Run the Risk

On the Edge #3

by Allison van Diepen

Set in the same world as On the Edge and Light of Day, Run the Risk is a romantic, gritty story about the dangers one girl faces to save the people she loves.

Grace has done her best to move on since her ex-boyfriend, Mateo, chose gang life over her. But even though years have passed, she hasn’t forgotten him—especially since she’s seen her younger brother, Alex, drawn to a life on the streets. She can’t bear to think of Alex making the same mistakes as Mateo, but she feels him slipping away.

So when Mateo suddenly resurfaces, insisting he’s left gang life behind him, Grace sees an opportunity. Maybe he could be the one to reach Alex and pull him away from the edge. She tells herself she’s only talking to Mateo again because of Alex, but her feelings quickly return. Can she ever trust Mateo again? And is saving her brother worth risking a broken heart? With everyone she loves in danger, Grace must decide how much to sacrifice before it’s too late.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Ebooks

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2017

About the author

Allison van Diepen is the author of many teen novels, including Takedown, Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle Rebounds, and The Vampire Stalker. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age.

Her latest is the heart-pounding ON THE EDGE series set in Miami. ON THE EDGE and LIGHT OF DAY are in stores now. The final installment is RUN THE RISK, due out in early 2017.

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

"You have to get out of the gang,"

This was a YA contemporary story about a girl whose brother and ex-boyfriend were involved in gangs.

Grace was a strong character and she didn't give in when things got tough. I also liked Mateo, who seemed to always be trying to do the right thing, even when things were hard.

The storyline in this was about Mateo making a reappearance in Grace's life after they previously broke up over his involvement in a gang. Grace blackmailed him into helping her deal with her younger brother who was also trying to join a gang, and we also got a bit romance going on between Grace and Mateo, even though he was hiding something from her. The story was enjoyable though, and the pace felt about right.

The ending to this was pretty good, and I liked the action!



7 out of 10

[Porch Swing Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Run the Risk is a fast paced, heartfelt young adult novel that I let sit on my shelf for way too long before reading. This was my first experience reading anything by Allison Van Diepen and I know it won't be my last. I've actually already looked up more of her books and added them to my hopelessly long TBR pile. Van pie pen's writing reminds me of Sarah Dessen's. Perfectly paced, emotional, and honest. I have never read a young adult romance that dealt with gangs in this way. It shed a light on a real situation that many kids are dealing with, but that I have thankfully never had to. There were some time's where I couldn't see Grace's reactions as realistic, mainly surrounding the situation with her dad. No matter how empathetic and patient ofa person she is, I think she would have reacted differently to several of the things he did. Regardless, I Still really enjoyed Run the Risk and highly recommend it.

[Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope Allison does a book on Felix next ;D

[Dove · Rating 5 out of 5]

DONT DO DRUGS JUST HUG!!!! I loved this book! It was beautifully written. It was super intense, and action-packed. I usually hate action novels, but this book had its fair share of romance, which made me love it. It was romance, but it was dark romance filled with drugs, gun, violence, gang life, and stuff like that. It had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't stop reading it. I was eager to see what would happen and how the story would unfold. Each chapter, the plot thickens. It's about a girl who broke up with her boyfriend because he was part of a gang and she didn't want to keep worrying about him. But then years later, her younger brother starts choosing the gang life too, and she is trying to prevent him from doing so. Her ex is back in the picture, and he's still part of a gang, but he's also studying to become a paramedic. She asks him to help her brother choose the right path. While this is happening, the spark between them is still there and it starts heating up again and there's new chemistry. It's just super addicting. It's the perfect balance of action, suspense, and romance. There's many near-death encounters and this book really explores the dark side of gang life which I enjoyed. The modern day media is always making gangs seem like they are a good thing, and rappers are always encouraging the gang life, but this book really illustrates the negative repercussions of gang life, and I feel like all teenagers need to read this book to understand that gang life isn't all that simple and good and that there is so much more to life.

[Debra Elsner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! I so enjoy this series by Allison Van Diepen. The story is both romantic and gritty as the other books were. Grace and Mateo get their second chance at finding themselves after breaking up years ago. They reconnect at the movie theater they both work at. Grace is trying to keep her brother away from gang members who are trying to initiate him. The story is so realistic that you really feel for these characters.

