For fans of Tristan Bancks and Katherine Rundell comes this electrifying middle-grade novel about a twelve-year-old called Cas, who runs away to avoid a reunion with his estranged father. Cas soon finds himself lost in the wilderness, completely alone and without help. Or is he?
 
Cas thought running away from home would solve all his problems. But he didn’t count on getting hopelessly lost in the tangled Australian bush. Alone and afraid, Cas has given up all hope of rescue when he stumbles upon a strange family hiding out in the wilderness. He won’t survive without their help. But when he discovers they’re also on the run – from something so big, they won’t even talk about it – he realises his problems are just beginning …

Hatchet meets Stand By Me in this brilliantly suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of Big Magic and Magic Awry. With a spiky, memorable cast, gripping twists and turns and thorny moral dilemmas, RUN is perfect for fans of Bren MacDibble and Nat Amoore – and it will keep readers glued to the page all night.

★ #1 AMAZON BESTSELLER ★

Perfect for:

• Readers aged 9–14 who love high-stakes adventure set in the real world.
• Suspense/thriller fans who want high-stakes/high intrigue plots without too much grit or violence.
• Fans of suspenseful novels such as Tristan Bancks's Scar Town and Bren Macdibble's The Dog Runner.
• Book clubs, teachers and educators wanting a page-turner that also has meaningful themes for discussion

Read all of Sarah Armstrong's novels for young readers:

• The Wave – a new survivalist novel coming in 2026!
• Big Magic
• Magic Awry