What in the Cyberpunk universe did I just read!!! I need more!!!

We follow Raine, who is tasked to finish her best friend's last job. What the job entails? We don't know.... all we know is people are out for Raine... out for blood and they will not stop until they get back what Raine's friend, Mahdi, took.

The journey is wild and I must say I feel like I was literally in the Cyberpunk universe following Raine's every move and hoping she doesn't not die. The body horror, the love, the friendship. I truly fell in love with the characters and the book and can not stop talking about it! Love me some cyberpunk lore! And I can not forget, there is some queer themes in the story I just don't want to spoil it! So get to reading! <3

Thank you to both NetGalley and the authors own website for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel that any extensive summary of this book I could personally create would fail either in conciseness or by spoiling some major plot points, so to summaries to its barest parts, 'Run Like Hell' follows Trans FMC Raine, who's tasked to complete the last job of her best friend and fellow runner, Mahdi. The mission itself is clouded in mystery; Raine doesn't know what the delivery is or where its going, nor why whatever she's carrying seems to come with extra baggage in the form of multiple highly modified soldiers trying to get it back. All Raine *does* know is that Mahdi died for this, and she will not let it be in vain. Followed by the introduction of some very interesting and colorful side characters, as well as a LOT of fighting and physical trauma, Raine has her work cut out for herself from the very beginning of the story.

The mass of positive qualities that RHL has is enormous, and with every addition I was pulled more thoroughly into the story's grips. Initially I was slow to getting into the book, but once the pace picked up I was helpless to not be sucked in. To start, the setting of futuristic, bottom-of-the-barrel America was a fantastically detailed, and lead to the creation of a mixture of rough, but well rounded and complex characters that I longed to know more about. Raine herself was a massive highlight too, and her real, painful struggle with identity and self- aided immensely by the Sci-Fi genre the book falls into- added a unique element to her struggles unlike anything I had read before. Finally, the horror in this story was phenomenal. Nobody does body horror quite like queer trans characters, and 'Run Like Hell' just cements that it is a genre that will forever have its grips over me.

Despite the fact that this was a truly enjoyable read personally, there are objectively a few criticisms I could see one having with this book. Due to the futuristic and scientific nature of the genre, and how far our from our reality that the setting is, at times it is very easy to get overwhelmed with all of the information that is being given to you. The country itself, its towns, the lives of the citizens, and the citizens themselves are all far from straightforward, plus with the added plot of the book, and the fact you're being thrown into the deep end along with the MC from the start, it can be a little mind boggling. That being said, most of the elements are explained at some point- even if vaguely- plus it creates a story that is in constant motion, so it never feels dull. Additionally, this book is very gruesome in its details sometimes. Although this is definitely not a bad thing to me, if you are on the more squeamish side of the spectrum, I would possibly reconsider this one, as I don't think there is more than a 5 page span where the MC isn't injured by *something*.

My final "criticism" of this book is the fact that it doesn't have a sequel (yet?). There are a lot of loose ends and story lines I feel are unfinished in this book, and I am sincerely HOPING it's because the author is gearing up for a second addition to this world. Though I don't feel I can fairly criticize a book on the contents (or not contents) of its sequels, I think it can be said if this stays as a standalone in the future I may reconsider how i felt about the ending- not only overall but for certain different characters- because they would *feel* wholly incomplete. That all being said, I'm waiting eagerly for a sequel announcement, and will be first in line to get its ARC if it ever comes.

To push to some nicher audiences, if you are a fan of any of Andrew Joseph White's books but feel like you need a step up in age rating, this is a good shout and I'd definitely recommend. Finally, if you know who 'Neil Josten' is, you may be entitled to compensation in the form of this book. (If I had a penny for every time I fell for queer red heads covered in scars who struggle with their sense of identity, family and home, and who are constantly on the run, i'd have two pennies. Which isn't a lot, but its weird that it happened twice, right?)

This book is if you turned a chase scene in a movie into a novel. It’s cool but a bit confusing. I got lost a couple of times resulting in my DNFing. I definitely want to pick it back up when I can read it in one or two sittings since there is so much happening so quickly

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book tries to do it all, and I think that’s my main issue with it because it was really hard to follow most of the way through. It’s a shame because all of the themes and genres were great, but they’d do better individually, in a story where there’s enough time to properly explore and explain all of them, without overwhelming the readers. Nonetheless, I have to admit that some of it came together nicely in the end. I just don’t think it was worth all of the confusion leading up to it.

