socorrobaptista's review against another edition
4.0
Uma narrativa diferente, com dois pontos de vista distintos, muito interessante. Você sabe o que é ser "legalmente cego"? Eu não sabia nem que havia tal categorização, até ler este livro. Muito bom, recomendo.
caszriel's review against another edition
4.0
~I received a free copy from Hachette NZ in exchange for an honest review~
Sure, I loved this book on a whole, the characters, plot, all of it. But there was one paragraph in the book which I couldn't do anything but laugh at. It's the one quote I took from this book, such a good one though. I re-read it many times, read it to friends, posted it on social media, and I'm still not done with it, which is why it has taken up the entire first paragraph of my review. If you would like to read the quote (which contains some swearing), it is at the bottom of the review. :)
Run is the story of two girls, almost complete opposites in their society, yet they manage to become best friends. The chapters weren't just alternating POVs, told in first person by the girls, they also switched from past to present. The layout reminds me of prompt writing, and I envision the prompt being something along the lines of "write a story told from alternating POVs, each chapter switching POV and from past to present, vice versa". While this could turn into an absolute train wreck, Kody Keplinger managed it well.
Agnes and Bo remind me of siblings, specifically twins. Not the stereotypical ones that are either exactly the same or complete opposites, but two people who have enough similarities to be family, and many differences, not necessarily opposites. They have very different pasts, which leads them onto two parallel, almost opposite paths to their futures. For both of them, it includes accepting that their dreams won't always be reality.
I really like how the end of each chapter fits perfectly into the start of another. For example, from Bo's POV (the present), the chapter ended with a fight, and the start of Agne's POV (the past) recounted another time when they fought. The last few chapters link the past to the very beginning of the story, which is a very skilful move from the author. The ending definitely wasn't a HEA for either of the girls, which I am happy with. They both have a difficult time, and in the end I think they are rewarded fairly.
Not a spoiler, just the quote:
Sure, I loved this book on a whole, the characters, plot, all of it. But there was one paragraph in the book which I couldn't do anything but laugh at. It's the one quote I took from this book, such a good one though. I re-read it many times, read it to friends, posted it on social media, and I'm still not done with it, which is why it has taken up the entire first paragraph of my review. If you would like to read the quote (which contains some swearing), it is at the bottom of the review. :)
Run is the story of two girls, almost complete opposites in their society, yet they manage to become best friends. The chapters weren't just alternating POVs, told in first person by the girls, they also switched from past to present. The layout reminds me of prompt writing, and I envision the prompt being something along the lines of "write a story told from alternating POVs, each chapter switching POV and from past to present, vice versa". While this could turn into an absolute train wreck, Kody Keplinger managed it well.
Agnes and Bo remind me of siblings, specifically twins. Not the stereotypical ones that are either exactly the same or complete opposites, but two people who have enough similarities to be family, and many differences, not necessarily opposites. They have very different pasts, which leads them onto two parallel, almost opposite paths to their futures. For both of them, it includes accepting that their dreams won't always be reality.
I really like how the end of each chapter fits perfectly into the start of another. For example, from Bo's POV (the present), the chapter ended with a fight, and the start of Agne's POV (the past) recounted another time when they fought. The last few chapters link the past to the very beginning of the story, which is a very skilful move from the author. The ending definitely wasn't a HEA for either of the girls, which I am happy with. They both have a difficult time, and in the end I think they are rewarded fairly.
Not a spoiler, just the quote:
Spoiler
'And when I look back at him, the only words I can manage sure ain't poetry. "F**k you."'blakehalsey's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite stories of female friendship ever. Heartbreaking and real, this book has excellent bi and disability rep and is a must for all Keplinger fans. I think this is my favorite book of hers to date.
finalefile's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great story about an unlikely friendship between a "good girl" and a "bad girl." They learn to see past stereotypes and help each other deal with their own family problems.
I really liked the structure of the book. The chapters alternate points of view, and each girl's story has its own timeline--Agnes's story ends where Bo's story starts. I know it sounds kind of confusing, but it worked well for this story.
I really liked the structure of the book. The chapters alternate points of view, and each girl's story has its own timeline--Agnes's story ends where Bo's story starts. I know it sounds kind of confusing, but it worked well for this story.
freesien's review against another edition
3.0
A sweet and fast read about friendship but at times the pace was too slow for me and I got a bit bored.
michellesantiago's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Originally posted on Undeniably Book Nerdy:
I have loved Kody Keplinger's books ever since The DUFF came out. I have read all of her books except for Lying Out Loud (but I own a copy) and The Swift Boys and Me (her middle grade title). The DUFF is my favorite by her, but after reading Run it may be right up there with The DUFF.
It actually took me a while to read Run because I was in the middle of a reading slump and I was distracted, but once I actually made myself sit down and focus, I got immersed in Bo and Agnes's story.
Run is told in dual narrative between Bo Dickinson, the town "bad girl" with a wild reputation thanks to her family's well-known dysfunction, and Agnes Atwood, the legally blind, sheltered "good girl." Within the girls' narrative, we also get alternating timelines. Bo's chapters are set in the present, of the girls actually running away and eventually the consequences of their actions. Agnes's chapters are set in the past, and we get to see how these two girls from opposite sides of the track came to form such an intense friendship, as well as the events leading up to their running away together.
Now, the whole dual perspective/alternating timeline thing could get messy and disjointed, but in Kody Keplinger's deft hands it was the opposite. The story and the pacing flowed very well and each girl's side of the story came together to tell a compelling and engaging coming-of-age story.
