Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
* I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.
After Taran’s twin brother witnesses a murder, it suddenly becomes a giant game of cat and mouse in their tower block. Them vs the police. Them vs everyone else. Hari and her friends soon learn there’s something else happening in the estate, something that will uproot from everything they knew.
Run, Riot tackles some pretty important topics. Racism, police brutality, corruption and gentrification. It has the makings of being a very compelling book. It was fascinating to read this fast-paced story as these group of kids face these moments of injustice from the very people who are meant to protect them. One death leads to the breakdown of an entire community and exposes a trail of corruption that goes further than anyone expected. I really enjoy how the narrative played how, a minute by minute account of events, over a twenty-four-hour time lapse, with moments of flashbacks. I could definitely see this on TV.
I’m actually struggling to put into words what I didn’t like about this book. I just didn’t connect with the characters nor plot. It just felt bland, and many moments were just so dull to read. It’s not as adrenaline-fuelled you would think it would be. Which was a real shame because I actually enjoy its concept and plot, but I was actually really disappointed in its execution. The plot was gripping, its characters genuinely fascinating to read about but the whole book just didn’t work for me. Which really frustrated me because I was enjoying this and I wanted it to be better, but it wasn’t.
Overall, an interesting read about a group of teens standing up and speaking up for what they believe in. Personally, I think my dislike of this is just from my own personal reading experience/taste, but I still think it’s a book that a lot of people will enjoy, hopefully much more than I did.
as told by zaheerah 