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adventuresinfictionland's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Runaway train is a throwback to my childhood--while I was a little too young and skipped over the grunge scene until later in life, the nostalgic feel of the speech pattern, the angst, and the time before cell phones and internet was like hella dope ;-) -- while also touching on some pretty serious topics like teenage drug & alcohol abuse, depression, trauma, loss & grief, thoughts of/attempts/and successful (not of MC) unaliving.
Runaway Train introduces us to Nico, Nicole, a 16 y/o heading for her rock bottom after losing her older sister to a brain aneurism that she is convinced will take her young as well. Nico uses drugs & alcohol to cope with the pain, and after discovering some unnerving news about her parents, a crash is closer than ever. Though she self-medicates to numb the hurt, she has one thing that keeps her from losing it all, the 90s grunge music scene that seems to be made just for her. Spiraling beyond out-of-control Nico takes off on a life-changing journey of crashing, burning, and self-discovery to find the one bright light in her life--Kurt Cobain.
The way that Lee Matthew Goldberg captures the crash & burn of Nico, the angst, the grief, and what it is like to be a teenage girl that doesn't fit the social norms of what a teenage girl should be was nothing short of perfection.
***I got most triggers covered in the review but may have missed some. As this does deal with sensitive topics, readers with specific triggers should be cautious before making the choice to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Child death, Addiction, Drug use, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Homophobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug abuse, Death, and Abortion
sarahbythebook's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.5
After the death of her perfect sister, Nico is spiraling. Afraid of her own death and afraid of dealing with grief, Nico throws herself into music and boozing with her friends. Convinced of her imminent demise, she creates a bucket list and runs away from home, encouraged by her aunt and less than stable friends. Runaway Train is the story of that bucket list and Nico's reflections and realizations along the way.
I'm a bit torn on how to feel about this book. On the one hand, I relate a lot to what the main character is going through. On the other hand, I want to shake her for how she responds to the situations she finds herself in. Runaway Train is a story about grief and grappling with the way it changes who we are, to ourselves and to the ones who love us. Grief is isolating in ways that Nico doesn't understand. Grief consumes us whole, but she can't see past her own grief to understand that her parents are suffering too.
I think the premise of tying her story to music and to the untimely end of Kurt Cobain is really interesting, but between the various typographical errors and way the teens are portrayed (the constant use of filler words during the character's inner monologues, "lurrrv" [also in internal monologue], etc.), I didn't enjoy this book as much as I could have. I probably will not be continuing this story, but I am grateful to the author and publisher for an e-copy for review.
I'm a bit torn on how to feel about this book. On the one hand, I relate a lot to what the main character is going through. On the other hand, I want to shake her for how she responds to the situations she finds herself in. Runaway Train is a story about grief and grappling with the way it changes who we are, to ourselves and to the ones who love us. Grief is isolating in ways that Nico doesn't understand. Grief consumes us whole, but she can't see past her own grief to understand that her parents are suffering too.
I think the premise of tying her story to music and to the untimely end of Kurt Cobain is really interesting, but between the various typographical errors and way the teens are portrayed (the constant use of filler words during the character's inner monologues, "lurrrv" [also in internal monologue], etc.), I didn't enjoy this book as much as I could have. I probably will not be continuing this story, but I am grateful to the author and publisher for an e-copy for review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Vomit, Cursing, Child death, Addiction, Car accident, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Abortion, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts
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