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Nathan's Run
Wrongly imprisoned at twelve years old, Nathan Bailey kills a guard in self-defense, escapes, and finds himself on the run from the police, the Mafia, and a county prosecutor determined to stop him at all costs. Reprint.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1996
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2489 people want to read
About the author
John Gilstrap
79 books1,215 followersA little bit about my background... I've always been a closet-writer. As a kid, I lived for the opportunity to write short stories. I was the editor of my high school newspaper for a while (the Valor Dictus, Robinson High School, class of 1975), until I quit ("You can't fire me! I quit!") over a lofty First Amendment issue that seemed very important at the time. My goal, in fact, was to become a journalist in the vein of Woodward or Bernstein. Okay, I confess, I wanted to be Woodward; Robert Redford played him in the movie, and chicks really dug Robert Redford.
I graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1979, and armed with a degree in American history, I couldn't find a job. I ended up settling for a position with a little-noticed trade journal serving the construction industry. They called me the managing editor and they paid me food stamp wages. I hated it. About this time, I joined the Burke Volunteer Fire Department in Fairfax County, Virginia, if only to find relief from the boredom of my job. Running about a thousand calls my first year with the department, I was hooked, and the volunteer fire service became an important part of my life for the next 15 years. In the early eighties, hating my job, I went the way of all frustrated liberal arts undergrads—back to graduate school. Earning a Master of Science degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California, I started down a whole new road. For the next decade and a half, I became an expert (don't you hate that word?) on explosives safety and hazardous waste. Meanwhile, I kept writing. I didn't tell anyone, of course, because, well, you just don't share artistic dreams with fellow engineers. They look at you funny.
My first novel, Nathan's Run, was in fact my fourth novel, and when it sold, it sold big. At a time in my life when things were going well—I was president of my own consulting firm—things were suddenly going very well. Warner Bros. bought the movie rights to Nathan's Run two days after the first book rights were sold, and as of this date, the novel has been translated and published in one form or another in over 20 countries. With Nathan's Run in the can, as it were, I thought I might finally be on to something, but I didn't quit my "day job" until after I sold the book and movie rights to my second novel, At All Costs. I figured that while one-in-a-row might be luck, two-in-a-row was a trend. So, I started writing full-time.
More novels followed, and then a few screenplays. I was living the dream.
But I really didn't like it much. I learned pretty quickly that when you're born a Type-A personality, those extrovert tendencies don't go away just because you're practicing a craft you love. In fact, after just a couple of years of dream fulfillment, I was pretty friggin' bored with the company of my imaginary friends, so I did something that I've never heard a full-time artist do before: I went back to a day job. At first, it was just a matter of reactivating my consulting business, but then, in 2004, I was handed my ideal Big-Boy Job (that's what my wife calls it) working as the director of safety for a trade association in Washington, DC.
And I continue to write. In 2006, Six Minutes to Freedom was published to considerable acclaim. My first (and probably last) foray into book-length non-fiction, SixMin tells the story of Kurt Muse, the only civilian of record ever rescued by the super-secret Delta Force. Thanks to Kurt's cooperation (he is co-author), I gained access to people and places that lifelong civilians like me should never see. The heroic warriors I met during that research turned out to be nothing like their movie stereotypes. These were not only gentlemen, but gentle men, who remained free of the kind of boasting and self-aggrandizement that I was expecting. They were supreme professionals, and very nice guys.
And through them I got the idea for my new series character, Jonathan Grave. He's fo
I graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1979, and armed with a degree in American history, I couldn't find a job. I ended up settling for a position with a little-noticed trade journal serving the construction industry. They called me the managing editor and they paid me food stamp wages. I hated it. About this time, I joined the Burke Volunteer Fire Department in Fairfax County, Virginia, if only to find relief from the boredom of my job. Running about a thousand calls my first year with the department, I was hooked, and the volunteer fire service became an important part of my life for the next 15 years. In the early eighties, hating my job, I went the way of all frustrated liberal arts undergrads—back to graduate school. Earning a Master of Science degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California, I started down a whole new road. For the next decade and a half, I became an expert (don't you hate that word?) on explosives safety and hazardous waste. Meanwhile, I kept writing. I didn't tell anyone, of course, because, well, you just don't share artistic dreams with fellow engineers. They look at you funny.
