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An exciting new novel by one of Singapore's youngest authors, Gabby Tye, 14: The scientists got it wrong. Dead wrong. Groundbreaking work in genetics have unleashed something unimaginable. Something that has killed off every living thing except humans. Somewhere in Singapore, a 15-year-old girl wakes up with no memory. She can t remember who she is, but can t shake the feeling that there is something she needs to do.With nowhere to go and no one to trust, she joins a band of young survivors like her. Together, they must hunt for food and fight to survive. Only now, surviving isn t enough. Some adults are changing and developing a new kind of hunger. Now, they must RUN"
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 4, 2014
40 people are currently reading
616 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 14, 2024
4.75 stars ⭐️
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
this was a such a fun and easy read. it was exactly how i remembered it, and it brought back a lot of nostalgia 🥹💗 suddenly, i’m 15/16 again 😭 the writing wasn’t the best and felt a bit cringey, but considering that a local author wrote this book at just 14 years old, it’s really impressive. i definitely couldn’t have written anything like this at that age because my writing was terrible (it still is 😀) anywhooo, i’m so glad i loved this just as much now as i did back then <3
pre-read 🧟♀️:
EEEEE I’M SO SO EXCITED TO REREAD THIS BOOK!!! >_< i used to hate reading as a kid, but i’m pretty sure this one got me into it ~ it’s by a local author and i was obsessed with this series back then 🥹💚
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
this was a such a fun and easy read. it was exactly how i remembered it, and it brought back a lot of nostalgia 🥹💗 suddenly, i’m 15/16 again 😭 the writing wasn’t the best and felt a bit cringey, but considering that a local author wrote this book at just 14 years old, it’s really impressive. i definitely couldn’t have written anything like this at that age because my writing was terrible (
pre-read 🧟♀️:
EEEEE I’M SO SO EXCITED TO REREAD THIS BOOK!!! >_< i used to hate reading as a kid, but i’m pretty sure this one got me into it ~ it’s by a local author and i was obsessed with this series back then 🥹💚
March 18, 2017
I couldn't even get halfway through the first book. It was too cliché for me to handle. I skipped to random pages and the end to see if it was as cliché as the beginning and it was. You have a Mary Sue teenage girl who doesn't remember anything, random flashbacks that happen way too early in the book, an instant and forced romance that doesn't have any chemistry at all to it, and the boy (Jae) who is a)cute/hot, b)the person with the sense of humour, c)a good fighter. It reminded me of many clichés and other books I've read, except that those books dragged the plot and romance out so it wouldn't feel forced.
Run would have been a lot better if the whole plot and romance was stretched out. Instead, it's forced into 206 pages which makes everything extremely cliché and boring to read.
Zee is way, way too whiny and cliché in general. Jae and Zee's 'fight' was also entirely unnecessary. You've put so many stereotypes together - the protagonist being a person nobody likes at first, the cute boy a love interest for the protagonist, the snobby girl with her sidekick who don't like the protagonist but eventually become friends, and the little girl who becomes the protagonist's friend.
The attempt of the cliffhanger at the last part did not work. I'm not sure if it was because I didn't read the rest of the book or it just didn't hook anyone. There is already an obvious love triangle, and green eyes was emphasised way too much.
The plot was predictable and boring. Also, the huge sentence at the beginning of each chapter is unnecessary and makes it harder to read. If the chapters were longer it may have been okay, but the chapters are way too short to make the sentence enjoyable.
The cover and the description had made me excited for the book and hold high standards, and it immediately disappointed me. Although, I would recommend this to younger children who can handle gore and have lower standards.
Run would have been a lot better if the whole plot and romance was stretched out. Instead, it's forced into 206 pages which makes everything extremely cliché and boring to read.
Zee is way, way too whiny and cliché in general. Jae and Zee's 'fight' was also entirely unnecessary. You've put so many stereotypes together - the protagonist being a person nobody likes at first, the cute boy a love interest for the protagonist, the snobby girl with her sidekick who don't like the protagonist but eventually become friends, and the little girl who becomes the protagonist's friend.
The attempt of the cliffhanger at the last part did not work. I'm not sure if it was because I didn't read the rest of the book or it just didn't hook anyone. There is already an obvious love triangle, and green eyes was emphasised way too much.
The plot was predictable and boring. Also, the huge sentence at the beginning of each chapter is unnecessary and makes it harder to read. If the chapters were longer it may have been okay, but the chapters are way too short to make the sentence enjoyable.
The cover and the description had made me excited for the book and hold high standards, and it immediately disappointed me. Although, I would recommend this to younger children who can handle gore and have lower standards.
August 31, 2018
As cliche as it is, coming from a local author as young as 14 years old at the time this book was published, I would say she is an excellent author. Oh come on, admit it, how many of our children can actually come up with this standards since writing had not been the main focus in Singapore school until Stellar. I purchased three books of hers on the pretext that my daughter somehow picked my love of reading later on. And boy am I glad that she did and kept asking for more.
Till date, I have all her 4 novels and waiting for the other instalment. Do note that it is suitable read for tweenies rather than young adults and adults. It is an easy read. And I think all the loose ends will tie up as the story progressed from trilogy to quintet. Or maybe EVER AFTER is another story for another sequels. Didnt read the others and leave it for my daughter. On a scale between 1 to 5, my daughter rated as 5* on all her novels.
Till date, I have all her 4 novels and waiting for the other instalment. Do note that it is suitable read for tweenies rather than young adults and adults. It is an easy read. And I think all the loose ends will tie up as the story progressed from trilogy to quintet. Or maybe EVER AFTER is another story for another sequels. Didnt read the others and leave it for my daughter. On a scale between 1 to 5, my daughter rated as 5* on all her novels.
December 8, 2019
it is a very interesting book and now currently reading hide i cannot believe singapore turning into the world gabby created in this book, means she is very creative and imagination is very well done! Jae and Zee really did fight very well and the imaginations come from a teenager, which is amazing!! Well done Gabby :>
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2024
MAJOR SPOILERS!!!
Ive been wanting to review this for a long time.
