What do you think?
Run Dad Run
Anurag isn’t just a computer scientist. He’s a master of neural exploration and out-of-body travel. During a routine visit to Chicago to troubleshoot Y2K systems at a financial firm, he vanishes without a trace. No messages. No remains. Just a cold trail—and a family left in the dark. Twenty years later, his three children are awakening to terrifying abilities they never asked for. Karan slips into others’ dreams, where whispers and shadows wait. Abhi watches the world through ghost-like eyes, drifting into moments he shouldn’t witness. And Chandra, the youngest, steps into photographs … and walks straight into the dead past. As their powers grow, so does the darkness around them. They’re being watched. Hunted. Underworld syndicates, cults, and something older—something not entirely human—want what’s inside their minds. Secrets long buried claw their way to the surface. To find out what happened to their father, they’ll have to risk not just their lives … but their sanity. Because some doors, once opened, don’t close again.
- GenresMystery
260 pages, Paperback
Published November 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
February 16, 2026
Who said Indian authors don’t write good thrillers?
Because I have proof right here.
And what makes it even better? It’s not just a thriller — it’s a perfect blend of science fiction and psychological suspense.
Also, a small fact: this book was the first runner-up at the Delhi Literature Fest. 👀
Honestly, while reading it, I felt like I was watching Inception.
It gives you that same vibe — you constantly question what’s real and what’s not. Is the character dreaming? Or is this actually happening?
I can guarantee you one thing — this book will mess with your mind… but in the best way possible.
Now, coming to the story:
Anurag Roy suddenly goes missing during a Christmas work trip. And twenty years later, in the present, his wife and children are still living with the trauma.
One gets abducted.
One becomes involved in a murder but doesn’t even know whether he committed it or not.
Another faces a serious accident.
But the real question is — why is this family going through all of this?
To find out, you have to read Run Dad Run.
And like I said… it will mess with your head — but in a good way.
Because I have proof right here.
And what makes it even better? It’s not just a thriller — it’s a perfect blend of science fiction and psychological suspense.
Also, a small fact: this book was the first runner-up at the Delhi Literature Fest. 👀
Honestly, while reading it, I felt like I was watching Inception.
It gives you that same vibe — you constantly question what’s real and what’s not. Is the character dreaming? Or is this actually happening?
I can guarantee you one thing — this book will mess with your mind… but in the best way possible.
Now, coming to the story:
Anurag Roy suddenly goes missing during a Christmas work trip. And twenty years later, in the present, his wife and children are still living with the trauma.
One gets abducted.
One becomes involved in a murder but doesn’t even know whether he committed it or not.
Another faces a serious accident.
But the real question is — why is this family going through all of this?
To find out, you have to read Run Dad Run.
And like I said… it will mess with your head — but in a good way.
January 25, 2026
I picked this one up without any big expectations, thinking I’d read a few pages before bed and continue later. But a few chapters in, I realized I was already too involved to stop. There was a strange heaviness in the air of the story, a kind of silence that tells you something is about to break. The disappearance of Anurag is where everything begins, but what unfolds after that is not just a mystery it’s a journey into secrets, fear, love, and the invisible threads that bind a family together.
As the story follows Abhi, Karan, and Chandra, you don’t just watch them discover their unusual abilities you grow with them, worry for them, and quietly hope they’ll be okay. What touched me most is how human their struggles feel. They are not fearless heroes. They are confused, scared, sometimes overwhelmed, and often just trying to hold themselves together while the world around them keeps getting darker and more dangerous. The idea that power always comes with a price is woven so gently and so painfully into the narrative.
There are moments in this book that make your heart sink and your thoughts go silent for a second. The kind of moments that stay with you even after you close the book. But what balances all this darkness is the warmth of relationships—the unspoken care between siblings, the quiet strength of standing together when everything feels uncertain, and the deep emotional need to find the truth, no matter how much it hurts.
What I truly appreciated is that this isn’t just a fast, thrilling story. It takes its time to build an atmosphere. The world feels real, the emotions feel lived-in, and the characters feel like people you might actually know. Even the science and the powers are explained in a way that feels natural and easy to follow, without ever taking away from the emotional core of the story.
By the time I reached the climax, I realized how beautifully everything had been connected. Nothing felt random. Nothing felt wasted. And the ending… the ending left me with that quiet, restless feeling the kind where you just sit there for a moment, holding the book, not ready to move on yet.
At its heart, this is a story about family, belonging, and finding yourself in the middle of chaos. It’s about how love can be both a comfort and a strength, and how sometimes the scariest journeys are the ones we take to understand who we really are.
As the story follows Abhi, Karan, and Chandra, you don’t just watch them discover their unusual abilities you grow with them, worry for them, and quietly hope they’ll be okay. What touched me most is how human their struggles feel. They are not fearless heroes. They are confused, scared, sometimes overwhelmed, and often just trying to hold themselves together while the world around them keeps getting darker and more dangerous. The idea that power always comes with a price is woven so gently and so painfully into the narrative.
There are moments in this book that make your heart sink and your thoughts go silent for a second. The kind of moments that stay with you even after you close the book. But what balances all this darkness is the warmth of relationships—the unspoken care between siblings, the quiet strength of standing together when everything feels uncertain, and the deep emotional need to find the truth, no matter how much it hurts.
What I truly appreciated is that this isn’t just a fast, thrilling story. It takes its time to build an atmosphere. The world feels real, the emotions feel lived-in, and the characters feel like people you might actually know. Even the science and the powers are explained in a way that feels natural and easy to follow, without ever taking away from the emotional core of the story.
By the time I reached the climax, I realized how beautifully everything had been connected. Nothing felt random. Nothing felt wasted. And the ending… the ending left me with that quiet, restless feeling the kind where you just sit there for a moment, holding the book, not ready to move on yet.
At its heart, this is a story about family, belonging, and finding yourself in the middle of chaos. It’s about how love can be both a comfort and a strength, and how sometimes the scariest journeys are the ones we take to understand who we really are.
February 21, 2026
Run Dad Run by Shil Niyogi is a quietly engaging novel that works at the intersection of ambition, responsibility, and emotional inheritance.
I expected the book to be a straightforward motivational narrative, but what I encountered instead was a quiet collision between mystery and grief, where the suspense arises from emotional wounds rather than spectacle. While the plot is tense and unsettling, what affected me most was how human it felt beneath the fantasy. The book doesn’t try to shock for the sake of it; instead, it lingers, stirring discomfort in a way that feels intimate and deeply personal, as if the story is less about what haunts the characters and more about what they are still carrying inside.
The narrative opens with Anurag, an exceptionally gifted computer scientist whose work extends beyond conventional technology into neural research and out-of-body experimentation. While travelling to Chicago to resolve Y2K-related complications for a financial institution, he vanishes entirely—no remains, no clues, no closure. This unexplained absence becomes the novel’s emotional anchor, leaving behind a silence that shapes everything that follows.
The story shifts to his three children, each burdened with a disturbing ability. Karan drifts into the dreams of others, Abhi perceives reality as a disembodied observer, and Chandra, the youngest, possesses the haunting power to step into photographs and revisit moments long gone.
As the siblings struggle to understand what is happening to them, the narrative darkens. They are no longer hidden. They are pursued by shadowy underworld figures, cult-like organisations, and forces that feel disturbingly inhuman. I felt a constant sense of pursuit, as though safety was never more than a temporary respite. At its core, it is a story about absence, inheritance, and unresolved loss. The siblings are not seeking power or adventure; they are searching for answers about their father, their origins, and the price they are paying for both.
I found the book driven by a brisk narrative with unexpected turns that keep the momentum alive. It brings together everything I personally look for in a satisfying read which is a strong sense of mystery, the tension of a thriller, and the emotional pull of family drama, woven seamlessly into a story that rarely slows down.
I expected the book to be a straightforward motivational narrative, but what I encountered instead was a quiet collision between mystery and grief, where the suspense arises from emotional wounds rather than spectacle. While the plot is tense and unsettling, what affected me most was how human it felt beneath the fantasy. The book doesn’t try to shock for the sake of it; instead, it lingers, stirring discomfort in a way that feels intimate and deeply personal, as if the story is less about what haunts the characters and more about what they are still carrying inside.
The narrative opens with Anurag, an exceptionally gifted computer scientist whose work extends beyond conventional technology into neural research and out-of-body experimentation. While travelling to Chicago to resolve Y2K-related complications for a financial institution, he vanishes entirely—no remains, no clues, no closure. This unexplained absence becomes the novel’s emotional anchor, leaving behind a silence that shapes everything that follows.
The story shifts to his three children, each burdened with a disturbing ability. Karan drifts into the dreams of others, Abhi perceives reality as a disembodied observer, and Chandra, the youngest, possesses the haunting power to step into photographs and revisit moments long gone.
As the siblings struggle to understand what is happening to them, the narrative darkens. They are no longer hidden. They are pursued by shadowy underworld figures, cult-like organisations, and forces that feel disturbingly inhuman. I felt a constant sense of pursuit, as though safety was never more than a temporary respite. At its core, it is a story about absence, inheritance, and unresolved loss. The siblings are not seeking power or adventure; they are searching for answers about their father, their origins, and the price they are paying for both.
I found the book driven by a brisk narrative with unexpected turns that keep the momentum alive. It brings together everything I personally look for in a satisfying read which is a strong sense of mystery, the tension of a thriller, and the emotional pull of family drama, woven seamlessly into a story that rarely slows down.
February 22, 2026
Run Dad Run by Shil Niyogi is a fast-paced psychological thriller that hooks you from the start. It follows Anurag, a computer scientist skilled in neural exploration and out-of-body experiences, who disappears during a Y2K troubleshooting trip in Chicago, leaving his family shattered. Two decades later, his three kids, Karan, Abhi, and Chandra, discover eerie supernatural powers: dream-walking, ghost-vision, and stepping into photos.
The story blends suspense, family drama, and sci-fi chills where Karan, Abhi, and Chandra chase for answers about their dad’s disappearance. Twists keep you guessing to uncover buried secrets. You feel the kids’ desperation as they chase clues about their dad’s fate, dodging underworld thugs and otherworldly creeps.
What I loved is the part where we get to experience each of their abilities; it’s really amazing and adds more depth to the story. The pacing is fast and keeps you hooked, but at times it felt like it was loaded and didn’t understand where the plot was going.
However I felt the writing style is a bit difficult to comprehend, the narrative doesn’t have an easy flow and its confusing to get hold of the where the story is going!
