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Runaway

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 1,810 ratings · 298 reviews

"It's a cold, hard, cruel fact that my mother loved heroin more than she loved me."

Holly is in her fifth foster home in two years and she's had enough. She's run away before and always been caught quickly. But she's older and wiser now--she's twelve--and this time she gets away clean.

Through tough and tender and angry and funny journal entries, Holly spills out her story....more

Hardcover, 245 pages

Published September 12th 2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

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Mar 09, 2013 Ubalstecha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school-girls-ficiton, books-roberta-bondar-needs-to-buy-n

Twelve year-old's Holly's life is horrific, to say the least. Her father died before she was born. Her mother was a drug addict who OD'd. Her current set of step parents routinely lock her in the basement and flush her head in the toilet. And she can deal with all of that, but when her stepfather refuses to stop touching her, she decides to runaway, this time for good. She travels across the country, stowing away in bus cargo holds and trains, sleeping in parks, libraries and shelters, hoping to...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I just happened to randomly start reading this book a few months ago. After reading about 60 pages into it, I knew I would HAVE to finish it. Holly, the main character, has a powerful voice and instantly makes you pay attention. She's twelve years old, but I initially thought she was at least sixteen. This makes sense though since Holly has been through mountains of problems and has had to mature quickly. She's been in and out of foster homes for years ever since her mother died of a drug overdo...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Isabel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This book seemed to take me in and I just became one with the world of Holly.
At first, I was totally disgusted with her and her stupid 'I hate writing' blah blah blah. But then, just about when I was going to set this down, she gave on hints of her home life. Her life with the Benders.

While she ran away and kept the journal, I could just imagine all the different situations she was put in. Especially the 'hobo network' scenes and the scenes where she lived with hobos and scenes where she lived w...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, social-justice

Runaway is another book picked for me at random at the library by my daughter. More often than not, she comes up with good stuff. That's probably a testament as much to the librarians as it is to my daughter, but still...

Runaway is a sequel, of sorts, to another book that Van Draanen wrote (Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy), but in no way is it necessary to have read that first. In fact, I'd recommend against reading Sammy Keyes first, as knowing what happens in that book would be spoilers f...more Runaway is another book picked for me at random at the library by my daughter. More often than not, she comes up with good stuff. That's probably a testament as much to the librarians as it is to my daughter, but still...

Runaway is a sequel, of sorts, to another book that Van Draanen wrote (Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy), but in no way is it necessary to have read that first. In fact, I'd recommend against reading Sammy Keyes first, as knowing what happens in that book would be spoilers for this one; the two plots overlap. Runaway is the story of a preteen orphan named Holly who is put into foster care after living on the streets and experiences some of the awful things that happen in the foster care system. Convinced that there's no other way out of the situation, and that no one genuinely wants to help her, Holly enacts a scheme to escape and live on her own. Her situation gradually degenerates from there, though she develops considerable resourcefulness and there are occasionally people who show her compassion. But she is unable to trust anyone for a long time and usually flees before anyone can really help her - she's absolutely and sensibly terrified of getting put back into the foster care system. The book is very much touch and go, and there is a lot of tension, because there are often situations where it could develop even worse for her.

The book is an interesting read, and it seems to be part cautionary tale (you don't ever want to be homeless!), part indictment of the foster care system, and part Dickensian-style evocation of sympathy for the downtrodden. The story is told in the form of journal entries - Holly starts to process her feelings in a journal as part of an English class assignment, resentfully at first, and then finds herself really attached to the process. It becomes something of a lifeline for her, and she goes through a number of scrapes in the story just to NOT lose her beloved journal. Holly is a pretty vivid character, and her development over the course of the book is as touching as her circumstances are horrifying. It does end well - another way in which it resembles a Dickens novel - but it is through no particular effort or virtue on her part. She's powerless over her own fate, aside from choosing to trust someone else to help her. In that respect, the ending is a good one and well-executed. But the climax of the book is in stark contrast with the rest of it, because it is resolved very abruptly and without any pre- or post-explanation of that resolution. I'm convinced this is because the events are explained more in the other book, and Van Draanen approached it with the idea that anyone reading Runaway would be intimately familiar with the events in Sammy Keyes and so she glosses over them ("Everyone knows what happens here" seems to be the attitude). That was my one frustration with the writing of this book. Other frustrations arise from the fact that I liked the character so much, and was bothered by stuff left out. For instance, Holly doesn't acknowledge her birthday in her journal. That's believable, but I still regret that we didn't get to see her process that the way she processes the other holidays without a home or family.