My first novel, Nathan's Run, was in fact my fourth novel, and when it sold, it sold big. At a time in my life when things were going well—I was president of my own consulting firm—things were suddenly going very well. Warner Bros. bought the movie rights to Nathan's Run two days after the first book rights were sold, and as of this date, the novel has been translated and published in one form or another in over 20 countries. With Nathan's Run in the can, as it were, I thought I might finally be on to something, but I didn't quit my "day job" until after I sold the book and movie rights to my second novel, At All Costs. I figured that while one-in-a-row might be luck, two-in-a-row was a trend. So, I started writing full-time.
More novels followed, and then a few screenplays. I was living the dream.
But I really didn't like it much. I learned pretty quickly that when you're born a Type-A personality, those extrovert tendencies don't go away just because you're practicing a craft you love. In fact, after just a couple of years of dream fulfillment, I was pretty friggin' bored with the company of my imaginary friends, so I did something that I've never heard a full-time artist do before: I went back to a day job. At first, it was just a matter of reactivating my consulting business, but then, in 2004, I was handed my ideal Big-Boy Job (that's what my wife calls it) working as the director of safety for a trade association in Washington, DC.
And I continue to write. In 2006, Six Minutes to Freedom was published to considerable acclaim. My first (and probably last) foray into book-length non-fiction, SixMin tells the story of Kurt Muse, the only civilian of record ever rescued by the super-secret Delta Force. Thanks to Kurt's cooperation (he is co-author), I gained access to people and places that lifelong civilians like me should never see. The heroic warriors I met during that research turned out to be nothing like their movie stereotypes. These were not only gentlemen, but gentle men, who remained free of the kind of boasting and self-aggrandizement that I was expecting. They were supreme professionals, and very nice guys.
And through them I got the idea for my new series character, Jonathan Grave. He's fo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
November 16, 2007
My school district banned it. I read it on principle.
January 1, 2020
Nathan’s Run by John Gilstrap is a thriller that was originally published in 1996 and is now being republished. With the main character of the story only being twelve Nathan’s Run was considered a young adult thriller however the content was very much adult and mature so that has landed the book on many a ban list in the last twenty years. This new publication of the novel has cleaned up the content a bit making it more young adult friendly but the story is still one for a more mature audience.
Police are called in to investigate a savage killing at a juvenile detention center in Virginia and upon first inspection the suspect in the killing is twelve year old Nathan Bailey. After the guard had been found murdered it was found that Nathan was also missing from the facility leading to a hunt to find him.
Nathan had ran but the situation wasn’t as simple as the police seemed to think it had been. Instead Nathan had only defended himself and ran away scared but now with everyone looking for him and no one believing he was innocent of the crimes he was originally accused of Nathan doesn’t know who to trust and turns to a call in radio show to hear his side of the story.
Having read a few books by John Gilstrap before I came into this with certain expectations and immediately found them true, the story was once again a high octane thriller that begins immediately and keeps the fast pace throughout the book. Even with a twelve year old lead the book should appeal to adults as the content is still an intense thrill ride with mature content. Definitely another intense, edge of your seat read from this author that has me looking forward to picking up more.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Police are called in to investigate a savage killing at a juvenile detention center in Virginia and upon first inspection the suspect in the killing is twelve year old Nathan Bailey. After the guard had been found murdered it was found that Nathan was also missing from the facility leading to a hunt to find him.
Nathan had ran but the situation wasn’t as simple as the police seemed to think it had been. Instead Nathan had only defended himself and ran away scared but now with everyone looking for him and no one believing he was innocent of the crimes he was originally accused of Nathan doesn’t know who to trust and turns to a call in radio show to hear his side of the story.
Having read a few books by John Gilstrap before I came into this with certain expectations and immediately found them true, the story was once again a high octane thriller that begins immediately and keeps the fast pace throughout the book. Even with a twelve year old lead the book should appeal to adults as the content is still an intense thrill ride with mature content. Definitely another intense, edge of your seat read from this author that has me looking forward to picking up more.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
November 28, 2015
Here's a list of books I've read that have something in common:
Watchers by Dean Koontz
It by Stephen King
Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card
Shadowland by Peter Straub
Boy's Life by Robert R McCammon
Horns by Joe Hill
Strangewood by Christopher Golden
Far Dark Fields by Gary Braunbeck
I read Watchers and Shadowland back in the 80s when I was in high school; Lost Boys and Boy's Life within the past ten years; It, Horns, Strangewood, and Far Dark Fields within the past two years. Every single one of these novels on this short—yet, probably not exhaustive—list have one particular thing in common. They all elicited the same reaction from me as I read the final chapters. Tears streaming down my face. Not just watery eyes, not just a tear or two, I'm talkin' open-the-floodgates the dam-has-burst-wide-open kind of tears. I'm sure other novels have done it to me, but these half-dozen are the ones that I can name within five seconds.
