Runner

by Carl Deuker

When a new job falls his way, Chance jumps at the opportunity, becoming a runner who picks up strange packages on a daily route and delivers them to a shady man at the marina. Chase knows how much he will earn—what he doesn’t know is how much he will pay.

Suspenseful, fast-paced, and poignant, this novel avoids easy answers as it examines issues of terrorism and patriotism, fear and courage, and the lives of privilege and poverty.

 

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense

216 pages, Library Binding

First published May 2, 2005

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Runner. What a great book. The author Carl Deuker did a really phenomenal job or writing this, and the book flowed really well. It did start out a little bit slow, but once a person gets into it they will understand why he wrote it the way he did. The begging had no action, and it was all set-up for what was to come. Carl set up the story by giving a lot of information on the protagonist Chance. The book intrigued me when Chance starts to make some really bad decisions that we have a great impact on him down the road. I liked how it was a snowball effect. Where first his choice only affected him and in everything he did. Then it got to the point where it was contributing to he and his dad relationship. Eventually it got to the point where his friend girl who had a fling with Chance was being negatively affected. I liked how it just kind of all of a sudden blew up in his face and he was overwhelmed. I thought it was funny how one day he realized he needed to quit. I would have thought it should be a slow process of indecisiveness about his choices and gradually wanting to quit. But no, it was just bang, let’s get out now. The ending of the book is most certainly the best part by far. It’s intense the entire time, I couldn’t put it down. Carl wrote it where the end of each chapter was a little tiny cliff hanger, waiting for the next thing to happen. Defiantly a strategic writer, but a very good one at that. Intense, a little comical, and keeps you on your toes makes this a 5 star book for sure!

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend the book Runner by Carl Deuker to a friend because, it’s a very engaging book and you’ll never want to put it down. Three reasons that make my claim true are it has suspense, a lot of conflict, and relatable situations. Evidence that supports my claim is on (177) “I wanted them to contact me. So why was I getting panicky about the guys on the beach.” I chose this quote, because this part of the book was suspenseful. I wanted to know if Chance was going to tell someone about the guys on the beach that have been watching his every move, so he didn’t have to be so scared. This next quote on (183) “After he left I hadn’t told him about Burdette and the packages and the guys in the sport coats on the boardwalk by the duck pond.” This quote on (183) shows the conflict between Chance, the main character who is a senior in high school and Burdette a “fat guy” that Chance works for. Chance is smuggling hidden packages in the rocks by the beach on his jogs. The problem is Chance wants to know what is in the packages and where they go. But, Burdette won’t give him any information except for the fact that he’s giving Chance $200 a week. But, later Chance has a hunch that there are emeralds or drugs in the packages. Although I was comfortable with the use of contraband in this book some younger readers might not be. Lastly, this quote on (26) “He was smoking a cigarette and staring at the million dollar yachts a couple of piers away.” I picked this, because I can relate to Chance’s feelings towards his father smoking, because I have a relative that smokes as well and I hate it. But, luckily for Chance his dad eventually cleans up his act and quits smoking, and he even gets a new job as a janitor with the help of an old friend. So because of the conflict, suspense, and relatable situations I’d recommend this book.

[Damien Duplanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book to read more than once

[Jomaury · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** Spoiler alert***
Please read at your own risk. This is a realistic fiction book with a good beginning middle and end. You will find lots of surprises in this book. So if you like suspense action and if you are patient then you are the right person to be reading this book.


The setting starts out in a boat named “Tiny dancer” in which Chances father bought. He bought the boat because he divorced his wife. Chance goes to Lincoln high school. He hates the fact that he is homeless with his father. He gets a job to only run around the whole beach with a backpack. Unfortunately, there are drugs smuggled inside the backpack without Chance not knowing that. Then he quits the job because he eventually ends up finding out about the smuggling drugs inside the backpack situation. Chance is a young man who doesn’t find anything that funny. He’s serious most of the time. He likes cross country a lot and so does Melissa. Melissa is his only friend who he hangs out with most of the time. Chance has a crush on Melissa and she does as well but they don’t want to admit it until the end of the school year then that’s when Chance blurted out that he had a crush on Melissa. Chances dad is not that old and not that young mid 30’s. His dad is a tall man and he has a scruffy beard and he is always going to the bar.



