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Run, Hide, Fight Back
Six teens must band together to survive after a shooting breaks out in this high-stakes thriller by New York Times best-selling author April Henry.
When a deadly shooting breaks out in a Portland shopping mall, a diverse group of teens ends up trapped behind a store's security shutter. To her own surprise, 17-year-old Miranda finds the others looking to her as their leader. But she's hiding a big secret - and she's not the only one. The group has only three Run, hide, or fight back. The wrong decision will have fatal consequences.
When a deadly shooting breaks out in a Portland shopping mall, a diverse group of teens ends up trapped behind a store's security shutter. To her own surprise, 17-year-old Miranda finds the others looking to her as their leader. But she's hiding a big secret - and she's not the only one. The group has only three Run, hide, or fight back. The wrong decision will have fatal consequences.
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First published August 27, 2019
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About the author
April Henry
34 books3,389 followersI write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.
If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written31 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have been on the New York Times bestseller list, translated into twelve languages, and won the Edgar, Anthony, and Oregon Book awards.
If you've read one of my books, I would love to hear from you. Hearing from readers makes me eager to keep writing.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine.
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I'm very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written31 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have been on the New York Times bestseller list, translated into twelve languages, and won the Edgar, Anthony, and Oregon Book awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
September 20, 2019
Note: I received an ARC of this book in winter 2018, and the release date was pushed back over a year. I'm not sure if some heavy editing went into the book in that time, but this is my review of the original version.
----
Here is a list I casually compiled of every social issue “discussed” in this book.
- opiate addiction
- immigration
- terrorism
- cancer
- DREAMers
- vaccines
- Islamophobia
- big pharma
- conspiracy theories
- gangs
- alternative medicine
- shoplifting
- hijab
- corruption in government
- corruption in business
- corruption in culture/morality
Here is a list of social issues that were absolutely pivotal to the plot of this book and yet were barely discussed at all, if even mentioned:
- sexual assault
- gun control
We follow a band of six people who are trapped in a mall during a shooting that turns out to be an act of domestic terror. The synopsis describes them as “a diverse group of teens,” which, while unbearably cringeworthy, is pretty accurate.
Miranda is addicted to opiates. Cole is aTrump supporter racist military sibling with a penchant for conspiracy theories. Amina is Muslim and wears hijab. Javier is an illegal immigrant. Grace has cancer. Parker...is the token white guy? Not sure.
This is not exactly the effortless, narrative-enriching representation that I love so dearly, and there are straight up no gay people in this whole book, but the author is clearly trying and that’s cool.
Here, though, are two things I hate.
One, Parker pays Miranda money to have sex with him because she’s addicted to oxycontin and will do anything. This is the, um, furthest thing from enthusiastic consent? And this book is too busy spending alternate half-pages delving shallowly into really complicated issues to have a discussion about consent, so MIRANDA AND PARKER APOLOGIZE TO EACH OTHER AND IT’S OVER.
Secondly.
Even though all these characters spend their time being shot at by AR-15s, this book never discusses the need for gun control. Ever. Not once.
So I must ask, WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS THEN.
All of that complaining being done, I do like how the author strove to discuss important issues. And that not all of these characters are white. In fact, a lot of them are groups that don’t get represented very often! And that’s cool.
Plus this is a group of teens using dumbass plans to out-police the police and save the day. And a thriller! And a quick read.
I’m honestly just crossing my fingers that this book did some of the hard stuff, and in the future more books will be a, um, better version of this.
Bottom line: A good start! But not much more than that.
----
name any social issue that crossed the national stage in 2017 and i'll tell you how this book introduced it, discussed it, solved it, and put it away in the span of half a page.
it's like a tag-yourself thing except for why this book is getting 2.5 stars.
review to come / thanks to Macmillan for the ARC!
----
Here is a list I casually compiled of every social issue “discussed” in this book.
- opiate addiction
- immigration
- terrorism
- cancer
- DREAMers
- vaccines
- Islamophobia
- big pharma
- conspiracy theories
- gangs
- alternative medicine
- shoplifting
- hijab
- corruption in government
- corruption in business
- corruption in culture/morality
Here is a list of social issues that were absolutely pivotal to the plot of this book and yet were barely discussed at all, if even mentioned:
- sexual assault
- gun control
We follow a band of six people who are trapped in a mall during a shooting that turns out to be an act of domestic terror. The synopsis describes them as “a diverse group of teens,” which, while unbearably cringeworthy, is pretty accurate.
Miranda is addicted to opiates. Cole is a
This is not exactly the effortless, narrative-enriching representation that I love so dearly, and there are straight up no gay people in this whole book, but the author is clearly trying and that’s cool.
Here, though, are two things I hate.
One, Parker pays Miranda money to have sex with him because she’s addicted to oxycontin and will do anything. This is the, um, furthest thing from enthusiastic consent? And this book is too busy spending alternate half-pages delving shallowly into really complicated issues to have a discussion about consent, so MIRANDA AND PARKER APOLOGIZE TO EACH OTHER AND IT’S OVER.
Secondly.
Even though all these characters spend their time being shot at by AR-15s, this book never discusses the need for gun control. Ever. Not once.
So I must ask, WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS THEN.
All of that complaining being done, I do like how the author strove to discuss important issues. And that not all of these characters are white. In fact, a lot of them are groups that don’t get represented very often! And that’s cool.
Plus this is a group of teens using dumbass plans to out-police the police and save the day. And a thriller! And a quick read.
I’m honestly just crossing my fingers that this book did some of the hard stuff, and in the future more books will be a, um, better version of this.
Bottom line: A good start! But not much more than that.