Now, there's another story to add to my list—Nathan's Run by John Gilstrap.
I won't bore you with a plot synopsis (you can get that on Goodreads, Amazon, Mr. Gilstrap's website, etc), except to say that twelve-year-old Nathan is on the run for his life.
And what a run it is. There are chase novels all over the place. It's a classic set-up for a suspense novel. The good guy is on the run, chased by the bad guy. Sometimes the good guy is completely good, sometimes he's not. Sometimes he's chased by bad guys who want him dead, and sometimes he's chased by good guys who also want him dead. This is Nathan's predicament. And he's only twelve. Some would say that a child on the run, in imminent danger, is going for the cheap thrill (as Gene Siskel accused the movie Aliens of doing). Siskel's point was there was no way that Newt, the little girl in Aliens, was going to die, so there was no suspense. I say, watch John Connor run and fight for his life as the Terminator relentlessly hunts him down and tell me there's no suspense there. There was plenty of it for me, just like in Aliens. So, yeah, I'm all for the child-in-danger plot device as it works fine for me.
That device works exceptionally well in Nathan's Run, especially as Gilstrap gives it a few twists of his own. And that's what exceptional storytelling does. Take a hackneyed plot, twist it, and let the characters live it out. Gilstrap does that to perfection here. Good storytelling also does something else. It makes peripheral characters matter. There are plenty of such characters in Nathan's Run, and though most of them had only one or two scenes, none of them felt like merely two-dimensional space-fillers. All of them served a purposed to move the story forward, and it was rewarding to see each of them in the context of their lives, living and breathing and talking like normal people.
I finished Nathan's Run this morning (Saturday, November 28, 2015) at 5 o'clock, reading the last few chapters in my writing area by the light of my desk lamp, the outside early-morning darkness right next to me trying to seep in through the window and overtake the meager light.
What an apt metaphor for Nathan's situation.
I must give you one warning if you decide to read Nathan's Run (which you should!). If you are a parent of a young boy Nathan's age, particularly if you are a father, be forewarned. You just may find your emotions ambushing you in numerous places throughout the story. I'll tell you as one who's read the story, those ambushes may be uncomfortable at times, but they are also rewarding.
What more can you ask for from a piece of fiction?
Watchers by Dean Koontz
It by Stephen King
Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card
Shadowland by Peter Straub
Boy's Life by Robert R McCammon
Horns by Joe Hill
Strangewood by Christopher Golden
Far Dark Fields by Gary Braunbeck
I read Watchers and Shadowland back in the 80s when I was in high school; Lost Boys and Boy's Life within the past ten years; It, Horns, Strangewood, and Far Dark Fields within the past two years. Every single one of these novels on this short—yet, probably not exhaustive—list have one particular thing in common. They all elicited the same reaction from me as I read the final chapters. Tears streaming down my face. Not just watery eyes, not just a tear or two, I'm talkin' open-the-floodgates the dam-has-burst-wide-open kind of tears. I'm sure other novels have done it to me, but these half-dozen are the ones that I can name within five seconds.
Now, there's another story to add to my list—Nathan's Run by John Gilstrap.
I won't bore you with a plot synopsis (you can get that on Goodreads, Amazon, Mr. Gilstrap's website, etc), except to say that twelve-year-old Nathan is on the run for his life.
And what a run it is. There are chase novels all over the place. It's a classic set-up for a suspense novel. The good guy is on the run, chased by the bad guy. Sometimes the good guy is completely good, sometimes he's not. Sometimes he's chased by bad guys who want him dead, and sometimes he's chased by good guys who also want him dead. This is Nathan's predicament. And he's only twelve. Some would say that a child on the run, in imminent danger, is going for the cheap thrill (as Gene Siskel accused the movie Aliens of doing). Siskel's point was there was no way that Newt, the little girl in Aliens, was going to die, so there was no suspense. I say, watch John Connor run and fight for his life as the Terminator relentlessly hunts him down and tell me there's no suspense there. There was plenty of it for me, just like in Aliens. So, yeah, I'm all for the child-in-danger plot device as it works fine for me.
That device works exceptionally well in Nathan's Run, especially as Gilstrap gives it a few twists of his own. And that's what exceptional storytelling does. Take a hackneyed plot, twist it, and let the characters live it out. Gilstrap does that to perfection here. Good storytelling also does something else. It makes peripheral characters matter. There are plenty of such characters in Nathan's Run, and though most of them had only one or two scenes, none of them felt like merely two-dimensional space-fillers. All of them served a purposed to move the story forward, and it was rewarding to see each of them in the context of their lives, living and breathing and talking like normal people.