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace is finally getting her life back on track. She spends her days volunteering at a daycare center, puts in long hours at the local cinema downtown and is taking online courses in order to graduate high school. She is determined to be accepted into her local college after being rejected six months earlier due to an incident with her brother, Alex. But with Alex continuing to hang out with the Locos --- a dangerous local gang --- Grace’s worries begin again.

So when Grace’s ex-boyfriend, Mateo, begins working at the theatre with her, she sees an opportunity. Mateo once left Grace to become a member of a gang, but swears he has gotten out. She knows he is the only one who can save her brother from himself…and prevent Alex from taking her down with him. As Mateo gets closer to Alex, Grace begins to rekindle her attraction to him. But has he truly changed or is it all just a façade?

Allison van Diepen draws much-needed attention to serious, real-life issues in her novel RUN THE RISK. The plot of RUN THE RISK centers on gang activity in Miami. Grace’s little brother, Alex, has fallen in with members of a local gang called the Locos. Grace is firmly against gangs, especially after she broke up with Mateo when he chose gang life over a life with her. But Grace knows there is nothing she can really do to convince her little brother of the dangers the gang could pose on his future.

Allison van Diepen has crafted a main character who deserves a lot of admiration. Grace is not your average high school student. She volunteers at a daycare, works countless hours and studies hard to achieve good grades. She knows the only way to make her dream of attending college and studying education come true is through hard work, and readers will be inspired by her determination. While Grace is a good character, there is not a lot of complexity to her personality. The dialogue between characters also tends to be lacking. However, readers will be rooting for Grace until the end of the novel.

Overall, RUN THE RISK by Allison van Diepen is a great quick read with an important message. Readers will love the main character and will be eagerly anticipating the final outcome of the novel. Although the dialogue feels a bit forced at times and the characters lack complexity, RUN THE RISK is still a worthwhile novel!

Reviewed by Kate F., Teen Board Member

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace is worried about her fifteen year old brother, Alex, who is becoming more involved with the Locos. Alex had been arrested a year ago for armed robbery with the other members of the gang. Luckily for Alex, the charges had been dropped, but Grace's senior year had been trashed and her acceptance at Miami-Dade College had been revoked due to her plummeting grades. She enrolled in online classes to try to bring her grades up and get back into the Early Childhood program at Miami-Dade, but her worries about Alex are once again threatening her chance for a better life. When her ex-boyfriend, Mateo, gets a job at the movie theater where Grace works, she seizes an opportunity to blackmail him into spending time with Alex. She and Mateo had broken up because she hadn't wanted him to join the Los Reyes gang, but now that Mateo was out of the gang, Grace thought that he could help convince Alex to steer clear of gang life as well. Things begin to heat up again between Grace and Mateo, but she senses that he's not telling her everything.

If you're looking for a romance with some gang activity thrown in for good measure, this is the book for you. I really liked Grace's character. She had a lot of grit and was determined to make a better life for herself and her brother. I appreciated the overall message (gangs are bad; stay out of them for real), but there were some flaws. I didn't understand why Grace's and Alex's dad was never around. He was a trucker, which meant that he had to be on the road a lot, but he spent a lot of time with his girlfriend in Atlanta when he could have been at home instead. Certainly after Alex's arrest, one would think that their dad would get a clue and come home more often to make sure that Alex wasn't getting into any more trouble, but that wasn't the case. He eventually became more dad-like, but it took some extreme circumstances to wake him up to the reality of Alex's situation. The ending was pretty predictable, but I was not displeased by how things worked out.

Recommended for gr. 9-12.

[Daneli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so all I want to know is how is Mateo related to either the destinos or like how he’s related to (on the edge) or (light of day) and the reason I’m wondering this is because a small character from each book then has their own book of how their life goes and the reason I ask is because I read the other ones already. I started with snitch and I just loved it so much that I can’t stop reading Alison vandiepen’s books they are soooo good. But I’m just curious and I want to know how he’s related to the destinos and who he is now in the destinos

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book in June 2020, but put it down after 44 pages.. 2 days ago i picked this book up and managed to finish the whole book. It always feels good to finish a book, especially a long overdue one.


I love Matteo and i like that Grace didn't give up her point of not wanting to be involved with anyone in the gang, even though it's someone she loved. But, i don't actually worship them. They're cool.


3.5 ⭐

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of this author ever since I discovered Street Pharm and Snitch. Run the Risk ranks up there with those. I love the chemistry between Grace and Mateo. I enjoyed the suspense. My heart was actually racing as I read the last couple of chapters. I cannot wait to book talk this to my students in August.