If you enjoy sci-fi thrillers with investigative elements and a strong emotional core, and have the patience to comprehend the book you may like it,
The story blends suspense, family drama, and sci-fi chills where Karan, Abhi, and Chandra chase for answers about their dad’s disappearance. Twists keep you guessing to uncover buried secrets. You feel the kids’ desperation as they chase clues about their dad’s fate, dodging underworld thugs and otherworldly creeps.
What I loved is the part where we get to experience each of their abilities; it’s really amazing and adds more depth to the story. The pacing is fast and keeps you hooked, but at times it felt like it was loaded and didn’t understand where the plot was going.
However I felt the writing style is a bit difficult to comprehend, the narrative doesn’t have an easy flow and its confusing to get hold of the where the story is going!
If you enjoy sci-fi thrillers with investigative elements and a strong emotional core, and have the patience to comprehend the book you may like it,
March 15, 2026
Run Dad Run is a mystery thriller with a concept that is truly intriguing, though the execution does not completely live up to it. The story begins with Anurag, a brilliant computer scientist who also possesses a special power, vanishing without a trace.
Twenty years later, his three children begin searching for answers about their father’s disappearance. They discover that they too possess unusual abilities. Using these powers, they set out to find their father, only to realize that they have become targets themselves.
The story, the concept, and the characters are all promising. However, the writing could have been stronger, as there are moments where the continuity becomes confusing. With better narration, this could have easily been one of the best thrillers.
That said, it is still worth reading for those who enjoy thrillers. Definitely worth giving a try.
Twenty years later, his three children begin searching for answers about their father’s disappearance. They discover that they too possess unusual abilities. Using these powers, they set out to find their father, only to realize that they have become targets themselves.
The story, the concept, and the characters are all promising. However, the writing could have been stronger, as there are moments where the continuity becomes confusing. With better narration, this could have easily been one of the best thrillers.
That said, it is still worth reading for those who enjoy thrillers. Definitely worth giving a try.
April 4, 2026
Run Dad Run by Shil Niyogi is an enthralling psychological thriller which keeps the readers hooked till the end. The story revolves around Anurag, a computer scientist who vanishes without a trial. Twenty years later, his three children are awakening to terrifying abilities they never asked for.
The story is intriguing with a fast-paced plot. The author's flawless narrative makes everything vivid. The writing style is unique and engaging. Run Dad Run is a perfect blend of supernatural elements, mystery and family drama. The characters are well-developed. The sibling's struggle with their strange abilities make this book more relatable. Such a gripping read which keeps us glued to the page. The language used is lucid and easy to understand.
Overall, I loved this book and would strongly recommend it to all.
The story is intriguing with a fast-paced plot. The author's flawless narrative makes everything vivid. The writing style is unique and engaging. Run Dad Run is a perfect blend of supernatural elements, mystery and family drama. The characters are well-developed. The sibling's struggle with their strange abilities make this book more relatable. Such a gripping read which keeps us glued to the page. The language used is lucid and easy to understand.
Overall, I loved this book and would strongly recommend it to all.
February 21, 2026
I picked up Run Dad Run with very high hopes because I love thrillers and the concept sounded very exciting. A missing father, children with special abilities, and a dark mystery, it had all the elements of a gripping read. The emotional side of the story is strong and you can feel the pain and silence his disappearance leaves behind. Some parts are fast and engaging, and the mix of family drama with sci-fi is quite unique.
But at times the book felt a little confusing. There are many characters and different plot lines, which made it hard to stay fully connected. A few scenes are really good, while others slow the pace or feel unclear. I was expecting more tension and edge-of-the-seat moments.
Since this is the author’s first book, there is definitely a lot of scope for improvement because the idea is genuinely good. It’s not a bad read and has its moments, but as a thriller lover I had expected something more gripping. Overall, a decent yet promising read.
But at times the book felt a little confusing. There are many characters and different plot lines, which made it hard to stay fully connected. A few scenes are really good, while others slow the pace or feel unclear. I was expecting more tension and edge-of-the-seat moments.
Since this is the author’s first book, there is definitely a lot of scope for improvement because the idea is genuinely good. It’s not a bad read and has its moments, but as a thriller lover I had expected something more gripping. Overall, a decent yet promising read.
January 25, 2026
Run, Dad, Run by Ship Niyogi is an engaging thriller that smartly incorporates suspense, science, and supernatural elements. The mystery of a vanished father and the unsettling powers of his children create constant tension and intrigue. With sharp pacing and a dark, gripping atmosphere, this book kept me hooked till the end. A great pick for fans of fast-paced thrillers with a supernatural edge.
May 3, 2026
Run Dad Run by Run Dad Run is an intense and addictive sci-fi thriller that perfectly blends mystery, family drama, and psychological suspense. The concept of inherited neural abilities is fascinating, but what truly stands out is the emotional depth between the siblings searching for answers about their missing father. The pacing is fast, the twists are gripping, and the atmosphere feels dark and cinematic throughout. A brilliant debut by Shil Niyogi that keeps you hooked till the very last page. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent thrillers and mind-bending mysteries.
February 16, 2026
Abhi was the product of an absent father who disappeared 20 years ago. His father’s memories still haunted him and Abhi was still angry at his father. They were not close and their relationship was not a bed of roses. But compared to his brother and sister Abhi was working under an overbearing boss and does not even have a girlfriend both of which are quite worrisome for his mother.
His sister Chandra had a loud pitch and she had a French boyfriend not much to their mother’s liking. His brother Karan was all settled professionally and quite literally the star of the family. He also had a girlfriend and quite a serious one at that. But all the three siblings came into contact with some supernatural powers after the disappearance of their father.
The book is set in Chicago and surrounds events with the disappearance of Abhi’s father Mr Anurag Roy and the connection of active elements like various sorts of underworld syndicates and cults. However, things take a serious turn when the same events which led to the disappearance of Abhi’s father also follows him and traps him.
The book is quite engrossing and engaging with unpredictable twists and turns and fast paced and everything that u will love in a good book with the elements of mystery, thriller and family drama.
April 18, 2026
Books scare you. Books break your heart. And then there are books that make you question your own reality. Run Dad Run by Shil Niyogi somehow does all three. What begins with a father disappearing without a trace slowly turns into something far more haunting, a story of three siblings inheriting abilities they never asked for, while carrying the weight of a mystery that has followed their family for twenty years. Karan enters dreams, Abhi sees things he shouldn't, and Chandra can step into photographs and the past. And honestly? These aren't “cool superpowers.” They feel like curses. The fear, confusion, and helplessness behind them made the story hit so much harder.
But beneath all the sci-fi, supernatural elements, cults, conspiracies, and mind-bending twists, this is a story about family and the kind of pain that never really leaves when someone disappears without giving you a goodbye. The siblings aren't just chasing answers; they're chasing a father they barely got the chance to understand. Their desperation, fear, and determination to uncover the truth made some moments genuinely heartbreaking. I loved how the author didn't let the thriller overshadow the emotions, the suspense keeps your heart racing, while the family drama quietly punches you in the chest.
And the further I went, the more I realised that Run Dad Run isn't really asking “What if humans had extraordinary abilities?” It's asking “What would you sacrifice to know the truth?” The writing is fast, the concept is wildly imaginative, and the mystery keeps unfolding layer by layer until you genuinely don't know whom or what to trust. Five stars from me for being unsettling, emotional, unpredictable, and completely unputdownable. If you want a thriller that messes with your head and your heart, run, don't walk, pick up Run Dad Run.
But beneath all the sci-fi, supernatural elements, cults, conspiracies, and mind-bending twists, this is a story about family and the kind of pain that never really leaves when someone disappears without giving you a goodbye. The siblings aren't just chasing answers; they're chasing a father they barely got the chance to understand. Their desperation, fear, and determination to uncover the truth made some moments genuinely heartbreaking. I loved how the author didn't let the thriller overshadow the emotions, the suspense keeps your heart racing, while the family drama quietly punches you in the chest.
And the further I went, the more I realised that Run Dad Run isn't really asking “What if humans had extraordinary abilities?” It's asking “What would you sacrifice to know the truth?” The writing is fast, the concept is wildly imaginative, and the mystery keeps unfolding layer by layer until you genuinely don't know whom or what to trust. Five stars from me for being unsettling, emotional, unpredictable, and completely unputdownable. If you want a thriller that messes with your head and your heart, run, don't walk, pick up Run Dad Run.
March 1, 2026
I'm glad I formed my own opinion instead of relying on others. But yes, it does feel a little sad when you invest your time in a story and it doesn't resonate the way you hoped it would. Maybe it just wasn't meant for me....
I really took my time with this book. I didn't rush it because the premise genuinely sounded interesting and I wanted to give it a fair chance. A missing father, layered family dynamics and sci-fi elements woven into a thriller setup. It had all the ingredients and I truly appreciate the ambition behind it.
There are definitely positives. The central idea is intriguing and blending speculative concepts with emotional family drama is not easy. Some moments had a good atmosphere and I could see the intention to explore absence, secrets and how one event can shape an entire family. There's no doubt that the concept itself had strong potential.
But even after reading patiently, it just didn't click with me. I don't know if I'm making this understandable or not, but I genuinely don't know how else to say it. I kept waiting for that gripping feeling, that emotional pull or thrill. But I remained slightly disconnected throughout.
At times, the storytelling felt uneven because certain scenes moved too quickly while others I think needed more depth. I found myself going back to re-read portions, hoping they would feel clearer the second time. Unfortunately, the emotional impact still felt limited for me.
I also wished some characters were explored more thoughtfully, especially in terms of their contribution to the overall narrative.
Anyway, if you're a hardcore scifi thriller lover, you might still enjoy this one. Maybe it'll totally work for you.
I really took my time with this book. I didn't rush it because the premise genuinely sounded interesting and I wanted to give it a fair chance. A missing father, layered family dynamics and sci-fi elements woven into a thriller setup. It had all the ingredients and I truly appreciate the ambition behind it.
There are definitely positives. The central idea is intriguing and blending speculative concepts with emotional family drama is not easy. Some moments had a good atmosphere and I could see the intention to explore absence, secrets and how one event can shape an entire family. There's no doubt that the concept itself had strong potential.
But even after reading patiently, it just didn't click with me. I don't know if I'm making this understandable or not, but I genuinely don't know how else to say it. I kept waiting for that gripping feeling, that emotional pull or thrill. But I remained slightly disconnected throughout.
At times, the storytelling felt uneven because certain scenes moved too quickly while others I think needed more depth. I found myself going back to re-read portions, hoping they would feel clearer the second time. Unfortunately, the emotional impact still felt limited for me.
I also wished some characters were explored more thoughtfully, especially in terms of their contribution to the overall narrative.
