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Running Scared

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What if the boy you love is hiding a dark secret?

My name is Melinda and this has been the worst
year ever … We had to leave our family farm,
Mum is in hospital, Dad is losing it and my
freak-out-and-run arachnophobia is getting worse.

The one good thing in my world is Rory.
Maybe he sees things differently because he’s
been in a wheelchair for the past eight years,
but Rory always knows how to make me laugh.

Problem is, Dad doesn’t want me anywhere near
him. He doesn’t trust Rory or his family,
especially as Rory’s brother is wanted
by the police.

And now I’m scared Rory is hiding something ...

228 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2022

7 people want to read

About the author

Susan J. Bruce

4 books9 followers
Susan J Bruce is a former veterinarian, turned award-winning author, seasoned copywriter and animal artist. Susan’s veterinary background invades her writing and animals run, fly, or crawl into nearly all of her tales. When Susan’s writing group challenged her to write a story that didn’t mention any animals—she failed! Susan lives in sunny South Australia with her husband, Marc, and their furred and feathered family. This currently includes an obstreperous rescue cockatiel and an irrepressible ShiChi (Shih Tzu x Chihuahua) who thinks her mission in life is to stop Susan writing.
'Dead Ahead' is Susan’s second novel and the first in her new 'Ruthless-the-Killer' lighthearted mystery series. Her first novel, 'Running Scared' was awarded the 2018 Caleb Prize for an unpublished manuscript.
Visit Susan at www.susanjbruce.com.

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Nola Lorraine.
Author 2 books42 followers
January 18, 2023
Things couldn't be worse for Melinda. Her family have lost their farm and Dad's not coping, Mum's in hospital and Mel can't help thinking it's her fault, she has to eat Aunt Lynn's tofu, and her arachnophobia is getting out of control. The one bright spot is Rory, the wheelchair-bound boy next door. But Rory's brother is on the run and Dad has banned her from seeing him. When schoolyard bullying turns to something much worse, will Melinda be able to overcome her fears and move forward into a brighter tomorrow?

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Susan J. Bruce. It's told in first-person from Melinda's point of view; and covers issues that affect many people in Australia and elsewhere, like hardship in rural areas, mental health concerns, disability, bullying and teenage issues such as identity and insecurity. The writing is sharp, with lots of great metaphors and strong verbs. I really liked the way we got inside Mel's head and could see what she was going through.

Rory is a great character, and it was so good to see someone with a disability presented in a way that showed courage and strength. The wheelchair was never an issue for Mel. Unlike some of the others at school, she saw Rory for who he was right away. We were a fair way into the story before we found out why Rory was in the wheelchair, and that was told in backstory. I would have preferred it to be told in real time through a conversation, but it did raise some interesting possibilities.

Although the writing was really good, it did take me a little while to get into it. However, I think that is probably because I'm not the demographic audience and couldn't relate to some of the teen issues as much, even though they were done really well. However, that material was necessary in order to build a picture of the characters and what they were going through. The story really ramped up in the second half, with lots of suspense as it drew towards a satisfying conclusion. I was quickly turning pages at that point

Although the book dealt with some tricky issues, it was ultimately a hopeful book that showed we can get through difficult circumstances. Although there is still work for Mel's family to do, we're left feeling that there is a way forward. I also liked the sweet slow-burn romance between Rory and Mel.

If you like YA novels that deal with topical issues and a good dollop of suspense, there's much to enjoy in this book.
1 review
March 11, 2022
Running Scared kept my eyes wide open until the very end. Melinda, Rory, Aunt Lynn and Thali drew me in at the very beginning, and I loved following their journeys. As an Australian, I was so happy to see all of the Aussie details!
There were scary elements that featured heavily in the book, but I am easily scared!
Running Scared was an exciting read and I highly recommend it (for those who love suspense!)

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to give a positive review, and the above opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Iola.
Author 3 books28 followers
October 15, 2022
Fourteen-year-old Melinda Green has just started at a new school after her parents had to sell the family farm. Now her mother is in hospital, her dad is unemployed, and they’re living with her vegetarian aunt.

Mel has made friends with the boy next door, despite being told to stay away from him because his brother has disappeared after being accused of a crime, which means his family are a bad influence. However, Rory is in a wheelchair, so probably isn’t the person who is a bad influence … although he does have an obsession with strange animals and has quite the collection in his back shed.

One of his pets is Lucy, a tarantula. Mel has a spider phobia, so she and Lucy are not going to get on. I have to say I can totally understand Mel’s phobia. Normal New Zealand house spiders don’t bother me, but Australian spiders are a different matter. They’re bigger and badder and more deadly than New Zealand spiders and being afraid of them seems like a perfectly normal reaction to me.

But Mel’s phobia and Rory’s passion does bring them together. As the boy in the wheelchair and the new girl in school, they are both targets for the school bullies, who happen to be linked to the crime Rory’s brother is accused of. So maybe Mel’s father has good reason for warning her to stay away from Rory and his family.

