Customer Reviews

On the Run (Elijah Project, The)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Zach, Piper, and Elijah are on their way to school when a little girl and her dog are hit by a car. Press arrive on the scene shortly and manage to record six-year-old Elijah perform a miracle. The boy lifted the dead dog into his lap and whispered in its ear and the dog woke up, healthy as could be.

When the reporters close in on her brother, Piper knows this isn't a good thing. She grabs him and runs off for the school. But not fast enough. A group of bad guys saw the footage from their hotel room and give chase. They've been after this Elijah boy for a while. Now, the Dawkins family is on the run again.

This was a fun, short read. I read it to my seven-year-old in an afternoon. As always, Myers creates fun characters with great dialogue. This looks to be a really fun series for younger readers, though for the adult, it reads like a Disney Channel TV show. Good, silly fun. Recommended.

I think I got the wrong first impression of Bill Myers. I first discovered his books in my local library, and started in on THE FORBIDDEN DOORS series, which was definitely a more serious offering from Myers. Since then, I've read some of his other books (the Wally McDoogle series, and the Imager books), and I just haven't been super-impressed. Those books are a little more focused on comedy -- just being goofy. Which has its place in the world of fiction, and I will not deny it. I've never been the biggest fan of comedy, and that's probably why I wasn't super excited over his newest series, THE ELIJAH PROJECT. I started reading ON THE RUN, and I have to admit: it took me a while to get through even though it's pretty short.

The story focuses in on three kids: Zach, the oldest, Piper, the middle-child, and Elijah, the youngest with the strange gifts. After their parents are kidnapped, it's up to the three kids to stay just one step ahead of the thugs after them and to protect Elijah from The Organization that is after his gifts. The kids go through one adventure after the next trying to just escape.

The writing isn't bad. It keeps up with typical Myers fare. But it's the comedy / goofiness that I couldn't stand. I think if Myers had taken a much more serious turn at these books, they would have been downright amazing. He's got a great plot idea, and some good stuff going, but it just gets bogged down in typical baddies: the big oaf whose so stupid he doesn't know what he's doing, and the skinny smart guy with the gun. And the dorky friend who creates inventions named things like "The Nuclear Dental Flosser" and "The Helio-Hopper." And then there's the super-good-looking guy that Piper falls in love with, and who is so modest he doesn't understand the effect he has on girls. Everything was just a little too out of the Disney goof playbook.

I know Myers is capable of creating great stuff, and maybe someone would love reading a more goofy adventure story like ON THE RUN and its sequels, but this just didn't work for me. I was hoping it would be more of a straight up thriller adventure. But it just wasn't.

This here was a great book. I read it online off a website and it was amazing. I couldn't wait until I could get the number 2 book. It's very interesting how a six-year-old could make miracles. And then how Zach and Piper had to run away from the other people in a green van. (I think it was green). And how Cody and William helped them out. I loved the book.

... it plays like a kids TV movie. Not very well written and thought out but my six year old loves it. He's gripped at the suspense and finds the humor laugh-out-loud funny. As the reader I'm not the intended audience so my opinion really doesn't count for much but I do have parental concerns worth mentioning. The boy/girl relationship of the early teens is not necessary in a children's book (although in book one it doesn't go anywhere and I hope it stays that way). I really enjoy God's intervention in the children's lives and the addition of an angel who helps them out. My kid thinks the angel is awesome. Although we don't know much about Elijah yet he appears to be a boy who answered the call of God to be a vessel for His power on earth. The suspense is childlike in nature but the evil is real. Not overboard on scary but enough to get the point across.

The book is 128 pages and is a four book series. This is not a stand-alone book. You will need all four books which means it'll cost you more then it should. Why they don't publish these books in one volume or at least allow the Kindle version to be purchased as one volume is not right. Maybe the publishers can start fixing this problem.

1 Star = Pathetic
2 Stars = Fair
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing

For those who give me a negative vote on my review please comment and let me know why. I'd like to improve my reviews so they can be helpful to those who read them. Please understand I choose not to give a synopsis of the book because it's already given at the top of the books page. In doing so too many reviewers give away too much of the plot. Thank you.

This was a fun little read that is sure to entertain teens and preteens! I enjoyed the time I spent getting to know about the Dawkins and their unusually son, Elijah. The characters were fun, though had a few antics I thought a little annoyingly unrealistic. But besides a few minor areas, I enjoyed the quick read.

Piper and Zach made a funny group as they tried to protect their brother and find their parents. Even though they did not realize it, they made a good team! The only problem I found with these two characters was Piper's over-exaggerated crush on Cody. Her inability to do anything when he was around was a little...unbelievable. I mean, I know girls can get giggly when a guy they like comes around - but to the extent of dropping your mouth and staring at the guy right in front of you who's trying to talk to you...it was a little weird and got annoying very quickly!

Elijah was a neat character. Hard to get to know from a readers perspective on account I don't remember him saying anything. It is obvious that he has special powers. When he multiplies their food I thought it was a little weird - too much like Jesus. But...maybe that was just me.

All in all, a fun read that I will probably read to my siblings or give to them to read. I do have a warning - it has a cliffhanger ending. Got to get the next book to continue the adventure! :-) Myers did a good job bringing teen fiction to the market through this first book in a series - On the Run!

~ Katie
I reviewed this book for Zondervan. Thanks goes to them for sending my a review copy of this book.

The book was not really interesting for an adult. Maybe it would appeal to a child under the age of 13. It was a little choppy in places and not interesting but might be interesting to a child under the age of 13, like I said.

On the Run by Bill Myers

Sixteen year-old Zach Dawkins and his thirteen year-old sister Piper are on their way to school with their six year-old little brother Elijah when they witness an accident. A little girl chasing after her run away puppy are both hit by a car. While all eyes are on the little girl, little Elijah picks up the puppy, sits on a curb rocking and whispering. Piper realizes Elijah is not with them and sees him on the curb with the puppy. She's not the only one. A TV news van arrives on the scene and captures, to Piper's horror, the lifeless puppy get up. It's happened--again.

Thus begins an adventure of three kids on the run from an organization that has been tracking Elijah. In the process, they are separated from their parents who are kidnapped by the same organization. The henchmen chasing the kids are comical almost to the point of cartoonish. Throw in a bus ride, crazy inventions and hot-wiring an RV and you have the makings of an exciting adventure.

This is a hard-to-put-down read. If you enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time, you will love this as well.

This was shaping up to be a good read, but towards the end of the book, it seemed to jump chapters and then didn't finish, I feel a little ripped off, if I am totally honest.

It wasn't terrible, but clearly written for a young audience. My main problem is it just seemed to abruptly end. I really wonder if this was supposed to be a TV series that didn't pan out so he adapted the script to books (which really should be classified as novellas at best). It was still a Kindle freebie when I got it, so at least I didn't pay anything for it.

This is the first book in the series. I loved laying on the beach while on vacation reading this book. I found once I started it, I was unable to put it back down. Really pulls you in. Cant wait to continue the series.