Anyway, if you're a hardcore scifi thriller lover, you might still enjoy this one. Maybe it'll totally work for you.
July 10, 2026
-Thundering Train of a Thriller-
Review of 'Run Dad Run' by Shil Niyogi
Quote Alert
"𝐀𝐛𝐡𝐢 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐲, 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬-𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐦? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐧. 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝; 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.
𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝐍𝐨, 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬... 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬...
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞... 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞... 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦?"
First things first. Kudos to the writer for coming up with a very easy-on-tongue, hard-to-forget and a pulpy title that serves to explains the story (and even the genre) in just three words while evoking a myriad of emotions: thrill, suspense, longing, anxiety, and an urge to pick up the book. I don't think this book could have had any other title.
So what's it about? Niyogi's book, in both the places, ie prologue and the main story, begin at the edge of great upheaval, probably signalling the turbulent times to come, hinting the readers towards the fact that perhaps the story is going to get rough and edge-of-the-seat very soon very fast. The prologue is in 1999 (the chaos of Y2K is everywhere) and the rest of the story is in 2019 (remember COVID?)
Anurag disappears on a Christmas, leaving his family to attend a job thing (thoughts of another girl in his mind while his own wife doesn't approve of him leaving the kids). I like how Niyogi hasn't succumbed to the idea of making him immensely likeable but human: letting his disapprance hang like a dark cloud over the story. His kids, Karan, Abhi and Chandra have some special powers and are now being hunted by a mysterious group of people. While they try to find out what happened to Anurag, they must keep themselves safe too.
The stories with mystry and thrill at their core must be wrapped up in a cozy blanket of emotions and humanity. And the author has successfully achieved a pulsing, throbbing veneer of raw, unfiltered emotions here. He hasn't let the story run dry. The thrill is effectively countered with human elements here.
Have a look:
"Only then did Karan remember he had dreamt of this exact occurrence just that morning. It was absurd. Was he seeing visions again? He gazed at the two men standing before him, their hands folded over their belts, their eyes fixed on him. Karan noticed they hadn't tied him up. These men didn't look friendly, yet this didn't feel like a typical kidnapping"
The author exerts a tight control on the elements of the story, balancing pace with the emotions, walking a tight rope of keeping reader's interest in the story while helping the main characters evolve at a comfortable pace. He skillfully sets the characters up, pushing them into twists and turns slowly but surely.
Have a look:
"Goosebumps rose on his skin as he recalled lines from Ross email. His investigator friend had cracked the case on his own, tailing the cab driver who had picked up Anurag Roy back in
1999. The email mentioned something that would never have popped up on any radar had Ross not carefully observed the hidden tracks in the case, More important than the taxi driver,
Ross had written, was a briefcase filled with counterfeit diamonds."
Strong characters make for strong stories. If the characters are flaky or one dimensional, the joy of reading a book, even if the story is interesting, is rendered half. The characters of this story are unpredictable, impulsive, multi dimensional and drive the story forward. It's a delight to see a character-driven story because their actions are as interesting as the plot and the twists. This also makes up for layering of the characters, adding a touch of humanity to papery words and that's just delightful.
Read this:
"Abhi woke with a start, a bitter taste lingering at the back of his tongue. Where was he? His head felt foggy and heavy, and for a moment, he held it between his arms, fearing it would fall off his shoulders at any moment. As he touched his head, he felt something on his face-a pipe of some sort. He rushed to a mirror on the wall, and his heart clenched. He gazed at the reflection of the object on his head. It wasn't really a pipe-it was more of a hose. It was connected to his head, extending into the ceiling. Panicking, he tried to force it off.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you.
The corners of the room echoed with the voice."
This here is an emotionally charged thriller that compromises on nothing- neither human drama nor the slick thrills it promises. The drama and the thrill move at the same pace and that's always good for a thriller.
Read this:
The moment Abhi had ripped open the package, he found a red box. On it was a handwritten note in uppercase letters. Abhi's eyes darkened as he read it:
DO YOU WANT TO END UP LIKE HIM?
PS: WE'RE WATCHING YOU. DON'T GO TO THE COPS AS THEY WILL ARREST YOU...AND THEN WE WILL KILL YOU.
Abhi's hands trembled as he dropped the note and opened the box. A foul smell hit him instantly, making his spine crawl with thick shivers. Wrapped in blood-soaked fabric lay a severed middle finger, a faint, discolored ring mark still visible. There was another note, scrawled in what looked like blood."
Some of the scenes set the adrenaline racing, giving you the required dose of thrills. The story is set at a good pace and doesn't let you put the book down.
Pick it up for the weekend read.
Review of 'Run Dad Run' by Shil Niyogi
Quote Alert
"𝐀𝐛𝐡𝐢 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐲, 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬-𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨
𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐦? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐧. 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝; 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.
𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝐍𝐨, 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬... 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬...
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞... 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞... 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦?"
First things first. Kudos to the writer for coming up with a very easy-on-tongue, hard-to-forget and a pulpy title that serves to explains the story (and even the genre) in just three words while evoking a myriad of emotions: thrill, suspense, longing, anxiety, and an urge to pick up the book. I don't think this book could have had any other title.
So what's it about? Niyogi's book, in both the places, ie prologue and the main story, begin at the edge of great upheaval, probably signalling the turbulent times to come, hinting the readers towards the fact that perhaps the story is going to get rough and edge-of-the-seat very soon very fast. The prologue is in 1999 (the chaos of Y2K is everywhere) and the rest of the story is in 2019 (remember COVID?)
Anurag disappears on a Christmas, leaving his family to attend a job thing (thoughts of another girl in his mind while his own wife doesn't approve of him leaving the kids). I like how Niyogi hasn't succumbed to the idea of making him immensely likeable but human: letting his disapprance hang like a dark cloud over the story. His kids, Karan, Abhi and Chandra have some special powers and are now being hunted by a mysterious group of people. While they try to find out what happened to Anurag, they must keep themselves safe too.
The stories with mystry and thrill at their core must be wrapped up in a cozy blanket of emotions and humanity. And the author has successfully achieved a pulsing, throbbing veneer of raw, unfiltered emotions here. He hasn't let the story run dry. The thrill is effectively countered with human elements here.
Have a look:
"Only then did Karan remember he had dreamt of this exact occurrence just that morning. It was absurd. Was he seeing visions again? He gazed at the two men standing before him, their hands folded over their belts, their eyes fixed on him. Karan noticed they hadn't tied him up. These men didn't look friendly, yet this didn't feel like a typical kidnapping"
The author exerts a tight control on the elements of the story, balancing pace with the emotions, walking a tight rope of keeping reader's interest in the story while helping the main characters evolve at a comfortable pace. He skillfully sets the characters up, pushing them into twists and turns slowly but surely.
Have a look:
"Goosebumps rose on his skin as he recalled lines from Ross email. His investigator friend had cracked the case on his own, tailing the cab driver who had picked up Anurag Roy back in
1999. The email mentioned something that would never have popped up on any radar had Ross not carefully observed the hidden tracks in the case, More important than the taxi driver,
Ross had written, was a briefcase filled with counterfeit diamonds."
Strong characters make for strong stories. If the characters are flaky or one dimensional, the joy of reading a book, even if the story is interesting, is rendered half. The characters of this story are unpredictable, impulsive, multi dimensional and drive the story forward. It's a delight to see a character-driven story because their actions are as interesting as the plot and the twists. This also makes up for layering of the characters, adding a touch of humanity to papery words and that's just delightful.
Read this:
"Abhi woke with a start, a bitter taste lingering at the back of his tongue. Where was he? His head felt foggy and heavy, and for a moment, he held it between his arms, fearing it would fall off his shoulders at any moment. As he touched his head, he felt something on his face-a pipe of some sort. He rushed to a mirror on the wall, and his heart clenched. He gazed at the reflection of the object on his head. It wasn't really a pipe-it was more of a hose. It was connected to his head, extending into the ceiling. Panicking, he tried to force it off.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you.
The corners of the room echoed with the voice."
This here is an emotionally charged thriller that compromises on nothing- neither human drama nor the slick thrills it promises. The drama and the thrill move at the same pace and that's always good for a thriller.
Read this:
The moment Abhi had ripped open the package, he found a red box. On it was a handwritten note in uppercase letters. Abhi's eyes darkened as he read it:
DO YOU WANT TO END UP LIKE HIM?
PS: WE'RE WATCHING YOU. DON'T GO TO THE COPS AS THEY WILL ARREST YOU...AND THEN WE WILL KILL YOU.
Abhi's hands trembled as he dropped the note and opened the box. A foul smell hit him instantly, making his spine crawl with thick shivers. Wrapped in blood-soaked fabric lay a severed middle finger, a faint, discolored ring mark still visible. There was another note, scrawled in what looked like blood."
Some of the scenes set the adrenaline racing, giving you the required dose of thrills. The story is set at a good pace and doesn't let you put the book down.
Pick it up for the weekend read.
February 28, 2026
First things first, I was actually very intrigued after reading the blurb of the book, and the cover page was so interesting that I was very enthusiastic to start the book. The first 3 to 4 chapters were all introductions about the characters and their stories and where they are, like the introduction of a general story.
I was very intrigued by the plot, and the premise of the story felt very unique and promising. Because it is a kind of supernatural power, you can say, like psychological or mental abilities, something like one can see the dreams of other people, one can walk through the photographs and talk to the people in the photograph, and one has this hunch or other body kind of experience where he can see the situations happening, so it was very unique, but what I felt was there should have been a little more explanation or, you know, a little more description about their powers; a clear narration would have been better.
And the other thing that I felt while reading was like there is this American accent situation going on, and he actually wrote like how a person would speak. Like, for example, the name Chandra (we say it as Chandra, but the Americans speak it as Shandra), and he wrote it as Shandra, so I was confused for a minute to understand, as I thought it was about another woman, this new character, but then no, I realized that no, that's not it, it was Chandra; he was just giving the accent in this written form. I think we don't have to add an accent to the written format; people can understand it because adding an accent to the written format felt a little confusing for me when it came to the characters and the names. Maybe that's just me.
The other thing is, I have read books where people mention a Spanish or other language text in their books, but they would provide details of what that meant in brackets or even as a footnote for clear understanding. So then I wouldn't have to go to Google Translate, type the text, and understand what they were saying because there is a sentence in Spanish, and I was like, "I can't move ahead without knowing what it meant." So I have to search and then again start reading, and sometimes it will pull me out of my reading zone. You know, I would be locked in when I am reading, but I have to come out and then understand the meaning and then go back to reading. It kind of disturbs the pace of my reading.
