The story of a group of teens who felt alone and ran off to join an extremist group to feel a sense of community. The characters were crucial to the story, but unfortunately I didn't really feel much for them. Unfortunately I think my enjoyment took a massive hit as a consequence. I'm sure others will have a much better time than I did. I did enjoy the inclusion of technology as I feel like these kinds of books often ignore it, when in reality it has massive impacts. ( )

Fatima Bhutto has written a masterpiece. This novel took me into the heart of Karachi and wouldn't let me out until it got to Nineveh.

Bhutto's novel is what I like to call atmospheric. I felt like I was in Karachi, as I read it. Every area and location in the book was described perfectly. I could sense the sadness and despair in the slums, and the emptiness in the houses of the rich. In the second part of the book, set in the desert of Iraq, it felt like I was marching through the hot sun. It's tough to describe the atmosphere of a location without getting bogged down in minutiae, but when it's done right, the results are spectacular.

Sunny, the British boy, has a character arc that perfectly describes he alienation first and second generation immigrants feel in a new country. His need to belong and feel like a part of something was real and heartbreaking to read. As a first generation immigrant myself, that feeling like you're from nowhere was something I felt too. Bhutto made a character who could have been painted as a monster into someone deserving sympathy. This aspect of the book will live with me for quite a while.

I recommend this book to anyone trying to understand how and why people can get radicalized. ( )

Three different young adults, by three very different paths, become jihadis in Iraq. Fatima Bhutto presents their stories in a nonlinear chronology, letting readers come to see the full picture over time.

I don't know enough about violent fundamentalism to know if this book rings true on that level. I requested a review copy of this title because Fatima's Shadow of the Crescent Moon was one of my absolute favorite reads in 2013. I don't think The Runaways is quite as successful as that novel, but it's also a longer, more substantial work.

The Runaways is bleak, but also leaves some small room for hope. This isn't an easy read, but it will give you lots to think about. The characters' motivations are uneven. Sunny, a young man of Pakistani descent, who is at war with himself over his homosexuality, is the most fully depicted. Monty, a wealthy Pakistani is motivated by a fierce, adolescent love. The most interesting, complex character is the young woman—but she's the one Bhutto tells us least about, forcing readers to fill in the gaps with their own imaginings.

Content warning: there is one scene that extends over several pages involving the abuse of dogs. I skipped ahead as soon as I reached that spot because this isn't a topic I'm willing to read about. If you feel like I do, keep an eye out and be ready to jump forward when you reach this point.

I received an electronic ARC of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus. The opinions are my own. ( )

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC.

Fatima Bhutto writes from a point of view of compassion, reason, and balance. What makes a radical turn radical? Is it all religious fervor or are there other factors? Obviously things are not as one sided as news items and politics make it out to be. People are people no matter who they are or what they do or believe. Life is complex and the complexities surrounding decisions are subject to it all. The Runaways is a story that explores theses questions through the lives of three Muslim teenagers that become Jihadis.

The writing is full of depth and feeling and the teenagers featured in The Runaways are written as real people with problems like everybody else. The story fully explores these characters and we get a fictional look at what can drive people and especially so young people to the point of radicalism. At the time of writing this review people all of the United States are protesting their for freedoms during COVID-19. Extreme actions being action by everyday people with highly specific beliefs set against economics, science, religion, and patriotism. Also during this time black men are being killed by civilians and law officers and riots, looting and unrest is playing out in cities across the US. Young people taking extreme action. Extreme action that does and does not always have to do with beliefs but also circumstance and pent up frustration. This is also the story or at least a loose connection to Fatima Bhutto's The Runaways. What I am trying to say here is that the sympathy for characters in The Runaways can be found across the globe and that it is not just a Muslim problem not just a middle east 'thing'.

The Runaways spans from England to Pakistan and from Syria to Iraq. It is a fast paced and tense read. It dares to create sympathy with others. Not so daring in my view but in a world of increasing intolerance and nationalism it is unfortunate that a work that creates sympathy with others and humanizes other humans is daring. However this is the world that we live in and the situation we all contend with and so it must be said: The Runaways is a daring novel that boldly humanizes people that many are happy to forget and demonize. It is a riveting novel that comes at a time when we need it most. ( )