----
name any social issue that crossed the national stage in 2017 and i'll tell you how this book introduced it, discussed it, solved it, and put it away in the span of half a page.
it's like a tag-yourself thing except for why this book is getting 2.5 stars.
review to come / thanks to Macmillan for the ARC!
January 18, 2020
This was really good, but also really sad, as so many of us can relate to the fear of a mass shooting. Personally, I'm required by my company to take an annual "armed shooter preparedness" training, that covers the Run, Hide, Fight Back steps, and the fact that I (and everyone else) even has to worry about it is horrific.
Anyway, this book covers a mass shooting that takes place in a mall, over the period of several hours. The chapters are short, and the plot was gripping, so I read this one very quickly in one sitting. If you liked This Is Where It Ends, I'd recommend Run, Hide, Fight Back.
Anyway, this book covers a mass shooting that takes place in a mall, over the period of several hours. The chapters are short, and the plot was gripping, so I read this one very quickly in one sitting. If you liked This Is Where It Ends, I'd recommend Run, Hide, Fight Back.
August 21, 2021
This is an incredibly fast-paced young adult thriller. It came so close to knocking it out of the ballpark for me. My problem with this book is that it tries to touch on too many social issues. A few of these references were well placed - for instance, anti-muslim racism in America or the ease of a teenager becoming addicted to prescription drugs - but the author tried to hit so many of them, that it felt superficial and rushed. She also started rambling about conspiracy theories at one point - vaccinations causing autism, etc. I understood what she was trying to do, but at some point, doing a commentary on so many social issues ends up weakening the impact she would have had had she chosen just one or two. To be honest, I would have been okay with the book had she chosen not to have any deep themes. It is a thriller, after all. I think that just having the horror of a mass shooting in a mall be the unspoken, yet heavily implied commentary on just how easy it is to get access to guns in America could have been very effective. Weirdly, I don’t even think that was one of the 10+ social issues that the author touched on in this book. But I might have missed it, since if it was in there, it was likely glossed over in favour of one of the others.
3 stars
3 stars
March 18, 2023
I don’t understand all the “meh” reviews I’m seeing for this. This was really good! Maybe it’s because I don’t read a lot of stuff in the thriller genre so I have nothing to compare this to, but I thought it was really interesting. Reading it reminds me that I still wanna read “Violent Ends”
I thought the descriptive bits of writing were really well done because I was able to picture it all in my head pretty vividly. And the fact there was some level of a redemption arc for a bad guy is something that always makes me happy in books! Like, it’s not just black and white all the time, not just good guys and bad guys. And sometimes the bad guys had a reason for what they were doing and you can at least empathize with that, you know?
I would be interested in reading more from this author. I know BooksandLala has read some of her stuff!
I thought the descriptive bits of writing were really well done because I was able to picture it all in my head pretty vividly. And the fact there was some level of a redemption arc for a bad guy is something that always makes me happy in books! Like, it’s not just black and white all the time, not just good guys and bad guys. And sometimes the bad guys had a reason for what they were doing and you can at least empathize with that, you know?
I would be interested in reading more from this author. I know BooksandLala has read some of her stuff!
Read
May 24, 2020
June 2, 2019
Full review: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com...
Since this book doesn't come out for a while, I hope it will go through some more revisions to tighten up the many parts of the book that felt messy. On the other hand, it was a really interesting book, and the plot was solid. Shootings are one of the biggest topics in America right now, and to explore how one would affect six teenagers is cool. I like most of the characters, but the MC, Miranda, has a confusing and convoluted history. I didn't really like her, and she seemed only there as an audience surrogate, never really doing anything. There was no happiness in this book, but it's definitely worth reading, even if you have to fight (ha) your way through it. Rating: three/five
For fans of: Realistic Thrillers, Books With Twists, Short But Snappy Books
Favorite quote:
- “But stuff like that always happened to someone else. It would never happen to you.”
Since this book doesn't come out for a while, I hope it will go through some more revisions to tighten up the many parts of the book that felt messy. On the other hand, it was a really interesting book, and the plot was solid. Shootings are one of the biggest topics in America right now, and to explore how one would affect six teenagers is cool. I like most of the characters, but the MC, Miranda, has a confusing and convoluted history. I didn't really like her, and she seemed only there as an audience surrogate, never really doing anything. There was no happiness in this book, but it's definitely worth reading, even if you have to fight (ha) your way through it. Rating: three/five
For fans of: Realistic Thrillers, Books With Twists, Short But Snappy Books
Favorite quote:
- “But stuff like that always happened to someone else. It would never happen to you.”
January 31, 2020
Five teens are trapped in a Portland mall when a domestic terrorist group starts shooting and killing people. With no other options, the teens close themselves off in a store with a security gate. Hostages are taken and the teens soon find themselves cut off from the outside world where the only viable alternative is to run, hide or fight back. Will all of the teens make it out alive?
There are just so many things I want to say about this story and I know a lot of readers are going to take issue with the diversity of the teens especially with what is going on now in the book world. Personally, I think April Henry did a fantastic job with Miranda, Amina, Grace, Javier and Cole, the five teens hiding behind the security gate. Henry really hits you with thoughts that are constantly being spoken out loud by many people such as being muslim, wearing a hijab, being undocumented, and so forth. I’ve heard it plenty of times and I know people who have said it plenty of times. Okay, yes they are stereotypes, but this is nothing new and if you think teens and/or adults aren’t saying the same things then you are living under a rock and refuse to accept reality.
