Author: Blake Crouch

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Publication Date: October 22, 2024 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Out of seemingly nowhere, a large number of people in America and northern Mexico start viciously killing their family, friends, and neighbors. These people are affected by a mysterious urge to murder anyone who isn’t “like them.” Jack and Dee Colclough, along with their children Naomi and Cole, are targeted and go on the run to survive.

What follows is a tale of both the best and worse of humanity in its various forms. The Colclough family struggles to make it from one day to the next as they head north towards Canada. The things they see along the way are apocalyptic and horrifying for them and the reader.

Blake Crouch is one of my go-to authors, but Run is my least favorite of his works so far (this is a rerelease, originally published in 2011). The gore was quite descriptive, but the backstory was really lacking, and I felt that did a disservice to what could have been a five star book. The explanation for why certain people started killing others was not explained in any sort of detail, the groups of people out on the hunt were very much background characters, and it became almost comical how many dire situations the Colclough’s were able to escape. This would have been a two star read for sure if it wasn’t by one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blake Crouch, and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.