This review contains potential spoilers.

I'm a bit conflicted about how to approach this review because I enjoy giving constructive criticism, I like to sing praises, but this book seems to be more of a marketing tool for a movie, rather than a literary ambition, so I'm not even sure if the people behind this are truly seeking feedback.

The initial things I wanted to criticise are the unnatural ways of speaking, the lack of chemistry between characters, the lack of emotional connection to running, the unrealized internal world of the protagonist, and the sad fact that I could see the twist coming from a mile away. However, if this were a movie, all of the emotional heavy lifting would be done by the actors, and the 'mystery' would be the directors' job to cleverly set up.

The absolute worst part, which wouldn't even work in a movie, is Kristy, the cartoon bully. People who are that cruel definitely exist, but their antics are rarely this overt, and they normally target victims who are completely vulnerable because they lack a support system, and that's just not the case with Megan. And the messaging at the end, this idea that all you need to do is prove yourself to the bully and then they'll have a change of heart about you, is just so dated, so harmful, and plain incorrect. I'm quite baffled by that aspect of the ending.

What I wanted to note as good is that the writing is immersive and atmospheric. The scene descriptions were subtle but effective, the pacing is great, the people felt real, and there were some good descriptors in there. I particularly liked the training talk; it was very energizing. Pretty much anything that doesn't rely on this idea of movie magic just works on its own. The author clearly has the hallmarks of a talented storyteller, and I'm sure that script was picked up for good reason, but I wish the author could've compartmentalized the two types of media a bit more, instead of making the book into a crutch for the movie.

In terms of emotional impact, which seems to be the overall goal of the story, I can't say I was particularly affected, but to be fair, I have seen my fair share of trauma, I've done a lot of therapy work, so it's hard to shake me. Saying that, what could've made a difference is maybe getting to experience those prayers Megan mentioned later in the story. It would've been so great to start with that, even if out of context, get that emotional high, and then come down as we start following her in her daily life.

Anyway, I hope I was not too harsh. I do wish the author and directors all the best, and thank you for the ARC.