RUN by Blake Crouch is a heart thumping action story about a family escaping an apocalyptic event. The story comes together but felt a little far outside of what was reasonable at times. Overall, enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! RUN is out now!

Run by Blake Crouch, Published by Ballantine Books on October 22, 2024, is an Adult, Science fiction, Survival Thriller. We see a family watching television and start to see caption after caption, reading something like, "45 Dead in Mass Shooting at a Church in Columbia, South Carolina."
And then you hear a woman on the local radio station reading off the names of people to be killed, such as, "Jim Barbour....His address is Two Carpenter Court.....and while you're in the neighborhood, stop by the home of Jack Colclough, a professor of philosophy at UNM. He lives at 1414 Arroyo Way. Go now."
And YOU'RE Jack Colclough, living on Arroyo Way in New Mexico with your wife Dee, 14-year-old daughter Naomi, and 7-year-old son Cole. What do you do? You pack food, water, clothes, a road map, weapons, gas cans, camping equipment, etc.....and you RUN.
Jack, Dee, Naomi, and Cole load up their Land Rover and aren't even out of their driveway before they see the headlights heading for their house, with gunshots erupting into the night.
All Jack and Dee know is that five days ago, a good portion of the American population went insane. Affected people got out their rifles, handguns, knives, axes, chain-saws, and other killing tools.....and they began hunting down and murdering 'normal' people.
As you are reading, you can anticipate the family's adventure: they need to find food and gas; they're constantly under threat; they have good luck; they have bad luck; there are injuries; there are separations; there are reunions; they see horrible things; they experience terrible things; and so on.
Jack, Dee, Naomi, and Cole are average people with no special skills. However, they show remarkable resilience in unimaginable circumstances. They also have to deal with family drama because Jack and Dee's relationship was strained before their flight from New Mexico, with Jack staying in the guest room for months.
The interminable run and chase - isn't my favorite theme. In addition, the manic scenes of peril are interspersed with slow sections of the Colcloughs driving, looking for shelter, camping, preparing food, and the like, making fast and slow sections.
I thought the family would get somewhere and everything would be elucidated, but that's not quite the case. There IS an explanation of what happened, but the climax and denouement of the novel aren't completely satisfying. Still, this is a good first book by our beloved Blake Crouch. It is worth the read and is definitely for fans of his adventure stories.

OMG What did I just read?!!? This was sooooo good and terrifying at the same time! Blake Crouch has done it again and now goes to my always-read list! I can't wait to see what he comes up with next, it is sure to scare me to death!

#Run
#NetGalley

Run was my first Blake Crouch novel and I expected a lot from it because of the constant circulation of high praise revolving around Crouch and his various works. I am also aware that Run was his first novel and therefore may not be his best. That especially became clear to me after getting halfway through the book and feeling the redundancies littered through every chapter. I was really enjoying myself up to that point and then… I wasn’t.

It seemed to me that Crouch lost his direction while writing Run because it had such a strong start and then slowly petered out until the mostly satisfactory ending. It was also not easy for me to connect with and/or care about his characters because we know almost nothing about them except for the various infidelities between the two adults and the whiny natures of the two children. If there had been better character development, it is possible I would have been more invested from the offset.

However, what Crouch does really well is pull you into a story even when you don’t think you’ll be that enthralled by the characters themselves. His writing style perfectly suited the content of the novel and held my interest the entire time even when I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I wanted to.

I look forward to reading many more of his novels in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, this book stressed me out much more than any book in recent memory. A strange aurora borealis occurs one night, and those who witnessed it suddenly change into bloodthirsty killers, hunting down anyone who did not witness the phenomenon. We follow a family, Jack, Dee, and their two children, as they flee their home to try to survive.

Maybe it's the fact that I have two children and felt like I could see myself in the characters, or maybe it's the fact that the whole time I was reading the book I just kept thinking how I would die immediately, but whatever it was, I was stressed the F out while reading this.  That tension is something that I really commend the author on, especially as this must have been one of his first books.

I did have some issues with the book, though. I felt like I was getting whiplash from the pacing. One minute, I'm sweating, then we spend some time where not much happens, and it's a bit slow. Once we start feeling comfortable, boom, we're stressed again. It was also kind of depressing, and I just found myself feeling unhappy when reading it 😅 There were also some things that happened that weren't really believable to me (aside from the murderous light show, I'm okay with that).  The Goodreads synopsis seemed to give slightly more information than I got from the book, so either I missed a chapter or a lot was rewritten (both are equally possible).

