president calls for peace, but it doesn't stop, it only creates these people to mobilize and continuing killing. You can't trust anyone and you have no idea where to turn to.

Run is gruesome, dark, and honestly I had nightmares for days following this. It's also full of emotion and I was rooting for this family to make it out of this crazy awful epidemic. Crouch truly wrote amazing characters and I think that's why I loved this book as much as I did. It was absolutely crazy and full of horrific scenes, but I loved the characters and was SO worried for them the entire book. The characters are imperfect and realistic.

Run is a non stop thrill ride that will have your stomach turning and whispering to yourself holy f*ck!?!?!

Absolutely phenomenal

The re-release of Blake Crouch’s first self published novel, Run, was quite a read. While the quality of the work is not bad by any means, you can tell the difference in improvement of the writing style in future books, such as the Wayward Pines Trilogy. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I recommend this fast paced thriller.

I didn't realize this book was a re-issue when I requested the ARC from NetGalley. I had previously read "Dark Matter" and enjoyed it. "Run" was like a rollercoaster with no end in sight. I literally got exhausted reading it, and so many chapters were more of the same -- the family running from one place to another, encountering violence at every stop, running some more, splitting up, getting back together, etc., etc. I started skimming through chapters because it was so much of the same thing. The ending was a little too contrived, but I actually welcomed it after all the chaos.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC and the opportunity to review this book.