I think stories like this one need to be talked about and read especially for young adults which this particular story is more geared towards. It is a shame that this is what this world has come to and children need to learn how to run, hide or fight back if ever faced in a shooting situation. You hear about mass shootings on the news, but you never really think it will happen in your city, until it does. On December 10, 2019, two shooters killed a police detective and three other innocent people when they entered a Jewish grocery store in Jersey City, NJ. This is MY city. This happened a few miles from where I live. My sister is a police officer here, do you know how scary that is to know that a family member is going to be at an active shooting scene? Police officers put themselves in danger every single day they go into work. When a mass shooting like this occurs they all band together all the counties come together as one unit. I have to say, a mass shooter does not deserve to be captured, have a jury by their peers, and go to prison. They should be ended right there and then, period.
There are a lot of things going on in this story and I do think it got to be a little too much to take in all at once. Things such as conspiracy theories, illegal immigration, fear of muslims, drug addiction, trading sex for money, maybe should have been limited to one or two things at most. I just felt like it was a bit too jam packed to the point where none of them could have been discussed throughout the story. I think a discussion on some of the hot topics is needed in the young adult community or at least a better understanding on why these are such hot topics. But, one good point is that even though some of the teens may have thought a certain away, it was nice to see them all join forces and build a trust to help each other survive through their ordeal.
I pretty much figured out the plot from the beginning, but again I think being an adult, it was pretty easy to see, but since this story is geared more towards the younger crowd, I think they will be pretty surprised how it all plays out. There is also a lot of action and a lot of tense moments. It definitely kept me on the edge for the most part.
Run, Hide Fight Back is definitely a book that all young adults should read, talk about and discuss especially now. It is really a powerful and moving story and one I can recommend.
There are just so many things I want to say about this story and I know a lot of readers are going to take issue with the diversity of the teens especially with what is going on now in the book world. Personally, I think April Henry did a fantastic job with Miranda, Amina, Grace, Javier and Cole, the five teens hiding behind the security gate. Henry really hits you with thoughts that are constantly being spoken out loud by many people such as being muslim, wearing a hijab, being undocumented, and so forth. I’ve heard it plenty of times and I know people who have said it plenty of times. Okay, yes they are stereotypes, but this is nothing new and if you think teens and/or adults aren’t saying the same things then you are living under a rock and refuse to accept reality.
I think stories like this one need to be talked about and read especially for young adults which this particular story is more geared towards. It is a shame that this is what this world has come to and children need to learn how to run, hide or fight back if ever faced in a shooting situation. You hear about mass shootings on the news, but you never really think it will happen in your city, until it does. On December 10, 2019, two shooters killed a police detective and three other innocent people when they entered a Jewish grocery store in Jersey City, NJ. This is MY city. This happened a few miles from where I live. My sister is a police officer here, do you know how scary that is to know that a family member is going to be at an active shooting scene? Police officers put themselves in danger every single day they go into work. When a mass shooting like this occurs they all band together all the counties come together as one unit. I have to say, a mass shooter does not deserve to be captured, have a jury by their peers, and go to prison. They should be ended right there and then, period.
There are a lot of things going on in this story and I do think it got to be a little too much to take in all at once. Things such as conspiracy theories, illegal immigration, fear of muslims, drug addiction, trading sex for money, maybe should have been limited to one or two things at most. I just felt like it was a bit too jam packed to the point where none of them could have been discussed throughout the story. I think a discussion on some of the hot topics is needed in the young adult community or at least a better understanding on why these are such hot topics. But, one good point is that even though some of the teens may have thought a certain away, it was nice to see them all join forces and build a trust to help each other survive through their ordeal.
I pretty much figured out the plot from the beginning, but again I think being an adult, it was pretty easy to see, but since this story is geared more towards the younger crowd, I think they will be pretty surprised how it all plays out. There is also a lot of action and a lot of tense moments. It definitely kept me on the edge for the most part.
Run, Hide Fight Back is definitely a book that all young adults should read, talk about and discuss especially now. It is really a powerful and moving story and one I can recommend.
February 3, 2018
When a mass shooting breaks out at a Portland mall, the people inside have three choices -- run, hide, or fight back... And, since there are several shooters armed with semi-automatic weapons, the wrong choice will likely lead to death. When Amina decided to shut herself into the store where she worked, hoping that the metal security gate would provide enough protection, she didn't close herself in alone. There were six teens inside, and they would all have to work together to try and get out alive.
It's a diverse group of teens, so I thought of this as kind of like The Breakfast Club written as a thriller. And, I have to admit... Although I loved how this story kept me on the edge of my seat, I am not sure I will be able to go into a shopping mall for a while. (I thought No Safetly in Numbers was traumatizing at the time, but this is so much more realistic and terrifying.)
Happy Reading!
It's a diverse group of teens, so I thought of this as kind of like The Breakfast Club written as a thriller. And, I have to admit... Although I loved how this story kept me on the edge of my seat, I am not sure I will be able to go into a shopping mall for a while. (I thought No Safetly in Numbers was traumatizing at the time, but this is so much more realistic and terrifying.)
Happy Reading!
September 6, 2019
I read this for work (I know, my life is hard). It’s a little trite and features basically every single issue of the day (oxy addiction, far-right anti-government views, immigration, etc etc.), and it’s dark because of the mass shooting aspect. But it was a very well-written book and super compelling. I read it in less than two days at my desk at work.
April 2, 2018
Received from Netgalley in exchange for an Honest Review.
What I loved: Miranda...So typically female characters written as the damsels in distress. This girl...she found her strength and pushed herself through the whole thing. I loved that.
What I liked: I liked that all the characters were a little imperfect, a little broken. Everyone had something they didn't want others to know.
What I hated: Can't say I really hated anything.
Overall: Well written, well researched...while I hate that the subject matter has become our new normal, I think this book was great.
What I loved: Miranda...So typically female characters written as the damsels in distress. This girl...she found her strength and pushed herself through the whole thing. I loved that.