Overall, it wasn't a bad book by any means. I just wasn't in love with it.

Okay Run was INTENSE! I’m so glad this Blake Crouch backlist read is getting new life because it’s absolutely deserving. It reminded me of The Last of Us in the best way—if you liked that show, definitely pick up this book!

Plot: Amid random mass killings in Albuquerque, Jack and his family are among those being targeted? Why? He doesn’t know but knows they need to get out and get out fast. His family takes the road trip of nightmares as they attempt to find safety in the midst of mass chaos.

This is one of those books that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It’s a fast read you can fly through and will keep you in suspense throughout. The character development was surprisingly strong and I enjoyed experiencing the shifting family dynamics as they fought for survival together. Like many crouch books, I’d love to see this one on the big screen!

Thank you so much to Ballantine Books, Blake Crouch, and NetGalley for the ARC of Run!

I didn’t realize until after I finished that this is one of Blake Crouch’s earlier novels. As such, his newer work is definitely more sophisticated, but I still enjoyed this one. It starts off kind of slow, but then the action picks up and never lets go. It makes you think about what you would do in a similar situation. My only complaint here is that you need to suspend your disbelief BIG time, and it jarred me out of the story a few times. Still, this will have you on the edge of your seat, and it’s a crazy, thrilling ride.

Imagine: You know you need to leave, so you’re hurriedly packing everything up, when you hear your name and address read over the radio as the next person to die.

They are coming. And they won’t hesitate to kill you, your spouse and your children.

You better run.

I've heard great things about Blake Crouch for a long time. This is a must for anyone who enjoys apocalyptic scenarios. It made me think and had me rooting for the main characters to finally make it. It is violent in spots and downright heartbreaking. It reflects the love of a family against all odds.

Really a 4.5 star read rounded down-

Unlike the Blake Crouch novels I had read in the past, this one did not give me a migraine with a complicated but well constructed piece of sci-fi science. Instead, "Run" favors a different form of messing with the mind.

This is a fast-paced and addictive read. The opening "chapters" are brief but engaging, a surefire hook into the running sprint this novel moves at.

The way the narrative is broken down made me read the novel way faster than I intended.

It's sad, especially given the first few world events of 2025. The events in this book hit a little too close to home- It's not going to be an uplifting read.

The desperation and pain bleeding through every sentence from chapter one.

I'd reccomend this to any thriller or even horror reader.

I didn’t like this like I did the newer Crouch novels. I’ll keep reading him though! He’s a great author.

Blake Crouch has a way of bending your mind as you read each and every word on the pages of his novels. Descriptive writing is his strongest suit for readers who are able to play the plot in their minds as they read. I will never not read a book written by Blake.

My least favorite Blake Crouch book to date but also one of his earliest so I’m willing to give it 3 stars because I loved his more recent works.

Run is an appropriate title for this books since that’s pretty much what happens the whole time. We don’t get an easing into the plot and instead action starts right away. It’s well paced and kept me mostly engaged. That ending felt abrupt and I don’t feel like I got enough closure.

Jack, Dee and his two children Cole and Naomi are forced to flee Albuquerque after a rash of sudden and violent killings and overall destruction. A mysterious aura had appeared in the night and those that saw it were affected by the urge to kill and destroy. This book follows the family of four as they try to make their way toward potential salvation in Canada, but encounter many bloodthirsty villains and obstacles along the way.

This is Blake Crouch's first novel, originally published in 2011. So it's a bit rough. I think the idea of the story is great, but the execution is not 100%. However, this a great effort for a first book and it's a quick and easy read. Lots of killing, so if you are not into that, skip it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of this book.

Run is a gripping dystopian thriller about the Colclough family’s fight to survive after a deadly event turns people murderous. As they flee their home, the action intensifies, keeping readers hooked. The family dynamics are well-written, but the characters could use more depth. A fast-paced, suspenseful novel with graphic violence, perfect for fans of thrilling survival stories.

first i want to say i am a big fan of Blake Crouch, he can write well in all genres but i am not the biggest fan of zombie apocalypse books.
That being said this was a page turner so if you like zombie books and what is takes to get away you will like this book

Originally, Blake Crouch was an independent author and self-published a few novels. Crouch published Run in 2011, and it has just been re-released by Ballantine Books. I am a fan of Crouch’s recent books, but I have never dived into his backlist. So I was excited to see what his older novels are like.