While the book is well-done, I caution parents to consider carefully before recommending this to their children. Make sure that your kids are ready to handle emotional, physical and sexual abuse (the sexual abuse is implicit and sexual violence is often hinted at as a concern by Holly), the others are explicit), abandonment, paranoia, homelessness and mental illness before they read this. In many ways I would say that the reader should have a comparable maturity as needed for reading The Lord of the Flies before reading this book.(less)

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Apr 02, 2011 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this novel up at Border Books recent liquidation sale in South Austin. Although this is a young adult novel, the story line looked interesting. I did find it intriguing. In the beginning of the story, 12-year-old Holly is living unhappily with a foster family. They treat her badly and she escapes. As Holly manages to survive on her own, we learn more about her as she writes honestly in her journal about her mother's drug addiction. For some time, they were moving around to different apa...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Joe B. added it

Joe Bricker
Romaniuk/Moyer
Reading/L.A. Book Review 8
28 January 2011
Runaway:
Follow The Yellow Brick Road
“It’s never too late- in fiction or in life- to revise.” This quote from Nancy Thayer describes this book. In Runaway, by Wendelin Van Draanen, Holley Janquel is a runaway. A minor who has left the care of an adult. In the beginning of this realistic fiction book, Holly receives a journal from her teacher, Ms. Leone, who instructs her to write down her feelings. Holly’s mother and father have d...more Joe Bricker
Romaniuk/Moyer
Reading/L.A. Book Review 8
28 January 2011
Runaway:
Follow The Yellow Brick Road
“It’s never too late- in fiction or in life- to revise.” This quote from Nancy Thayer describes this book. In Runaway, by Wendelin Van Draanen, Holley Janquel is a runaway. A minor who has left the care of an adult. In the beginning of this realistic fiction book, Holly receives a journal from her teacher, Ms. Leone, who instructs her to write down her feelings. Holly’s mother and father have died, and in her foster home, she can’t take the terrible treatment she is given. Holly views it as the last straw. Holly lives in an urban suburb near Indianapolis, but is headed for the Pacific Ocean. Throughout her adventures on a train, a bus, a wagon, the reader is captivated by reading her journal. Holly is in search of a “revision” of her devastating life, and she searches for it by way of the sea. The setting uniquely affects Holly’s character because of the utilities, the people, and the environment.
Wherever Holly went, the utilities and resources available to her were very crucial. One specific spot that a reader can see this is: “I’d seen a horse trailer hitched to a truck in the gas lanes, and Shooting Star sure sounded like a horse name to me. Plus, the guy was wearing cowboy boots” (27). This quote took place when Holly was in Aaronville, which is near Utah, a state that is prone to being a spot for transporters up to Wyoming for rodeos. This shows how Holly used being in Utah to her advantage, and built up her idea for how to spare her resources. Another instance when I saw this took place when Holly was located on a farm: “I’m on the world’s biggest farm! Yesterday I filled up on broccoli, now I’ve found a field of strawberries! They were yummy with a capital YUM!” (190). This quote portrays how when Holly found herself on a farm, she wouldn’t spend her few dollars, she would use the vegetables as a valuable food source. Her resources quickly and effectively changed her because it allowed her to discover new traits and things that she would have to do to survive as a runaway. A third reason why the reader can infer that she is using her resources to her advantage is when she is found at the “manor”: “She did get s a free ride on the ferris wheel, though. I’d say the view was breathtaking but I’m not in the mood” (141). In this quote a reader can view how she used Venus’ already present resources and skills to “go along for the ride”. Throughout the many settings of the book, Holly used her quick thinking to get resources to her own advantage.