Run was sort of a departure for Kody Keplinger. Besides setting this novel in fictional Mursey, Kentucky (a poor, rural small town) rather than rich, suburban Hamilton (as with her other YA books), Run is friendship driven rather than romance driven (we still do get a bit of romance, but its secondary) as well as more serious and darker in tone than all her previous novels. But, like in all of Kody Keplinger's books we still get her signature complex female characters, and a multi-layered storyline that touched on important issues without being preachy.
My favorite thing about Run is definitely Bo and Agnes's friendship--if you're looking for a novel with a strong female friendship this is your book. Both girls were basically suffocating (for different reasons) in the town they're living in and they are each other's breath of air. I am in love with their [yes, platonic] friendship. But, I should mention that Bo is bisexual, and even though her sexuality is not a big part of the plot, it's awesome to see an LGBTQ character represented in this novel. I also love that Run is co-narrated by Agnes who is legally blind, since it's not very often that we come across a legally blind main character in YA fiction and observe things through her perspective as person with a disability.
Overall, Run was an excellent read. The only reason I didn't give it a full five stars--and it's very, very minor--is because nothing about the characters' circumstances and reasons for running away and how everything gets tied up in the end really stood out to me or surprised me. However, when you add in all the other elements--the exceptional dual narration, the multi-layered, diverse characters, how it dealt with the issues, strong female friendships, Kody Keplinger's excellent writing--Run does become a pretty unique, realistic, and emotional read that will stay with me. I very much loved it and I highly recommend it.
Originally posted on Undeniably Book Nerdy:
I have loved Kody Keplinger's books ever since The DUFF came out. I have read all of her books except for Lying Out Loud (but I own a copy) and The Swift Boys and Me (her middle grade title). The DUFF is my favorite by her, but after reading Run it may be right up there with The DUFF.
It actually took me a while to read Run because I was in the middle of a reading slump and I was distracted, but once I actually made myself sit down and focus, I got immersed in Bo and Agnes's story.
Run is told in dual narrative between Bo Dickinson, the town "bad girl" with a wild reputation thanks to her family's well-known dysfunction, and Agnes Atwood, the legally blind, sheltered "good girl." Within the girls' narrative, we also get alternating timelines. Bo's chapters are set in the present, of the girls actually running away and eventually the consequences of their actions. Agnes's chapters are set in the past, and we get to see how these two girls from opposite sides of the track came to form such an intense friendship, as well as the events leading up to their running away together.
Now, the whole dual perspective/alternating timeline thing could get messy and disjointed, but in Kody Keplinger's deft hands it was the opposite. The story and the pacing flowed very well and each girl's side of the story came together to tell a compelling and engaging coming-of-age story.
Run was sort of a departure for Kody Keplinger. Besides setting this novel in fictional Mursey, Kentucky (a poor, rural small town) rather than rich, suburban Hamilton (as with her other YA books), Run is friendship driven rather than romance driven (we still do get a bit of romance, but its secondary) as well as more serious and darker in tone than all her previous novels. But, like in all of Kody Keplinger's books we still get her signature complex female characters, and a multi-layered storyline that touched on important issues without being preachy.
My favorite thing about Run is definitely Bo and Agnes's friendship--if you're looking for a novel with a strong female friendship this is your book. Both girls were basically suffocating (for different reasons) in the town they're living in and they are each other's breath of air. I am in love with their [yes, platonic] friendship. But, I should mention that Bo is bisexual, and even though her sexuality is not a big part of the plot, it's awesome to see an LGBTQ character represented in this novel. I also love that Run is co-narrated by Agnes who is legally blind, since it's not very often that we come across a legally blind main character in YA fiction and observe things through her perspective as person with a disability.
Overall, Run was an excellent read. The only reason I didn't give it a full five stars--and it's very, very minor--is because nothing about the characters' circumstances and reasons for running away and how everything gets tied up in the end really stood out to me or surprised me. However, when you add in all the other elements--the exceptional dual narration, the multi-layered, diverse characters, how it dealt with the issues, strong female friendships, Kody Keplinger's excellent writing--Run does become a pretty unique, realistic, and emotional read that will stay with me. I very much loved it and I highly recommend it.
cajunliterarybelle's review against another edition
5.0
Told in alternating perspectives of Bo, who comes from a troubled family, and Agnes, who was born blind, this is a pageturner about friends and learning to find your voice and be who you are. Bo's chapters are told in present tense as things are happenings, and Agnes's chapters are told in past tense before they ran away from their problems. The story catches up to itself at the ending in a way that is reminiscent of The Outsiders by S E Hinton. Bo feels trapped in their small town by her troubled family, and Agnes feels trapped by her parents limiting her freedom due to her blindness. These caged feelings of not being in control of their own lives and futures result in the desperate desire to run away, but intense circumstances prove that no matter how far you run, your problems will always find you back home. I highly recommend this book and hardly put it down while reading. Short chapters with the constant need to know what happened next then and happens next now.
vitsa's review against another edition
2.0
The first thing that annoyed me was Bos way of speaking. I feel like her whole characterisation was a little lacking. Why was she different than her family? Why did she like poetry?
The development of her relationship with Agnes was a little fast going and I didn't feel like it was developed enough.
The book only took me 3 hours and two plane rides to finish the book. It was easy going, but only an alright book.
The development of her relationship with Agnes was a little fast going and I didn't feel like it was developed enough.
The book only took me 3 hours and two plane rides to finish the book. It was easy going, but only an alright book.
jessicajewel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0