Run is a dystopian thriller/survival horror novel about an event that suddenly affects large portions of the U.S. Run chronicles the Colclough family’s fight to survive after an atmospheric event causes everyone who sees it to become murderous overnight. Because they slept through the event, the Colclough family must leave their home in the middle of the night and embark on a perilous journey to find safety, without knowing where safety lies.

From the other reviews I have read, it seems that opinions are split about Run. Personally, I think the book has a very intriguing concept that I have not previously encountered in any kind of media. While I would not call Run brilliant, I am still thinking about it months later, which I consider a hallmark of a great book.

Run starts out a bit slowly to establish the family and preceding events, which I found interesting. But as society breaks apart around the Colcloughs, they face ever increasing danger and must run for their lives. Once the plot takes off, it does not stop until the very end. The story is action-packed and unrelenting. I found Run to still be compulsively readable. The story is absolutely gripping with heart-pounding intensity that propelled me to read it in one sitting.

I really enjoyed that the plot is centered around a family that is far from perfect. Crouch did an excellent job capturing the family dynamics and writing children who actually acted and spoke their age. Despite being deeply flawed people, I ended up really liking and cheering for the Colcloughs. I do wish that the characters were better developed, but I know this is often difficult to do in a fast-paced thriller. If the characters had more complexity outside of their relationships to one another, Run could have been a truly phenomenal book.

Run is definitely not as polished as Crouch’s more recent novels, but that is expected when you consider he wrote and independently published the book over a decade ago. I found it interesting to see first-hand how Crouch’s writing has improved over time. I also think it is important for me to note that this book is graphic and grisly. So if gore is not your forte, I would skip it.

Overall, Run is a suspenseful, riveting novel that will both entertain you and provoke thought. If you enjoy fast-paced books that you can get lost in, I highly recommend Run.

I made my husband read this one with me because we both loved Dark Matter, and we both agree on our rating with a solid 4 stars.

This one was action packed from the start and one we couldn't stop listening to. It follows a family trying to escape "the affected" who are killing everyone. They are sent through the ringer and honestly so much bad luck. It reminded us of some movies we've seen, which I won't name so I don't spoil anything.

I love how Crouch writes his action scenes. They are so thrilling and put you on the edge of your seat. This book just had one after the other after the other. Overall, I'll definitely be recommending this one and if you're looking for a book to buddy read with your partner, this could be a really good one!

📖 Book Review: Run by Blake Crouch


My thoughts 💭

Please check for trigger warnings. ‼️

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Blake Crouch for providing me with an ARC of this book. As always, all thoughts are my own.

A survival, apocalyptic, thriller that’s fast paced and keeps you on your toes. I enjoyed this one however it took me picking it up for a second time before I actually got into it. There isn’t much to say that wouldn’t give anything away but if you are a fan of The Island by Adrian McKinty or even The Walking Dead I think this would be an enjoyable read. I’d love to see it as a movie as that is pretty much how it played out in my head. And that ending….wow!! 3.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you to Blake Crouch, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One day everything is fine and the next, people are bursting into fits of rage, senselessly murdering those around them and the entire country is under attack. An unknown phenomenon affected a large population of the country, those that witnessed the lights in the sky. Jack and his family bunkered down in their home until one night, Jack hears his name announced over the Emergency Broadcast System, his name read with many others as part of a hit list. People will be coming to his home to murder him and his family. He immediately grabs his wife, his daughter, and his son and they go on the run. Next is a book filled with ruthless survival, unimaginable circumstances, family bonds, and a glimpse of the love story between a husband and wife.

Blake Crouch has always been a must read author for me. I typically do not read sci-fi fiction, but Crouch has a way of telling a story, developing the characters, and making unusual circumstances realistic. This was a quick read and I couldn't stop thinking about it. 5 Stars!

What a wild ride! This early Blake Crouch book will keep you on the edge of your seat as you race alongside the main characters trying to stay alive in this post-apocalyptic storyline. While it was exciting and flew by, I missed the depth and slow unraveling mystery of Blake’s more current books.

Thanks to #NetGalley, Blake Crouch, and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC of Run in exchange for an honest review.