Run

A rare phenomena lights the skies over the US late one night – the Aurora Borealis, visible to most of the country. A few days later, violent attacks start to tick upwards, brutal murders become common, and trusted loved ones begin turning on their families.

Jack Colclough and his family are uninfected by whatever this behavior is, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe, just that they’re targets. They pile into the family car and run, seeking safety, but where can you go when any person you meet might be plotting to kill you? What lengths will you go to in order to protect your children?

Run was originally released in 2011, and is being re-released on October 22. If you’re a fan of Blake Crouch’s other books like Dark Matter, show more Recursion, Pines, etc then you’ll recognize his style but it’s very clear this is an earlier work. It’s got all the hallmarks of some of the best post-apocalyptic fiction – brutal violence, overwhelming odds, people trying to hold on to their humanity while also doing whatever it takes to survive. At the same time it suffers from something I often see in post-apocalyptic stories, where in the back third the horror and brutality just become a slog. It becomes scene after scene of the family just running from one place to another, one bloody atrocity after another. Keeping a fast pace and good action is important, but it’s also necessary to give the characters and the reader some time to pause and breathe, and I feel like we don’t get that. It began to feel monotonous and my eyes started to glaze over at some point. I found some of the best parts to be in the few quieter moments. This isn’t a wide, sweeping tale of a crisis on a global perspective; it’s a much more intimate look at a single family and how they deal with the crisis, how it affects each of them and their relationships with each other, and I think that’s its real strength.

That said, you can very clearly see in this story the seeds of what Crouch’s writing style will become. It’s interesting to have read and loved all of his later work, and then go back to read this. It’s a fine story, but you can definitely see where he’s grown as an author.

This isn’t Crouch’s best book, but if you enjoy his style or you just like this genre it’s worth picking up. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! show less

“I’m going to give this book 5 stars…no, 4 stars. No, 5 stars. Well… 4 stars. Wait, now I’m giving it 5 stars. Or 4 stars? It can’t end this way! Ohhh, I see what you did. 5 stars.” That was pretty much my thought process throughout the last quarter of this book. You can probably tell it’s a bit of a wild ride.
Either way, it has a high rating from me because I could not stop reading this for a second no matter how fucked up it got. This was action-packed and intense and even got my tear ducts back in working order again. The perfect binge read if you can put a couple things aside (which I won’t go into because spoilers). Yay apocalypse!

I've learned to expect a pulse-pounding ride from a Blake Crouch novel, and this one certainly delivered! As a wife, as well as a parent of a young child, I could so easily put myself in both Dee and Jack's shoes. I've been fascinated by the possibility of an apocalyptic phenomenon happening within our lifetime. Would I be able to protect my family? How would we survive? Crouch tackles these same questions from the perspective of an Average Joe (or Jack, rather), and his struggles to survive and protect his family are both poignant and terrifying.

I thought Naomi and Cole were both extremely well written. They felt, genuinely, like children--not mini-adults--put in horrifying situations and behaving, well, as children would. Dee grated show more on my nerves a bit, but she, too, seemed human and realistic; on the verge of complete discombobulation but holding it together for her children. My only slight complaint is with the ending. It felt like a Deus Ex Machina contrivance. Too abrupt, and much too convenient. Still, I enjoyed the journey to getting there, and the epilogue left me misty-eyed. show less

Run by Blake Crouch - A Five-Star Review

This book grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the very end. Blake Crouch does an incredible job of weaving a suspenseful and terrifying tale of survival in a world gone mad. The premise is simple but chilling: a celestial event, the "Great Auroral Storm," transforms a segment of the population into something dangerous and unpredictable, leaving the rest to fight for their lives.

Crouch's writing is sharp and immersive. The action scenes are intense and visceral, and the quieter moments are filled with a palpable sense of dread. He masterfully builds tension, keeping you guessing at every turn.

The characters, particularly Jack Colclough, are well-developed and relatable. You feel show more their fear, their desperation, and their determination to survive. The relationships between the characters, especially within the family, are complex and nuanced. You see how the bonds of love are tested and ultimately strengthened by the extreme circumstances they face.

One of the things I loved most about Run is its exploration of moral dilemmas. In a world where survival is paramount, what lines are you willing to cross? Crouch doesn't shy away from these tough questions, forcing the characters, and the reader, to confront the darkness within us all.

This is not just a mindless action thriller. It's a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It makes you think about the fragility of civilization, the power of hope, and the importance of human connection.

If you're looking for a heart-pounding, thought-provoking thriller that will keep you up all night, Run by Blake Crouch is a must-read!

The information I used to create this review comes from the provided book of Run by Blake Crouch.

The full Deep Dive review of this book can be watched from our YouTube channel...
https://youtu.be/u1UARyy7v7Y show less

This isn't Crouch's fault at all but I think I accidentally overdosed on his book. It was my third book in a row where there was an apocalypse or pandemic and then one group of people are now trying to survive in a world that is out to kill or eat them. And to make it worse on myself, I started the year with three zombie novels. Again, not Crouch's fault because I really did like his spin on the end of the world.

Jack has a home with his wife and two kids in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's not the best of situations as he has been sleeping in the guest room for a while. Life for Jack, and everyone in the United States, goes under a drastic change. Unexpected violence is occurring all over with innocent people being unexpectedly show more slaughtered. Then the Emergency Broadcast System comes on and reads Jack's name as a target for people to go kill. Jack and his family go on the run to find safety and escape the madness.

One of the things that I liked about the story was that an explanation for the madness was provided. And it had enough of a bend to it that it made sense. People were the villains, not zombies. It could also substitute in for any perceived madness in today's world: religion, politics, lifestyles. Anything where one group of people so violently disagree with another group that death seems almost reasonable. Definitely something with which today's pandemic and political world can associate. One thing that I did not like about the book was there were a few too many last minute saves. People looking for food or shelter and about to give up and die when suddenly over that last hill, there's salvation. And maybe this is due to my overdose of apocalypses but I did get tired of it. I liked most of the characters but for whatever reason, the son bugged me. He had his useful moments but he was someone that I disliked almost from the point that we met him. Overall, the book was good and had a clever twist on the end of the world story. I suggest a genre switch of a ghost story or psycho killer story before starting this one. show less

The plot elements of this page-turning horror-laden dystopia about an outbreak of horrific violence in North America weren’t all that original, but were delivered in an entertaining way that had you turning the pages with a satisfying amount of tension and adrenalin. Not all aspects were believable, but since you wanted to believe them, at least with respect to the likable hero Jack and his family, it didn’t matter too much. Nevertheless, I thought the ending was rather improbable, which is amusing to myself (or a sad commentary) that I would think that it was more unbelievable than the speculative dystopian hellscape that preceded it.

Final verdict: Enjoyed it a lot, in spite of some nit-picking shortcomings.

this is the first book i read from Blake Crouch. i enjoyed it very much. its short but its a good thrilling story with many moments where you dont want to put it down.

i also liked how he wrote the main characters. you really dont want anything bad to happen to the family and all the things they go through in this story is fairly realistic given the situation. i did wish it was a little longer and maybe had a more clear ending but the whole time reading it i was engaged the whole time and was never bored.