Regarding the writing, although it got better as the story progressed, I found it to be, in the beginning, « telling instead of showing », or trying to avoid it by shoving the info into conversations that felt unnatural and stilted as a result. There was a lot of descriptions, which is nice because it allows the reader to be completely immersed in the book’s universe, but it also tends to drown out some of the more important information, which is mentioned in the same way as the details. Also, quite a few sentences that in my opinion should have a verb had none, leading me to believe it’s a conscious stylistic choice, and it just doesn’t work.

There were also some plot holes and incoherences but nothing major enough to throw me off.

Now, onto the positive aspects!

First of all, because it made me so happy, the LGBTQIA+ representation is on point! Queerness and queer characters are mentioned casually (notably, a non-binary character and a lesbian maybe-relationship) and with respect, which is always so heartwarming. Of course, I’m not forgetting about the way gender euphoria and gender dysphoria were described, which I just adored. It was raw and realistic and refreshing in a world where trans rep is rare and even more rarely accurate.

I also loved the body horror—well, maybe not loved because it did his job and grossed me out, but it was fantastic. I thought it was quite original, and the descriptions made me imagine it vividly. Similarly, injuries were explained thoroughly and they had actually had consequences (not a lot, but still).

It was a nice approach to a futuristic world although some facets of it weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, but I’m holding hope that a future book will clarify some more things!

My favourite part of the book was without a doubt the ending so I’m glad I finished it. That’s partly because of the unexpected “twist”, but mostly because that’s when I connected most with the main (and side) character(s). They felt the most human then, I think.

This review was also posted on Goodreads on 20th May 2025.

In honour of this now being on NetGalley and me not being able to get enough I want to remind everyone that this awesome cyberpunk book is on the way and no-one does body mod and body horror like trans folx!

I received an ARC from the author's website for an honest review.

This was so much!

Absolute cyberpunk body horror (and euphoria) carnage!

A chance meet up with an old friend in peril for a down on their like odd jobber sends them on a helter skelter oddysey across and over a sprawling cyberpunk future that makes Fury Road look like a jog around the block with more action and nightmares than the sum of all the numbers in titles that feature the word Cyberpunk.

The story plays out across one colossal run with the protagonist's memories almost serving as side/ backstories that further flesh out the world and relationships, including an incredibly fun heist gone tits up.

It's been a long time since I read something cyberpunk that actually felt punk and wasn't just doing orientalist supercapitalism futurism, but this has it in spades!

I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building, which felt fleshed out and gritty without reading like a setting source book, which I am increasingly finding some sci-fi books tend towards. From the various vat-grown indentured designed for specific purposes and the grubby umderhive setting the book introduces, through the mercs, body mods, and sadistic body harvesters, to the jobs, roles, relationships, and monsters, the world feels so vibrantly alive and filled with potential for more adventures that I absolutely need more of!

Brand does a cracking job of presenting an instantly recognisable cyberpunk setting, but takes inspiration from the most interesting things already and creates many of her own intriguing and nightmarish elements to make a world that makes sense to the reader, but still shocks and freaks them out from time to time.

Look, I think it's been firmly established at this point that no-one does body horror like us trans folx, but Brand takes it to a new level with some of the gnarliest and wild creatures, growths, and environments that would give Cronenberg, Carpenter, and Miazaki pause. I don't know how to describe it beyond imagine if all the demons from Doom were smushed together and then threw up Caria Manor and Nurgle's Garden.

The characters feel fleshed out and I felt like I was really following the protagonist's journey, which particularly hit different because of something I won't spoil.

The action is wild and the injuries and violence are fucking brutally visceral and uncomfortable without ever feeling like lurching into Hostel territory.

This was the first full novel ebook I've read in a really long time because I struggle with reading a lot of prose on screens, but I just had to consume this book. I am praying this gets and audiobook and will be first in line to go around again and for more stories in this fucked up world.

Absolutely cracking stuff!