I can relate to the character because he’s serious most of the time and I’m kind of like Chance because I’m sometimes serious in a way. My favorite part is when Chance admits to Melissa how much he likes her. I like this part because he finally got something out of his chest. I was angry when Chance’s father told chance that they were going around the world in tiny dancer there boat. I was mad about this because Chances father kept lying to Chance instead of telling him the truth that they weren't going anywhere. An interesting thing I learned about this book is how some parents never really find good jobs because there always going to the bar and drinking and wasting time like Chance’s father. Runner is a good book title because the title goes with the story like when Chance runs with the backpack to earn money to pay for the bills and the food.

In conclusion,I would recommend this book to people that like action suspense and a good story. so if your looking for a good story you have come to the right place.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think what disappointed me most about this novel is that it just didn't try very hard. Characterization, plot, setting...nothing feels complete, and many times it feels color-by-numbers, or worse, arbitrary (hmm..is arbitrary worse than color-by-numbers? Food for thought).

The young adult novel centers around Chance Taylor (yup, I should have known), who lives in poverty with his dad on their boat. Mom's gone, Chance is washing dishes, getting beaten up by bullies, etc. etc.--the stereotypical elements keep coming. Chance gets an offer to make more money being a gopher for drug-runners...who may or may not be terrorists! The novel is unclear about how exactly the two factions go together, but no matter, because there's also a love interest to distract (bore) the reader! Enter Melissa, daughter of the richest man in town, who, coincidentally used to be friends with Chance's dad in school...Alright, enough with the plot, seeing as how there's absolutely nothing this novel didn't suck out of a decade of after-school specials. Two (minor) things are worth pointing out as a final note, however--Chance and Melissa drink a lot of coffee; in fact, Chance seems only to eat muffins and drink coffee (he spends about 1/4 of the novel in a coffee shop, but hey, he is near Seattle. The author does switch up his order, too--sometimes it's a hot chocolate or a mocha or a croissant). Also, there's a RIDICULOUS plot twist near the end that you'll see coming, but think, "No, the author's not really going to do that...no, he couldn't...it's ludicrous!" And then he does.

Everything about this book just feels phony. If it's successful at all (and I know this review has been pretty savage), it is an easy read for struggling readers who need something that won't insult their intelligence. And, in some ways it doesn't--it does address big, real-life issues...just not realistically. Simple can really be done well, but this is simplistic.

[Larissa Hinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on discount at--what else-- a library sale!

*winces*

I know. I went into the library intending on paying some late fees but then I saw . . . Don't glare at me! What can I say? I'm addicted to books! You have been forewarned.

Besides, guess the price?!

Come on, give it a good try!

Good guess, but this is the real price: 25 cents!!

I know, I know! I'm a good shopper thanks to my mother.

Anyway, back to this book. When I read the blurb, I immediately picked it up because it enticed me and the price was just so wonderful that I couldn't leave it there.

And once I picked it up, I seriously couldn't put it down. I was so drawn in to this book. The main character was real, the setting was awesome (since I want to live in Seattle) and the situation was suspenseful. Some parts I even wanted to munch on some popcorn.

And a miracle happened: At the end, I cried. I really did. I blame my hormones but in the end, I felt the characters pain and I connected even more to the character.

Overall, this book is just what I've been looking for to give to the male audience in my class. Not that I have a class yet but I really think males will love this book along with females.

This book is just perfect for reluctant readers who want a quick adventure without the heaviness of fantasy books.

Anyway, what did I love specifically about it?

Well, if you want to read the rest of my review, you can read it here: http://teacherwritebookaholicohmy.blo...

[genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

“the book that got me into reading”

[Spencervm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deciding between right and wrong is a choice we all face each day. Have you ever had to decide between making money doing something illegal, or keeping your self respect and turning the offer down? The book Runner, by Carl Dueker, has a very current topic yet the main character, Chance, faces the age-old dilemma of right versus wrong on a much greater scale. With an exciting plot and interesting characters, Runner will not allow you to put it down.
Runner’s story line keeps your interest right from the start. The plot involves Chance Taylor, a boy who is living with his dad on a boat in Seattle, Washington while his mother leaves him. His home life is far from perfect; his dad has a drinking problem, his mother is absent from his life because she leaves, and he lives in poverty.”Not my body Chance. My heart. My soul. I’m dying. I’ve got to start my life over. Away from your father. You understand why don’t you?”. I shook my head no, but I did understand. I heard the arguing at night. I knew my dad drank way too much and worked way too little. “You wont leave me too, will you?” I said. “No, Chance. I won't ever leave you. I promise.” Chance is given the opportunity to make easy money by running packages for men he doesn’t really know. He accepts this offer and soon realizes that he may be involved in an illegal activity. “Go on, take it. Otherwise I’m going to put it back in my pocket.” Chance gives in to the pressure not knowing what’s going to happen in the future, but he knows it's not very good. From here the plot takes many twists and turns, involving several unique characters in the story. Chance finally has some money and stability in his life, but is it worth the risk.
The author creates two diverse main characters. Chance comes from a life of poverty but his best friend Melissa, lives a privileged life. Interest is created on how they each view life. This contrast causes each to be faced with different problems but solve them according to his or her lifestyle. Melissa faces the problem of getting into Stanford. She also has a hatred for her teacher because he doesn’t really allow to say what she has to say. “Arnold makes me so mad,” she said. “He’s always lecturing us about the wonders of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but he only believes in free speech in a book. Practice free speech in real life, get somebody mad at you because of what you say, and all of a sudden he’s got his hand over your mouth, trying to muzzle you.” Compared to Chance's problem of battling poverty and trying to survive, while also trying to help out his dad. “I made some money washing pots on weekends at Ray’s restaurant, but I already gave my dad most of what I earned to pay for food. The money I kept I used to buy my clothes and my shoes and stuff I needed for school like notebooks and paper. But even if I gave him every single penny I earned, it wouldn’t be enough to pay all the bills. It wouldn’t even be close.” Melissa’s issues seem mild. Substantial differences are found in these two characters, but they come together and rely on each other in desperate times. The style of the book makes it believable because it is written in first person. The story is told in the voice of Chance Taylor, the main character throughout the whole book. If you want to know what it's like for someone like Chance to survive in the real world then I highly recommend this book.

[Lino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Runner by Carl Deuker is a very suspenseful and action-filled book. It is about a boy named Chance who
lives on a small boat with his dad and they are not doing very well money wise. His father cannot keep a steady job and they really start struggling to pay their bills. At one point he is asked by a man if he will deliver these packages for him.

That sounded very suspicious to him but he’s desperately in need for money.
He knows that these packages contain something no one should have. It just goes downhill from there.

There is a lot of conflict and suspense and it really is hard to put the book down once you start reading it. You always want to know what is going to happen next.

The book has a very sad and dramatic ending that you would not expect to happen. The book is very detailed and you feel like you are in the story. The author used a lot of imagery to really make you feel like you’re in the book. The book progressed, showing that one bad decision caused something tragic in the end. This is one of the best books that I have read and I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes action-filled books.

[Lukas K]

Runner was about a teenager who lives on a boat with his dad. they struggle for money and his dad is an alcoholic who got fired from his job. Chance, while running one day runs into some fat man who needs him to do a job (pays well). chance thinks of his dad and decides to do it, later he realizes that he is smuggling packages for terrorists. His dad finally gets a job but a day later he saves many peoples lives by driving the boat with the packages on it (bombs) it explodes killing the terrorists and himself. Chance thinks of him as a hero and then lives with Melissa who's dad was best friends with chances dad.

