Run, Rebel is the perfect example of why I adore verse novels. I've read a few verse novels so far and I have loved every one, and Run, Rebel is no exception. Verse novels always have a depth of emotion that I don't usually find in some books. When I saw this book on Netgalley, describing it as a diverse verse novel I knew I needed to read it!

The author discussed heavy topics within Run, Rebel, including domestic abuse and bullying. Although I was a little confused as to the point of the harassment and bullying of another character within the novel, the reason is played out through the storyline in an interesting way that shows the possible repercussions of abuse.

Something I particularly liked about Run, Rebel was how it focused mostly on self-worth. Amber knew she deserved to be happy and running made her happy, so she was determined to find a way of achieving her dreams. There was a hint of romance but it took a back seat to the major themes.

Amber's story comes alive through the use of verse and the formatting of the words and sentences. We feel her anxiety about her friendships, we feel her hope in her favourite sport and we feel her pain in dark times. This novel was utterly captivating, I could hardly put it down, the words flowed from page to page.

Run, Rebel is a powerful, feminist verse novel full of emotion, heartbreak and hope. It's an inspiring read about resilience and rebellion. I would most definitely recommend Run, Rebel to everyone, and particularly to fans of novels told through verse.

Run, Rebel is a compelling debut novel written in verse and I found myself flying through it. It explores many prevalent real-world issues such as feminism, identity, poverty, class, friendship, family and the many forms of abuse and it really hit home for me having grown up with a narcissistic and misogynistic abuser. The story follows teenager Amber who grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father who targeted both her and her mother. Her father wants her to conform to his ideals like her sister Ruby did, but Amber is not so pliable and knows she needs to escape this situation before she can achieve her dreams. For such a short novel it packs a powerful emotional punch and all I wanted was to see Amber escape and live her life by her own rules. She doesn't want the arranged marriage they insist upon as they search for a ”perfect” suitor.

Mann has created a story whereby you feel the claustrophobia and sense of tension emanating from the pages, and I know the feeling of constantly walking on eggshells and so you try to keep out of the abusers way completely. If feels so authentic that I feel Mann either experienced this herself or researched the topic of abuse thoroughly. This is a heartbreaking and rather heavy read for me as a lot of what happens actually happened and is still happening to me. But it also features a character who has hope despite the adversity which is empowering and inspirational. It is beautifully written with stunning characterisation and one of the toughest and best books on abuse that I have picked up. It very much reminded me of Rupi Kaur and it's clear that talented Mann has a bright future in the publishing industry. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Penguin for an ARC.

A fantastic novel following characters that felt so real to me. The novel is written in with an extraordinary use of verse that adds so much to the story and makes it impossible to put down. This book tackled difficult subject matter in such an heartbreaking yet hopeful way. I would highly recommend this book for fans of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. This is undeniably the best book I have read in a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Random House Children's UK for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A hard hitting, feminist YA novel. Written in verse and the perfect way to tell this story. The way Amber deals with all her emotions come through beautifully because of the form. Heartbreaking but hopeful at the same time.

I have only recently started reading novels written in verse, but from those I have read I have loved. So, I knew from the get go that I needed to read Run, Rebel and immerse myself in beautiful verse once more. From the moment I opened the book and started reading I already knew this was going to mesmerise and captivate me.

Run, Rebel follows teenager Amber, who lives with her parents who speak little English and are illiterate. Her father, an alcoholic, is abusive to her mother both physically and mentally, and wants Amber to conform to his ideals, just like her sister did. Amber, however, wants to break away, make her own choices, live her own life the way she wants and achieve her dream of being a professional athlete. Amber wants to rebel.

WOW! What a read. Run, Rebel literally blew me away so much that I read it in just two sittings – I found it really hard to put down. The writing was stunning, almost lyrical and I honestly was in awe of the author for being so talented at writing verse. Everything just flowed together so well, and I feel that if the story was told in a different way it wouldn’t have been so impactful. Also, despite the subject matter, you can get through it rather quickly, it’s almost as if the writing is going at the same pace as Amber running, wanting to keep going despite everything.

Like I mentioned the subject matter within this book is quite heavy and could trigger some people. Mind you, it is all dealt with in such a sensitive way as to not purposely trigger any readers. There were a few scenes that I did find hard to read, but I kept going as I knew there was going to be a light at the end of the dark tunnel. Despite being harrowing at times, Run, Rebel is ultimately a story of hope and that keeps you going when reading.

Amber was a heroine who, yes was flawed, but everyone has their faults and this is what made her feel all the much more real to me. I admired her determination and strength to choose her own life and how she did rebel against all the negativity in her life. Yes, she did make mistakes along the way but that essentially made me root for her more. In my opinion she was such a strong, feminist character and I love that!

Run, Rebel was such a beautiful, heartfelt read full of hope and also courage. This is one book that I will be thinking about for months to come and one that will always stick with me..I can promise you that.