What I liked: I liked that all the characters were a little imperfect, a little broken. Everyone had something they didn't want others to know.
What I hated: Can't say I really hated anything.
Overall: Well written, well researched...while I hate that the subject matter has become our new normal, I think this book was great.
March 17, 2022
Trigger warnings: mass shooting, gun violence, blood, death of a parent, drug addiction, racism, Islamophobia, murder, vomit, graphic descriptions of wounds, terrorism, cancer.
Eeeeeeh. I usually really enjoy April Henry's books, and I was definitely intrigued by the concept of this - a group of teenagers trapped in a shopping mall during a terrorist attack. But unfortunately, I found several of the protagonists quite unlikeable and I can't say I enjoyed the domestic terrorism "immigrants are stealing our country, it's time to take it back" bullshit that the perpetrators were spouting.
Obviously, this was written and published pre-pandemic, but I can just TELL that half the characters in this book would be anti-mask, anti-vaccination, anti-lockdown idiots.
What I *did* find morbidly fascinating is that the title comes from a Texas Homeland Security video that offers tips for situations exactly like these and includes the message to run if you can, hide if you can't, and fight back if you must. As an Australian and a school employee, I find it horrifying that such videos have to exist. But the mantra will stick with me nonetheless (and I suspect it's more memorable than the story).
Eeeeeeh. I usually really enjoy April Henry's books, and I was definitely intrigued by the concept of this - a group of teenagers trapped in a shopping mall during a terrorist attack. But unfortunately, I found several of the protagonists quite unlikeable and I can't say I enjoyed the domestic terrorism "immigrants are stealing our country, it's time to take it back" bullshit that the perpetrators were spouting.
Obviously, this was written and published pre-pandemic, but I can just TELL that half the characters in this book would be anti-mask, anti-vaccination, anti-lockdown idiots.
What I *did* find morbidly fascinating is that the title comes from a Texas Homeland Security video that offers tips for situations exactly like these and includes the message to run if you can, hide if you can't, and fight back if you must. As an Australian and a school employee, I find it horrifying that such videos have to exist. But the mantra will stick with me nonetheless (and I suspect it's more memorable than the story).
June 29, 2021
RUN, HIDE, FIGHT BACK
If you slice society into groups at random, you get various races and ethnicity, and various social problems. Henry sliced her social group into a pie and presented the represented social identifiers as addiction and all of the problems it brings with theft and lying, religion, illness, immigration, and fear, elitist and on and on. However, these were not the focus of the book and so were handled lightly as they were secondary to the story, mass kidnapping, and shooting.
I thought that the contemporary issue of a mass shootings was handled well and that when the chips are against the wall, people can forget their differences and work together to save themselves and others. I liked the time markers, the texts to family and friends, the discussion between the participants. I thought it was well done, but it is hard to enjoy a book like this simply because it has become a possibility in our world.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
If you slice society into groups at random, you get various races and ethnicity, and various social problems. Henry sliced her social group into a pie and presented the represented social identifiers as addiction and all of the problems it brings with theft and lying, religion, illness, immigration, and fear, elitist and on and on. However, these were not the focus of the book and so were handled lightly as they were secondary to the story, mass kidnapping, and shooting.
I thought that the contemporary issue of a mass shootings was handled well and that when the chips are against the wall, people can forget their differences and work together to save themselves and others. I liked the time markers, the texts to family and friends, the discussion between the participants. I thought it was well done, but it is hard to enjoy a book like this simply because it has become a possibility in our world.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
October 11, 2019
1.5 stars.
I've hated all six of Henry's books that I've read (even though they are pretty terrible, I can't get myself to stop picking them up), so I'm not surprised that I disliked this, but OOF was it bad.
The writing is bad as usual (no surprise there), the representation for people of color was pretty mediocre (yeah, also not a surprise considering her skin color), and it was so pandery when talking about religion, gun violence, addiction, etc., that it became incredibly annoying to read, no matter how important it is to have these discussions.
Although this was pretty much a glorified after school special and April Henry should proooobably stick to writing about people her own skin color (because no representation is better than bad rep 😬), I still flew through this and I always appreciate a thriller..no matter how sloppily done.
I've hated all six of Henry's books that I've read (even though they are pretty terrible, I can't get myself to stop picking them up), so I'm not surprised that I disliked this, but OOF was it bad.
The writing is bad as usual (no surprise there), the representation for people of color was pretty mediocre (yeah, also not a surprise considering her skin color), and it was so pandery when talking about religion, gun violence, addiction, etc., that it became incredibly annoying to read, no matter how important it is to have these discussions.
Although this was pretty much a glorified after school special and April Henry should proooobably stick to writing about people her own skin color (because no representation is better than bad rep 😬), I still flew through this and I always appreciate a thriller..no matter how sloppily done.
April 2, 2022
April Henry's books are always a banger, so I didn't expect to be let down. It talks about so many 'social issues' that happen today; terrorists, shoplifting, mass shooting ect. Its so sad but it really makes you think from the killers perspective too. April Henry did an amazing job and I recommend reading her books! <3
October 17, 2021
Quick easy and gripping read
September 11, 2024
Many thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.
This was one of the best April Henry books I've read. She is always a HUGE draw in my library and many, many of my middle school students blaze through her books. I already know that I will need to order multiple copies of this one to fill the demand. And, this is one that I am happy to do so for because it is WORTH it to have that many on your shelves.