And one other thing is that the writer's description felt a little confusing, like there were situations where I had to go back into the story and see whom the author was talking about. So I have to take a break, take a pause, and understand what he is talking about, which is a little deviating from getting hooked to the pages. It felt like a little more polishing or editing would have been better. (I have read a lot LOT of ARC copies and beta reading copies, so I know how a book with a bit of corrections feels like). All I want from a book is engaging page turner.
But if you are new to suspense thrillers/mystery thrillers, where they mentally challenge you, then this book is definitely for you. For me, it felt a little predictable, but yeah, the premise was nice.
I was very intrigued by the plot, and the premise of the story felt very unique and promising. Because it is a kind of supernatural power, you can say, like psychological or mental abilities, something like one can see the dreams of other people, one can walk through the photographs and talk to the people in the photograph, and one has this hunch or other body kind of experience where he can see the situations happening, so it was very unique, but what I felt was there should have been a little more explanation or, you know, a little more description about their powers; a clear narration would have been better.
And the other thing that I felt while reading was like there is this American accent situation going on, and he actually wrote like how a person would speak. Like, for example, the name Chandra (we say it as Chandra, but the Americans speak it as Shandra), and he wrote it as Shandra, so I was confused for a minute to understand, as I thought it was about another woman, this new character, but then no, I realized that no, that's not it, it was Chandra; he was just giving the accent in this written form. I think we don't have to add an accent to the written format; people can understand it because adding an accent to the written format felt a little confusing for me when it came to the characters and the names. Maybe that's just me.
The other thing is, I have read books where people mention a Spanish or other language text in their books, but they would provide details of what that meant in brackets or even as a footnote for clear understanding. So then I wouldn't have to go to Google Translate, type the text, and understand what they were saying because there is a sentence in Spanish, and I was like, "I can't move ahead without knowing what it meant." So I have to search and then again start reading, and sometimes it will pull me out of my reading zone. You know, I would be locked in when I am reading, but I have to come out and then understand the meaning and then go back to reading. It kind of disturbs the pace of my reading.
And one other thing is that the writer's description felt a little confusing, like there were situations where I had to go back into the story and see whom the author was talking about. So I have to take a break, take a pause, and understand what he is talking about, which is a little deviating from getting hooked to the pages. It felt like a little more polishing or editing would have been better. (I have read a lot LOT of ARC copies and beta reading copies, so I know how a book with a bit of corrections feels like). All I want from a book is engaging page turner.
But if you are new to suspense thrillers/mystery thrillers, where they mentally challenge you, then this book is definitely for you. For me, it felt a little predictable, but yeah, the premise was nice.
March 25, 2026
I received a review copy of Run, Dad, Run by Shil Niyogi, and I was honestly very excited to start this one.
The blurb itself sounded extremely interesting. The story follows Anurag, a computer scientist who is a master of neural exploration and out of body travel. During a routine visit to Chicago to troubleshoot Y2K systems at a financial firm, he suddenly vanishes without a trace. There is no message, no remains, just a cold trail and a family left in the dark.
Twenty years later, his three children begin awakening to terrifying abilities they never asked for. Karan slips into other people's dreams where whispers and shadows wait. Avi watches the world through ghost like eyes, drifting into moments he should not witness. And Chandra, the youngest, can step into photographs and walk straight into the past.
As their powers grow, so does the darkness around them. They are being watched and hunted by underworld syndicates, cults, and something even older that wants what lies inside their minds. To uncover the truth about their father, they will have to risk not just their lives but also their sanity, because some doors once opened never close again.
Personally, I love books that explore themes of superpowers, science, and thriller elements. I was especially excited about this one because it is written by an Indian author and the setting and background also feel very rooted in India. I was really looking forward to reading a superpower based story with a thriller element written in this context.
Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.
The author has written other books before, but those are non fiction works. I believe he has a lot of knowledge and experience, but in this case the fiction did not really work for me.
One of the biggest issues I faced while reading was the sudden disruptions in the narrative. In one moment the story would be focusing on a particular scene or idea, and suddenly it would jump somewhere else. These shifts felt very abrupt and confusing, and many times I had to stop and think about what was actually happening.
Another thing that made the book difficult to read was the language. At times the author uses very advanced or complicated words which felt unnecessary. Instead of adding depth, it sometimes made the reading experience feel heavier.
For me, when reading a thriller, the most important thing is feeling connected to the story and the characters. You want that sense of anticipation where you cannot put the book down. You want to feel nervous for the characters and curious about what will happen next. Unfortunately, I did not feel that here.
I also want to clarify that my issue was not with the third person point of view. I actually enjoy reading books written in third person because it sometimes allows the reader to know things the characters do not, which creates tension and excitement. In this book, however, I felt completely disconnected from both the characters and the story.
In the end, it felt like I was simply observing everything from far away instead of being emotionally involved in what was happening.
Overall, this book sadly did not work for me.
The blurb itself sounded extremely interesting. The story follows Anurag, a computer scientist who is a master of neural exploration and out of body travel. During a routine visit to Chicago to troubleshoot Y2K systems at a financial firm, he suddenly vanishes without a trace. There is no message, no remains, just a cold trail and a family left in the dark.
Twenty years later, his three children begin awakening to terrifying abilities they never asked for. Karan slips into other people's dreams where whispers and shadows wait. Avi watches the world through ghost like eyes, drifting into moments he should not witness. And Chandra, the youngest, can step into photographs and walk straight into the past.
As their powers grow, so does the darkness around them. They are being watched and hunted by underworld syndicates, cults, and something even older that wants what lies inside their minds. To uncover the truth about their father, they will have to risk not just their lives but also their sanity, because some doors once opened never close again.
Personally, I love books that explore themes of superpowers, science, and thriller elements. I was especially excited about this one because it is written by an Indian author and the setting and background also feel very rooted in India. I was really looking forward to reading a superpower based story with a thriller element written in this context.
Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.
The author has written other books before, but those are non fiction works. I believe he has a lot of knowledge and experience, but in this case the fiction did not really work for me.
One of the biggest issues I faced while reading was the sudden disruptions in the narrative. In one moment the story would be focusing on a particular scene or idea, and suddenly it would jump somewhere else. These shifts felt very abrupt and confusing, and many times I had to stop and think about what was actually happening.
Another thing that made the book difficult to read was the language. At times the author uses very advanced or complicated words which felt unnecessary. Instead of adding depth, it sometimes made the reading experience feel heavier.
For me, when reading a thriller, the most important thing is feeling connected to the story and the characters. You want that sense of anticipation where you cannot put the book down. You want to feel nervous for the characters and curious about what will happen next. Unfortunately, I did not feel that here.
I also want to clarify that my issue was not with the third person point of view. I actually enjoy reading books written in third person because it sometimes allows the reader to know things the characters do not, which creates tension and excitement. In this book, however, I felt completely disconnected from both the characters and the story.
In the end, it felt like I was simply observing everything from far away instead of being emotionally involved in what was happening.
Overall, this book sadly did not work for me.
January 25, 2026
🍀Book - Run Dad Run
🍀Author - Shil Niyogi
“This book is Nominated for the best thriller of 2026 at Delhi Lit Fest.”
🍀 Between the pages -
“I remember little about my father”Karan lied.
Of course, he remembered a lot. Sumati had told them enough stories to last a lifetime. Even then, Karan recalled how his father often went out with Abhi on matters that never interested him. Karan had no passion for deep studies of the human mind, but he knew his dad, brother, and sister were deeply involved in it. Somehow, Karan had always been closer to his mother. These questions were meant for Abhi, not him.”
🍀Plot - December 25, 1999. Anurag Sharma vanishes in Chicago without a trace.
Twenty years later, his children—Karan, Abhi, and Chandra—discover extraordinary abilities rooted in the spiritual knowledge their father shared with them on Maghostava, a sacred ancestral tradition. Karan controls his dreams, Chandra communicates through photographs, and Abhi can see the world from anywhere—or avoid it entirely.
Chandra uncovers the truth: about her father’s missing.
But now their powers has become their curse as everyone is after their life. They are being watched and to find what happened to their father they will have to risk their lives.
Hunted for what they can do, the siblings must cross forbidden realms and confront ancient truths—knowing that one wrong step could trap them in the same fate as their father, or erase them from reality altogether.
🍀Review-
From the very first page, Run Dad Run pulls you into its central mystery—where did Anurag go? His sudden disappearance haunts not only the reader but also his children, who have spent twenty years waiting for his return. This unanswered question drives the emotional core of the story.
The novel is a compelling blend of science, emotion, and the supernatural, where extraordinary abilities feel as much like a burden as a gift. The author builds suspense with precision, revealing just enough to keep the reader constantly guessing. The pacing is tight, and the tension rarely lets up, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
More than just a thriller, Run Dad Run is a powerful story about family, loss, and hope—one that lingers in your mind long after you turn the final page.
The content perfectly justifies the title of the book.
🍀Author - Shil Niyogi
“This book is Nominated for the best thriller of 2026 at Delhi Lit Fest.”
🍀 Between the pages -
“I remember little about my father”Karan lied.
Of course, he remembered a lot. Sumati had told them enough stories to last a lifetime. Even then, Karan recalled how his father often went out with Abhi on matters that never interested him. Karan had no passion for deep studies of the human mind, but he knew his dad, brother, and sister were deeply involved in it. Somehow, Karan had always been closer to his mother. These questions were meant for Abhi, not him.”
🍀Plot - December 25, 1999. Anurag Sharma vanishes in Chicago without a trace.
Twenty years later, his children—Karan, Abhi, and Chandra—discover extraordinary abilities rooted in the spiritual knowledge their father shared with them on Maghostava, a sacred ancestral tradition. Karan controls his dreams, Chandra communicates through photographs, and Abhi can see the world from anywhere—or avoid it entirely.
Chandra uncovers the truth: about her father’s missing.
But now their powers has become their curse as everyone is after their life. They are being watched and to find what happened to their father they will have to risk their lives.
Hunted for what they can do, the siblings must cross forbidden realms and confront ancient truths—knowing that one wrong step could trap them in the same fate as their father, or erase them from reality altogether.
🍀Review-
From the very first page, Run Dad Run pulls you into its central mystery—where did Anurag go? His sudden disappearance haunts not only the reader but also his children, who have spent twenty years waiting for his return. This unanswered question drives the emotional core of the story.
The novel is a compelling blend of science, emotion, and the supernatural, where extraordinary abilities feel as much like a burden as a gift. The author builds suspense with precision, revealing just enough to keep the reader constantly guessing. The pacing is tight, and the tension rarely lets up, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
More than just a thriller, Run Dad Run is a powerful story about family, loss, and hope—one that lingers in your mind long after you turn the final page.