I finished Nathan's Run this morning (Saturday, November 28, 2015) at 5 o'clock, reading the last few chapters in my writing area by the light of my desk lamp, the outside early-morning darkness right next to me trying to seep in through the window and overtake the meager light.
What an apt metaphor for Nathan's situation.
I must give you one warning if you decide to read Nathan's Run (which you should!). If you are a parent of a young boy Nathan's age, particularly if you are a father, be forewarned. You just may find your emotions ambushing you in numerous places throughout the story. I'll tell you as one who's read the story, those ambushes may be uncomfortable at times, but they are also rewarding.
What more can you ask for from a piece of fiction?
August 17, 2012
I rarely read mysteries or police stories, but I recently borrowed this book on tape (unabridged) from the library to listen to in the car, and it was completely successful, in my opinion, which is why I give it 5 stars. Not only did I come to care about the two main characters, Nathan and the police lieutenant, but the story the author tells was so gripping that I took a few unnecessary trips in the car just so I could listen. Even though I considered some aspects of the plot a little far-fetched, they were put together and presented with great skill.
January 2, 2021
Wow. What a debut. I love the Grave novels and this was every bit as good! A wonderful way to end 2020.
The tension, the mystery, the characters. It had everything. If you haven’t read it, pick it up soon. Sure it was unbelievable in parts but that’s okay. It’s one of the reasons we read these things.
The tension, the mystery, the characters. It had everything. If you haven’t read it, pick it up soon. Sure it was unbelievable in parts but that’s okay. It’s one of the reasons we read these things.
June 24, 2009
If I could only jump inside those pages...
This book was fantastic...and heart wrenching...and so unbelievably suspenseful! I loved it!
Nathan won my heart in this one. I wanted to jump through the pages of the book and help him! I would have if I could have!
At only 12 years old, Nathan is on the run...from everyone, including the law. As I read and ran right along side Nathan, I shared his journey and his experience. Little Nathan showed me the heart and the courage of a lion! I was so touched by him.
Just one warning, Nathan shares with the reader a rough and dark history that is hard to read and imagine. But, it is well worth it. This story was just incredible!
Five stars!
This book was fantastic...and heart wrenching...and so unbelievably suspenseful! I loved it!
Nathan won my heart in this one. I wanted to jump through the pages of the book and help him! I would have if I could have!
At only 12 years old, Nathan is on the run...from everyone, including the law. As I read and ran right along side Nathan, I shared his journey and his experience. Little Nathan showed me the heart and the courage of a lion! I was so touched by him.
Just one warning, Nathan shares with the reader a rough and dark history that is hard to read and imagine. But, it is well worth it. This story was just incredible!
Five stars!
March 30, 2016
12-year old Nathan Bailey kills a guard in the juvenile detention center and flees, leading to a massive manhunt. He confesses his guilt on a radio talk show, hosted by Denise (a/k/a the Bitch), but claims he acted in self-defense. The local cops have no leads, as Nathan makes a run for it in a stolen car, leaving an apology for its owner and washing the sheets where he slept. Things deteriorate as additional cops are killed, and Nathan is blamed. Gilstrap's first novel: a thrill ride.
November 15, 2016
For a book that is about 20 year old- wasn't all that bad. Here we have Nathan , a 12 year old boy who wound up in a youth detention center for stealing his uncle's car. During that time- he winds up killing a detention guard- and then in a sheer panic he escapes the center.
According to him, it was self defense- but the authorities are calling him a dangerous murderer. And so Nathan runs..........
You are taken through a journey - through the eyes of a 12 year old boy.
I picked up this book simply because I was waiting for some library books to come in. Nothing all that surprising- the kid has some really 'good luck' along the way- and could of use a little bit better of an ending-
A fast , easy read- 20 years old- I like this kind of read every once in a while- after all those psycho, serial killer, body parts all over the place, types of books that I tend to love so much!
According to him, it was self defense- but the authorities are calling him a dangerous murderer. And so Nathan runs..........
You are taken through a journey - through the eyes of a 12 year old boy.
I picked up this book simply because I was waiting for some library books to come in. Nothing all that surprising- the kid has some really 'good luck' along the way- and could of use a little bit better of an ending-
A fast , easy read- 20 years old- I like this kind of read every once in a while- after all those psycho, serial killer, body parts all over the place, types of books that I tend to love so much!
December 10, 2019
John Gilstrap's Nathan's Run (Pinnacle Books 2011) follows a twelve-year-old boy who ends up in juvie for a crime he didn't commit. By a crazy fluke of luck (well, if killing a guard in self-defense is luck), he escapes. Now, all he can think to do is run from the police who think he's a murderer and the system who put him in jail when he didn't deserve it.