The whole story is told in first person, from Mel’s point of view. The best part about this was in kept us in Mel’s head and gave us a chance to really get to know her. I found the teenage voice authentic and accurate, with none of the “old person” words I sometimes see in fiction written for teens and young adults (words like dear and folk). It was also great to see the way the story made somethings clear (like the fact that Mel’s school bully lived in an abusive household) without having to spell it out. For much of the novel, I wasn’t even sure if Mel had worked it out, even though it seemed clear to me.

It was good to see a disabled character as a main character in a Young Adult novel. It was even better to see a disabled character who wasn’t a cliche, either as the object of pity or the effervescent hero, and yet is also a main character who plays a significant part in driving the story forward.

Overall, the writing was excellent, the characters were compelling, and the story was a great mix of home and school, with a good bit of suspense thrown in (and not just from Lucy the spider).

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
Profile Image for Jeanette.
Author 30 books147 followers
May 7, 2022
Loved this debut YA novel by Susan J Bruce from the eye-catching cover all the way through to the satisfying conclusion.

Melinda has moved to the city after her family lost their farm. With further tragedy, her mother isn't doing so well and her father is tense and angry. Her vegan-loving but perceptive aunt and her cool next-door neighbour, Rory, help to keep Melinda grounded. But her dad doesn't want her seeing Rory ever since his brother went on the run from the police.  Starting at a new school just adds another layer of complexity and challenges. Melinda is not sure who to trust and needs to conquer real threats and her own fears.

The story is fast-paced, with heart-wrenching drama as the Melinda and Rory's lives seem to spin further and further into danger.  Many of the issues would be a common experience for teens - families struggling with financial concerns, mental health and displacement, dealing with bullying, peer pressure, trying to fit in.

I liked the witty dialogue, the reference to art and animals and I especially loved the characters. Melinda is passionate, caring and prone to mistakes and slipups. She has to wrestle with doing the right thing even when it's tough and overcoming her fears.  Rory is cool, artistic, strong, loyal and sweet. I particularly liked that fact that being wheel-chair bound is a part of his normal life. Sure it causes some hassles, but is not something that holds him back.  Melinda's aunt and Tahlia, Mel's school friend, provide great foils for Melinda and Rory while the back story to the 'villains' and to Rory's brother Luke add depth and a great twist at the end.

There are a lot of layers in this short book. An excellent, gripping, fast-paced read with touching sweet romance, heart-stopping action and a great narrative arc. I'll be looking to more books from this author.
Profile Image for Josephine's Bookshelf.
12 reviews4 followers
May 6, 2022
I admit it took me until the half-way mark to become fully invested in this book. However, my own circumstances may have contributed to that. Congratulations Susan on producing such an insightful novel. Running Scared sensitively touched upon disabilities and overcoming them, phobias and overcoming them, bullying, difficulties and pressures within a teenager's world, mental health, family dynamics and relationships, and the importance of not making assumptions and judgements about others because you never know what others are going through.

Running Scared was thoughtfully written in first person, present tense which can be quite challenging for the author, however Susan carried it off beautifully, enabling me to clearly visualise her characters. From a slow start I ended up wanting to read more to see what would eventuate. The most significant message I received from reading this book is that heros and even super-heros aren't necessarily those who walk around flexing their muscles or personality - they don't even need to wear a cape or fancy suit. They do however, need to have a strong and loving heart. I would recommend this book to everyone from nine to ninety-nine, but especially to those youngsters who are fighting to find their place in this crazy world.
Profile Image for Paula Vince.
Author 11 books109 followers
May 13, 2022
This is an edgy and fast-paced young adult novel which is still brimming with Aussie flora and fauna. I'm not sure how the author, Susan J Bruce, gets us to take in the sensual environmental detail while high stakes action scenes are happening all around us, but somehow she aces it. The theme is all about the illusory nature of fear and building mindsets to disarm it, and it's easy to take on board.

Melinda Green is a teenager forced to move with her father to a city suburb after they lose their farm. Her mother is in hospital, suffering trauma of her own, and the mean Sartell siblings have taken a dislike to Melinda at school. Her safe spot and haven is their next door neighbour's yard. Rory is a school friend who doesn't let being bound to a wheelchair hold him back from anything. He is a keen athlete and keeps a fascinating menagerie of wild critters in his garage. But although these two are in sync with each other, Melinda's dad warns her to steer clear of Rory, because his brother Luke is a fugitive wanted for murder.

Everyone Melinda cares most about has vulnerabilities of their own, which can't help impacting her. Her parents, Neil and Jill, are emotionally frail folk who have dealt with some harsh experiences and are trying to stay strong. The book really shows that when one member of a family unit takes a severe blow, everyone suffers and the repercussions are felt months, even years later. They are living with reliable Aunt Lynn, who tries to help heal the hurts in her brother's family using every means she can, including her infamous vegan cooking which nobody likes. And living nearby is Melinda's best friend Thali, a big-hearted but chatty girl whose mouth is a bit of a loose cannon.

