Brave Run by Philip Arnold

You better hold onto your hats for this one because it will take you on a dangerous journey through a barren desert, a pelting hail storm, enemy territory, and much more. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I found myself very much enjoying it. We are immediately introduced to the action and the stakes at hand and while these play out, we catch glimpses of the protagonist’s background. The latter was a nice addition because it allowed me to get to know John. It was especially interesting to see how he grew up in the Tarahumara tribe and how he used this to save Angela’s life. I thought their relationship was sweet and I almost wish that they had been able to spend more time together. In fact, I would say that I wish there had been more of everything. And I mean this in a good way. Perhaps that would have slowed things down too much… But I enjoyed the story a lot and would have liked to linger in this setting a little longer. 

The writing was good. I found there was a bit more telling rather than showing, but I suppose that is merely my opinion. 

Lastly, it was a clean read. There was no profanity or explicit content. There was some violence, although I think: how can there not be in a setting like this? And besides, every gruesome detail was not vividly described. 

Overall, I would recommend this book. And I especially encourage you to support this indie author.    

 

If I Live by Terri Blackstock

I read this book so fast I’m not even sure I’m qualified to write a review. But… I’m going to try anyway. Just let me catch my breath.

“This is all so tangled and so impossible, but God did the impossible tonight. He does it all the time. I’m so overcome by it that I can’t formulate an elaborate prayer. I simply whisper, “Thank you.”
― Terri Blackstock, If I Live

What a smashing ending to this series!

The plot of was gripping and fast-paced and I was completely engaged the entire time. Perhaps there could have been a little more development, but that might have dragged things out too long. The writing was similar – it was concise and said what needed to be said. I think this is a talent as much as elaborate, colourful writing is. It’s not easy to write such an impactful novel while keeping things simple.

I loved how realistic Casey’s character was. Over the series, she became stronger, but she also developed a weariness. It’s been weeks since she discovered Brent’s body and since that day, she’s been running for her life. She’s tired. Blackstock did a marvellous job with communicating these emotions. Again, Dylan was supportive and kind. What a sweetheart! However, in terms of the romance, things moved a little too quickly. No spoilers, though, so I’ll leave it at that.

Author Terri Blackstock

 

This was a clean read in terms of profanity and sex. But there was a lot of violence! At one point, I sat back and thought, “People are dropping like flies, no one’s going to be left at the end!” Thankfully, this wasn’t the case, but there was a significant number of murders.

Despite this, though, it was a well written, nail-biting, breath-stealing, ending to an amazing series. If you haven’t read it, I definitely recommend. If you have, what are your thoughts on the conclusion to If I Run?   

If I’m Found by Terri Blackstock

Wow! Just wow! I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do. This is just way, way too intense! But one thing I know: I am very thankful that I bought book #3 when I bought #2. (Yes, I’ve already started reading it….)

So I liked the first book, it was good, but it didn’t knock me off of my chair or anything. With this one, I was blown away!  

Okay, sorry. I’ll stop blabbering and get to the review.

“Every expression of gratitude is a prayer, which means the practice of intentional gratitude leads directly to a life lived in continual worship.” – If I’m Found

The plot for this book was well executed. I was engaged the entire time and I never felt bored, but I also didn’t feel left behind. Blackstock spent enough time on things to effectively develop them. It is interesting, though, that there isn’t a huge amount of description. This usually bugs me, but Blackstock was careful to mention just the right things in order to efficiently tell the story. She also progressed the events of book 1 or as I like to say, “ She ‘thickened’ the plot.” As a result, I was left hanging and completely overwhelmed by the suspense.      

I loved getting to know Casey and Dylan better. One of my favourite things was being able to see how Casey interacted with someone she wasn’t hiding from. Up to this point, a lot of Casey’s POV was her on her own, running and hiding from others. However, she is finally portrayed openly connecting with another person. Dylan… What a sweetheart. Even though he has been through some difficult times, he is still willing to risk his life if it means doing what’s right.

I definitely recommend this book (and series!) if you enjoy a good thriller. You won’t be disappointed!

Keep your eyes open for a review of book #3! I assure you, it will be showing up soon.

P.S. I love these covers! So beautiful. They made my Top Ten Covers of 2018

 

If I Run by Terri Blackstock

I was really excited about this book, not only because it was a paperback, but also because I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. And I wasn’t disappointed!

Blackstock didn’t waste any time getting into the action. She jumped right in by introducing us to Casey who had just discovered the body of her murdered friend. But even from the start, Casey proved herself to be a beautiful character. Despite what happened, she was still compassionate and sweet. She was also very brave and intelligent. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I could avoid the cops for that long. And Dylan… My heart broke for him. He went through so much and had to make so many tough decisions. I wanted to wrap him up and give him a huge hug.

The writing was good, I think it fit well with the genre of this book. However, I found that there were a lot of sentences that began with “I.” And at times there were two sentences in a row that started with “I.” Maybe I’m just being picky, but considering the number of books which Blackstock has written, I expected more. As far as the plot, it was engaging and well paced. The only thing I thought could have been better, was the incorporation of the missing girl. It was a brilliant addition, but it felt like just the outlines, it lacked detail. Perhaps with a little more explanation, especially concerning motive on the criminal’s part, things would have come together better.   

This was a clean read in terms of profanity and sex; however, there is of course murder and porn is mentioned as well.

Lastly, I must mention the cover… I really, really like it. It fits well with the story and is quite haunting. Hehe 🙂

Altogether, I highly recommend this book and I will certainly be reading the sequel, “If I’m Found.”   

What are your thoughts on this book? Would you read it based on the cover?