Run, Hide, Fight Back follows the story of 6 teens who are trapped in a mall when an active shooter situation unfolds. The mall is taken over by a group of domestic terrorists who are trying to draw attention to their anti-government agenda. They release some, kill many, and hold a large group hostage. Unbeknownst to them though is a group of 5 other teenagers hiding in one of the storefronts. These 5 try to find a way to escape, while also trying to unravel what is happening and why all of this is going on. The action is fast-paced and the characters are believable. Highly recommend.
This book is a first purchase book for collections where mysteries and thrillers are popular. There is no language issues, and no explicit sexual content, and I would say it is appropriate for grades 7 and up.
This was one of the best April Henry books I've read. She is always a HUGE draw in my library and many, many of my middle school students blaze through her books. I already know that I will need to order multiple copies of this one to fill the demand. And, this is one that I am happy to do so for because it is WORTH it to have that many on your shelves.
Run, Hide, Fight Back follows the story of 6 teens who are trapped in a mall when an active shooter situation unfolds. The mall is taken over by a group of domestic terrorists who are trying to draw attention to their anti-government agenda. They release some, kill many, and hold a large group hostage. Unbeknownst to them though is a group of 5 other teenagers hiding in one of the storefronts. These 5 try to find a way to escape, while also trying to unravel what is happening and why all of this is going on. The action is fast-paced and the characters are believable. Highly recommend.
This book is a first purchase book for collections where mysteries and thrillers are popular. There is no language issues, and no explicit sexual content, and I would say it is appropriate for grades 7 and up.
September 19, 2019
"run if they could. To hide if they couldn't. To fight back if they must."
Ugh. Every parent's and kid's nightmare. Caught in a mall with shooters. Prepared shooters who have cut off every exit and are mowing people down with scary, large, multi-shot guns.
I liked that this one delved into a lot of different things. Racial tensions, religious tensions and conspiracy theories. It was interesting but I'm glad it's a book. What a horrible horrible situation - one completely made of nightmares.
Ugh. Every parent's and kid's nightmare. Caught in a mall with shooters. Prepared shooters who have cut off every exit and are mowing people down with scary, large, multi-shot guns.
I liked that this one delved into a lot of different things. Racial tensions, religious tensions and conspiracy theories. It was interesting but I'm glad it's a book. What a horrible horrible situation - one completely made of nightmares.
January 10, 2022
It was good I have read before but I stopped because I didn't really enjoy it! Then I read it over again it was soooooo good!!!
August 8, 2022
I liked the premise of this, teens trapped in a mall during a mass shooting and hostage situation, but it tried to have too many things going on to really develop into a great story. When you see that the plot is about a shooting, you may assume that the main topics will be about gun control and the problem of mass shootings in America. Instead, this touches on a half dozen other societal issues and doesn't even mention (to my recollection) gun laws.
The author briefly talks about: opioid addiction, racism, islamophobia, prostitution, cancer, shoplifting, false media, and grief. I'm sure there are more, these are just some I remembered. There are way too many issues here to properly address and the whole message is lost. I did still like the people banding together to get out, I just wish some of these side parts were cut out.
The author briefly talks about: opioid addiction, racism, islamophobia, prostitution, cancer, shoplifting, false media, and grief. I'm sure there are more, these are just some I remembered. There are way too many issues here to properly address and the whole message is lost. I did still like the people banding together to get out, I just wish some of these side parts were cut out.
June 19, 2020
It was okay.
First off, some of the teens are portrayed as "not very smart" as they make poor decisions in life. I get that happens with all of us, but it's annoying how April Henry had to mention the fact that Miranda just so happens to be a drug abuser (she's a teen which makes it more annoying), and Parker felt too "pressured" into being like everyone else at school that he makes a deal with Miranda so he can figure out what It's not detailed at all, but it mentions it as "that afternoon down in the basement" and stuff like that. So that stuff was irritating because I didn't care or need to know any of that for the story to progress.
Just overall, there are so many topics that start to overwhelm the plot of the story:
Sex for money
conspiracy theories
addictions
illegal immigrants
people treated badly because of their religion
Racism? (Don't even start)
Anyway, there were more random bits and pieces of these random topics that really kinda were just...fillers? The book would have been fine without randomly bringing in "oh, let's throw in some of this!"
The story itself was a thriller, but one that's more realistic than some. After all, it is about a mall shooting. This could happen anywhere; school, college, a mall, a store, just open public, etc. That's what made it scary. The majority of the story takes place in the single day, and it starts out with Miranda doing some shop lifting because she's addicted to a certain drug and needs to find a way to get the money. WHO CARES SHE COULD HAVE JUST BEEN A SHOPPER OR OUT WITH FRIENDS. And then it's like lickety split and suddenly people are just being shot everywhere and there's a bunch of terrorists everywhere. I guess the story itself is hard to enjoy when the main character is just sorta...dumb. Because it's not just because she's got that problem, she's just kinda blahh. She's not very cool, she's not the brightest, and she makes rash decisions. In one of my status updates, I said that Parker was a jerk because of the above mentioned thing (which he still kinda is) but when he was all about protecting his little 7 year old sister, it kinda went away. Most of it, not all of it. But I think in the end Parker, Amina, and Javier were the best three teens. Grace was...idk. She went through a lot but she was also just kinda meh.
And then there was COLE. While I listened to this, things went weird. I really did think he was nice. Confused in many ways by some influencers, but....why did that need to turn out that way? :(
This is just me, and since I don't have a medical background, I can only say what I think. Personally, some of the wounds confused me a lot. Like...you just got shot in the neck...you've got a huge artery there...how do you survive that as long as you did? Like....*confusion* Or with Javier's wound...tons of blood everywhere and wound in the THIGH, but somehow he's able to walk around after a little bit? Dude, that would be horrible, and you lost so much blood that seems unrealistic. They wrapped stuff around it and stuck in a tampon (what the heck, that's not going to seal the wound completely) in the bullet wound, but I'm still not buying it.