A second way that the setting uniquely affects Holly’s character is because of the people. In each place she goes, there are man different types of people that she runs into. These types of people make her think on her toes on how to interact which changes her character. One way that a reader can see this is in the shelter with “Lady Louise”: “I wanted to spend the day at the park, but Louise K. Palmer didn’t. And since I haven’t figured out a travel plan yet, I didn’t want to blow it by leaving the shelter without her and not being able to get back inside” (59). In this quote, the reader can see how Holly is building a relationship but also using Louise to scheme off of. Another reason where a reader can see Holly building off of people is this: “It worked. The cop threw her hands in the air, made some grumbling sounds, and got back in her cruiser. Inside, I felt really good. Like both my mother and Louise were watching over me” (108). This quote portrays how even in past references she builds off of to encounter new situations that make her stronger. She used Lady Louise’s french to outwit the guard, and her Mother’s poise to stand up and respect her. A third reason how Holly was affected by the types of people was in this instance: “It’s funny to hear priests and nuns argue with each other. It’s not just something you’d expect, but these do it a lot, and because of that I’ve even picked up a few of their names” (234). This excerpt gives the reader information on how she builds off the people that are in the church to occupy her time, instead of just writing in the journal. Holly’s character builds upon the people around her.
A third way that I saw Holly’s character changing from setting to setting was due to the environment around her. This had a very supreme affect because it determined how she lived, or if she lived. This was crucial to the book because it took Holly through several plot twists and mishaps. One way that a reader can see this is in this moment: “Have you ever been twenty feet in the air over railroad tracks? You’d mess your pants bad, Ms. Leone” (46). This quote displays how she found the branch to get over the tracks, and used the railroad as her way of getting west. By knowing her goal, Holly used the environment around her and it affected her. When Holly jumped onto the train, she gained the feeling that nothing could stop her. However, in this second instance, Holly lost that feeling: “I wonder if they’ll check the corners of the town. The beaches. Under porches” (178). This moment in time shows how Holly realized that when the police were doing street sweeps, she needed to leave, right then and there, after she had found a good chance of living. That moment rid her of that great feeling. A third way that Holly was affected was by the weather in Los Angeles, “So up in the sky where they’ve got that temperature sign that says it may be 101 degrees, down here on the street with the fire breathing air-conditioners and asphalt, it’s more like 120 degrees. WHERE’S THE OCEAN” (107). This shows how Holly entered a state of somewhat rage and created a grudge against the weather. She didn’t want to burn up, she wanted to go and frolic in the ocean. These instances all affected Holly because of the environment around her.
To conclude, the setting uniquely affects Holly’s character because of the utilities, the people, and the environment. The book Runaway is an outgoing book. It has a lot of character that takes a lot of risks that may help the plot or take away. I thought that all of the twists took away from the plot and dragged me away from the book. I give this book an honest two out of five stars because of all of the risks that the author took. If you like a book that is completely all over the place, then read this. However, if you like a more solid, to the point book, don’t read this. This book was so completely off my life and what I am interested in, I didn’t have any personal connections. I didn’t know the feelings that she was going through. From being enraged at the sun, or angry at a friend in such a way, I couldn’t relate to her problems or situations. The closest to a connection with this book that I have is that in an episode of one of my favorite television programs, Psych, there is a case that involves a runaway homeless girl who is found dead in a field of strawberries. I looked up this episode, and it came to my attention that the episode was modeled after the book. The problems that Holly came across are not your average thirteen year old male’s problems, so I couldn’t find a connection with a depth that is profound. Runaway is a very unrealistic book that has trouble keeping the readers’ focus, and it is hard to relate to in a predictable way.(less)