It starts when Nathan's mother dies, and then his father, which puts him in the care of a violent, drunken, law-breaking Uncle who sees Nathan as nothing more than a meal ticket. Nathan has been raised to be honest, moral, and believe in the goodness of people, none of which helps him. Without the Mean Gene to protect himself against hardened teen criminals, he is beat up, abused, and targeted by everyone. When one of the guards decides to kill him, Nathan tries to defend himself and ends up killing the man. Now, the entire state sees him as a cop killer. Nathan doesn't know what to do but knows he is never going back to the hellhole he escaped from, even if he must die. So he runs.
This was a riveting story from first page to the last. My only objection is the plethora of new characters, even toward the end of the book. This is more a preference of mine than a negative and you can see I didn't deduct points. Just pointing it out.
Overall, this is highly recommended to anyone who loves to root for the underdog, see good fight evil, and get high out of a happy ending.
It starts when Nathan's mother dies, and then his father, which puts him in the care of a violent, drunken, law-breaking Uncle who sees Nathan as nothing more than a meal ticket. Nathan has been raised to be honest, moral, and believe in the goodness of people, none of which helps him. Without the Mean Gene to protect himself against hardened teen criminals, he is beat up, abused, and targeted by everyone. When one of the guards decides to kill him, Nathan tries to defend himself and ends up killing the man. Now, the entire state sees him as a cop killer. Nathan doesn't know what to do but knows he is never going back to the hellhole he escaped from, even if he must die. So he runs.
This was a riveting story from first page to the last. My only objection is the plethora of new characters, even toward the end of the book. This is more a preference of mine than a negative and you can see I didn't deduct points. Just pointing it out.
Overall, this is highly recommended to anyone who loves to root for the underdog, see good fight evil, and get high out of a happy ending.
March 25, 2015
Nathan's Run was written by John Gilstrap about 20 years but it has not aged badly at all. There were almost no occasions on I thought, "Gee, this is really dated." I actually do say "Gee" to myself.
The book is about a 12 year boy who is an inmate in a young offenders correctional facility where he has been brutally raped and abused in a variety of ways by both the other inmates and the staff. After a staff member tries to kill him and is killed by Nathan instead, the boy takes off on his "run." He becomes a media celebrity largely through a talk radio program and generates a good deal of support.
Gilstrap is an excellent story teller as his plot is plausible but has enough twists to maintain the reader's interest. Most of the characters are realistic and the major characters are three dimensional.
While not being an "edge of the seat" thriller throughout, Gilstrap develops a great deal of tension and suspense as the story reaches its conclusion.
This was not a great book but rather a very solid and enjoyable read. On my 1 to 10 pure enjoyment scale (1 = didn't enjoy it; 10 = couldn't wait to get back to it each evening), I would give Nathan's Run a 7.
The book is about a 12 year boy who is an inmate in a young offenders correctional facility where he has been brutally raped and abused in a variety of ways by both the other inmates and the staff. After a staff member tries to kill him and is killed by Nathan instead, the boy takes off on his "run." He becomes a media celebrity largely through a talk radio program and generates a good deal of support.
Gilstrap is an excellent story teller as his plot is plausible but has enough twists to maintain the reader's interest. Most of the characters are realistic and the major characters are three dimensional.
While not being an "edge of the seat" thriller throughout, Gilstrap develops a great deal of tension and suspense as the story reaches its conclusion.
This was not a great book but rather a very solid and enjoyable read. On my 1 to 10 pure enjoyment scale (1 = didn't enjoy it; 10 = couldn't wait to get back to it each evening), I would give Nathan's Run a 7.
March 14, 2011
Having killed a guard in self defence in a detentions centre in which he had been place, and with no one to trust, Nathan tells his story to a talk-back radio host, and his run becomes a media event followed across the country. Exciting and action packed to the very end!
September 21, 2012
Fantastic story...great ending. I cried.
December 17, 2019
John Gilstrap is one of my favorite authors. When I see his name on a book I know I am in for a thrilling ride, and he never lets me down. I gave a glowing review to his most recent Jonathan Grave book, “Total Mayhem” earlier this year. “Nathan’s Run,” not part of the Grave series, was Gilstrap’s first published thriller, and it is great. A reader would not pick it as a debut novel.