Anyway, glad he survived XD
Overall, the story was alright. I can already barely remember the characters' names and have to keep looking at the reviews to make sure I get them right, and Iprobably won't miss any of them. It's not something I really recommend, either, unless a thriller story where everyone is being shot and constant chaos is your thing.
*Note: Since I was a homeschooled kid, I never had to worry about lockdown drills. Even at college, all the lockdown drills that have happened were when I was already back home. They really sound scary and drill stuff has always scared me. I think this was why it made this book a bit more intense for me in some areas than for other readers.
Content:
Language--I think there were a few bad words, maybe he*l and dam*. There was at least one use of the word as* and that character is told to watch his mouth.
Sexy stuff/Romance--Once or twice, two of the characters will momentarily think back to when they had sex (non descriptive) before this happened. At least both of them realized how stupid it was and regretted it but that doesn't make it okay.
Violence--(Descriptive scenes) Mass shooting at the mall, bombs (one character is blown up and it is gory), threats of being shot, blood, one character is beaten, one is stabbed with a pair of scissors, utter chaos
Other--Miranda is a drug addict and is in withdrawal .
First off, some of the teens are portrayed as "not very smart" as they make poor decisions in life. I get that happens with all of us, but it's annoying how April Henry had to mention the fact that Miranda just so happens to be a drug abuser (she's a teen which makes it more annoying), and Parker felt too "pressured" into being like everyone else at school that he makes a deal with Miranda so he can figure out what It's not detailed at all, but it mentions it as "that afternoon down in the basement" and stuff like that. So that stuff was irritating because I didn't care or need to know any of that for the story to progress.
Just overall, there are so many topics that start to overwhelm the plot of the story:
Sex for money
conspiracy theories
addictions
illegal immigrants
people treated badly because of their religion
Racism? (Don't even start)
Anyway, there were more random bits and pieces of these random topics that really kinda were just...fillers? The book would have been fine without randomly bringing in "oh, let's throw in some of this!"
The story itself was a thriller, but one that's more realistic than some. After all, it is about a mall shooting. This could happen anywhere; school, college, a mall, a store, just open public, etc. That's what made it scary. The majority of the story takes place in the single day, and it starts out with Miranda doing some shop lifting because she's addicted to a certain drug and needs to find a way to get the money. WHO CARES SHE COULD HAVE JUST BEEN A SHOPPER OR OUT WITH FRIENDS. And then it's like lickety split and suddenly people are just being shot everywhere and there's a bunch of terrorists everywhere. I guess the story itself is hard to enjoy when the main character is just sorta...dumb. Because it's not just because she's got that problem, she's just kinda blahh. She's not very cool, she's not the brightest, and she makes rash decisions. In one of my status updates, I said that Parker was a jerk because of the above mentioned thing (which he still kinda is) but when he was all about protecting his little 7 year old sister, it kinda went away. Most of it, not all of it. But I think in the end Parker, Amina, and Javier were the best three teens. Grace was...idk. She went through a lot but she was also just kinda meh.
And then there was COLE. While I listened to this, things went weird. I really did think he was nice. Confused in many ways by some influencers, but....why did that need to turn out that way? :(
This is just me, and since I don't have a medical background, I can only say what I think. Personally, some of the wounds confused me a lot. Like...you just got shot in the neck...you've got a huge artery there...how do you survive that as long as you did? Like....*confusion* Or with Javier's wound...tons of blood everywhere and wound in the THIGH, but somehow he's able to walk around after a little bit? Dude, that would be horrible, and you lost so much blood that seems unrealistic. They wrapped stuff around it and stuck in a tampon (what the heck, that's not going to seal the wound completely) in the bullet wound, but I'm still not buying it.
Anyway, glad he survived XD
Overall, the story was alright. I can already barely remember the characters' names and have to keep looking at the reviews to make sure I get them right, and I
*Note: Since I was a homeschooled kid, I never had to worry about lockdown drills. Even at college, all the lockdown drills that have happened were when I was already back home. They really sound scary and drill stuff has always scared me. I think this was why it made this book a bit more intense for me in some areas than for other readers.
Content:
Language--I think there were a few bad words, maybe he*l and dam*. There was at least one use of the word as* and that character is told to watch his mouth.
Sexy stuff/Romance--Once or twice, two of the characters will momentarily think back to when they had sex (non descriptive) before this happened. At least both of them realized how stupid it was and regretted it but that doesn't make it okay.
Violence--(Descriptive scenes) Mass shooting at the mall, bombs (one character is blown up and it is gory), threats of being shot, blood, one character is beaten, one is stabbed with a pair of scissors, utter chaos
Other--Miranda is a drug addict and is in withdrawal .
July 22, 2023
I finished this book in just a few hours. It is a quick read for sure! I could not put it down.
January 28, 2024
I loved this book! Things just kept getting more suspenseful and more interesting as the story moved on. Recommend this book for people who enjoy horror/murder books
December 27, 2019
Okay, so, like, Air Force One but in a mall.
Starring the teens from Saved By The Bell.
But edgier.
Sort of.
Starring the teens from Saved By The Bell.
But edgier.
Sort of.
March 28, 2018
*I got an ARC from Macmillan/Henry Holt in exchange for an honest review*
Not gonna lie, I'm going between 2 stars and 3 stars because it was good, kind of. Like, I liked it for the most part (I think), I just did not care for quite a few parts of it. If you want to read more specifically what I mean, you can read the rest of my review but it is entirely spoilers sooooo be warned:
Anyways, regardless of whether or not you read the spoilers or not, please politely let me know what your thoughts are on my review and about the book! Also, if you are posting spoilerly, please make it really clear that you're discussing spoilers and give people an opportunity to not be spoiled such as doing something like
SPOILER!