The Good:
1. I was bored and this book was finally available on Libby, so it was great for killing time.
2. I appreciate the author’s effort. As cliche as the book is, its not easy to write one.
The Bad:
This has probably been mentioned a million times before, but the trilogy in general is extremely, extremely cliche.
The plot is simple: your basic dystopian storyline where food and other necessities are scarce. Blah blah blah. Throw in some zombies called Eaters who eat each other and other humans for survival. And there you have it. The ✨ p l o t ✨.
OH WAIT!! How could I forget!
Thats not the complete plot, because we still have the love triangle!
Spoilers below.
The initial interactions between Kayzee and Jae are very cringey. I will not bother to go on because...Im sorry.
In your typical love triangle, you have the fem!MCs childhood male!bestie (poor bestie lolll), who, in this case, is Connor. Then you have the hot new boy whom everyone knows is going to end up with the MC.
Most of the characters take up the bad, so Ill be moving on now.
The characters:
Um...Theyre not good. Theyre cliche. I didnt like them at all.
As one reviewer has previously stated, the characters, including the mc and her love interests, are flat, 2D, cardboard cutouts.
Jae
He’s…plain. He’s the typical hot boy love interest who’s both a bad boy and also gentlemanly. There was absolutely no depth to his character; I’ve encountered 100 versions of him across so many books already, and I really couldnt find a reason to like him. Obviously he’s super skilled and shit, but that was all there was.
Eryn
Shes plain too. All of them are. She was the little mcs friend whos nice and kind and playful and left a good impression on mc immediately. Shes the cliche nice friend. To me she and her lover brion, and the mc had no chemistry whatsoever.
Connor
Mcs childhood friend and 2nd love interest. He was meh too. But there was one part which made me put the book down and turn away for a while.
I love how his hair literally turned from black to white within a week because his crush disappeared?? I mean yes stress, but all your hair turning white in seven days??? Come on you can do better seriously.
The other characters don’t even matter? I’ve forgotten about all of them.
Kayzee aka the MC
Lets start with the mc.
If I could give two words to describe her, they would be Mary Sue. She’s an absolute beauty, attracts the boys, has literally all the magical and non magical abilities in the world, and apparently knows all the karate moves ever at the age of, what, 17?? Girl please this is a little too far
Okay if my memory serves, here’s a list of just a few of her powers:
1. Mind readjnf abilities, or the ability to predict her opponents movements before they strike. Mg good job. Yeah no.
2. Blood that can revive someone from the frickin dead??? I thought the genes were far fetched but this. Is. Just. No.
3. Unbelievable survival tactics and martial arts thingys. Good with any weapon. Your mum mustve been crazy to do this.
With more and more of her avlities being ontroduced, i liked her less and less because she just became more and more perfect?? And these powers literally came out of nowhere. One minute shes fighting some bad guys, and the next she’s suddenly eliminating them like flies because of superhuman powers that just mfing manifested I guess.
And of course, the memory loss trope!!
We are introduced to her stunning looks through a dirty bathroom mirror. She has breathtaking violet eyes, a--quote--nice nose, and gorgeous dark hair all the way down to her back. Oh, shes such a beauty!
Of course, any boy who meets her will fall head over heels for her immediately. She meets Jae, a hot boy with beautiful longish brown hair and--damn!!! Those beautiful green eyes...its as if shes seen them somewhere before...but where?
But hes cute!
Wait! you cry, isnt this set in Singapore? What’s up with the hair and eyes?
No, dear reader, no!! In...um...37-21=16 years, genetic modifications would have already been available for quite a few years, allowing rich parents to change their childrens eye, hair and even skin colour!!
At this, I need to interrupt for a while.
I would assume that the author is doing this so she can have anime themed characters with crazy hair and eye colours but this just...doesnt work.
It might be more believable if it is set somewhere more distant in the future, say, 3037 instead of 2027. None of us living in 2021 will still be alive by 3037, so maybe it would have passed. If the present is 2021, and this story takes place in 2037, then thatll be 16 years away. The mcs genes were modified when she was born, or before that, and its stated somewhere that shes 15 years old, so 16-15=1, meaning that in a years time, this sort of genetic modification would be available for the richer.
I get that this book was written some time before 2014 or 15, so the time length couldve been longer then, but shifting the time of the book forwards a little would be better. And yes, this is fiction. You can do whatever the hell you want, and maybe I’m nitpicking, but come on. You can do better.
Anyway.
And then, through some playful not painful, laugh out loud antics, the mcs new name is born: Zee!!! After that, Z meets the horribly mean girl Dyanne and her yucky sidekick Shulin. Ewww, both of them have red hair and blue. They, especially Dyanne, want her out of their group. Ugh. Theyre probably bitter that their parents chose such silly hair and eye colours for them.
Okay not the ginger slander LMAO it came out of literally nowhere?? She was judging their appearance even before they said a word pls
Kayzee’s mother
She’s portrayed as a caring mother. For the third time this review, come on. She genetically modified her daughter ILLEGALLY to make sure she can be the perfect girl?? Please woman get some help.
I can completely understand Kayzee when she yelled at her mother because wtf. But then after that they reconcile and become all happy again. This was then never addressed.
This review is very messy and I have no conclusion to it because I just edited my review from like 2 years ago, so on an ending note I’d like to say: the author has probably grown so much from this, and I mean no hate to her at all. I’m just sharing my thoughts on the book.
Ive been wanting to review this for a long time.
The Good:
1. I was bored and this book was finally available on Libby, so it was great for killing time.
2. I appreciate the author’s effort. As cliche as the book is, its not easy to write one.
The Bad:
This has probably been mentioned a million times before, but the trilogy in general is extremely, extremely cliche.
The plot is simple: your basic dystopian storyline where food and other necessities are scarce. Blah blah blah. Throw in some zombies called Eaters who eat each other and other humans for survival. And there you have it. The ✨ p l o t ✨.
OH WAIT!! How could I forget!
Thats not the complete plot, because we still have the love triangle!
Spoilers below.
The initial interactions between Kayzee and Jae are very cringey. I will not bother to go on because...Im sorry.
In your typical love triangle, you have the fem!MCs childhood male!bestie (poor bestie lolll), who, in this case, is Connor. Then you have the hot new boy whom everyone knows is going to end up with the MC.