[P.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read but seemed a little dated to me. Chance, who is essentially in danger of being homeless due to his father's alcoholism, accepts a job funded by mysterious people to retrieve packages from the beach. He's pretty sure that he is engaged in illegal activity but thinks it's marijuana. It's actually plastic explosives being sent ashore by Al-Quaida or an offshoot who plan to attack targets in and around Seattle. I did like Chance and Melissa but think most teens today would not react the same way to the fear pervading America post 9/11.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book I ever finished in highschool. I kept reading bit by but every night, until I finished it. I felt soo proud of myself. This book for me shows that I can accomplish finishing a book. Thank you Carl Deuker

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stakes are high for Chance, he needs out, but he can't without help from friends and his father. Chance is a high school student, he has one real friend named Melissa, and he lives with his father. Chance's mother left without warning, and now chance has to pay rent because his father is a veteran, with a drinking problem. Theme is Chance getting a job from the fat man at the front office, the job, smuggling, Chance wants out as soon as possible. I have not read a book relatively close to Runner, I thought the book was great.

[Shelby Manion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is still one of my favorite books to date. Thinking about reading it for the 3rd time. Such a suspenseful page turner!

[Brandon Simental]

it was interesting and a little sad at the end.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept my students engaged and had themes of right vs wrong, honesty, fear, patriotism, etc.

[KylaL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Runner was an awesome book, It was a great story about Chase and his dads troubles. I loved the book but I would've liked it better if had more detail, because in some parts of the book I felt like they were rushed, and if there was more detail I could've been able to understand and would've had a better story. But overall it was a great book that I would definitely read again. 😁

[Silvestre Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book so good, you couldn't put it down? If not runner is the book for you. The genre of this book is realistic fiction. This book is amazing, I really enjoyed reading this book. Normally I don't finish my books early but because I couldn't put this book down I finished it like a week before it was due. It's a great book probably one of my favorite books.

The main character is Chance Taylor and his dad live on a boat. When you think of living on a boat you might think of a yacht. But that is not the case for Chance and his dad. The boat is so small that they barely fit. Chance is a senior and all he is focused on is leaving school and leaving the boat. His dad is a drunk and can't stop smoking, he can't keep a job either. So Chance has a job working at Ray's washing dishes to help out with the moorage payment and the food and everything but he barely has enough for anything. Then one day the worker from marina office talks to Chance. The marina worker notices that he is struggling to live and that he runs everyday the same route. The marina office worker tells him to run every day with a backpack and somedays there will be a package for him to pick up in between the bushes. He will get paid 200 dollars a week to do this so he agreed but he knew that it had to do with something illegal. He does it anyway just for the sake of his dad. So at school he meets this girl named Melissa who becomes great friends with Chance but one day he caught her spying on him while he was picking up the packages. This could have gotten him killed so she stayed away. So everything was going okay until the packages changed. They were different and play doh like. He knew they were explosives so then he finds out that the marina office worker was murdered and that the boat was under attack by the terrorist who thought Chance stole the different packages because the marina office worker died and no one picked them up. So he went to Melissa's house and told her dad. Her dad and Chances dad were great friends back in the army. So he helped Chance and got him in a helicopter, the helicopter spotted the boat of Chances dad, Chances dad looked up, saw chance, waved and smiled and went into the boat. Then the boat blew up. With Chances dad in it. Chance was in mourning and stayed at Melissa's house for a while. Then he decided that he will enlist in the army. Not only to get away from everything, but for his dad. The setting of this book is in Seattle Washington, this is relevant to the book because there are a lot of open ports where boats can just get in and out with anything.

I was moved by when the boat blew up with Chances dad was in the boat because after that everything was just so sad, and I felt like crying for the rest of the book the author did a good job in making us visualize the whole book by using great description of everything. Also I was satisfied by when Chance said that he would enlist for the army not just for himself, but for his father because it's nice how we see the bond with Chance and his father. At first they didn't really care about each other but at the end you see Chances father died for him and Chance enlisted for him.