SPOILER!
SPOILER!!!!!!!
and then, after like 3 or 4 blank lines, you can say your thoughts/the spoiler!
Thanks, have a great day/night and tata for now!
Not gonna lie, I'm going between 2 stars and 3 stars because it was good, kind of. Like, I liked it for the most part (I think), I just did not care for quite a few parts of it. If you want to read more specifically what I mean, you can read the rest of my review but it is entirely spoilers sooooo be warned:
Anyways, regardless of whether or not you read the spoilers or not, please politely let me know what your thoughts are on my review and about the book! Also, if you are posting spoilerly, please make it really clear that you're discussing spoilers and give people an opportunity to not be spoiled such as doing something like
SPOILER!
SPOILER!
SPOILER!!!!!!!
and then, after like 3 or 4 blank lines, you can say your thoughts/the spoiler!
Thanks, have a great day/night and tata for now!
June 26, 2019
I read Run, Hide, Fight Back in one day. It's a short book and a very quick read. The book is told in the normal way, but there are also texts, reports, and social media posts. Definitely check out the mall map and make sure you read the author's note on all the research that went into this book.
It seems like a normal day at the mall for a group of teens. They aren't friends. Some worked at the mall, others were there shopping (or shoplifting). The focus is on these teens, but there is also the major plot. There are terrorists in the mall and they started shooting at random.
Amina is working at Culpeppers and decides to close the metal door that closes off the store. She is able to get a few others in before it gets all the way down. Grace had just seen her mom shot and killed. Javier was hit in the leg. Cole helped get them in. And Miranda got in just in time. She was trying to get Parker to come in, but he couldn't find his little sister. The group stuck in Culpeppers are as different as they can be. Miranda is addicted to Oxycontin. She was shoplifting to pay for more and was starting to go into withdrawals. Grace has an illness that is discussed more. Amina is Muslim and Miranda accused her of being a terrorist. Javier was undocumented and using a false social security number to work. Cole was the youngest brother in his family. His two older brothers were vets. Cole was racist and was telling the group how his brothers filled him in on all the dangers in our government. Yes, he was that type of guy. The one you see writing tons of crazy sounding posts on social media all the time.
The terrorists end up being white, US citizens. They were part of a far right group that wanted to change the country. While they are there taking hostages and killing people, there are also small parts of a massive gold heist going on. The shooters are wearing suicide vests, so it's almost impossible to fight back. They have locked the hostages in with no way to get out of the mall. They send one boy out with flash drives to spread their message.
The book goes back and forth between areas and characters during this mass shooting. There were a lot of discussions on how to get out, how to fight back, if they should stay hidden, or what else is there to do. Somehow, Miranda decides that she needs to make sure her new friend group all gets out together. But as the first page states, not everyone will make it out alive.
Warnings: Hurtful comments towards an immigrant and the Muslim religion. Serious hate towards possessions and the US government. Mass shooting. A lot of blood and death. Drug addiction. A serious illness and the distrust of US treatment for it. Loss of a parent. Sexual favors for drugs/money. There are probably more. It's a pretty intense book, but also needed with all the far right extremist crimes and mass shootings we're having in the US.
I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to Macmillan/Henry Holt for sending me a physical arc to review.
It seems like a normal day at the mall for a group of teens. They aren't friends. Some worked at the mall, others were there shopping (or shoplifting). The focus is on these teens, but there is also the major plot. There are terrorists in the mall and they started shooting at random.
Amina is working at Culpeppers and decides to close the metal door that closes off the store. She is able to get a few others in before it gets all the way down. Grace had just seen her mom shot and killed. Javier was hit in the leg. Cole helped get them in. And Miranda got in just in time. She was trying to get Parker to come in, but he couldn't find his little sister. The group stuck in Culpeppers are as different as they can be. Miranda is addicted to Oxycontin. She was shoplifting to pay for more and was starting to go into withdrawals. Grace has an illness that is discussed more. Amina is Muslim and Miranda accused her of being a terrorist. Javier was undocumented and using a false social security number to work. Cole was the youngest brother in his family. His two older brothers were vets. Cole was racist and was telling the group how his brothers filled him in on all the dangers in our government. Yes, he was that type of guy. The one you see writing tons of crazy sounding posts on social media all the time.
The terrorists end up being white, US citizens. They were part of a far right group that wanted to change the country. While they are there taking hostages and killing people, there are also small parts of a massive gold heist going on. The shooters are wearing suicide vests, so it's almost impossible to fight back. They have locked the hostages in with no way to get out of the mall. They send one boy out with flash drives to spread their message.
The book goes back and forth between areas and characters during this mass shooting. There were a lot of discussions on how to get out, how to fight back, if they should stay hidden, or what else is there to do. Somehow, Miranda decides that she needs to make sure her new friend group all gets out together. But as the first page states, not everyone will make it out alive.
Warnings: Hurtful comments towards an immigrant and the Muslim religion. Serious hate towards possessions and the US government. Mass shooting. A lot of blood and death. Drug addiction. A serious illness and the distrust of US treatment for it. Loss of a parent. Sexual favors for drugs/money. There are probably more. It's a pretty intense book, but also needed with all the far right extremist crimes and mass shootings we're having in the US.
I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to Macmillan/Henry Holt for sending me a physical arc to review.
December 26, 2017
I received this book free of charge and am reviewing it voluntarily.
I liked the idea of a group of teenagers fighting back against immediate danger, but this book contained very few surprises, and was fairly predictable. I read through to the end because I wanted to see who survived, but again, it was very anticlimactic. Maybe I'm just reading too many YA thrillers and becoming jaded, but I just wasn't terribly impressed. I'm giving three stars because I did read the entire book and there was some character growth.