Most of the characters take up the bad, so Ill be moving on now.
The characters:
Um...Theyre not good. Theyre cliche. I didnt like them at all.
As one reviewer has previously stated, the characters, including the mc and her love interests, are flat, 2D, cardboard cutouts.
Jae
He’s…plain. He’s the typical hot boy love interest who’s both a bad boy and also gentlemanly. There was absolutely no depth to his character; I’ve encountered 100 versions of him across so many books already, and I really couldnt find a reason to like him. Obviously he’s super skilled and shit, but that was all there was.
Eryn
Shes plain too. All of them are. She was the little mcs friend whos nice and kind and playful and left a good impression on mc immediately. Shes the cliche nice friend. To me she and her lover brion, and the mc had no chemistry whatsoever.
Connor
Mcs childhood friend and 2nd love interest. He was meh too. But there was one part which made me put the book down and turn away for a while.
I love how his hair literally turned from black to white within a week because his crush disappeared?? I mean yes stress, but all your hair turning white in seven days??? Come on you can do better seriously.
The other characters don’t even matter? I’ve forgotten about all of them.
Kayzee aka the MC
Lets start with the mc.
If I could give two words to describe her, they would be Mary Sue. She’s an absolute beauty, attracts the boys, has literally all the magical and non magical abilities in the world, and apparently knows all the karate moves ever at the age of, what, 17?? Girl please this is a little too far
Okay if my memory serves, here’s a list of just a few of her powers:
1. Mind readjnf abilities, or the ability to predict her opponents movements before they strike. Mg good job. Yeah no.
2. Blood that can revive someone from the frickin dead??? I thought the genes were far fetched but this. Is. Just. No.
3. Unbelievable survival tactics and martial arts thingys. Good with any weapon. Your mum mustve been crazy to do this.
With more and more of her avlities being ontroduced, i liked her less and less because she just became more and more perfect?? And these powers literally came out of nowhere. One minute shes fighting some bad guys, and the next she’s suddenly eliminating them like flies because of superhuman powers that just mfing manifested I guess.
And of course, the memory loss trope!!
We are introduced to her stunning looks through a dirty bathroom mirror. She has breathtaking violet eyes, a--quote--nice nose, and gorgeous dark hair all the way down to her back. Oh, shes such a beauty!
Of course, any boy who meets her will fall head over heels for her immediately. She meets Jae, a hot boy with beautiful longish brown hair and--damn!!! Those beautiful green eyes...its as if shes seen them somewhere before...but where?
But hes cute!
Wait! you cry, isnt this set in Singapore? What’s up with the hair and eyes?
No, dear reader, no!! In...um...37-21=16 years, genetic modifications would have already been available for quite a few years, allowing rich parents to change their childrens eye, hair and even skin colour!!
At this, I need to interrupt for a while.
I would assume that the author is doing this so she can have anime themed characters with crazy hair and eye colours but this just...doesnt work.
It might be more believable if it is set somewhere more distant in the future, say, 3037 instead of 2027. None of us living in 2021 will still be alive by 3037, so maybe it would have passed. If the present is 2021, and this story takes place in 2037, then thatll be 16 years away. The mcs genes were modified when she was born, or before that, and its stated somewhere that shes 15 years old, so 16-15=1, meaning that in a years time, this sort of genetic modification would be available for the richer.
I get that this book was written some time before 2014 or 15, so the time length couldve been longer then, but shifting the time of the book forwards a little would be better. And yes, this is fiction. You can do whatever the hell you want, and maybe I’m nitpicking, but come on. You can do better.
Anyway.
And then, through some playful not painful, laugh out loud antics, the mcs new name is born: Zee!!! After that, Z meets the horribly mean girl Dyanne and her yucky sidekick Shulin. Ewww, both of them have red hair and blue. They, especially Dyanne, want her out of their group. Ugh. Theyre probably bitter that their parents chose such silly hair and eye colours for them.
Okay not the ginger slander LMAO it came out of literally nowhere?? She was judging their appearance even before they said a word pls
Kayzee’s mother
She’s portrayed as a caring mother. For the third time this review, come on. She genetically modified her daughter ILLEGALLY to make sure she can be the perfect girl?? Please woman get some help.
I can completely understand Kayzee when she yelled at her mother because wtf. But then after that they reconcile and become all happy again. This was then never addressed.
This review is very messy and I have no conclusion to it because I just edited my review from like 2 years ago, so on an ending note I’d like to say: the author has probably grown so much from this, and I mean no hate to her at all. I’m just sharing my thoughts on the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2023
"Run" by Gabby Tye is a captivating novel that takes readers on an emotional journey of self-discovery, courage, and redemption. Through powerful storytelling and well-crafted characters, Tye weaves a compelling narrative that explores the depths of human resilience.
The story centers around the life of the protagonist, Sarah, a young woman who finds herself dealing with a traumatic event from her past. Determined to escape her haunted memories, she embarks on a physical and metaphorical journey of running. As Sarah pushes her body to its limits, she discovers the true strength within herself and gradually starts to heal.
One of the strongest aspects of this novel is Tye's ability to create complex and relatable characters. Sarah is a flawed yet resilient protagonist who undergoes significant growth throughout the story. Readers will find themselves rooting for her as she confronts her demons and finds solace in her passion for running.
Tye's writing style is engaging and evocative, effectively capturing the emotions and struggles of Sarah. The author's attention to detail is commendable, particularly in the vivid descriptions of the running scenes, making readers feel as if they are right alongside Sarah, experiencing her triumphs and setbacks.
The themes explored in "Run" are universal and resonate with readers on a profound level. The novel delves into the importance of confronting one's past, the healing power of physical activity, and the significance of finding one's own strength. Tye skillfully intertwines these themes, creating a thought-provoking read that will leave a lasting impact.
However, while the storytelling is powerful and the characters are well-developed, there are moments in the plot that feel slightly predictable. Some readers may find themselves anticipating certain twists and turns, which may detract from the overall surprise factor. Additionally, the pacing could have been slightly more balanced, as certain sections felt rushed while others lingered.