I am definitely in the minority with this review.
While I enjoyed Amber's story, I had some issues with the overall lack of depth. For a novel with #ownvoices narration, I missed more concise information on Amber's ethnic background and her parents' emigration. Though this is one of the most important parts to the story (the fact that her parents don't speak English), the reasons behind it were never explored but simply put into a few words of the father not wanting anyone to be smarter than him. This wouldn't be an issue if it was explained or at least showed the father's desire to be the smartest of them all but really, there was no ambition on his part, either. It just confused me, to be honest.

I also had some issues with the verse the story was written in - where you needed more information as the reader to immerse yourself in the narrative, it lacked the depth necessary to connect to Amber. Then there were moments where it almost seemed to drag which is unusual for a novel written in verse. I think it could have benefitted from a more prose-style narration. While the verse style definitely made for a fast read, I just wished for more.

Despite this, I still enjoyed reading this story and would be open to reading the author's next releases.

Unlike other in verse books i've read, i didn't really enjoy this one and i felt that it was a bit style over substance as this could have been conveyed better in a different format. The idea behind this was good but i didn't like how it was presented..

Straight off the bat this story will most likely become a favourite in 2020!

An amazing feminist story written in verse following Amber Rai through her struggles, fears and rebellion. This book delves into such hard and scary topics amazingly. This story was so brilliant and flowed so beautifully. The emotions was portrayed so strongly throughout this book, I felt like I was there with Amber, which was scary but also empowering.
I can't wait to see more of this type of empowrig literature emerge in the oncoming years.
[I received a copy on NetGalley for an honest review]

I don't even know where to start in explaining how brilliant 'Run, Rebel' is. I sat down yesterday to start it and just sped through it in a couple of hours as it is in verse and quite easy to read. However, the topics were anything but easy. It is amazing how something so quick could hold so much emotion and power. We are only in February and I can already tell that this is going to be one of my favourite books of 2020 - everyone needs to read it!

From the first page, Mann’s writing had utterly hooked me into Amber’s story. The verse almost pulses with such emotion and seethes with scarcely contained anger from the first line.

Trigger warnings: physical abuse, bullying, emotional abuse, parental and domestic abuse, alcoholism, panic attacks and mentions of an honour killing.

When Amber runs, it's the only time she feels completely free - far away from her claustrophobic home life. Her father wants her to be a dutiful daughter, waiting for an arranged marriage like her sister Ruby.

Running is a quiet rebellion. But Amber wants so much more - and she's ready to fight for it.

It's time for a revolution.

The way she explores family, friendships, class and identity was brilliant, particularly the discussion around abuse and the feeling of constantly walking on eggshells. There’s an underlying uneasiness to Amber’s voice that resonated with me, giving me an atmosphere of paranoia whilst I was reading.

The formatting and the way that Mann plays with language & form within her verse was so unique and captivating to see. I flew through the pages in just one sitting, unable to extract myself from Amber’s voice. She was a brilliantly complicated narrator, authentic and flawed but you could understand her motivations even if her actions were completely wrong. There was so much rich character development for several of the characters and I enjoyed being able to see their perspectives through the verse, handily signposted by different styles.

For me, the form Mann chose to tell this story was perfect. It allowed room for the intense emotion and subject matter of the story to shine through precisely selected, often sparse language, reflecting their controlled lives that gradually widen. This is a dark and fierce book, but Mann ultimately allows for there to be hope and dreams to be explored past the final page. Some of the most beautiful moments in the book centre around friendship, love and light amongst the choking, dark atmosphere.

There are no simple answers in this powerful dissection of patriarchy, female empowerment and trauma, but nor should there be. Run, Rebel is a brilliant verse novel that will completely captivate you.

Review will be up on my blog tomorrow morning.

I requested this because I saw it was a diverse verse novel. I'm a huge fan of verse novels, so that was all I needed to know.

I knew from the prologue on that this would be a truly beautifully written, feminist novel. And it honestly only got better.

This book is about Amber Rai, who wants to be an athlete. She lives with her illiterate parents who hardly speak English, and so they need her to translate for them and to help them navigate in a society they don't understand. Her father is an alcoholic, he's abusive, and he's very misogynistic. All Amber wants to do is be able to make her own choices, and not have her life planned for her like her sister's.

The themes made this quite a heavy read, but it was also very hopeful and empowering. There's a lot of depth and a lot of character development, and not just from the main character. I'm honestly in awe with how well written this was, and with how the author needed so few words to make such a strong point.

Rep: Indian MC

CWs: parental and domestic abuse, alcoholism, panic attacks, bullying, mention of an honour killing, vomiting, mentions of diets

Totally immersive & fast-paced verse novel with a likeable but flawed heroine who is caught between her own dreams & the expectations of her family. Powerful, shocking but ultimately hopeful, this an arresting & impressive debut. I loved it!

What a journey. This book is dark, the emotions are dark, the house is dark, the atmosphere is dark. But there is love, hope and friendship in between. The main character, Amber goes to some very dark places herself as her fear leads to hate and anger.

Amber has two lives, her friends, school, running, going to MaccyD's on oneside, and her abusive family life. She lives in fear of her father and his over-reactions to things he doesn't understand (illiterate or cross-culture) or blurred by his love of alcohol. I loved Amber's Mum and her journey, what she goes through to help herself and her family, such a strong character.