I liked the idea of a group of teenagers fighting back against immediate danger, but this book contained very few surprises, and was fairly predictable. I read through to the end because I wanted to see who survived, but again, it was very anticlimactic. Maybe I'm just reading too many YA thrillers and becoming jaded, but I just wasn't terribly impressed. I'm giving three stars because I did read the entire book and there was some character growth.
March 16, 2020
I am a big fan of April Henry, so it pains me so much to say that this one just fell a little flat to me. I am never a fan of a work of fiction that tries too hard to prove political standpoints, and this one certainly did. A few underlying political stances would have been fine, but trying to cram them all into one short work of fiction just left it feeling very forced. I love April Henry and will definitely keep reading her work, but for me this one was just OK.
February 12, 2020
All I can really say is...
Yeesh.
Full review to come.
Yeesh.
Full review to come.
October 17, 2019
Six teens are trapped in a mall during a mass shooting/hostage situation and must work together to try and survive the ordeal. Miranda is shoplifting to support her Oxy habit when the shooting starts and she manages to run into a clothing store to hide from the shooters. Once there, she meets Amina, a Somali American teen who wears hijabi; Grace, a young white girl with cancer whose mother is one of the first casualties; Javier, an undocumented Mexican boy who has a gunshot wound to his leg; and Cole, a white boy with right wing conspiracy theories. Parker is also hiding out in the mall with his little sister Moxie. The terrorists holding the other people in the mall hostage give a list of demands to the police that include major campaign finance reform, better treatment of veterans, and immediate withdrawal from the Middle East. The tension is palpable throughout and the book is written in real time from 3:37 to 6:28 p.m. with the time heading every chapter. Students familiar with ALICE training will recognize the protocol -- run, hide, fight back. This is an intense book best suited for high school collections.
To whom would you recommend this book? Students who like April Henry books will probably want to read this one.
Anything you didn’t like about it? A laundry list of issues are addressed in this book including alternative medicine, immigration, addiction, the anti-vaccine movement, and campaign finance reform, but strangely the one issue that isn’t really addressed is gun control. None of the characters debate the availability of war-grade weapons. Another strange aspect is the way some of the characters become background characters early on in the book. The book starts out alternating between all six characters (third person POV), but quickly it switches to only alternating between Miranda and Parker (two white characters). The two diverse characters, Amina and Javier, feel flat and underdeveloped.
To whom would you recommend this book? Students who like April Henry books will probably want to read this one.
Anything you didn’t like about it? A laundry list of issues are addressed in this book including alternative medicine, immigration, addiction, the anti-vaccine movement, and campaign finance reform, but strangely the one issue that isn’t really addressed is gun control. None of the characters debate the availability of war-grade weapons. Another strange aspect is the way some of the characters become background characters early on in the book. The book starts out alternating between all six characters (third person POV), but quickly it switches to only alternating between Miranda and Parker (two white characters). The two diverse characters, Amina and Javier, feel flat and underdeveloped.
January 25, 2021
Six random teens are caught near the Fairgate Mall's Food Court when the shooting starts. They need to work together when domestic terrorists begin killing people.
Miranda Nash was in the Mall shoplifting to support her Oxy habit. Javier Ramirez was working cleaning the tables. He's an undocumented alien. Amina Abdi was working at Culpepper's. She's Muslim, American by birth, and wears a hijab. Grace Busby is there with her mother who is among the first to be shot. Grace and her mother were fleeing to Mexico for medical treatment for Grace's lymphoma. Parker Gray was there hanging out on a day off school and loosely supervising his 7-year-old sister. Cole Bond is also there and keeps thinking that the whole thing is a like a video game that couldn't be real.
While Miranda, Grace, Javier, and Cole take shelter in the storage room of Culpepper's, Parker is too busy looking for his little sister Moxie and is rounded up by the terrorists.
Interspersed with accounts from the teens are 911 calls and other information about what is happening outside the Mall including a truck hijacking of a truck carrying gold and silver on its way to jewelers.
The story was very intense. The narrator did a great job keeping the tension high as the kids need to decide if they will run, hide, or fight back. I liked that we got to know the characters and get some idea of their motives and states of mind as they dealt with this terrible occurrence.
I did a combination read/listen with this one. I listened to the first two-thirds of the story and then switched to reading so that I could find out what happened more quickly.
Miranda Nash was in the Mall shoplifting to support her Oxy habit. Javier Ramirez was working cleaning the tables. He's an undocumented alien. Amina Abdi was working at Culpepper's. She's Muslim, American by birth, and wears a hijab. Grace Busby is there with her mother who is among the first to be shot. Grace and her mother were fleeing to Mexico for medical treatment for Grace's lymphoma. Parker Gray was there hanging out on a day off school and loosely supervising his 7-year-old sister. Cole Bond is also there and keeps thinking that the whole thing is a like a video game that couldn't be real.
While Miranda, Grace, Javier, and Cole take shelter in the storage room of Culpepper's, Parker is too busy looking for his little sister Moxie and is rounded up by the terrorists.
Interspersed with accounts from the teens are 911 calls and other information about what is happening outside the Mall including a truck hijacking of a truck carrying gold and silver on its way to jewelers.
The story was very intense. The narrator did a great job keeping the tension high as the kids need to decide if they will run, hide, or fight back. I liked that we got to know the characters and get some idea of their motives and states of mind as they dealt with this terrible occurrence.
I did a combination read/listen with this one. I listened to the first two-thirds of the story and then switched to reading so that I could find out what happened more quickly.
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