Nathan is a twelve-year-old boy in a juvenile prison for stealing his uncle’s car. He kills a guard under mysterious circumstances and escapes. He is of course pursued by the authorities. As someone who is the mother of a person who used to be a twelve-year-old boy my heart was in my throat, and all of my sympathies were for this poor child, however bright and resourceful he was. I do not like spoilers, so I will say no more about the plot, but this is an exciting book, very hard to put down.
Gilstrap changed a few details in this reissue, mostly of language. Otherwise, this is a twenty year old book which does not seem dated. Full of suspense, this thrill ride kept me up past my bedtime. I recommend it highly, and urge readers unfamiliar with Gilstrap to also give the Jonathan Grave series a try.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
Nathan is a twelve-year-old boy in a juvenile prison for stealing his uncle’s car. He kills a guard under mysterious circumstances and escapes. He is of course pursued by the authorities. As someone who is the mother of a person who used to be a twelve-year-old boy my heart was in my throat, and all of my sympathies were for this poor child, however bright and resourceful he was. I do not like spoilers, so I will say no more about the plot, but this is an exciting book, very hard to put down.
Gilstrap changed a few details in this reissue, mostly of language. Otherwise, this is a twenty year old book which does not seem dated. Full of suspense, this thrill ride kept me up past my bedtime. I recommend it highly, and urge readers unfamiliar with Gilstrap to also give the Jonathan Grave series a try.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
March 31, 2013
Twelve-year-old Nathan Bailey accused of the brutal murder of a juvenile detention guard has escaped and is on the run. When he calls a Washington, D.C. talk show host declaring that he stabbed the guard because the guard was trying to kill him, he becomes a national celebrity and a target of police and a self-serving district attorney who wants the death penalty. Only one officer believes him and tries to help him surrender safely.
I can't believe I never read this book or knew that it was banned by many schools. It was a great read and there's lots to discuss in a classroom or with your own child. Highly recommend.
I can't believe I never read this book or knew that it was banned by many schools. It was a great read and there's lots to discuss in a classroom or with your own child. Highly recommend.
August 8, 2016
It was written in a clear flow, and the story of Nathan, although one I've read of "escaping on the run" time and again- original in the voice of the escapee. You seldom get that kind of dialog and answer to the "followers" of the chase. Or that depth of the escapee's thoughts, beyond just their fear and reactions.
The jumping characters format and the far-fetched circumstances took me out of it. I never felt the entrenched tension at all that others seem to get with this book.
The jumping characters format and the far-fetched circumstances took me out of it. I never felt the entrenched tension at all that others seem to get with this book.
July 5, 2020
A phenomenal book to read. This kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I didn't want to put it down for anything.
There's been a murder and a twelve year old boy is missing. Did he kill the victim or is he the true victim?
Read one of the best books I've ever read to find out. Every page takes you deeper and deeper into the situation and you'll find yourself rooting for the underdog, hard.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There's been a murder and a twelve year old boy is missing. Did he kill the victim or is he the true victim?
Read one of the best books I've ever read to find out. Every page takes you deeper and deeper into the situation and you'll find yourself rooting for the underdog, hard.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2009
Fast paced and suspensful, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat during the conclusion. A great read! The main character is very likeable, and you find yourself rooting for him the entire time!
September 22, 2022
This was just a really good. It had me glued to my seat. I definitely reccomend it
July 21, 2019
A decent murder-thriller, about a young boy who kills a guard and then escapes from a juvenile detention facility.
This has been on my to-read list for years, and I finally decided it was time to read-or-get-off-the-list.
Overall, good, but I didn't find myself hooked by it. Usually a thriller-type book is one I can read in just a couple of days, but this took me a week. True, I did have busy evenings all week, but I also didn't find myself reading way past my bedtime like I would with a really thrilling thriller.
I think part of the issue for me is that this book is just a little dated. Contemporary in 1996 now feels a tad cheesy. The parts told from the POV of the boy are a bit too "Gee golly" for me to take seriously. It's kind of like the kid is based off of Kevin McCallister (all alone in the world!) but polished up to be as Hallmark sympathetic as possible. His inner dialogue definitely felt like what an adult would write for a kid, rather than what a kid would actually be thinking (especially the time he spoke aloud to himself). The villains were also pretty cookie-cutter as well, definitely very 90s-kid-action-movie bad guys.
I'm probably jaded from reading too many other thrillers by this point, so this one didn't impress m that much. It was FINE, but I probably won't remember many details after tomorrow.
This has been on my to-read list for years, and I finally decided it was time to read-or-get-off-the-list.
Overall, good, but I didn't find myself hooked by it. Usually a thriller-type book is one I can read in just a couple of days, but this took me a week. True, I did have busy evenings all week, but I also didn't find myself reading way past my bedtime like I would with a really thrilling thriller.
