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May 11, 2019DM_kcls rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
As a great fan of Harlen Coben's, I am disappointed in 'Run Away'. The story did not know where it wanted to go, so instead it plods along with unexpected, yet unresolved twists and turns. Is it a story about a father searching for his addicted daughter? Ostensibly, yes. Is it about the secrets of the mother? Ostensibly, yes. Is it about drug addiction and adoption and adoptive parents and genetics and cults and horrible, awful people and sexual abuse and people being killed seemingly at random? Yes, all of the above, which made the story far too far-fetched with no likeable characters, except maybe Cornelius. But again, for me, too much is left unresolved. We don't know what happens to many of the peripheral characters who were given much ink or why their awful narrative was included. I was also put off by the ugly rants against mainstream religions, especially Christianity, and the scorn against those who show their love for America: "The profile avatars of his 'supporters' had either eagles or American flags on them. 'Terrific," Simon said. "The psychos are on my side." I do understand the purpose of the Christianity bashing was to explain the why of a particular characters beliefs in her 'religion', but that did not make it any more palatable. I can find no reason to bash those who love our country and proudly show it with her symbols. None. The most compelling narrative that struck me, was not what compelled other reviewers, 'What would I do for my child?', but rather the fathers soul searching and agonizing as to what HE did that put his child in the predicament she's in. What little, unremarkable instance caused the course of her life to change so dramatically? 'Run Away' will keep you reading on, but I have never found Harlen Coben to be so obtuse, so wandering in any of his other 32 books that I've read. Only 2 stars because 'Run Away' had great potential but was not tightly written and is less riveting because of it.