The characters Melissa and her dad changed the story because without them Chance wouldn't have anyone or anything left. His mom left him when he was young and his dad died. Also I wish that the author changed the ending because it was just so hard on us readers. It was so nice to see Chance and his dad come so far just to find out that the father dies. It's funny because me and my friend Bill we were having a discussion of the book and we both agreed that we felt like crying so bad around this part of the book.

Overall I give this book a five out of five star rating because it was just such a good book it wanted me to keep reading and reading until eventually there was nothing else to read, and a lot of books can't do that. I recommend this book to people who like action and who are not afraid to cry, because this book will definitely make you shed a couple of tears. So if you want to read a book that will not let you put it down and you will be begging for more, go check out runner. Also don't make the same mistake I did and that's to read the last couple of chapters in class because you will probably start crying hahaha.

[Kelsey Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great themes. The ending is a little wild, but I don’t know how it could’ve ended any other way.

[Atlee Wallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book a solid 4 stars out of five, I would give it five stars but it just took too long to get to the climax of the story. The climax started around page 200 and there are only 230 pages of the book so it was way too far into the book. The action of the book was really good and it was easy to understand. This book I would say is intended for teenagers who love action and like to read sports books that give a life lesson at the end. I think that the type of reader that would like this book is readers who like quick reads that aren’t comics but are still a shorter book and with all the different things going on in the book it goes by really fast. Some things that I really enjoyed about the book is that the main character had to go through lots of issues in his life and he had to work to solve them using his surroundings when no one was there to help him. It really teaches that not everyone's life is perfect and someone is always dealing with something whether they show it or not. I felt like this was a very entertaining book and it enertined me because there was always something going on at every point in the book. The author did a really good job throughout the book in making sure that everything made sense and he had everything go in order and made the story really engaging. This book at first was a little bit difficult to keep reading because the first 23-35 pages not a lot happened and it was kind of bland but then it got better. I think that the author could have improved by making the climax happen sooner rather than later. Otherwise I think that the book was overall amazing. I definitely suggest reading this book.

[amelia rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

i had to read this book for school and it honestly wasn't that bad. i LOVE how short the chapters are and i like the crime aspect. everything just happened so fast which i knew when i requested to read this book. i wish i had more closure on the end.

[Bernice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Runner by Carl Deuker was a very interesting book. It was filled with suspense, excitement, a little action and mystery. Carl did a very good job in creating suspense right before the climax to emphasize the climax. The suspense builds until you think the climax is going to appear but then Carl Deuker continues to create more suspense until there is not much more there can be and the Carl drops the suspense on you. This creates the illusion that the suspense is greater than it actually would have been without the great suspense. I liked when the author creates a change in behaviours. Like in chapter three and the beginning of chapter four of part one; Chance’s dad brought him to a food bank to get food so that they would not starve. Then at chapter four he tells Chance, “How about if you and me eat a normal meal for once?” It shows that Chance’s dad is really trying to make an effort to bond with his son and make things right between them two, unlike in the beginning of the book where all he cared about was his alcohol and his cigarettes. However, to keep Chance’s job of collecting unknown packages, Chance lies to his dad telling him he was not hungry and refusing the offer of quality bonding time without his father being drunk. I also really liked this book because the main character was a teenager and I was able to connect to his thoughts. Although I was not able to connect to the way he felt about being as poor as he was, I was able to understand the pressure of society and sometimes the feeling of being alone. The one character I was really able to connect to was Melissa. Just like me she wants to go out on her own and make her own decisions. But Chance has been doing that his whole life and he does not was that anymore because he is tired of making decisions for himself. I think one of the themes of this book is that sometimes the choices teens make can be wrong and we do need some help to guide us towards the right direction. In the book Chance doesn’t have the help of his dad so all the decisions he make are on his own. I think that is why he got himself into smuggling. Unlike Melissa who has got her own decisions backed up by her parents’ decisions.