In conclusion, "Run" by Gabby Tye is an inspiring and emotionally charged novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate stories of personal growth and triumph over adversity. Tye's ability to create relatable characters and explore universal themes adds depth to the narrative, making it a compelling read. Despite some predictable moments and pacing issues, "Run" is a book that will leave readers reflecting on their own inner strength long after the final page is turned.
January 28, 2016
I am surprised! I thoroughly enjoyed the book! This is the second time I am reading a apocalyptic novel set in Singapore and I am really digging the idea of a apocalyptic Singapore.
I had mixed feelings about Zee. I couldn't decide to like her or not. She is whiny, really whiny and she screams at everything. She is, afterall, 15 but if she had kept her cool more often than not, I think I would have liked her. I thought Jae was a little creepy. He kept forcing himself into Zee's world and that really made ne uncomfortable.
I did spot a few grammar mistakes here and there but it didn't affect the whole flow of the story. I must say I am impressed! Considering that this is a piece of work done by a 14 year-old. Makes me question about my life. I really didn't expect to like this series very much and am looking forward to the second book. Really really clever to have ended with a cliff hanger.
I had mixed feelings about Zee. I couldn't decide to like her or not. She is whiny, really whiny and she screams at everything. She is, afterall, 15 but if she had kept her cool more often than not, I think I would have liked her. I thought Jae was a little creepy. He kept forcing himself into Zee's world and that really made ne uncomfortable.
I did spot a few grammar mistakes here and there but it didn't affect the whole flow of the story. I must say I am impressed! Considering that this is a piece of work done by a 14 year-old. Makes me question about my life. I really didn't expect to like this series very much and am looking forward to the second book. Really really clever to have ended with a cliff hanger.
August 7, 2017
So I was a tourist in Singapore and went into a bookstore where Gabby Tye was signing books and so I bought a copy of Run so that I could have a book signed by the author. So I more or less went into this book blind.
I liked the colour of the paper (brown as opposed to the usual white) and how the text was not consistently the same size. It took me maybe two hours to read. It was a fun little romp but I really don't think I am the target market. I do however find it impressive that the author got published at such a young age.
I liked the colour of the paper (brown as opposed to the usual white) and how the text was not consistently the same size. It took me maybe two hours to read. It was a fun little romp but I really don't think I am the target market. I do however find it impressive that the author got published at such a young age.
July 11, 2017
I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I ACTUALLY ENJOYED IT.
HAHAHAHA...
This book is a joke if you compared it to other dystopianS.
It's like compiling all the 'dystopian' characteristics from all 'popular dystopian books' into one book. But I enjoyed it, and that's what matter the most :D
p.s. It reminds me a lot to the maze runner though :s
p.p.s I'll just forgive A LOT of ridiculous reasonings and scenes in this book. Because It was a fun light read. Even as funny as comedy :D
HAHAHAHA...
This book is a joke if you compared it to other dystopianS.
It's like compiling all the 'dystopian' characteristics from all 'popular dystopian books' into one book. But I enjoyed it, and that's what matter the most :D
p.s. It reminds me a lot to the maze runner though :s
p.p.s I'll just forgive A LOT of ridiculous reasonings and scenes in this book. Because It was a fun light read. Even as funny as comedy :D
March 10, 2020
MC is basically a Mary Sue and the books has too many cliche moments along with a bunch of other one dimensional characters author ripped off popular books like divergent, hunger games, maze runner and many more couldn’t stand it after reading the first few chapters...
June 1, 2017
Finally I'm on this trilogy and am not disappointed!
She wrote it like a diary. I like that the story is not draggy. *ooo~~ That rhymes XD*
The story follows Zee, who doesn't remember a thing when she woke up. She doesn't even remember her name so she's given one - Zee.
She has to survive in order to understand why there are only one group of people - the children and teenagers in that house. Not a single adult is in sight. Then, another problem appeared. It seems that the adults have changed their diet - eating human meat. Not cannibals because these adults don't seem to know what they're doing and the group term them as 'The Eaters'.
What I had in mind - they're simply zombies!
Now, I just need to continue with the other 2 books. :)
She wrote it like a diary. I like that the story is not draggy. *ooo~~ That rhymes XD*
The story follows Zee, who doesn't remember a thing when she woke up. She doesn't even remember her name so she's given one - Zee.
She has to survive in order to understand why there are only one group of people - the children and teenagers in that house. Not a single adult is in sight. Then, another problem appeared. It seems that the adults have changed their diet - eating human meat. Not cannibals because these adults don't seem to know what they're doing and the group term them as 'The Eaters'.
What I had in mind - they're simply zombies!
Now, I just need to continue with the other 2 books. :)
December 2, 2023
my p6 self LOVED this series. i know the writing isn't the best but it's so much better than i could've ever done at 14!! the plot kept me hooked throughout all 5 books, which means that this is definitely really good and deserving of (my rarely given) 5 stars
i haven't read the previous books in a long time actually, but i recently reread After and it was great! i can still remember the plot pretty clearly, which is a testament to how good the plot is :)
EDIT LMAOOOO lowered it to 4 just in case
i haven't read the previous books in a long time actually, but i recently reread After and it was great! i can still remember the plot pretty clearly, which is a testament to how good the plot is :)
EDIT LMAOOOO lowered it to 4 just in case
September 13, 2015
Run was an interesting book that I greatly enjoyed. I found the plot fast moving and gripping, even if the writing style was quite simple. The fact that it was set in Singapore gave it an interesting twist, and I liked recognising the place names. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but all in all is quite a good book.
November 24, 2021
Enjoyed the whole series as a teenager! Looking back at it now is nostalgic but I get why I liked it so much.