[sassyspines · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Every bit of love
I have inside of me
Is an anchor around my neck
Pulling me under
The raging waves
Dragging me into
You murky depths"

I didn't love this as much as the first one, but it was still an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the poetry portions of the story and that was a nice surprise while reading.

[Amy Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just amazing trio of books,they all intertwine with each somehow.A.Van Diepen is at her best in my opinion,she is an awesome writer and ranks up there with my favorite.This book keeps you on the edge of your seat and also has tender moments in it too.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[salang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's just say I was impressed, heavily impressed. My expectations were not high, but WOW!

[Rhiannon Rabby | 31 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a cheesy read, but it actually had a lot of great elements, and of course, was a pretty epic love story.

[Iz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Deniz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Run the Risk is interesting because it kinda straddles several genres. It is a romance and has some cute&fluffy moments, but it's also an action story, which get get plenty and then it also is socio-critical in that it shows aspects and issue of gangs.
I applaud Diepen for trying to add depth to a romance novel and for shedding light on the aspects of gangs. The reality is gang-affiliation is a huge issue in many big cities, especially in the less privileged areas.
But at the same time, Diepen's try on straddling two such opposite things is kinda what didn't work for me. It was either not deep enough or not cute & fluffy enough. To be frank while I read the book, expecting a cute kinda romance, it was lacking in the later for me. Retrospectively I am not so sure that would be necessary the way to go. Alas I feel as it is it's not quite working

The character building is interesting- if this would be a cute&fluffy I would have been quite happy with it actually. But as it is, I felt that several characters were not developed quite enough. I found Grace's stubbornness a bit annoying. We never found out why Mateo was doing what he was doing. Which I found a pity. I'm not for vigilante behaviour. But I doubt that Mateo was frivolous, I feel that she should have at least let him explain what they do and why he actually joined. Even though we got some explanation, I felt it wasn't enough. Still I find Grace's black and white view rather condescending. I think one should give people a chance to explain, one never knows why someone ended up where they did. The way this issue was dealt with was a bit disappointing. I guess Diepen was trying to send a message, but having worked with many people from the kind of areas Mateo and Grace were from, I can only say life is not black and white.

The plot is fast paced, full of action and at times thought provoking.

Last I should mention, that I haven't read the previous novels in the series, which might affect my opinion in the negative. It is possible that the previous books would have shed light on my questions? Alas I shall read them, because while it didn't quite work as well as I wished, I also enjoyed this novel.

[Aki Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I remembered my mom’s words, love’s never wasted. A sense of comfort washed over me. Love wasn’t just a feeling, it was a choice."

Run The Risk was a total page turner. If you are looking for fast pace action, romance and drama..This one is for you.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read ALL of this author's books and love all of them.

I immediately hooked onto this one, Mateo and Grace are wonderful characters and I like that Grace is smart and responsible and Mateo is - well - basically Grace, but with a darker past.

The writing is engaging, the story moves along at lightning speed and before I knew it, I was done.

Feeling frustration for Grace and a father who is not present and leaves it all on her, to a brother who struggles but can't see the path he is taking will kill him and to Grace herself who doesn't seem to know how to set boundaries.

Feeling frustration for Mateo who seems to have a purpose in life, is kind but can't seem to be "without" a gang.

Feeling admiration for both as they try to rise above all of it, while being kind, loving and responsible.

I loved, loved this book BUT I am starting to feel two things:

1) That I need to start suspending my disbelief a little bit (some of the scenarios are a bit unrealistic) and

2) This author use to write edgier stuff - StreetPharm comes to mind (like I said, I have been reading her stuff from day 1)

She needs to get back to more gritty - where NOT everything turns out perfectly.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace is struggling to raise her brother and keep him clear of gang life. Although dangerous, Grace knows how tempting gang life can be. She lost her first love to a gang years ago. When Mateo, the boy she love years ago, suddenly starts working at the same movie theater, she takes the opportunity to have Mateo reign in her brother. However, Grace doesn’t realize that although she has written off Mateo, he hasn’t written her off. He wants her back and will do anything to get back into her good graces.

Verdict: So having never read anything by Allison van Diepen, I had no expectations to quality or content. Although the concept of this book is unoriginal, in that a super good girl falls for really bad boy, I found van Diepen’s setting in Miami to be eerily close. Having grown up in South Florida there is just something that some people can’t understand about Miami’s culture. It’s another world, and van Diepen perfectly captured it. That being said, I wasn’t in love with Grace or Mateo. They were the main characters and they just sort of fell flat against the beautifully written setting. Overall, readers who like Katie McGarry should enjoy this series.