[Thomas Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read any of my other reviews then you must know that I can be very picky about what an author does, or how a book flows, etc. Carl Deuker is no exception. I picked up Runner because the synopsis grabbed my by the ear. Terrorism, courage, money, an adolescent, what couldn't be awesome? How about the very real possibility of being able to predict the ending from the first few chapters. Ok, so let's pretend that you look past the foreshadowing that is slapping you in the face and just finish the book out right. Sweet, that took all of a few hours. So now that we are at the end we can recap. What happened? Well, we followed the main character, Chance (oh you are a word-play fiend Mr. Deuker), through a small portion of his life in high school. The beginning is where Deuker has a nack for being able to allow the reader to relate to his characters. However, it quickly turns into an all out adventure story that was more predictable than the last presidential election. Kid is poor, blah blah, finds a way to make money, blah blah, can save his family, blah blah, TERRORISTS! Yeah, if you just said,"What" in your head then we are on the same page. Overstretched fantasy aside, the book has a good story line that keeps you wanting to read. I would not recommend this book to anyone who thinks that it will offer a few paragraphs that you can sit down at night and think about. It's just not that type of book (darnit). However, if you want a pretty good quick read, Runner is for you.

[Amy Barth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chance, a senior in High School, lives on a boat called the Tiny Dancer. His mother left him and his Father is a drunk who cannot keep a steady job. Chance is confronted by a large man and asks if he will make deliveries for him. Chance is desperate for money and takes the job; but the packages he is delivering aren’t what you would expect they are.
This book addresses the issue of a moral code. Chance needed the money but does it make it right that he was delivering drugs, or terrorist bombs? Chance’s father then took the boat and sacrificed his life for the city. He said, “I’m not going to let that happen. You think of me as a bum. I know you do, and I don’t blame you that’s all you’ve ever seen. But I told you I was a good soldier, and I was”. (191) Chances father died for something that was morally right. Chance’s father was killed because he thought he was doing something morally right. We can learn this difference from reading the book. The Authors writing style and organization was foreign to me. The book had 3 parts, which meant there was 3 chapter 3’s which became very confusing. His writing style was very fluid, and sounded almost poetic. This book could have been longer and had more details. Doing that would help the reader understand, and enjoy the book better.
This book was a great shorter read. It was suspenseful, and I enjoyed reading it. The plot was amazing and the book became even somewhat unpredictable. My connection to the writer is phenomenal. I could feel what he felt and did what he did. This book is a great read.

[Cameron Amaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Runner by Carl Deuker

In this book, Runner, Carl Deuker not only told a fantastic tale of family and friendship, he also perfectly told the internal workings of the "teenage society". He included many of the personal conflicts that today's adolescents must deal with.

This book is the story of a poor teenager, named Chance Taylor, living on a dinky little sailboat and who goes to a school filled with snotty rich kids. After his father loses his job, and only Chances job as a busboy on the weekends to support them, he knows there are not many things that he can do, and debates enlisting in the Armed Forces as soon as he graduates. He is soon confronted by someone who offers him a job picking up and dropping off mysterious packages. He figures it is your typical drug smugglers, but it turns out to be much more. Soon, he gets in way over his head, and the only people he can trust are his father, a veteran from the Gulf War, and his new found friend Melissa, the daughter of a rich lawyer. This is the story of family, freindship, and patriotism.

I would recommend this book to anyone who really like action books. This book starts out kind of slow, but it soon picks up on intensity. This is one of those "battle on the home front" type of books. Carl Deuker truly expresses the conflicting life decisions that the american teenagers have to go through today. This is honestly one of the best book that I have ever read.