September 23, 2023
1.5 stars rounded up
wow okay. where do I even start with a book like this? first of all, I think it's pretty impressive that Gabby Tye managed to publish a book at such a young age, but reading this in 2023 really made me wonder about the standards of singaporean books.
the book was written in mostly present tense, but sometimes randomly switched to past tense, which annoyed me and didn't make sense at all. I would have preferred if she had just written the book in past tense, honestly.
her character names were horrible. instead of jay, we have jae. instead of kyle, we have kyl. instead of diane, we have dyanne. and instead of brian, we have brion. I honestly have nothing to say except these names physically pained me to read. I mean, brion?? come on
her writing was far too simplistic and her sentence structures were bad, to say the least. there are parts where Zee was said to be attacking someone with a stick, but the writing never depicted her picking up said stick to attack. not only that, her writing feels childish and undeveloped, like anything and everything she thought of made it into the book.
although Zee was potrayed as "smart", her actions in the book weren't exactly the smartest. once, when the eaters weren't doing anything, she yelled, " STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS" and provoked them into attacking. really, Zee? you've know these people for like 2 days, are they really YOUR kids? furthermore, your yelling literally attracted these eaters and endangered YOUR KID'S lives, so think about that for a moment.
the romance between Jae and Zee felt superficial and completely unrealistic. they had zero chemistry and didn't have me rooting for them at all. there was a scene where a bunch of kids were getting attacked, but Jae and Zee started kissing?? hello?? there's a place and a time for this, and it definitely isn't now.
another thing that annoyed me was Zee having literally every power known to mankind. let's be honest, no one likes a protagonist who is practically undefeatable. she's so skilled with a stick, + she can see the future and know the actions of her enemies, which makes it boring and eliminates the element of surprise for the readers.
the attempt at a cliffhanger at the end wasn't really successful either, most because I had no emotional attachment to the characters whatsoever and could not care less if they died. I did find it funny that Connor was so stressed that all his hair turned white in a week because his crush left. like I'm sorry but a week? 😭
this book gets 2 stars solely for the your mama jokes. it was genuinely so funny, and really gives me that hint of singaporean culture. I'm actually curious about how Gabby came up with such a diverse range of your mama jokes
"your mother is so fat, when she walks, people in Indonesia feel an earthquake"
"your mother is so ugly, when she looks into the mirror, the mirror breaks"
wow okay. where do I even start with a book like this? first of all, I think it's pretty impressive that Gabby Tye managed to publish a book at such a young age, but reading this in 2023 really made me wonder about the standards of singaporean books.
the book was written in mostly present tense, but sometimes randomly switched to past tense, which annoyed me and didn't make sense at all. I would have preferred if she had just written the book in past tense, honestly.
her character names were horrible. instead of jay, we have jae. instead of kyle, we have kyl. instead of diane, we have dyanne. and instead of brian, we have brion. I honestly have nothing to say except these names physically pained me to read. I mean, brion?? come on
her writing was far too simplistic and her sentence structures were bad, to say the least. there are parts where Zee was said to be attacking someone with a stick, but the writing never depicted her picking up said stick to attack. not only that, her writing feels childish and undeveloped, like anything and everything she thought of made it into the book.
although Zee was potrayed as "smart", her actions in the book weren't exactly the smartest. once, when the eaters weren't doing anything, she yelled, " STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS" and provoked them into attacking. really, Zee? you've know these people for like 2 days, are they really YOUR kids? furthermore, your yelling literally attracted these eaters and endangered YOUR KID'S lives, so think about that for a moment.
the romance between Jae and Zee felt superficial and completely unrealistic. they had zero chemistry and didn't have me rooting for them at all. there was a scene where a bunch of kids were getting attacked, but Jae and Zee started kissing?? hello?? there's a place and a time for this, and it definitely isn't now.
another thing that annoyed me was Zee having literally every power known to mankind. let's be honest, no one likes a protagonist who is practically undefeatable. she's so skilled with a stick, + she can see the future and know the actions of her enemies, which makes it boring and eliminates the element of surprise for the readers.
the attempt at a cliffhanger at the end wasn't really successful either, most because I had no emotional attachment to the characters whatsoever and could not care less if they died. I did find it funny that Connor was so stressed that all his hair turned white in a week because his crush left. like I'm sorry but a week? 😭
this book gets 2 stars solely for the your mama jokes. it was genuinely so funny, and really gives me that hint of singaporean culture. I'm actually curious about how Gabby came up with such a diverse range of your mama jokes
"your mother is so fat, when she walks, people in Indonesia feel an earthquake"
"your mother is so ugly, when she looks into the mirror, the mirror breaks"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2023
The premise was very interesting, and the story was fairly interesting. However, the writing... It was terrible.
(Note: This is a two-sided argument.)
The author couldn't seem to decide on the tenses she wanted to use. I'm very lenient when it comes to tenses in fiction. But it needs to make sense. Her tenses were so messy. At first, I thought she was writing in the present tense because the bulk of the first chapter was in the present tense. Even her actions were written in the present tense. When she suddenly switched to past tense in the fourth paragraph, I was so confused. Was she still in her thoughts? It seemed that way, yet the tenses said otherwise. From Chapter 21, the book was suddenly written in the present tense when almost everything was in the past tense before that. The sudden change in tenses can be quite jarring for some readers.
It's not really specified throughout the book, whenever Zee, the protagonist, was "thinking", whether it was a thought from that point in time in the story or a thought from the "present" as she was writing about the past. In the same sentence, there could be a jumble of past and present tense, and the sentence itself didn't even make sense. For example, in Chapter 2, the author writes, "The next time I opened my eyes, I'm guessing a few hours had passed." I was perplexed. I showed it to my friend, thinking it could be a "me" problem, but she was also confused. The use of present tense in a story written primarily in past tense indicates that the narrator is speaking as a present self, not her past self as written in the book.
One could argue that since the story was written in the first person POV, perhaps the protagonist's English was just very bad. However, Zee is supposed to be very smart.
However, despite all its issues, it doesn't mean that this story doesn't have its merits. As I said, the premise was compelling. As a biology student, I found it interesting that the book talked about genetics. Of course, it was scientifically inaccurate, but it's fantasy, so I could close one eye. One can't expect fiction to be entirely accurate and realistic. A book about an apocalypse caused by genetic engineering sounded very interesting to me, and I thought that the book sent a great message regarding the ethics of GMOs. I wouldn't go into detail about that, or it would be a spoiler.
I thought the banters between Jae and Zee were quite cute, as they made sense, given that they were a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. People at that age are very cringe-worthy in a natural way, and such banters generally fit their age. Age them up, however, and it would be cringe-worthy in an unnatural way.