The content perfectly justifies the title of the book.
July 2, 2026
When I first got the copy, I thought my order was incorrect. I mean, the plot has so many premises it feels like it is impossible to fit y2k abduction, psychic type of powers, lucid dreaming, cults out for your blood in 270 pages! Being a Freida Mcfadden fan, I was really excited to get into the book and step into the Sharma family.
It’s not a thriller novel until its filled with a lot of information (some might even be wrong to mislead the reader) and I quite enjoyed that. Before I knew it, I was already past 50 and had buckled by seatbelt for the rollercoaster ride. The father, Anurag Sharma goes missing without a trace during a Y2K based assignment in Chicago, while his family is halfway around the globe. 20 years go by and still no leads. His children, Chandra,Abhi and Karan each have a unique ability. One can drift through moments (which he wasn’t able to witness), one can slip into people’s dreams. It is genuinely unheard of and I love how the author, Shil Niyogi, forces us to put our brains together and imagine how siblings use their powers.The whole premise being children wanting an answer to where their father went, hits hard. I often felt hard for them, for how they put their lives at stake just for a simple answer.
After they realise their powers is when the real action begins. The family, their partners, nobody is safe. Everyone is constantly being watched and preyed upon. In an instant, they going from living normal people to running for their lives. And the crazy part is, we don’t know. Is it an underworld syndicate hungry for revenge? A cult hungry for blood? Or something hungry for their.. powers? This suspense kept me going!
And in my opinion, that’s where things can be fixed up a bit. The plot is very ambitious and truly one of a kind, but fitting so many tropes, plots is hard to fit in such a small book. I already mentioned my love for details but sometimes it made me feel overburdened. Knowing the premise for the book and the rapid growth of the plot, I expected the ending of the book to completely blindside me. I wouldn’t say the ending was particularly underwhelming but it didn’t deliver the punch a thriller gives.
Overall, the book was quite intriguing and I would definitely recommend it to someone who is looking to get into sci-fi thrillers.
It’s not a thriller novel until its filled with a lot of information (some might even be wrong to mislead the reader) and I quite enjoyed that. Before I knew it, I was already past 50 and had buckled by seatbelt for the rollercoaster ride. The father, Anurag Sharma goes missing without a trace during a Y2K based assignment in Chicago, while his family is halfway around the globe. 20 years go by and still no leads. His children, Chandra,Abhi and Karan each have a unique ability. One can drift through moments (which he wasn’t able to witness), one can slip into people’s dreams. It is genuinely unheard of and I love how the author, Shil Niyogi, forces us to put our brains together and imagine how siblings use their powers.The whole premise being children wanting an answer to where their father went, hits hard. I often felt hard for them, for how they put their lives at stake just for a simple answer.
After they realise their powers is when the real action begins. The family, their partners, nobody is safe. Everyone is constantly being watched and preyed upon. In an instant, they going from living normal people to running for their lives. And the crazy part is, we don’t know. Is it an underworld syndicate hungry for revenge? A cult hungry for blood? Or something hungry for their.. powers? This suspense kept me going!
And in my opinion, that’s where things can be fixed up a bit. The plot is very ambitious and truly one of a kind, but fitting so many tropes, plots is hard to fit in such a small book. I already mentioned my love for details but sometimes it made me feel overburdened. Knowing the premise for the book and the rapid growth of the plot, I expected the ending of the book to completely blindside me. I wouldn’t say the ending was particularly underwhelming but it didn’t deliver the punch a thriller gives.
Overall, the book was quite intriguing and I would definitely recommend it to someone who is looking to get into sci-fi thrillers.
February 11, 2026
At its heart, this is a story about a father who vanishes, not in some dramatic explosion, but during an ordinary work trip to Chicago right around the Y2K scare. Anurag Roy, a computer scientist, simply disappears. No note, no body, no answers. His family is left to stitch their lives back together around the hole he left. Twenty years pass in that heavy silence. Then his three grown children start waking up to abilities they never asked for… strange, terrifying gifts that feel less like superpowers and more like curses inherited from the man who walked away.
What makes Run Dad Run quietly devastating (and compulsively readable) is how it refuses to let the sci-fi elements overshadow the human ache. The thriller plot races forward with layers of mystery, conspiracy, and mind-bending “neural exploration” that some readers compare to Inception-level ideas, but grounded in very Indian family realities. The quiet grief of a mother raising kids alone, the unspoken resentments between siblings, the way love and guilt twist together over decades. Shil Niyogi doesn’t shout the emotion; he lets it seep in through half-finished conversations, memories that won’t stay buried, and the terrifying realization that saving someone you love might cost you pieces of yourself.
It’s humanistic in the best way: no larger-than-life heroes, just flawed people desperate to understand why their dad ran, and what it means if he’s still out there, reaching back across dimensions or whatever wild frontier the story eventually crosses. The sci-fi isn’t there to dazzle; it’s there to ask harder questions about memory, identity, and how far we’d go to protect (or reclaim) the people we can’t let go of.
If you’re someone who finishes a thriller and then sits staring at the wall thinking about your own family, this one will hit different. It’s confident, layered, and surprisingly tender beneath the suspense. A debut that doesn’t just pack a punch, it leaves a bruise you don’t mind carrying.
Definitely a must-read if Indian-rooted speculative fiction with real emotional weight is your thing. Shil Niyogi is one to watch.
What makes Run Dad Run quietly devastating (and compulsively readable) is how it refuses to let the sci-fi elements overshadow the human ache. The thriller plot races forward with layers of mystery, conspiracy, and mind-bending “neural exploration” that some readers compare to Inception-level ideas, but grounded in very Indian family realities. The quiet grief of a mother raising kids alone, the unspoken resentments between siblings, the way love and guilt twist together over decades. Shil Niyogi doesn’t shout the emotion; he lets it seep in through half-finished conversations, memories that won’t stay buried, and the terrifying realization that saving someone you love might cost you pieces of yourself.
It’s humanistic in the best way: no larger-than-life heroes, just flawed people desperate to understand why their dad ran, and what it means if he’s still out there, reaching back across dimensions or whatever wild frontier the story eventually crosses. The sci-fi isn’t there to dazzle; it’s there to ask harder questions about memory, identity, and how far we’d go to protect (or reclaim) the people we can’t let go of.
If you’re someone who finishes a thriller and then sits staring at the wall thinking about your own family, this one will hit different. It’s confident, layered, and surprisingly tender beneath the suspense. A debut that doesn’t just pack a punch, it leaves a bruise you don’t mind carrying.
Definitely a must-read if Indian-rooted speculative fiction with real emotional weight is your thing. Shil Niyogi is one to watch.
February 22, 2026
When I opened Run Dad Run, I was excited about the mystery and supernatural elements it promised. But very quickly I felt something was off. The book builds its entire plot on a father’s disappearance and children suddenly gaining strange powers, but the way the story unfolds felt chaotic and confused more than deeply engaging.
Story Execution
The basic idea could have been interesting — kids with unusual abilities uncovering a mystery from the past. But in practice it often felt like too many ideas thrown together without clear direction. The supernatural parts, the family drama, the “dangerous forces” chasing them — the transitions lacked smoothness. I kept waiting for moments of real tension or emotional depth, but more often it felt just repetitive.
Characters
To me, the characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out. The three siblings’ powers are different, yet I didn’t feel truly connected with their personalities or motivations. Sometimes it seemed the story was more focused on the plot gadgets rather than making me care what the characters actually go through. At times I felt the relationships were shallow and the emotional moments didn’t hit as strongly as they should have.
Pacing Issues
One big problem for me was pacing. There were stretches in the middle where the story dragged without contributing much to the central mystery. Instead of building suspense, it felt like filler scenes were inserted just to stretch the narrative. Some parts of the plot that should have been impactful felt rushed, while other parts that didn’t add much were given too long.
Clarity and Logic
Another thing I noticed was a lack of clarity in some explanations. The supernatural elements were not always tied neatly into the logic of the world, so at times I was left confused rather than intrigued. It made the story feel uneven in its internal rules, and that scaled down my overall engagement with the book.
Real Reader Sentiments
Interestingly, even online discussion threads about this book show that some readers don’t recommend it and say “bad don’t buy” without much detail, which reflects what I felt while reading it.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Run Dad Run had an idea with potential but let me down in execution. The plot often felt messy, character connection weak, and pacing uneven. I wanted to enjoy the mystery and fantasy twist, but instead I felt impatient for the story to pick itself up. If the narrative had been tighter and clearer, this could have been a more engaging read.
Story Execution
The basic idea could have been interesting — kids with unusual abilities uncovering a mystery from the past. But in practice it often felt like too many ideas thrown together without clear direction. The supernatural parts, the family drama, the “dangerous forces” chasing them — the transitions lacked smoothness. I kept waiting for moments of real tension or emotional depth, but more often it felt just repetitive.
Characters
To me, the characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out. The three siblings’ powers are different, yet I didn’t feel truly connected with their personalities or motivations. Sometimes it seemed the story was more focused on the plot gadgets rather than making me care what the characters actually go through. At times I felt the relationships were shallow and the emotional moments didn’t hit as strongly as they should have.
Pacing Issues
One big problem for me was pacing. There were stretches in the middle where the story dragged without contributing much to the central mystery. Instead of building suspense, it felt like filler scenes were inserted just to stretch the narrative. Some parts of the plot that should have been impactful felt rushed, while other parts that didn’t add much were given too long.
Clarity and Logic
Another thing I noticed was a lack of clarity in some explanations. The supernatural elements were not always tied neatly into the logic of the world, so at times I was left confused rather than intrigued. It made the story feel uneven in its internal rules, and that scaled down my overall engagement with the book.
Real Reader Sentiments
Interestingly, even online discussion threads about this book show that some readers don’t recommend it and say “bad don’t buy” without much detail, which reflects what I felt while reading it.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Run Dad Run had an idea with potential but let me down in execution. The plot often felt messy, character connection weak, and pacing uneven. I wanted to enjoy the mystery and fantasy twist, but instead I felt impatient for the story to pick itself up. If the narrative had been tighter and clearer, this could have been a more engaging read.
March 3, 2026
Anurag Roy is an unnaturally gifted scientific explorer with a prominent role in experimenting with being in an “astral state,” which went south when his colleague strayed from his professional relationship with wicked intentions. The book demands focus, or you will have to go back and forth to grasp the story.