[Tylor]

i choose t his book because it sounded vary cool and this guy is my favorite author.this is a realistic fiction i think because things that are happing these days it really wouldnt surprise me. the setting is mostly on around town which i believe is settle and on is boat the tiny dance. the main chracter is chance taylor i feel bad for this kid he dosent have a mother and his father is a drunk that cares for his son but just dosent show much. chance needs to find a way to help his dad pay the bills and buy the food and really chance needs to be the man of the house because his dad doesnt do anything they live on there boat and his dad sits there all day and drinks or he gos to the bar all day and drinks. so chance finds a job he runs down to a beach picks up a package and puts it in a locker and then he gets paid like 200 but after doing this awhile things start to happen and chance starts learning stuff about his job he wishes he never learned.i loved this book it was awsome i could never perdict what would happen it was really good and if anyone gets the chance i think you should read it is defintly worth the time its a great book

[Srempfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading Carl Dueker for three main reasons. First, his works are in the young adult genre, and although I'm 41, that is comfortable and interesting reading. Next, most of what I"ve read from him revolves around sports. Lastly, I've never been to the Seattle area, and the settings are always in this area.

Now, Runner, fulfilled my expectations with a likable and interesting main character, Chance. His logical view on his father's alcoholism is believable and not over dramatic. I thought how the author handled the father/son relationships deftly.

I was deceived, believing that Runner would focus on high school track, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. This book is not a sports book, but as a lover of sports, that requirement quickly faded and it wasn't an issue, because I was hooked. The descriptions of Seattle, Puget Sound, Ballard Locks, and etc, were contructed well.

There is an easy flow to this book, and I only put it down because my Kindle ran out of juice. Anyways, it was 12:30, so I needed the sleep.

Excellent read and the ending was unexpected but excellent.

[Aurora Mala · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Runner
Carl Deuker: 216 Pages

Chance is a poor boy that jumps at the opportunity of becoming a runner who picks up odd packages on a daily route and delivers them to a man at the marina. Chance knows that he will get paid for it. What he doesn’t know is what will happen as he continues this path.

Chance started doing this because his father, who is an alcoholic, has no job and suffers with the emptiness of his wife leaving him. As the book goes on, Chance continues to collect these packages and stores them in his boat the Tiny Dancer (where he lives). There are a lot of topics discussed about terrorism and for some reason; Chance suspected that the packages had something to do with the terrorism.

“The Runner” shows us the journey of a young boy and his father striving to survive. A 16-year-old boy takes charge and pays all the bills and risks his life to help both himself and his father. This book shows the struggle and the development of Chances relationship with his father. As the book ends, Chance’s father becomes a hero saving not only Chance, but also the many people in the area from a terrorist attack.

[Michael Layer3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Runner
By Carl Deuker
Chance Taylor is a teenager whose dad is a heavy drunk. They are very poor and they live on a small sailboat that can’t even sail. His dad lost his job and they have used up all of his welfare. His mom dad left them and never kept in touch.Chance really enjoyed running. He ran every day. He would run to a tree and back which was almost 7 miles. One day, he was going to the locker room to take a shower and a fat man stopped him. He offered him a job delivering mysterious packages. Chance suspected that it was some kind of drug. It paid 200 dollars a week which was more than enough to pay the mortgage. The question is, will he take it?

This was a great book with lots of thrilling scenes. I really liked the plot of the story along with the characters. I really felt like you could connect to some of them in a lot of different ways. I would recommend this book to any teen that enjoys crime and thrillers. Overall this was a very good book.

[Trever Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really liked the book! i would highly recommend it. If you want a book that is fast paced and suspenseful, this is the book for you. Quick review; About a boy named Chance who lives on a boat called the "Tiny Dancer" with his dad, who's an alcoholic spends his money on cigarettes and alcohol. Chance realizes that they aren't going to make it if one of them doesn't get a job. Chance feels like it rests on his shoulders to make the money. One day Chance runs into a guy who offers him to run and pick up and deliver packages, but the catch is that Chance doesn't know whats in the packages. Later on he has a hunch that he might be deal with drugs or even bombs, thinking he might be a smuggler. Thats all i am going to tell you now so i recommend you check it out for yourself.