When I read this book when I was younger, I didn't find an issue at all. But now that I'm older, I could spot so many issues. As I read the first few pages, I wondered how this book even got published. Yes, the story was good. Sure, it was a bit cliché with the whole amnesia saga and all, but cliché doesn't mean bad. But the writing... How could the editor allow this? I don't blame the author because she was 14 when she wrote this book, and it's perfectly normal to suck at English at 14 years old, even if you grew up speaking it. Spoken English and written English are very different. But a book with so many mistakes should've had the issues corrected before publication. It feels like this book got approved after the first draft. It feels like there may not even have been an editor. If the publishing company allowed an editor with such low standards to pass the job interview, I would be so disappointed in the Singapore publishing industry.
I also found some discomforting moments, and one that I particularly remember is Zee indirectly mocking Dyanna's and Shulin's red hair and blue eyes in Chapter 6. It was written that she had wondered what their parents were thinking when they chose the combination and thought, "At least my parents had good taste." Red hair and blue eyes aren't ugly. That's rude. And it really made me dislike Zee a little because she was making fun of two people's appearances. Even if the author didn't mean it that way, in life, you often don't know the full extent of the impacts of your actions.
Ms Gabby Tye mentioned in an interview that at 14, she didn't have a standard writing style and wanted to write what felt natural. Yes, very natural. Everything Zee thought in the story just got regurgitated. Even words like "My T-shirt was filthy. And wet. Showing off everything! Argh." were allowed to be in the book. There are ways to express the exact meaning without sounding so cringe-worthy and making the protagonist sound so annoying. Zee sounded like some entitled brat. Perhaps it foreshadowed her identity as , but she complained too much. That doesn't seem to be how she was raised, and I don't really like the idea of perpetuating such stereotypes about when are all so nice.
The 13-year-old me would've given this book a 5-star review, but she didn't have Goodreads back then. It's a good read for the younger audience, who mostly read a book for the story and aren't that good at English anyway to nitpick. But for people who are older or more educated, I don't recommend it to you unless you're willing to shut your brain while reading it or able to read it quickly enough so that you don't spot the errors. I'm not going to raise the rating just to excuse the quality of the book based on the author's young age. In my opinion, the 2-star is suitable, and I seldom give low ratings. I kind of feel bad for giving this book 2 stars, but it is what it is. It is such a pity that such a good story with so much potential had such poor editing.
It's a good effort for a 14-year-old, though. I'm sure her writing has improved, and that's what matters. It would be cool for Ms Gabby Tye to release a remastered version of this book, though, correcting all the errors. It would be nice to see a book look more professional. Many Singaporeans are not inclined to read local books because of how unprofessional they look, e.g. Singlish or poor English. Since the series is fairly popular in the country, if the book has a remastered version, it might be able to attract more readers! Readers who only read books published in the US or UK may finally start to give local literature a glimpse.
Related Reviews:
Run (Book 1)
Hide (Book 2)
Seek (Book 3)
(Note: This is a two-sided argument.)
The author couldn't seem to decide on the tenses she wanted to use. I'm very lenient when it comes to tenses in fiction. But it needs to make sense. Her tenses were so messy. At first, I thought she was writing in the present tense because the bulk of the first chapter was in the present tense. Even her actions were written in the present tense. When she suddenly switched to past tense in the fourth paragraph, I was so confused. Was she still in her thoughts? It seemed that way, yet the tenses said otherwise. From Chapter 21, the book was suddenly written in the present tense when almost everything was in the past tense before that. The sudden change in tenses can be quite jarring for some readers.
It's not really specified throughout the book, whenever Zee, the protagonist, was "thinking", whether it was a thought from that point in time in the story or a thought from the "present" as she was writing about the past. In the same sentence, there could be a jumble of past and present tense, and the sentence itself didn't even make sense. For example, in Chapter 2, the author writes, "The next time I opened my eyes, I'm guessing a few hours had passed." I was perplexed. I showed it to my friend, thinking it could be a "me" problem, but she was also confused. The use of present tense in a story written primarily in past tense indicates that the narrator is speaking as a present self, not her past self as written in the book.
One could argue that since the story was written in the first person POV, perhaps the protagonist's English was just very bad. However, Zee is supposed to be very smart.
However, despite all its issues, it doesn't mean that this story doesn't have its merits. As I said, the premise was compelling. As a biology student, I found it interesting that the book talked about genetics. Of course, it was scientifically inaccurate, but it's fantasy, so I could close one eye. One can't expect fiction to be entirely accurate and realistic. A book about an apocalypse caused by genetic engineering sounded very interesting to me, and I thought that the book sent a great message regarding the ethics of GMOs. I wouldn't go into detail about that, or it would be a spoiler.
I thought the banters between Jae and Zee were quite cute, as they made sense, given that they were a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. People at that age are very cringe-worthy in a natural way, and such banters generally fit their age. Age them up, however, and it would be cringe-worthy in an unnatural way.
When I read this book when I was younger, I didn't find an issue at all. But now that I'm older, I could spot so many issues. As I read the first few pages, I wondered how this book even got published. Yes, the story was good. Sure, it was a bit cliché with the whole amnesia saga and all, but cliché doesn't mean bad. But the writing... How could the editor allow this? I don't blame the author because she was 14 when she wrote this book, and it's perfectly normal to suck at English at 14 years old, even if you grew up speaking it. Spoken English and written English are very different. But a book with so many mistakes should've had the issues corrected before publication. It feels like this book got approved after the first draft. It feels like there may not even have been an editor. If the publishing company allowed an editor with such low standards to pass the job interview, I would be so disappointed in the Singapore publishing industry.
I also found some discomforting moments, and one that I particularly remember is Zee indirectly mocking Dyanna's and Shulin's red hair and blue eyes in Chapter 6. It was written that she had wondered what their parents were thinking when they chose the combination and thought, "At least my parents had good taste." Red hair and blue eyes aren't ugly. That's rude. And it really made me dislike Zee a little because she was making fun of two people's appearances. Even if the author didn't mean it that way, in life, you often don't know the full extent of the impacts of your actions.
