Running Away

by Sheri McGuinn

Running Awayis told in two voices: Maggie:I can?t live like this ? He?s right, Mom would never believe me now. Tried to scare him off before they got married by getting into trouble all the time. Now... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0985527080
• ISBN13: 9780985527082
• Release Date: May 2014
• Publisher: Durare Publishing
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Well worth the wait...

I have been waiting for a long time to read this book. I met the author in an English class shortly after she published "Running Away" and I was eager to read it, however only recently got the opportunity. The story was engaging from the start and easy to follow as well as a pleasure to read. Her sentences were simple and clean, not over done with details (which I often find drag down the story), allowing the reader to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. The fact that she used two different points of view was appealing, allowing the reader to get inside the head of both Maggie as well as her mother, which made the story all the more real. I was also satisfied with the pace the story took, steadily building upon itself until the climax. Over all a very pleasing read and a book I am looking forward to purchasing in the future.

Story ends on a positive note

Review by Nancy Wade for Reader Views (1/08) The storyline of "Running Away" is consistent with today's problem with society. This story involves a 14-year-old who does not like her new step-father. He drinks and is abusive to the child. The child gets into trouble trying to stop the mother from marrying the step-father and the step-father uses this as one of many tools to enforce the fact that the children need a father figure. By the time the couple is married the child is considered a troublemaker and when the step-father turns abusive, the child feels like no one will believe the accusations. The step-father does not work but is a heavy drinker. The younger child takes some of his alcohol and drinks it; she sees no problem with drinking since her family all drinks, including the older child. The younger child is grounded and does not understand while everyone else can drink alcohol but they do not allow her to drink. The mother did not allow alcohol in her house before and did not drink until she met the new boyfriend, fell in love, had a quick engagement and really quick marriage, leaving no time to really get to know him or how her children felt about him. When he came into the picture their Mom was not allowed any time to spend alone with the children. He took over and ruled the house. The mother was so glad to have someone to share the burden of parenthood with that she failed to see what type of person her new husband was. The child who is about to turn fifteen is on the run, from the mother and the sibling, who didn't care, and the step-father who was running scams on the mother. He told her a pack of lies to put at rest any allegations the child would make against him. The story in "Running Away" ends on this positive note. Although fiction, "Running Away" becomes true to life and a touching story. Lives were broken as a result of the drinking and the abuse.

Worth the price.

Quote: (page 191) "Teenagers are supposed to be weird." Thank you, Ms. McGuinn, for the final vindication. Lifelike characters emphasize the important subject: men are not to be trusted. Fortunately, the author also makes the point that not all men are evil. By means of a thoroughly involving tale of emotion and intrigue, the reader is warned of the dangers of trusting the wrong man. The author highlights the difficulties that can be involved in making the correct decisions in difficult situations. Through the dual first person narrative, the reader is encouraged to see the other person's point of view. Parts of the story are told via diaries of both mother and daughter, allowing the dimension of time to add depth to the tale. Overall, I found the story to be an interesting and enjoyable read, made especially believable by the familiar places I have visited and events that I also lived through. I would recommend this to teens and parents. Although I'm sure it is primarily aimed toward female readers, a male willing to empathize with the female point of view will also find this to be a worthwhile read.

A good read (esp. if you're short on time)

I found this book to be well-written with believable characters who were not cliched. The author's decision to tell Maggie (the teen runaway's) story from both her point of view and her mother's in alternating chapters, was a good one. It is also a suspenful read and one that is well plotted. Since the alternating chapters are short, it is an easy read on an airplane or any place where there are constant interruptions and you don't want to lose track of the story. Just enough characters in the book to be well fleshed out. Would be an interesting read for adults as well as teens. The author does not over-generalize about run-away teens; she just tells a griping story about one.

Kids Will Relate

What secrets and misunderstandings pushed fifteen-year-old Maggie into the dangerous world of a runaway? How could things go so wrong? After all, Maggie and her mother love each other. Sherri McGuinn's novel, Running Away, takes us into the fractured world of a contemporary family. Kids will relate to Maggie's dilemma. And parents and teachers will grasp the situation through the voice of her perplexed and worried mother. Everyone will want to know how it ends. This is a novel to help adults understand young people and their problems. But mostly, it's an exciting read for teens - even for those who don't usually like books.