*Thank you Edelweiss and the publisher for a copy of this book to review*

[Read InAGarden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace had to postpone her entrance to college when her brother, Alex, got into trouble with a gang and she fears she is loosing Alex to street life. Grace has had her share of heartbreak over gangs before, having given up her freshman year boyfriend, Mateo, when he chose gang life over their relationship. Then Mateo shows up at the movie theater where Grace works and Grace wonders if Mateo has changed his ways. While Grace is very leery of Mateo, she does enlist his help in trying to help keep Alex out of gang life. As things start turning good for Grace (she finishes her high school online classes and gets clearance to go to college), Alex's entanglements with the gang become more dangerous. But Mateo may just be the way out for both Grace and Alex. These books are great for readers of Simone Elkeles.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had the perfect amount of action and thriller. I think the situation with Alex was resolved way too perfect especially for all the grief and stress it had caused for Grace. Grace and Mateo were so sweet and they had a lot of chemistry. Also they are both Latino!!!

I also enjoyed the two sides of Grace's employment, the daycare and cinemas. I loved the side characters. I wasn't turned off by what happened between Luke and Grace because of the way both handled it afterwards. It was mature as fuck.

I was definitely expecting a shittier characterization of Grace's dad because of his absence. However, I liked how it worked out between them and her dad's new life.

Also the poems in the book were spectacular.

Grace was such a well rounded character. I love her.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are like a drug. Once I start, I can't stop. Always lots of action and steamy romance. Great combo.

[Martalti Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO GOOD AN INTENSE!! Review to come soon.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, really great book, loved their relationship, and I don't know why I didn't read this book sooner!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Run the Risk is the third book in the On the Edge series by Allison Van Diepen and is Grace and Mateo’s story. It is a companion novel to On the Edge and Light of Day, all books are set in the same world but can be read as a standalone.

I like the premise of this series; we have action, danger, mystery, intrigue and romance – a nice blend of everything I find myself enjoying.

Grace’s story started off to be quite interesting, her mother has died, her father is absent for weeks at a time and her fifteen year-old brother Alex is slowly on his way to being recruited by a dangerous gang he is also the reason she is was unable to pursue her college studies in childcare. Grace is now studying online, volunteers at a childcare centre and works at the local cinema, it is here where she reconnects with her first boyfriend Mateo who chose gang life over her when he starts working in security.

Grace never really got over Mateo so she is leery when he resurfaces in her life but she also sees it as an opportunity to help her brother. Mateo’s life has been filled with danger but he’d never forgotten Grace, he was more than eager to help her with Alex but we soon find out there is a reason why he so willingly agreed.

To be honest, I wasn’t completely wowed by the romance between Grace and Mateo; I know they shared a past but their present felt forced, she was bribing him and he went along with all of her demands; I unfortunately couldn’t see their attraction, it seemed to be a relationship of convenience.

I did enjoy the gang and crime information, I found these scenes to be informative and thrilling; this was my favourite aspect of this book.

The side characters were interesting, I have always been intrigued by X. Alex was a bit of an ass in the initial stages and I didn’t like how Grace needed to play mum with her dad always absent, she had taken on such a huge role at nineteen years of age – this didn’t sit well with me.

The slam poetry was a welcomed addition but I felt that it was thrown in with no real purpose; it didn’t (to me) fit in with the overall storyline despite it being enjoyable.

If you are a fan of Simone Elkeles or Katie McGarry then I think that you will enjoy this series. It is well written with a wonderful premise; I hope to read more in this series.

Thank you to HarperTeen via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Run the Risk.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like an NA but very YA. Nice writing.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a digital copy of this book from Edelweiss for review purposes.

I liked this more than I thought I would. Allison van Diepen's books are always an easy sell in my library, and this one will be no different.

[Marianne Musi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pretty great book! Loved Allison's style, as always! I was just a little disappointed that I didn't get to see as many other characters from the universe. For those whom were there, I felt like they weren't there long enough. (but this is me complaining and saying that, a total subjective remark.) but overall, still a pretty cool book. A really cool part of this book is that I got to see the story of another character. :D And now this book shall happily join all the other Allison Van Diepen books I own




Run the Risk
Allison van Diepen