There is even something for those of us with arachnophobic tendencies. Melinda turns out to have a perfectly watertight reason for her intense dread of spiders. It's one of the book's mysteries which comes to light in its proper time, but she still wishes to overcome it. Rory's pet spider, Lucy, steals every scene she's in (unsurprisingly just by being herself). Even if this story doesn't make spider lovers of us all, I'm pretty sure no reader can make it to the end without at least liking Lucy and wishing her all the best.

I have to say as I was reading, this story really put me in mind of one of my favourite Aussie books of the last few years; Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe. It has that same pulsing underworld of danger beneath the seemingly colourful and innocuous Australian suburban setting. Both Melinda Green and Eli Bell are young adults living in Brisbane, but Running Scared is set in a far more up-to-date, tech savvy era than Dalton's eighties. If you're like me and loved one of these books, I can heartily recommend the other.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the author, for sending me a copy to review. All my opinions are genuine and honest.
Profile Image for Dienece Darling.
Author 3 books8 followers
June 14, 2023
A solid, general market, authentic Aussie YA with great suspense elements

The books builds up to the story and finishes well. Character development and plot was well done and interesting. It's written in first person and from only the heroine's POV.

I didn't realise how big a deal the spider was at the start, but the heroine has a huge fear of spiders. Which would be good to know before you read the book. That might help you with the first few chapters. And the spider part develops into a very interesting, integral part of the story. I especially enjoyed finding out why the heroine was afraid of spiders and the more recent scars from that fear too.

Somewhere around chapter 10 or 15, I was hooked and read well into the night to find out what happens. It's grippling, intense, and well developed. I loved the suspense part of this story and how well it fit into the overall plot and character development.

Please note this book is general market. I stress this because I normally review Christian books. Growing up in a conversation household, I found some of the friend's sex jokes off putting. There aren't very many of them, and they only appear in the first 1/3. Plus, they would be considered typical of any teen/YA fiction. It would actually be quite tame compared to a YA movie. I wouldn't recommend this for a Christian YA looking for a clean read though. It's perfectly fine if you are looking for a general market YA, which this is.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. It's typical Aussie (authentic Aussie YA not necessarily the stuff one sees on TV), and because of that any Western YA would also find this easily identifiable.

A solid, general market YA read with strong suspense elements.
Profile Image for Suzie Pybus.
Author 4 books2 followers
June 17, 2023
This is an enjoyable YA novel which explores in varying depth of detail issues faced by young people such as: disability, mental health, rural hardship and its effects on family relationships, bullying and abuse. All of these are handled sensitively.

Two highlights for me:
- As Mel's and Rory's friendship grows, his wheelchair is never an issue. They're drawn to each other because of their personal values and shared interests.
- Mel makes the mature decision to look past the actions of the "bully" and to be kind, which impacts both of them positively later on. It's a good lesson for young people about kindness.

I have to say, I do NOT like Lucy (the spider). I'd be reconsidering going any further with a boy who kept a pet tarantula! :o)
Profile Image for June Yu.
Author 1 book4 followers
May 16, 2022
As an avid YA reader, I loved Running Scared. It has everything - bullying by students with criminal connections, trust issues with the boy you like, trust issues with parents who don’t trust your judgment. Also, the character with the disability is fully-fleshed out, not just a token nod for the sake of representation - loved the combination of the “can do” attitude plus the vulnerability and frustration of not being able to protect the people you love. Great pacing, tight writing, excellent sense of drama - both teens and adults would get a lot out of this book.
Profile Image for Chrissy Garwood.
Author 10 books6 followers
April 24, 2025
Excellent story

This was an excellent story. Only the young girl (Melinda) shares her thoughts and feelings, but she does such a great job asking herself questions and recording other people's reactions that it becomes easier to work out how everyone else is feeling. The blurb lists a few of the challenges that Melinda faces, but that is only the beginning of the adventure in store for Melinda and her two friends.
I found it easy to relate to Melinda, to cheer her on when things went wrong. Clues about how much she relied upon her only friends came to light as the narrative unfolded. Tahlia, Mel's first friend at her new school, is away a lot. She's talkative and boy-crazy. Mel isn't sure why Tahlia wants to be friends with her, but she's grateful. Tahlia plays a significant role towards the end of the story. Rory, the boy next door, has his own problems. He's been in a wheelchair for a while, he spends a lot of time by himself, and he collected exotic pets. Keep an eye out for Harvey and Lucy, because they come out to play as the story unfolds. Lucy is one of my favourite characters :)
I could say a lot more, but I don't want to give away too much of the plot. One of the strengths of this story is the way the events unfold. Each twist is totally plausible, and some are predictable, but most of them are not. I'd recommend this story for anyone looking for a story about living in the contemporary world, facing larger-than-life challenges, and finding courage to face fears head-on.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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