Ms Gabby Tye mentioned in an interview that at 14, she didn't have a standard writing style and wanted to write what felt natural. Yes, very natural. Everything Zee thought in the story just got regurgitated. Even words like "My T-shirt was filthy. And wet. Showing off everything! Argh." were allowed to be in the book. There are ways to express the exact meaning without sounding so cringe-worthy and making the protagonist sound so annoying. Zee sounded like some entitled brat. Perhaps it foreshadowed her identity as , but she complained too much. That doesn't seem to be how she was raised, and I don't really like the idea of perpetuating such stereotypes about when are all so nice.
The 13-year-old me would've given this book a 5-star review, but she didn't have Goodreads back then. It's a good read for the younger audience, who mostly read a book for the story and aren't that good at English anyway to nitpick. But for people who are older or more educated, I don't recommend it to you unless you're willing to shut your brain while reading it or able to read it quickly enough so that you don't spot the errors. I'm not going to raise the rating just to excuse the quality of the book based on the author's young age. In my opinion, the 2-star is suitable, and I seldom give low ratings. I kind of feel bad for giving this book 2 stars, but it is what it is. It is such a pity that such a good story with so much potential had such poor editing.
It's a good effort for a 14-year-old, though. I'm sure her writing has improved, and that's what matters. It would be cool for Ms Gabby Tye to release a remastered version of this book, though, correcting all the errors. It would be nice to see a book look more professional. Many Singaporeans are not inclined to read local books because of how unprofessional they look, e.g. Singlish or poor English. Since the series is fairly popular in the country, if the book has a remastered version, it might be able to attract more readers! Readers who only read books published in the US or UK may finally start to give local literature a glimpse.
Related Reviews:
Run (Book 1)
Hide (Book 2)
Seek (Book 3)
May 12, 2024
OKAY, THAT WAS HONESTLY AMAZING. idk how most people dislike this book, it’s actually really interesting n fun to read !!
i love the suspense and plot in this book a lot BUT YOU DIDNT HAVE TO CUT ME OUT AT THE END 😔😔 i guess i’ll have to read the next book in the series.. i want to tbh!! i kinda wished there was more siNgliSh though, since the context was in singapore BAHAHHA.
opinions on some characters
1. zee (aka kayla) - she's honestly such a girlboss frfr, and she fights well 😽😽. HER SPIDERMAN THING THOUGH LMAO WOW. ill rate her character a 8/10. what's with her obsession with gReeN eYes tho.. is it bc of that connor person or something ? UHM
2. jae - I LOVE HIMM. i love how he took care of zee when she felt frustrated, lost and everything.. he truly cares for his kids (IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK, YOU WOULD KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY HIS KIDS LMAO-) and sorry (not sorry) to say this but he's so boyfriend material 🤭. his character is a 9/10. OH AND WHEN HE KISSED ZEE OML.
3. eryn - CUTIE. one of my favs too, she's so so sweet !! idk what else to say ab her but ill give her the 10/10 anyway :)
4. dyanne - she may be rude and stuff and i didn't like her in some parts but she carried ☝🏼😋. she's also quite a girlboss as well ha, and i love her character development (not that much of a development but there's some) and i hope ill be able to like her even more the next book !! hmm, her character is probably 7.5/10 !
i would rate more characters but im tired rn so ...
overall, i would definitely recommend this book if u haven't read it yet!! i’m sure it's worth your time if you like the dystopian and mystery genre !
i love the suspense and plot in this book a lot BUT YOU DIDNT HAVE TO CUT ME OUT AT THE END 😔😔 i guess i’ll have to read the next book in the series.. i want to tbh!! i kinda wished there was more siNgliSh though, since the context was in singapore BAHAHHA.
opinions on some characters
1. zee (aka kayla) - she's honestly such a girlboss frfr, and she fights well 😽😽. HER SPIDERMAN THING THOUGH LMAO WOW. ill rate her character a 8/10. what's with her obsession with gReeN eYes tho.. is it bc of that connor person or something ? UHM
2. jae - I LOVE HIMM. i love how he took care of zee when she felt frustrated, lost and everything.. he truly cares for his kids (IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK, YOU WOULD KNOW WHAT I MEAN BY HIS KIDS LMAO-) and sorry (not sorry) to say this but he's so boyfriend material 🤭. his character is a 9/10. OH AND WHEN HE KISSED ZEE OML.
3. eryn - CUTIE. one of my favs too, she's so so sweet !! idk what else to say ab her but ill give her the 10/10 anyway :)
4. dyanne - she may be rude and stuff and i didn't like her in some parts but she carried ☝🏼😋. she's also quite a girlboss as well ha, and i love her character development (not that much of a development but there's some) and i hope ill be able to like her even more the next book !! hmm, her character is probably 7.5/10 !
i would rate more characters but im tired rn so ...
overall, i would definitely recommend this book if u haven't read it yet!! i’m sure it's worth your time if you like the dystopian and mystery genre !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2025
Run by Gabby Tye is one of the books that I enjoyed reading since it is set in an apocalyptic world. This is the first book in the Run Hide Seek trilogy, and it is a young adult dystopian novel set in Singapore, somewhere in the future, that has been destroyed by a failed genetic experiment. The story follows Zee, a 15-year-old girl who wakes up with no memory of who she is, in a world where the adults either disappeared or turned into zombies. "The Eaters.” She then joins a group of young survivors and tries to discover who she really is and what happened to the world. One significant feature I noticed about the novel was how it had a fast-paced opening and suspensful tone, which grabbed my attention. The book manages to capture the fear a teenager girl would feel in an unsettling, new world. The use of a Singaporean setting gave the story an exciting and refreshing feel for me since the story hit closer to home, with a character around my age as well. Through Zee’s fragmented memories and encounters with danger, as readers we are drawn into a world both thrilling and unsettling. As the reader, I think that the strongest aspect of Run is how the book explores identity and memory, since Zee's amnesia mirrors the uncertainty of not knowing who you are or what your place in the world is. Her journey to remember herself becomes symbolic to reality of growing up in chaotic times. I give the book 4 stars since some parts move too quickly which left character development bland. Overall, Run is an exciting and suspenseful read that can be refreshing for younger readers who enjoy survival stories set in an apocalyptic world.
