Customer Reviews

Runner

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Carl Deuker's RUNNER should attract both teachers of reluctant readers and young readers who feel that reading is not for them. The beginning is interesting enough with its high school bullying episodes and questions of rich (as embodied by romantic interest Melissa Watts) vs. poor kids (our protagonist Chance Taylor, who lives on a small sailboat on a marina's dock), but the book really takes off when recreational runner Chance gets an offer he wants to but cannot refuse -- running mysterious packages in exchange for cash like he and his alcoholic ne'er-do-well father have never seen.

Here the high-octane plot takes off, running away with a reader who can't help but hold on to find out what's happening. Are the packages drugs? Explosives? Money? And who are the mysterious people leaving them behind in the cracks of a retaining wall near a beach on Puget Sound? Chance really doesn't want to know, but soon events take a dangerous turn, and if he cannot work up the guts to seek out the truth, it turns out the truth might be ready to seek him out -- with dire results.

Known for his sports books, Deuker here shows a skill for pacing and plot in a thriller that will keep readers guessing until the spectacular finish. Although it touches on themes of patriotism and social class, RUNNER shouldn't be read for any deep characterization or rich description; realize instead that it is a book meant to entertain with a fast-moving story that should win over even the most reluctant of readers. Teachers should keep it on hand for students who will only try a fast-read, and young readers looking for a quick and engaging plot should "play Chance" by running some packages that may or may not make them an accomplice to a crime.

Chance is the main character in the book called Runner. This book was written by Carl Deuker. Chance and his dad live on a boat in a marina. His dad is having problems paying moorage fees and other expenses. Chance has to help him out. Chance's dad is an alcoholic and a bum spending the rest of his spare change on beer. The father would rather sit out on his tiny boat drinking than helping his son. Chance is having many problems in his life when his mom leaves them to go on and do something more with her life.
Everyone on the pier knows that Chance's dad just got fired from his job. A stranger who nobody has seen before works in the marina office and asks Chance if he needs money to help his dad out. Chance doesn't think twice about this decision. All he has to do is jog a mile to a point, look for a package, then jog back with the package. If there is a package at the point, Chance returns it to the office marina guy. Every week Chance receives $200 dollars for running his normal jog route and returning packages that are there at the point. Chance is desperate for money to keep his boat and his spot on the pier. This job appears easy to Chance. He doesn't think about the contents of the packages and the possible consequences.
In this heart-pounding thriller, Carl Deuker combines global concerns and the threat of terrorism with the everyday worries of a teen who only wants to keep his life together until graduation. Supported by a smart, politically aware girl in his history class, Chance learns there's a lot more to patriotism than just waving a flag, and a lot more to courage than just following rules he knows may be wrong. This timely, complex story will make you think twice about the choices you make and what it means to be brave.
I personally liked this book a lot. It has several good parts in this story and some bad parts too. In life you want to make good choices and not bad ones. The moral of the story is to always think before you act.

The book Runner by Carl Deuker, is about a boy named Chance who lives with his father in Seattle on his sailboat called The Tiny Dancer. Chance's mother left him when he was little and he hasn't seen her since. Now he is living with his father who can't seem to find a job. Chance and his father are short on money and are always late paying the bills. He tries to help his father by washing pots at Ray's Restaurant but it doesn't pay a lot. One day after going for a run, Chance was walking back to his boat when a fat man who worked in the marina office stopped him and offered him a job. "`You know something? I like your spirit. I really do,' said the fat man. `But I don't have time to play games. So listen and listen carefully. You're in trouble, and I can get you out of that trouble. I'm offering you a job, kid. Very good pay; very short hours. When somebody offers you easy money, you should at least hear him out.'" Chance knows that this man is up to no good, but he needs the money to pay the bills.

I thought Runner was an excellent book and I had trouble putting it down. This book is very original and exciting trying to learn what the fat man was doing and why he wanted Chance's help. It was interesting reading about Chance's adventure and hearing all of the problems he was going through with money and school, and finding out what he was doing for the fat man. I highly recommend it to anybody. It is definitely one of my favorite books I have ever read.

RUNNER's fast pace and thrilling plot with deep and realistic characters, action, danger and moral dilemmas, should attract both adult and younger readers alike.

High school senior Chance Taylor has had a rough life so far, with an alcoholic war vet father who's weakness for the drink keeps them perpetually hard-up for cash. Chance struggles to cover their living expenses, including the mortgage on the junk boat they call home. So when a shady marina worker offers him $250 a week to discreetly check for packages stashed in a tree along his daily run of the waterfront no questions asked; does he take the money and "run", even if in all likelihood he'll be involving himself in illegal activities and possibly even be putting his life in danger? Chance must decide now how far he is willing to go to keep a roof over their heads.

Deuker has created a real page turning suspenseful read with RUNNER that is sure to keep the reader engaged from the beginning to the heart pounding end.

This action packed YA fiction piece is sure to keep high school kids on the edge of their seats and is a great choice to encourage teens to read. It's quick, full of action, and has some strong messages and themes.

this book was the best book i have read.and still reading. i actually for the first time sat down for an hour and read 18 chapters. it was that interesting. its a hard book to put down. its about a high school boy who lives not the best life someone dreams of. his dads drinks 24/7 and does not like his job. the boy quites his job to work for the peirs. he pays him 200 bucks to run his usuall rote to pick up a package everynight. there may be one there may not. also hes quit quite in school. but hes got quit a story to tell about his life. i like this book because its very similer to what my life use to be like. so if you had a life that was not the best this is the book for you.

Carl has done it again! This book is wonderfully written. I'm a first time reader of his book and i have to say i loved it! I think that this book is good for anyone who really wants to be in a hero.

I've gotten out of the habit (sadly) of reading, but decided to check out this book. It was definitly a good experience. From the other reviews, you basically know the plot. I kept reading and reading this book. In fact, it almost made me late for my babysitting job. It kept me guessing...

_Runner_ by Carl Deuker is a good, fast-paced read with well-developed characters. Essentially, it is about Chance, a teenager (soon to graduate from high school) and how he becomes mixed up in a smuggling business because his (drunk) dad lost his job and his dishwashing job payed crap. It offers a unique point of view on how a person--in this case Chance--would become mixed up in such a business and also deals with his plans for when he graduates, etc. He comes off as a believable and memorable character.

I read this in one day, and the only reason I took off points was because a good while before the end Chance essentially reveals the end, but refuses to accept it. I think this revelation could have been left out, because then I knew exactly what to expect in the end! Frankly, I was waiting for a twist or something. Nothing. Oh well, a great, interesting concept.

best book ive ever read it is filled with action,terisom, and sadness. Chance the main charecter runs the same route every day in seattle when a fat guy asks him if he needs a job since Chance is poor and lives on a boat with his dad and only dad...so he says yes and now he earns lots of money a day but there is catch this job involes smuggling illegal stuff and he dosent even know it so he does that job every day smuggling packges of unknown stuff when one day the fat guy commits suecide and chance has explosives on his boat that the fat guy was supposed to get and he doesnt know what to do with them...find out what happens next by reading the book runner