Anurag found himself estranged with work-life imbalance, and his wife and three children felt drifting away from his priorities, right before he became a Missing Persons case. He dissolved into thin air with no clue to track him down.
If you are looking for a light pack of puzzles, light mystery reading, this reading is such a destination. The novel started out with Anurag betraying his wife and children. He broke his promise to celebratethe holiday together at the eleventh hour for his work and disappeared, leaving no crumbs behind to track him down.
The most natural and crippling phenomenon of a missing person case is the lingering belief of “what if they show up” or “they may show up”. That’s how his children and wife moved on, moving with mental mystery inside.
“Some Human Engineer”
In the process of seeking closure, his children realised they have unnatural skills, and they discovered a giant mafia of “Human skill traffic” where people of their kind are abducted and their skills are extracted for sale. The experiment itself is the Horror of this Thriller.
Empathy is the Best Policy
Evolutions have landed us in a new environment where we are deprived of empathetic awareness. Artificial Intelligence-Industrialisation, Individualism are the core priorities at the moment, and we have lost the basic required behaviour, i.e., to do it all with an emphatic attitude amidst attending to pressures and priorities. This book throws light on the subject.
The neuroscience and socio-cultural cases to back up why we need “Empathy” back, not like a trend, but a timeless attitude. Let’s pause the normalisation of ‘bluntness’ as an act of authenticity and re-adopt kindness, to put the author's choice of words, let’s romanticise “thinking with feeling”. It’s a soft skill set every resume checker must look for.
Anurag found himself estranged with work-life imbalance, and his wife and three children felt drifting away from his priorities, right before he became a Missing Persons case. He dissolved into thin air with no clue to track him down.
If you are looking for a light pack of puzzles, light mystery reading, this reading is such a destination. The novel started out with Anurag betraying his wife and children. He broke his promise to celebratethe holiday together at the eleventh hour for his work and disappeared, leaving no crumbs behind to track him down.
The most natural and crippling phenomenon of a missing person case is the lingering belief of “what if they show up” or “they may show up”. That’s how his children and wife moved on, moving with mental mystery inside.
“Some Human Engineer”
In the process of seeking closure, his children realised they have unnatural skills, and they discovered a giant mafia of “Human skill traffic” where people of their kind are abducted and their skills are extracted for sale. The experiment itself is the Horror of this Thriller.
Empathy is the Best Policy
Evolutions have landed us in a new environment where we are deprived of empathetic awareness. Artificial Intelligence-Industrialisation, Individualism are the core priorities at the moment, and we have lost the basic required behaviour, i.e., to do it all with an emphatic attitude amidst attending to pressures and priorities. This book throws light on the subject.
The neuroscience and socio-cultural cases to back up why we need “Empathy” back, not like a trend, but a timeless attitude. Let’s pause the normalisation of ‘bluntness’ as an act of authenticity and re-adopt kindness, to put the author's choice of words, let’s romanticise “thinking with feeling”. It’s a soft skill set every resume checker must look for.
January 31, 2026
I just finished Run Dad Run by Shil Niyogi and I’m not even kidding… this book is a solid 5/5 ⭐ for me.
It’s dark. It’s psychic. It’s kinda sci fi. And it’s the kind of thriller that makes your brain go wait… what is happening?? in the best way possible.
So the plot revolves around Anurag Roy, a computer scientist, but not the usual type. He believes in out of body meditation and travel... And the craziest part is, he actually learnt these techniques earlier in his life at Tarapith, their old home. He becomes a master of something called neural exploration. Sounds intense already, right?
Then one day… he goes to Chicago for work, because of an urgent call from his boss, and he just disappears. Completely. No trace. Nothing. He leaves behind his wife Sumati and their three kids Abhi, Karan and Chandra… and the family is left with this huge hole that never really closes. Did he actually disappear? Or did something else happen?
And then BOOM… 20 years later, things start moving again. Something happens to Abhi and suddenly the story takes a turn that’s honestly so unexpected... and you realise these siblings are not ordinary at all.
Karan has the ability to see things in his dreams. His intuition is terrifyingly accurate.
Chandra… she can speak with dead people through photographs.
And Abhi… let’s just say he has something that makes you go speechless.
There’s this one line that literally gave me chills:
“The extraction procedure for Chandra was set to begin, but…”
And that’s all I’m saying because I don’t want to spoil it 😭 but trust me… the moment you reach this part, you’ll understand the vibe of the book. It gets intense.
And throughout all of it, the biggest questions keep haunting you…
Will Karan be able to find his brother, sister and mom?
And what about their dad?
Is Anurag Roy alive… or is the truth way darker than that?
So yeah… if you like reading something intense, psychic, and slightly sci fi with a creepy edge that gets on your nerves a little… you NEED to try Run Dad Run
It’s dark. It’s psychic. It’s kinda sci fi. And it’s the kind of thriller that makes your brain go wait… what is happening?? in the best way possible.
So the plot revolves around Anurag Roy, a computer scientist, but not the usual type. He believes in out of body meditation and travel... And the craziest part is, he actually learnt these techniques earlier in his life at Tarapith, their old home. He becomes a master of something called neural exploration. Sounds intense already, right?
Then one day… he goes to Chicago for work, because of an urgent call from his boss, and he just disappears. Completely. No trace. Nothing. He leaves behind his wife Sumati and their three kids Abhi, Karan and Chandra… and the family is left with this huge hole that never really closes. Did he actually disappear? Or did something else happen?
And then BOOM… 20 years later, things start moving again. Something happens to Abhi and suddenly the story takes a turn that’s honestly so unexpected... and you realise these siblings are not ordinary at all.
Karan has the ability to see things in his dreams. His intuition is terrifyingly accurate.
Chandra… she can speak with dead people through photographs.
And Abhi… let’s just say he has something that makes you go speechless.
There’s this one line that literally gave me chills:
“The extraction procedure for Chandra was set to begin, but…”
And that’s all I’m saying because I don’t want to spoil it 😭 but trust me… the moment you reach this part, you’ll understand the vibe of the book. It gets intense.
And throughout all of it, the biggest questions keep haunting you…
Will Karan be able to find his brother, sister and mom?
And what about their dad?
Is Anurag Roy alive… or is the truth way darker than that?
So yeah… if you like reading something intense, psychic, and slightly sci fi with a creepy edge that gets on your nerves a little… you NEED to try Run Dad Run
February 1, 2026
Run Dad Run by Shil Niyogi is nominated for the best thriller category in Delhi Literature Festival 2026.
The book opens quietly, almost deceptively so. The writing doesn’t rush to impress with twists or big reveals. Instead, author focuses on atmosphere, absence, and emotional residue — what it feels like when a family grows up around a mystery that was never resolved.
The Plot starts with unsettling question about a father who went missing without any trace and decades later his kids harboring strange out the world abilities, what will they do with those powers and will they be able to uncover about the strange disappearance of their father is something worth reading.
The author’s writing technique is restrained and deliberate. Scenes are built through small details: rain against windows, half-finished conversations, casual remarks that carry emotional weight. Dialogue feels natural, often understated, and that’s where the tension lives — in what characters choose not to say.
What stood out to me most is how the story blends everyday domestic realism with speculative ideas without making the science feel forced or flashy. The speculative elements hover in the background at first, like a presence rather than a plot device. This makes the story feel grounded, and when things begin to shift, it feels earned.
The pacing is a slow burn. Readers looking for immediate action might find the beginning measured, but readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries, psychological unease, and gradual world-building will appreciate the patience this book demands.
This is not a book that spoon-feeds answers. It trusts the reader to observe, connect dots, and sit with ambiguity — which I personally enjoyed.
Readers who like stories that linger after you put the book down will goes gaga over it and those who are looking for plot explosion might not get along with it.
Overall, Run Dad Run feels less like a sprint and more like a quiet pull — subtle, unsettling, and thoughtful. It’s a book that asks you to pay attention.
The book opens quietly, almost deceptively so. The writing doesn’t rush to impress with twists or big reveals. Instead, author focuses on atmosphere, absence, and emotional residue — what it feels like when a family grows up around a mystery that was never resolved.
The Plot starts with unsettling question about a father who went missing without any trace and decades later his kids harboring strange out the world abilities, what will they do with those powers and will they be able to uncover about the strange disappearance of their father is something worth reading.
The author’s writing technique is restrained and deliberate. Scenes are built through small details: rain against windows, half-finished conversations, casual remarks that carry emotional weight. Dialogue feels natural, often understated, and that’s where the tension lives — in what characters choose not to say.
What stood out to me most is how the story blends everyday domestic realism with speculative ideas without making the science feel forced or flashy. The speculative elements hover in the background at first, like a presence rather than a plot device. This makes the story feel grounded, and when things begin to shift, it feels earned.
The pacing is a slow burn. Readers looking for immediate action might find the beginning measured, but readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries, psychological unease, and gradual world-building will appreciate the patience this book demands.
This is not a book that spoon-feeds answers. It trusts the reader to observe, connect dots, and sit with ambiguity — which I personally enjoyed.
Readers who like stories that linger after you put the book down will goes gaga over it and those who are looking for plot explosion might not get along with it.
Overall, Run Dad Run feels less like a sprint and more like a quiet pull — subtle, unsettling, and thoughtful. It’s a book that asks you to pay attention.
February 24, 2026
This book is marketed as a thriller, but I don't see an ounce of it. Yes there are sci fi elements in this with all the super powers being talked about, but calling it a thriller is quite misleading. From the very beginning we know what has happened to Anurag. Infact, the blurb contains all the spoilers and I did not find anything new after reading 240 pages of this.
Talking about the writing style, it could have been better had it been edited properly. The choice of words were quite wrong. What do you mean these super powers were called as 'gifts' in certain places, as if they were dowry. The dialogues were too bland and devoid of emotions. The ending of this book was very rushed. The contribution of each main character was not evenly spaced out. Only Karan and Abhi were the ones acting, and Chandra was made an invalid. I was hoping that she too would be involved in some first hand encounters, but I was wrong. She was restricted to just talking to the pictures, while the male members did all the work. The reason why Karan was always annoyed with Priya (even when he did not know the reality of her) is still unclear. It felt as if the female characters were deliberately made to look down upon in this book. Also, A LOT of characters were involved in this book, making it a very crowded premise, which was not needed. Moreover, there was romance in all the unnecessary places. There was legit a building falling down, but no Leisha and Abhi need to have their own intimate moment.
Spoiler Alert - What this book doesn't tell is that Sumanti was right. Apart from work, Anurag used to go abroad to meet his mistress (or whatever you would like to call it), Jenny, which you'll get to know towards the last chapters when she reminisces her 'kiss'. I am shocked how this was not addressed properly during the family reunion at the end.