July 4, 2025
I have to say... knowing that the author wrote the book at an early age was surprising (in a good way) congratulations! That's literally amazing. At that age? With that kind of word play? Amazing!
I liked it. It got me hooked from the first page to the last. And hello??? The last page??? The ending??? The cliffhanger??? I need book 2 immediately!
The story is very much The Maze Runner vibes (lurve btw!), characters were well written, each one played their part well. The main character losing her memory in the very beginning was a good start! The story progression was nice, the dialogues made sense (they're kids, it's to be expected) and the character development was good.
Though... I felt that there wasn't any professional editing done for this book. There were some scenes that could be stretched out more, add in more details, check any grammatical errors here and there. I believe if this book had a touch of editing to it, it would've been way better.
But overall, it was enjoyable. I enjoyed reading it and I'm sure kids - teens would eat this up too! (pun intended)
I liked it. It got me hooked from the first page to the last. And hello??? The last page??? The ending??? The cliffhanger??? I need book 2 immediately!
The story is very much The Maze Runner vibes (lurve btw!), characters were well written, each one played their part well. The main character losing her memory in the very beginning was a good start! The story progression was nice, the dialogues made sense (they're kids, it's to be expected) and the character development was good.
Though... I felt that there wasn't any professional editing done for this book. There were some scenes that could be stretched out more, add in more details, check any grammatical errors here and there. I believe if this book had a touch of editing to it, it would've been way better.
But overall, it was enjoyable. I enjoyed reading it and I'm sure kids - teens would eat this up too! (pun intended)
November 8, 2022
Calling this young adult is really stretching it. I'd say it's recommended for primary 3s and 4s, but not teenagers. I remember there was so much hype around it, and yea, the cover is pretty nice but that's the only good part of the book. The rest is just bad. There are so many dystopian or young adult books out there that are so much better than this book. There was basically no lure or suspense in the first few chapters and I felt like I was reading a primary school composition. Really not good. Probably the worst book I ever read. The attack scenes are probably the worst ones. It really screams primary school composition and when reading the fighting scenes, all I felt was cringe and disgust. I feel like i ws reading a story from wattpad. After reading the first few chapters I feel ashamed that I even considered buying it. Definitely don't recommend this book, spend your money on other books. SMH, can't believe I wasted 30 dollars on this.
February 13, 2018
"Abandonment, Hungry, Hunted". Written by Gabby Tye, Run was a book published in 2014 in April. This book talks about a girl named Zoe who wakes up to realise that her family is gone. All she sees are a bunch of kids who have survived the attack of the so called Eaters. These are adults that have ran out of food and are relying on humans for a food source. Then with talents that Zoe did not realise she had, she compromises the conflicts and has to defend for herself and the people around her. I would rate this book a four star because though there are full of ups and downs. The plot eventually kind of gets repetitive. Despite that, if you like Dystopian books. This is a must read for you!
August 12, 2021
The first book was what got me hooked. Narrated in the protagonist’s POV it has everything needed in the first book: great introduction of the protagonist (Zee) and the mysterious flashbacks of her past. This book has everything a teen girl would enjoy: action- packed lines, a corny but childlike romance and also the great camaraderie among the characters. It was not only exciting but also an addictive page turner. By the end of the book, I was faced with new and interesting elements that left me begging for the next book. Of course, I immediately jumped straight into it. 🥲
June 13, 2022
bestie i read this when i was p4, i have read it like 5 times alr and still love it. im still very confused on why they decided to kick out all the kids. the adults aer gonna die sooner so why not leave some of the more useful and big brain kids or smthing? anyways, Jae i love u with all my heart and ship u so much with zee (kay). i rly like jae and admire how him, kyl and brion can fricking manage a group in a world crisis at the age of 16. like man the fact that they have this heavy load to take on. wow. u guys slay
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2019
This gave me a good outlook on dystopian type books. The unexpected romance was incredible, it truly shows how a girl hides her feelings for a guy, I actually despised romance novels because they were cliche, and too lovey, dovey, but this book really opened a new type of romance to me and made me think that not all are cliche type stuff. This was the first book in the trilogy and I was instantly hooked, I really recommend for thriller seekers.
December 30, 2021
It is a very interesting thriller and mystery book, that has a hint of romance in it. I really recommend this to children who dislike to read. This is one of the books that got me into reading and now I am obsessed with books. They can be found in Kinokuniya, Singapore, which is in Orchard. There is a release of a comic version of the first book, so you can buy that first, if you want to, before getting into the actual reading!
October 1, 2021
Unexpectedly found myself sucked into the story because the writing style is simple, and descriptive enough for me to imagine a whole new world as the story moved along.
However, wished that the characters are a little more developed and now looking forward to the 2nd book of the trilogy. Kudos to the Gabby Tye for writing this when she is just 14yrs old!
However, wished that the characters are a little more developed and now looking forward to the 2nd book of the trilogy. Kudos to the Gabby Tye for writing this when she is just 14yrs old!
November 11, 2021
i read this when i was like 12 . ive reread it quite a bit since and i do still like it . it is a little cliche but whats a book without that . plus she was 14 . thats amazing . the first book was a little more cliche than the other books but she was growing up while writing them so i understand why. normally im not a big fan of love triangles but this was well written and i enjoyed it .
October 21, 2022
vivid memory of my childhood because of gabby tye HAHA. i rmb her mom is eliza teoh who wrote elliebellie then came to our sch to give a talk! this trilogy was surprisingly good and i really liked how it developed tbh, i own first 4 books i think (idt i have 'after'? need check) WILL REREAD!
September 3, 2024
as a kid I really adored this book! I think it influenced my future tastes and inspired me to take up writing. impressive writing for a 14 year old, too. although it is somewhat cliché, I loved reading these!
August 27, 2017
Run really got me interested. The author is really good at getting her readers to hang on and read every second. It's wonderful how she made the woman as an incredible fighter rather than the male characters. It's fun seeing how they learn things about the eaters and how it develops to the next book.
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