I think part of the issue for me is that this book is just a little dated. Contemporary in 1996 now feels a tad cheesy. The parts told from the POV of the boy are a bit too "Gee golly" for me to take seriously. It's kind of like the kid is based off of Kevin McCallister (all alone in the world!) but polished up to be as Hallmark sympathetic as possible. His inner dialogue definitely felt like what an adult would write for a kid, rather than what a kid would actually be thinking (especially the time he spoke aloud to himself). The villains were also pretty cookie-cutter as well, definitely very 90s-kid-action-movie bad guys.
I'm probably jaded from reading too many other thrillers by this point, so this one didn't impress m that much. It was FINE, but I probably won't remember many details after tomorrow.
December 6, 2019
This is a rerelease of John Gilstrap's first novel, Nathan's Run. I first read this back in the late 90s when it was published. And it's still a great novel.
"After losing his mother and father, Nathan is sent to live with his uncle - who does not like Nathan at all. Things get so bad that 12-year-old Nathan takes his uncle's car and runs. He ends up in Ju-ve. When a guard is killed, Nathan escapes and is now on the run. Nobody believes his story until he calls into a radio show. But the police are still out for blood..."
Great story from Gilstrap. You can't help but pull for Nathan, especially when so many people are out to hurt him and even take his life.There is lots of action. There are a few caricatures of rural law enforcement, but Gilstrap makes it work.
In the author notes, Gilstrap talks about updating this book, but you will still need to know what a pager does and that people have newspapers delivered to the house.
Very fast reread of this debut novel. One you should definitely add to your list
"After losing his mother and father, Nathan is sent to live with his uncle - who does not like Nathan at all. Things get so bad that 12-year-old Nathan takes his uncle's car and runs. He ends up in Ju-ve. When a guard is killed, Nathan escapes and is now on the run. Nobody believes his story until he calls into a radio show. But the police are still out for blood..."
Great story from Gilstrap. You can't help but pull for Nathan, especially when so many people are out to hurt him and even take his life.There is lots of action. There are a few caricatures of rural law enforcement, but Gilstrap makes it work.
In the author notes, Gilstrap talks about updating this book, but you will still need to know what a pager does and that people have newspapers delivered to the house.
Very fast reread of this debut novel. One you should definitely add to your list
May 2, 2021
This is a book I read back in middle school or so, and I remember liking it a lot at the time. So I put it on my To-Read list as I began to get into reading again this past year and a half. It is a good reminder that just because I loved it in middle school does not mean I will love it now.
It is a good book, though. I found myself a little ready to be done with it a few times but the pacing at the end was very good and I found myself getting a tad more emotional over the ending than I would have expected. No tears were shed but maybe my eyes were a little more moist. Who’s to say?
It is a good book, though. I found myself a little ready to be done with it a few times but the pacing at the end was very good and I found myself getting a tad more emotional over the ending than I would have expected. No tears were shed but maybe my eyes were a little more moist. Who’s to say?
January 11, 2023
4.25 stars. Not sure a book could be any more tense. And the pacing was so fast I had to hang on to the chair. What a fun read. Nathan is a great character. Just a 12 year old boy put to the biggest challenge of his life. You will run through every emotion as you work your way through the pages. A strong book from beginning to end. recommend.
August 1, 2017
A great story of an innocent boy on the run. With the help of a cynical radio host and police detective. Nathan is being pushed to trust adults again.
June 14, 2018
I really like this book. It was a reread from some time ago,but it still had plenty of suspense and you really find yourself rooting for Nathan
June 16, 2022
This is a page turner! It had me wanting to yell at the characters in the book to leave Nathan alone. Maybe it's the mama bear in me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2023
Great characters,
Nice pace.
Loved the ending.
Nice pace.
Loved the ending.
July 1, 2024
Think The Fugitive, only Harrison Ford is an abused kid. This would be great as a movie, but of course the book will be better. Tears were shed.
July 12, 2025
Good read!!!
December 12, 2022
RATING: 4.25
January 16, 2021
Hi, My name is Christopher and the book we are here to talk about today is Nathan's Run. I first read this book on the 13th of January and It took me two days to finish the book. I think it could have been easy to read in a single day, but I was dotting stuff down for the review and also details for art work. I am now going to talk about some of the books details. It was first published on the first of January back in 1996. The book was told in 3rd person. It had 39 chapters. I'm not to sure which book version that I had but I could tell it was pretty old by the looks of it and also the details that I had picked up on, anyway I will talk about that a bit later. As the book was water damaged, I'm planning on getting a new copy soon but I know that the first Edition for this book was 509 pages long as it says on GoodReads, I also know that some other books were edited. The newest one which is paperback has 432 pages. I'm not sure if that is more of because of the book being written in a different text font or just because of the editing of the book.