The reason why I gave this book even a 2 star rating is out of generosity of this being a debut book. The ideology behind this book was good, but the implementation was very poor. Thriller lovers, I would not suggest this book to you.
Talking about the writing style, it could have been better had it been edited properly. The choice of words were quite wrong. What do you mean these super powers were called as 'gifts' in certain places, as if they were dowry. The dialogues were too bland and devoid of emotions. The ending of this book was very rushed. The contribution of each main character was not evenly spaced out. Only Karan and Abhi were the ones acting, and Chandra was made an invalid. I was hoping that she too would be involved in some first hand encounters, but I was wrong. She was restricted to just talking to the pictures, while the male members did all the work. The reason why Karan was always annoyed with Priya (even when he did not know the reality of her) is still unclear. It felt as if the female characters were deliberately made to look down upon in this book. Also, A LOT of characters were involved in this book, making it a very crowded premise, which was not needed. Moreover, there was romance in all the unnecessary places. There was legit a building falling down, but no Leisha and Abhi need to have their own intimate moment.
Spoiler Alert - What this book doesn't tell is that Sumanti was right. Apart from work, Anurag used to go abroad to meet his mistress (or whatever you would like to call it), Jenny, which you'll get to know towards the last chapters when she reminisces her 'kiss'. I am shocked how this was not addressed properly during the family reunion at the end.
The reason why I gave this book even a 2 star rating is out of generosity of this being a debut book. The ideology behind this book was good, but the implementation was very poor. Thriller lovers, I would not suggest this book to you.
March 3, 2026
2.5/5 is my rating.
I was genuinely looking forward to read this book cause the synopsis got my attention. Except this book felt like it was rushed through so many fast paced scenes because the author couldnt find ways to calm the story inbetween the fast paced scenes. Everything was happening so fast and simultaneously that the reader never gets the space to breathe and take in the plot development. The story started off well, but just after the 10th chapter the book started to plummet down. The story picked up but the arrangement of the scenes just didnt work. It felt like the author was more hell bent on finishing this book within the 250 page mark than the story being built gradually and building the tension that ws required.
One of the most unsettling things about this book is the fact that the author tries to shuffle between the days. Suddenly it is Jan 01 then it goes back to Jan 31st and then again Jan 01 which was too much to keep up while the story is already lacking relief.
There was also unnecessary suspense building in places that never needed it like the “man with the baseball cap” and “Dr.X” for people who were already introduced into the story. Specially with the Dr.X suspense arc, suddenly in the middle of maintaining the suspense, the author reveals the name in between and again goes back to mentioning her as Dr.X till the end.
And i really hoped for the author to write more on how the three people with special abilities really use their skills to solve their father’s disappearance, but the story focused so much on the extraction of their abilities than on emphasising on what all the skills helped these people with.
On the whole, this story has a good scope, but was executed very lousily which costed the story to end up below par and expected. What started of a gripping read, just fell as a underwhelming reading experience as it got to the end of the story and the climax did not deliver. The pace of the story just desensitised the audience to the hype of the end.
I was genuinely looking forward to read this book cause the synopsis got my attention. Except this book felt like it was rushed through so many fast paced scenes because the author couldnt find ways to calm the story inbetween the fast paced scenes. Everything was happening so fast and simultaneously that the reader never gets the space to breathe and take in the plot development. The story started off well, but just after the 10th chapter the book started to plummet down. The story picked up but the arrangement of the scenes just didnt work. It felt like the author was more hell bent on finishing this book within the 250 page mark than the story being built gradually and building the tension that ws required.
One of the most unsettling things about this book is the fact that the author tries to shuffle between the days. Suddenly it is Jan 01 then it goes back to Jan 31st and then again Jan 01 which was too much to keep up while the story is already lacking relief.
There was also unnecessary suspense building in places that never needed it like the “man with the baseball cap” and “Dr.X” for people who were already introduced into the story. Specially with the Dr.X suspense arc, suddenly in the middle of maintaining the suspense, the author reveals the name in between and again goes back to mentioning her as Dr.X till the end.
And i really hoped for the author to write more on how the three people with special abilities really use their skills to solve their father’s disappearance, but the story focused so much on the extraction of their abilities than on emphasising on what all the skills helped these people with.
On the whole, this story has a good scope, but was executed very lousily which costed the story to end up below par and expected. What started of a gripping read, just fell as a underwhelming reading experience as it got to the end of the story and the climax did not deliver. The pace of the story just desensitised the audience to the hype of the end.
February 20, 2026
“Run Dad Run” is a gripping supernatural thriller that mixes family drama with mystery and dark fantasy in a way that feels both intense and emotional.
The story begins with Anurag, a brilliant computer scientist who is not just tech-savvy but also deeply involved in neural exploration and out-of-body experiences. During a routine trip to Chicago to fix Y2K-related issues at a financial firm, he disappears without a trace. No body. No explanation. Just silence. That sudden disappearance becomes the emotional core of the story.
Twenty years later, his three children begin to experience strange and disturbing powers. Karan can enter other people’s dreams. Abhi sees the world like a drifting spirit, observing moments he shouldn’t. Chandra, the youngest, can literally step into photographs and enter the past. These abilities are fascinating, but they are not gifts in the usual sense. They are heavy, frightening, and dangerous.
As the siblings try to understand their powers, they slowly realize they are not alone. They are being watched and hunted. The threats come from underworld groups, cult-like forces, and something even darker and less human. The tension builds steadily, and the sense of danger never really leaves the story.
What makes “Run Dad Run” stand out is that it is not just about supernatural abilities. At its heart, it is about family, loss, and unanswered questions. The children are not chasing adventure, they are trying to understand what happened to their father and why they are the way they are. The emotional weight behind their journey makes the story more powerful.
The writing is fast-paced and cinematic. The scenes involving dream-walking, ghost-like drifting, and stepping into photographs are imaginative and visually strong. At the same time, the psychological tension keeps the reader on edge. There is a constant feeling that some doors, once opened, should have stayed closed.
The story begins with Anurag, a brilliant computer scientist who is not just tech-savvy but also deeply involved in neural exploration and out-of-body experiences. During a routine trip to Chicago to fix Y2K-related issues at a financial firm, he disappears without a trace. No body. No explanation. Just silence. That sudden disappearance becomes the emotional core of the story.
Twenty years later, his three children begin to experience strange and disturbing powers. Karan can enter other people’s dreams. Abhi sees the world like a drifting spirit, observing moments he shouldn’t. Chandra, the youngest, can literally step into photographs and enter the past. These abilities are fascinating, but they are not gifts in the usual sense. They are heavy, frightening, and dangerous.
As the siblings try to understand their powers, they slowly realize they are not alone. They are being watched and hunted. The threats come from underworld groups, cult-like forces, and something even darker and less human. The tension builds steadily, and the sense of danger never really leaves the story.
What makes “Run Dad Run” stand out is that it is not just about supernatural abilities. At its heart, it is about family, loss, and unanswered questions. The children are not chasing adventure, they are trying to understand what happened to their father and why they are the way they are. The emotional weight behind their journey makes the story more powerful.
The writing is fast-paced and cinematic. The scenes involving dream-walking, ghost-like drifting, and stepping into photographs are imaginative and visually strong. At the same time, the psychological tension keeps the reader on edge. There is a constant feeling that some doors, once opened, should have stayed closed.
February 25, 2026
The plot is completely haywire from the start and never finds balance. The story moves as if it is running without direction. I kept hoping it would slow down and explain itself clearly, but that moment never came.
The biggest issue is how the plot constantly jumps from one place to another without giving us enough time to process what just happened. Scenes switch again and again, that too abruptly, and following the story becomes almost impossible. I tried my best and even re-read some portions, but the effort of keeping track of events became exhausting. Eventually, there came a point where trying to understand everything felt useless.
And the book has structural flaws too. Transitions feel uneven. Let me show you this by an example. There's a scene where Abhi smiles while thinking about how fortunate Chandra is because she has a talent allowing her to see their father at will. Logically, the next sentence should have been about that talent. But suddenly, a sentence appears describing how supportive Anurag was toward Chandra and Karan. This line does not belong to the “talent” that was building. It feels like a random insertion that breaks the flow.
Character building is another major weakness. The book has a huge number of characters, and by huge I truly mean a lot. New names keep appearing so frequently that it becomes difficult to remember who is who. The worst part is that none of them receive proper character arcs. The book includes many deaths, yet none of them create impact. I felt that the author wanted to show that no one has plot armour, but the attempt fails badly because emotional investment was never there.
Eventually, I'll not recommend this book to anyone. The reasons are straightforward. The plot is chaotic and confusing, the narrative structure fails, characters lack proper arcs, transitions are weak, and the reading experience becomes frustrating instead of engaging.
The biggest issue is how the plot constantly jumps from one place to another without giving us enough time to process what just happened. Scenes switch again and again, that too abruptly, and following the story becomes almost impossible. I tried my best and even re-read some portions, but the effort of keeping track of events became exhausting. Eventually, there came a point where trying to understand everything felt useless.
And the book has structural flaws too. Transitions feel uneven. Let me show you this by an example. There's a scene where Abhi smiles while thinking about how fortunate Chandra is because she has a talent allowing her to see their father at will. Logically, the next sentence should have been about that talent. But suddenly, a sentence appears describing how supportive Anurag was toward Chandra and Karan. This line does not belong to the “talent” that was building. It feels like a random insertion that breaks the flow.
Character building is another major weakness. The book has a huge number of characters, and by huge I truly mean a lot. New names keep appearing so frequently that it becomes difficult to remember who is who. The worst part is that none of them receive proper character arcs. The book includes many deaths, yet none of them create impact. I felt that the author wanted to show that no one has plot armour, but the attempt fails badly because emotional investment was never there.
Eventually, I'll not recommend this book to anyone. The reasons are straightforward. The plot is chaotic and confusing, the narrative structure fails, characters lack proper arcs, transitions are weak, and the reading experience becomes frustrating instead of engaging.
February 28, 2026
Run Dad Run by Shil Niyogi begins with the unexplained disappearance of Anurag, a brilliant computer scientist who vanishes during a work trip to Chicago around the Y2K era. Years later, his absence continues to shadow his three children - Karan, Abhi, and Chandra - each of whom develops unsettling abilities. Karan can enter dreams, Abhi can drift unseen through real-world moments, and Chandra can step into photographs and relive the past. These powers prove more curse than gift, drawing dangerous attention and pulling the siblings into a web of conspiracies, criminal forces, cults, and something far more ancient as they search for the truth behind their father’s fate.
