Run Girl Run
Ellen Y. Mueller
YA Contemporary
Sixteen-year-old Tracie lives in a house divided by fear and a family secret she has yet to discover. Her grandma provides a hint and the tools to unearth the past. Are the clues the answer to her prayers? If so, she’ll take her younger brother, Jason, and split. One night, when her dad is in one of his violent rages, opportunity pounds on Tracie’s door. Cal, a male friend, offers an escape. But there’s a catch. She can’t sneak Jason out with their parents watching, and her father demands Cal leave immediately. On a whim, she goes, too. After all, Cal just wants to keep her safe and swears to have her best interest at heart. Caught in a current of lies and deception, Tracie’s swept farther from home than she ever expects. She can’t trust anyone, not even her mother. Exposing the secret may save Tracie and her little brother, but at what cost?
Uncaged Review: Suffering horrendous abuse by her father, and without any sympathy or help from her mother, Tracie flees her home with a guy, Cal, she had met when they lived in Texas. Although she had nothing to her name, no clothes, no money, and is only 16, they flee to Texas to live in a broken-down RV. When things go south there, she throws caution to the wind and goes with Cal to his mother’s home in Rhode Island. Things seem better, but only for a while. Tracie does her best to work to save money to go back home when things in Rhode Island aren’t a lot better than her home.
Tracie will find herself in many bad situations, and she does her best to survive. This is a heartbreaking tale and heartwarming at the same time. With a good twist in the plot near the end, that gives the story closure, Tracie will find that the hard times she faced may have saved her life. For many teens, the sad truth is this story is very real. It does have some triggers because of beatings, drug use and runaways. This is a well written story of the fight for survival and happiness.
Reviewed by Cyrene
4.5 Stars