I think the storyline was interesting, I really liked it. I thought the plot was really good and I liked the intense scenes which also felt realistic. I think it was good that we as the reader get to find out what Nathan had written in his note to a family within the story, Having that part written into the book also let us see more of his characters personality which I liked. I enjoyed that the book also mentioned a few movies and shows that the reader can go out and experience for ourselves. I did tear up a good few times when reading the book, I found myself rooting for Nathan, I didn't like Denise and Lieutenant Michaels much when we first got to meet them but as I carried on reading, I started rooting for them too. I liked the scenes that we got between Nathan and Denise, But I would have liked a few more scenes between Nathan and Michaels as we only got one or two scenes with them too before the end of the book.
The most difficult thing for me had to be the jumping of the character to character which was a constant thing throughout the book, I found it hard to work out who was who and what this character did at times. I think it would have been best if each chapter was set in one single character's point of view instead or maybe if it had a clear title stating who's point of view was being told in 3rd person I personally think that would have worked better. At times it did feel as if a few parts were over explained a bit too much. All in all I think It was a good read, This was the first book that I have read buy the writer. Which was the first book that he had written. I think it would have been a lot better If it didn't have the use of the N word. The copy that I had was with it in but I have been told that there are copy's with it edited out which is good.
I will give you a link to the page on the authors website, were you can get to read his original ending to the story. Which he posted for "fans who want just a little more." The part starts off where the book left off and carry's on a bit and then we get another chapter which takes place Five Months Later which was exactly what I was looking for the ending of the book. It was really sweet, I liked the ending.
http://www.johngilstrap.com/books/nat...
I'm thinking about buying Nick of Time and Friendly Fire as Its said that Nathan makes a cameo appearances in both of them books. I do know that the book Friendly Fire is part of a series so it looks like I might have to get the whole series of that book. Anyway I would definitely watch a movie of the book if one is made, I know that there was some talk about it years ago but it still hasn't happen yet. My top five favourite characters from the book, starting at number five has to be, Jed, Denise, Warren Michaels, Billy and then Nathan. For each book that I read, I rate it out of 10, so for this I'm going to give it 9. Or 4.5 on GoodReads.
I think the storyline was interesting, I really liked it. I thought the plot was really good and I liked the intense scenes which also felt realistic. I think it was good that we as the reader get to find out what Nathan had written in his note to a family within the story, Having that part written into the book also let us see more of his characters personality which I liked. I enjoyed that the book also mentioned a few movies and shows that the reader can go out and experience for ourselves. I did tear up a good few times when reading the book, I found myself rooting for Nathan, I didn't like Denise and Lieutenant Michaels much when we first got to meet them but as I carried on reading, I started rooting for them too. I liked the scenes that we got between Nathan and Denise, But I would have liked a few more scenes between Nathan and Michaels as we only got one or two scenes with them too before the end of the book.
The most difficult thing for me had to be the jumping of the character to character which was a constant thing throughout the book, I found it hard to work out who was who and what this character did at times. I think it would have been best if each chapter was set in one single character's point of view instead or maybe if it had a clear title stating who's point of view was being told in 3rd person I personally think that would have worked better. At times it did feel as if a few parts were over explained a bit too much. All in all I think It was a good read, This was the first book that I have read buy the writer. Which was the first book that he had written. I think it would have been a lot better If it didn't have the use of the N word. The copy that I had was with it in but I have been told that there are copy's with it edited out which is good.
I will give you a link to the page on the authors website, were you can get to read his original ending to the story. Which he posted for "fans who want just a little more." The part starts off where the book left off and carry's on a bit and then we get another chapter which takes place Five Months Later which was exactly what I was looking for the ending of the book. It was really sweet, I liked the ending.
http://www.johngilstrap.com/books/nat...
I'm thinking about buying Nick of Time and Friendly Fire as Its said that Nathan makes a cameo appearances in both of them books. I do know that the book Friendly Fire is part of a series so it looks like I might have to get the whole series of that book. Anyway I would definitely watch a movie of the book if one is made, I know that there was some talk about it years ago but it still hasn't happen yet. My top five favourite characters from the book, starting at number five has to be, Jed, Denise, Warren Michaels, Billy and then Nathan. For each book that I read, I rate it out of 10, so for this I'm going to give it 9. Or 4.5 on GoodReads.
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