Reading this novel, I was immediately hooked by its premise. The idea of memory, time, and consciousness being woven into supernatural abilities felt fresh and cinematic. Each sibling’s power is imaginative and symbolic, reflecting their grief, confusion, and longing for their father. I particularly enjoyed how the story blends science fiction concepts with psychological tension and emotional stakes.
That said, the novel sometimes tries to do too much at once. I often felt the pacing worked against the emotional weight of key moments. Just as a scene was poised to deepen the characters’ trauma or fear, the narrative rushed forward into the next twist. Some of the most intriguing ideas - especially the darker forces at play - could have been explored with more focus and clarity.
Despite these issues, I found the book consistently engaging. Its ambition and originality carried me through moments of uneven storytelling, and the central mystery remained compelling.
In the end, Run Dad Run may not fully achieve the depth it aims for, but it stands out for its creativity and bold ideas. For readers who enjoy fast-moving thrillers with sci‑fi and supernatural elements, it is a memorable and worthwhile read.
Reading this novel, I was immediately hooked by its premise. The idea of memory, time, and consciousness being woven into supernatural abilities felt fresh and cinematic. Each sibling’s power is imaginative and symbolic, reflecting their grief, confusion, and longing for their father. I particularly enjoyed how the story blends science fiction concepts with psychological tension and emotional stakes.
That said, the novel sometimes tries to do too much at once. I often felt the pacing worked against the emotional weight of key moments. Just as a scene was poised to deepen the characters’ trauma or fear, the narrative rushed forward into the next twist. Some of the most intriguing ideas - especially the darker forces at play - could have been explored with more focus and clarity.
Despite these issues, I found the book consistently engaging. Its ambition and originality carried me through moments of uneven storytelling, and the central mystery remained compelling.
In the end, Run Dad Run may not fully achieve the depth it aims for, but it stands out for its creativity and bold ideas. For readers who enjoy fast-moving thrillers with sci‑fi and supernatural elements, it is a memorable and worthwhile read.
March 1, 2026
When I picked up Run Dad Run, I was genuinely excited. The premise, a missing father, children developing strange abilities, and a layered mystery unfolding across time, promised a gripping blend of psychological thriller and science fiction. And to be fair, the book had ambition.
The story, revolving around Anurag's mysterious disappearance and the ripple effects it has on his children, builds a core foundation for the book. There’s an undercurrent of confusion, inherited trauma and shared grief, that tries holding up the book. The sci-fi concepts are atmospheric and psychologically layered which turns interesting every now and then. Some scenes feel quite cinematic and does create curiosity.
However, where the book struggled for me was in it's narrative flow. The storytelling often feels scattered and difficult to follow. The switch between the timelines, ideas, perspectives require quite some effort to track and sometimes it feels complex.
There are places where I had to stop and reorient to understand what is happening and why.
The character development was another area where I believe the author could've done better. The personalities of the siblings sometimes felt haphazard and the emotional payoffs didn't land as powerfully as they could have. The pacing seemed uneven as well. Some parts are so interesting to read and instantly pulls you in while some linger without building sufficient tension.
That being said, there are interesting ideas, a bold scope and a sincere emotional backbone in the book. I wanted to experience the book more as I love thrillers but maybe it didn't quite hit that spot for me.
If you are someone who is okay with layered narratives and pouring your time into nonlinear storytelling, you might enjoy it more than me.
It's a book with potential that may resonate differently depending the reader's taste for complex and fragmented narrative and flow.
The story, revolving around Anurag's mysterious disappearance and the ripple effects it has on his children, builds a core foundation for the book. There’s an undercurrent of confusion, inherited trauma and shared grief, that tries holding up the book. The sci-fi concepts are atmospheric and psychologically layered which turns interesting every now and then. Some scenes feel quite cinematic and does create curiosity.
However, where the book struggled for me was in it's narrative flow. The storytelling often feels scattered and difficult to follow. The switch between the timelines, ideas, perspectives require quite some effort to track and sometimes it feels complex.
There are places where I had to stop and reorient to understand what is happening and why.
The character development was another area where I believe the author could've done better. The personalities of the siblings sometimes felt haphazard and the emotional payoffs didn't land as powerfully as they could have. The pacing seemed uneven as well. Some parts are so interesting to read and instantly pulls you in while some linger without building sufficient tension.
That being said, there are interesting ideas, a bold scope and a sincere emotional backbone in the book. I wanted to experience the book more as I love thrillers but maybe it didn't quite hit that spot for me.
If you are someone who is okay with layered narratives and pouring your time into nonlinear storytelling, you might enjoy it more than me.
It's a book with potential that may resonate differently depending the reader's taste for complex and fragmented narrative and flow.
April 22, 2026
If you love a book with gripping story line and a twist every few pages you are surely gonna love this book because while reading this book, I was so captivated that this book was running in my mind, even if I was doing something not related with the book
What starts as a simple mystery a father vanishing without a trace slowly unfolds into something much deeper and darker. The real strength of this book isn’t just its sci-fi or supernatural elements, but the emotional weight it carries.
The abilities in the story are fascinating, but they never feel like “cool powers.” They feel like burdens. Like something that will snatch your freedom And that’s what makes the book stand out because it shows if you are having supernatural powers and for a moment, you must feel wow, you are so cool, but the very next moment you will have 1000 enemies and people running after You for your life
The pacing is mostly fast and gripping, the book has different timeline, so you have to be very attentive while reading the book. Otherwise, you will get confused There’s a constant sense of being watched, hunted, and pulled deeper into something you don’t fully understand. At times, though, the story can feel a bit complex or slightly confusing, especially with multiple threads running together but if you stay with it, the experience is worth it.
This isn’t just a thriller. It’s about loss, memory, and how far people will go to find closure even if it costs them their sanity or maybe life.
If you like stories that mix mind bending concepts with deep emotional tension, this book will hit you in a quiet but powerful way.
These are the codes which are not really in the book, but resonates with the book very well
1. “Some people don’t disappear… they just slip into places where you don’t know how to follow.”
2. “We weren’t given these abilities to feel powerful—we were given them to remember what we lost.”
What starts as a simple mystery a father vanishing without a trace slowly unfolds into something much deeper and darker. The real strength of this book isn’t just its sci-fi or supernatural elements, but the emotional weight it carries.
The abilities in the story are fascinating, but they never feel like “cool powers.” They feel like burdens. Like something that will snatch your freedom And that’s what makes the book stand out because it shows if you are having supernatural powers and for a moment, you must feel wow, you are so cool, but the very next moment you will have 1000 enemies and people running after You for your life
The pacing is mostly fast and gripping, the book has different timeline, so you have to be very attentive while reading the book. Otherwise, you will get confused There’s a constant sense of being watched, hunted, and pulled deeper into something you don’t fully understand. At times, though, the story can feel a bit complex or slightly confusing, especially with multiple threads running together but if you stay with it, the experience is worth it.
This isn’t just a thriller. It’s about loss, memory, and how far people will go to find closure even if it costs them their sanity or maybe life.
If you like stories that mix mind bending concepts with deep emotional tension, this book will hit you in a quiet but powerful way.
These are the codes which are not really in the book, but resonates with the book very well
1. “Some people don’t disappear… they just slip into places where you don’t know how to follow.”
2. “We weren’t given these abilities to feel powerful—we were given them to remember what we lost.”
May 3, 2026
📚 Book Review:- Run Dad Run ✍️ Shil Niyogi
“A disappearance that rewrites destiny.”
This book is an ambitious debut that blends psychological thriller, science fiction and emotional family drama into a gripping narrative.
The story begins with a haunting mystery Anurag, a brilliant computer scientist with extraordinary abilities, vanishes during a routine trip to Chicago. No clues, no closure. Just silence that lingers over his family for decades.
Twenty years later, his children Karan, Abhi, and Chandra begin to experience strange and disturbing abilities they never asked for. These powers are far from heroic. Karan walks through dreams, Abhi sees what shouldn’t be seen, and Chandra steps into the past through photographs. What makes this compelling is how these abilities feel like burdens rather than gifts, pulling them into dangerous territory involving underworld syndicates, cults, and shadowy “mind extraction” forces.
The pacing is one of the book’s strongest elements. Short, sharp chapters with cliffhangers make it an unputdownable read. There’s a constant sense of being watched, hunted, and pushed toward a truth that refuses to stay buried.
At its core, however, this isn’t just a sci-fi thriller it’s an emotional journey. The siblings’ struggle with loss, confusion, and their search for their father adds depth and relatability. Their growth from fear to determination is handled with care, making their bond one of the most powerful aspects of the story.
That said, the novel isn’t without flaws. At times, the pacing feels uneven some sections rush through key developments, while others linger a bit too long on explanations. The ending, although thought-provoking, may feel slightly unresolved for readers looking for complete closure.
Despite this, Run Dad Run remains an engaging and imaginative read. It stands out for its unique concept, emotional depth, and the way it treats the idea of power not as strength, but as responsibility and consequence.
“A disappearance that rewrites destiny.”
This book is an ambitious debut that blends psychological thriller, science fiction and emotional family drama into a gripping narrative.
The story begins with a haunting mystery Anurag, a brilliant computer scientist with extraordinary abilities, vanishes during a routine trip to Chicago. No clues, no closure. Just silence that lingers over his family for decades.
Twenty years later, his children Karan, Abhi, and Chandra begin to experience strange and disturbing abilities they never asked for. These powers are far from heroic. Karan walks through dreams, Abhi sees what shouldn’t be seen, and Chandra steps into the past through photographs. What makes this compelling is how these abilities feel like burdens rather than gifts, pulling them into dangerous territory involving underworld syndicates, cults, and shadowy “mind extraction” forces.
The pacing is one of the book’s strongest elements. Short, sharp chapters with cliffhangers make it an unputdownable read. There’s a constant sense of being watched, hunted, and pushed toward a truth that refuses to stay buried.
At its core, however, this isn’t just a sci-fi thriller it’s an emotional journey. The siblings’ struggle with loss, confusion, and their search for their father adds depth and relatability. Their growth from fear to determination is handled with care, making their bond one of the most powerful aspects of the story.
That said, the novel isn’t without flaws. At times, the pacing feels uneven some sections rush through key developments, while others linger a bit too long on explanations. The ending, although thought-provoking, may feel slightly unresolved for readers looking for complete closure.
Despite this, Run Dad Run remains an engaging and imaginative read. It stands out for its unique concept, emotional depth, and the way it treats the idea of power not as strength, but as responsibility and consequence.
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