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melbsreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.0
Content warnings: domestic violence, poverty, bullying, arranged marriage, gaslighting, emotional abuse, alcoholism
I picked this up on a whim because it was written in verse and I tend to enjoy verse novels. This one was A Lot but it was also beautifully told and extremely compelling. The way it handles poverty, adult illiteracy, immigrant experiences, and the struggles of first generation children is fabulous and extremely hard hitting. I DO feel like this was a little longer than it strictly needed to be, but on the whole? I really really enjoyed this and I flew through it.
I picked this up on a whim because it was written in verse and I tend to enjoy verse novels. This one was A Lot but it was also beautifully told and extremely compelling. The way it handles poverty, adult illiteracy, immigrant experiences, and the struggles of first generation children is fabulous and extremely hard hitting. I DO feel like this was a little longer than it strictly needed to be, but on the whole? I really really enjoyed this and I flew through it.
brambresseleers's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Powerful, accessible and sympathetic.
Sarah Crossan creates poetry with each chapter of her YA novels. In verse, complex and hard-hitting stories are told in fewer but no less powerful words. I fully expect Run Rebel to receive the critical praise and awards that Crossan's books have been showered with, and deservedly.
Each chapter could be a poem, complete in itself, but together they tell us about the life of one teenager, Asian daughter, with a meek and cowed mother working for pennies, an abusive alcoholic father whose needs come before all others, a sister whose rebellion fizzled into an arranged marriage. And Amber herself - with secrets to hide from friends, a not-allowed outlet in running, a secret crush, and rebellious thoughts.
I was right there with Amber. The conflicting pains of her terrifying and restrictive home life, the anger at school spilling out, the need to hide emotion but still a teenage girl at heart. The story shows Amber trying to push at the artificial boundaries set her in life, rebelling in small ways then seeing she may be able to help others as well.
It felt liberating. We see a full cast around Amber - the teachers trying to help, friends who may or may not be a couple, the student who has got on Amber's wrong side and is in turn quashed by her, then we get Amber's mum's perspective, her sister's, and sympathies are spread, Amber is a heroine for more than just herself.
Running as a metaphor for freedom and escape has been used many times in literature and film. Seeing an Asian girl defying custom to continue this shows the reader what is at the heated heart of Amber, and we root for her to find that strength, even if it is going to mean breaking apart what she has always known.
This may upset some readers, there are mental images presented of violence and abuse though not extended or graphic. But this is important and helpful and a story that will incite discussion, passion and empathy.
Loved the style chosen to depict Amber's story. Her own inability to articulate to the world her issues is well documented in verse, the fragmented nature of her world and feelings articulated beautifully. It makes this a book easy to race through to find out if the Rebel really will Run.
Empowering. Challenging. One for ages 13 and above.
Sarah Crossan creates poetry with each chapter of her YA novels. In verse, complex and hard-hitting stories are told in fewer but no less powerful words. I fully expect Run Rebel to receive the critical praise and awards that Crossan's books have been showered with, and deservedly.
Each chapter could be a poem, complete in itself, but together they tell us about the life of one teenager, Asian daughter, with a meek and cowed mother working for pennies, an abusive alcoholic father whose needs come before all others, a sister whose rebellion fizzled into an arranged marriage. And Amber herself - with secrets to hide from friends, a not-allowed outlet in running, a secret crush, and rebellious thoughts.
I was right there with Amber. The conflicting pains of her terrifying and restrictive home life, the anger at school spilling out, the need to hide emotion but still a teenage girl at heart. The story shows Amber trying to push at the artificial boundaries set her in life, rebelling in small ways then seeing she may be able to help others as well.
It felt liberating. We see a full cast around Amber - the teachers trying to help, friends who may or may not be a couple, the student who has got on Amber's wrong side and is in turn quashed by her, then we get Amber's mum's perspective, her sister's, and sympathies are spread, Amber is a heroine for more than just herself.
Running as a metaphor for freedom and escape has been used many times in literature and film. Seeing an Asian girl defying custom to continue this shows the reader what is at the heated heart of Amber, and we root for her to find that strength, even if it is going to mean breaking apart what she has always known.
This may upset some readers, there are mental images presented of violence and abuse though not extended or graphic. But this is important and helpful and a story that will incite discussion, passion and empathy.
Loved the style chosen to depict Amber's story. Her own inability to articulate to the world her issues is well documented in verse, the fragmented nature of her world and feelings articulated beautifully. It makes this a book easy to race through to find out if the Rebel really will Run.
Empowering. Challenging. One for ages 13 and above.
4zura's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
burnsreadsbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
somekindofmiriam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
emptzuu's review against another edition
The format does not work for me at all. I would prefer this as prose.
veecaswell's review against another edition
5.0
Run, Rebel is a trailblazing verse novel that thunders with rhythm, heart and soul - perfect for fans of Sarah Crossan, Elizabeth Acevedo and Rupi Kaur.
I did worry beginning to read this book how powerful it would be as I felt there was a lot of internalised misogyny going on, however as the book delves deeper and gets into the story, you begin to understand why and it becomes a powerful and brilliant learning curve for our brilliantly written and perfectly flawed lead in Amber, who leads a brilliant cast of relateable and well developed characters in this book.
The poetry moves in different directions to allow us better depth to these characters and the story, giving us a more rounded tale and though sometimes it feels like it moves in a place where it is not needed, as the book goes on, it shows actually those moments were in the perfect place the entire time - how this collection of poems builds to create this story is done so incredibly well and makes for an emotional and powerful read from start to finish.
How in moments we see the poems move from the focus of Amber to her mum and to her sister makes this book a whole new level of brilliant, their perspectives adding to the story and giving us glimpses of these women and the impact of their father on their lives in different ways and it makes for heartbreaking but brilliant reading.
for me when a book makes you both not want to read but carry on anyway, that is a book that deserves five stars and that's why this book has it. Intense, emotional and euphoric, I was in tears at the end and it makes for a very quick but wonderful read.
read_with_nicki's review against another edition
5.0
This book had me gripped from the first page until the very last, it pulled me out of my reading slump and had me cheering for all the women in this book. If you love rebellious girls, women, mothers and friends then this book is for you. Written in verse you really get a front row view to the main character's thoughts as they're forming. A brilliant emotional read for anyone that loves when women get to stand up and win.