I love that it's written in verse, you still get a story, fast paced and descriptive. The side characters make this story shine, especially the family. Very feminist, sporty, full of friendship, and love.

I wrote about my love for YA verse novels in 2019, discussing Sarah Crossan and Kwame Alexander’s books and Louisa Reid’s Gloves Off. Since then, anyone who read my January Wrap Up post will have seen that I have finally read Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X after so many people recommended it to me. I loved it… but potentially not as much as I loved Run, Rebel by Manjeet Mann, which is published by Penguin on 5th March!

It is the story of Amber Rai, a ‘British Asian girl hailing from a low-income council estate’. Amber lives on Palm Wood Estate, described as one of the roughest in the country, in a town split in two: ‘The council tenants and the homeowners. The unemployed and the employed.’ While she is from Palm Wood, her school friends Tara and David live very different lives, putting distance between them.

Amber feels trapped by her father’s strict rules, his expectations and her own fears: ‘No one wanted my mother. No one wanted her mother, and no one wanted her mother. It goes on and on now and way back then.’ Her father is abusive and her mother works long hours in an exploitative job, only to hide away a bit of the money she earns so that her husband doesn’t drink in away. Both her parents are illiterate – in their own language and in English – and Amber has to step up as the parent, from signing her own consent forms for school trips to helping to pay the plumber. Despite all of this, the book opens with a bold statement, as Amber refuses to accept the status quo:

‘You are the property of your parents, husband, brothers. You endure it,
never question it.
I question it.‘

She finds freedom and her voice on the running track – ‘It’s where I’m truly alive’ – and, as she learns about the European revolutions of 1848 in History class, she begins her own revolution in parallel. It rises up within her, until it can’t be ignored:

‘Maybe it’s always been there waiting – for the right time. A fight. I deserve more, something whispers deep inside.’

I was behind Amber the whole way. She isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination – her own suffering leads her to do awful things at times – but these imperfections make her feel like a living, breathing character. Through the verse we feel every heartbeat as she pumps around the racetracks and searches for an escape.

Run, Rebel is Manjeet Mann’s debut novel and I hope she continues to write in verse. She wanted to write the novel for her teenage self, who experienced feeling voiceless and isolated, and was also inspired by her work creating Run the World, an organisation that empowers women and girls from marginalised backgrounds through sport and storytelling.

In the interview with Manjeet at the end of the book, she recommends that fans of the book go on to read Muhammad Khan’s I Am Thunder, Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give and Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X. They’re all fantastic books and, if you’ve enjoyed them, I’d definitely recommend giving Run, Rebel a go!

Thank you netgalley for this arc.

This is a novel in verse.

Powerful,devastating, outstanding.

Trigger warnings for domestic violence.

TW: emotional and physical abuse, Bullying, Alcoholism

A very emotionally hard hitting story written in verse!!! This has some very tough and serious topics written about in this book such as abuse (physical and emotional).

This story was such a heartbreaking but incredibly beautiful story!! This book made me feel so many different emotions throughout from so Angry to happy and full of hope for this family. It was such a powerful read as Amber tries to navigate her life and try to make herself and her mum leave the unhealthy surroundings she is in from her fathers controlling and abusive behaviour to them both.

This could be a very hard read for some people, so please be aware before you read this book that you are in the right head space and feel okay reading this book. If you ever been in a situation like this

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

Wow. I sped through this because it was so intense and easy to read. I know - intense and easy shouldn't go together but it just does.

This book really tugs at your heartstrings. I love that the story is told in verse because I don't believe it would have been as good had it been written traditionally. The sparsity of the words really hones in on all the emotions where traditional narratives would have overshadowed it.

The concept of the novel isn't anything new but the way it has been dealt with is. I really felt for Amber and her Mum and seeing them both come out of their shells was amazing. The book didn't leave you with false hope - it didn't say it was going to be okay, but it did say you have to try no matter what.

Run, Rebel is young adult novel in verse about a girl looking for a way to start a revolution in her life. Amber lives on a council estate with her parents, her abusive, alcoholic father and her mother who works long shifts at an exploitative job. She used to have her sister, but she's married now, her dreams of university long gone, and Amber is left to read out receipts to her illiterate mum and go to appointments to translate for her father. She can't tell her friends exactly what goes on at home and she can't explain to her teachers why she's not allowed to continue athletics training despite her love of running. Now, though, Amber is ready to fight, inspired by learning about revolutions and by her mum's growing rebellions.

The verse style is vital to the novel, allowing the story to flow forward and the narrative to cut deep into Amber's emotions. It makes it a very readable book, despite the difficult subject matter, and feels like it is pulsing forward like the running that keeps Amber going. The story is a powerful one that shows that people can find ways to get out of terrible situations and that it isn't always as simple as wanting to leave. Run, Rebel will hopefully not only share an important narrative, but also give teenager readers examples of how poetry can be used to fight back and to tell a story in a fast-paced, engaging way.