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Nov 15, 2010 Chelsea W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Can you imagine being alone and homeless at age 12 or 13? Well that is exactly what my book “Runaway” by Wendilin Van Draanen is about. I personally liked the book. It held my attention very well.
In the story there is a teenage girl named Holly. She is alone in a big world, but it didn’t start out that way. When she was little Holly lived happily with her mother and her father. When her father died in a tragic accident, it was just her and her mother. That’s when things started going downhill....more

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Sep 04, 2010 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Holly is a twelve-year old girl whose father died when she was young and whose drug-addicted mother died more recently, forcing her to enter foster care. Her experiences with foster care were very negative, causing her to act out and get reassigned to several different families. Her story is told in journal entries to her teacher, for it was the teacher who gave her the journal to help her sort out her feelings and to "make her feel better." Unable to cope with the abuse and neglect in her curre...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adoption, young-adult

I picked up Wendelin Van Draanen's Runaway because it's a spin-off from her Sammy Keyes mystery series. (I may have mentioned the Sammy Keyes series once or twice on Goodreads--or 5,000 times. Runaway tells the backstory of a homeless girl named Holly that Sammy meets in Book #3, Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy. After Book #3, Holly becomes a regular character in the series.)

At first the writing in Runaway didn't appeal to me. The story is told in diary form, with Holly writing entries in a...more I picked up Wendelin Van Draanen's Runaway because it's a spin-off from her Sammy Keyes mystery series. (I may have mentioned the Sammy Keyes series once or twice on Goodreads--or 5,000 times. Runaway tells the backstory of a homeless girl named Holly that Sammy meets in Book #3, Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy. After Book #3, Holly becomes a regular character in the series.)

At first the writing in Runaway didn't appeal to me. The story is told in diary form, with Holly writing entries in a journal assigned by her English teacher. Her first dozen entries are angry and defensive, and I felt like I was reading a rewrite of Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey as Holly railed against school and hinted at the abuse she experienced in foster care. But around page 20, Holly forms a plan to run away and the tone of the story changes dramatically. From then on, the book tracks Holly's experience living as a "gypsy"--the word she uses to avoid admitting to herself that she is homeless--from May to November.

Holly's only twelve, so she faces unique challenges in surviving as a homeless person. She has to avoid being picked up by cops or well-meaning social workers who will put her back in a system that she's come to associate with abuse and molestation. On top of that, she has to avoid being prayed upon by other homeless kids and adults. Along the way Holly jumps trains (which made me shiver since I'd just finished reading Enrique's Journey, which describes just how dangerous train-hopping can be), steals, sleeps in bushes, stows away on busses and trucks, lives in various abandoned buildings, and, through continuing to write, finally makes some kind of peace with her past.

Even though Van Draanen tries to bring out how scary and uncomfortable being homeless is, there were times when I think she could have gone even farther. For example, when Holly stows away in a Greyhound bus cargo hold. Wouldn't it have been pitch black in there? And very cramped? I think that would be way scarier than the book made it sound! But then again, judging from the author's note, Van Draanen actually stowed away in a Greyhound bus cargo hold while researching this book, so I have to defer to her authority on the subject. In general, I thought Van Draanen made the dangers and misery of being a homeless kid very vivid in a way that was appropriate to her audience (uh, which was probably intended to be people at least ten years younger than me. But whatever.)

At least one reviewer on Goodreads has said that they felt that the positive ending was unrealistic, and that may be so--but I thought it was hopeful and, after all, it's a story. I thought the ending was really nice, and I didn't think that the happiness of the ending took away from the important points of the book--that being homeless completely, totally, absolutely sucks in every way, and that writing can be an incredible way to make peace with one's past.

One last thing--my biggest question in picking up this book was how Van Draanen would make Holly's truly traumatic background dovetail with the Sammy Keyes series which, while it has some issues of neglect in it, is basically light-hearted. I thought she did an amazing job making space for traumatic experiences in the fictional world of a young adult mystery series.(less)

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Oct 21, 2011 Julie James rated it 4 of 5 stars

I forced myself to read this because my 12 year old read it and liked it. It's about a kid her age who lost both parents, endured the foster care system without quite healing the wound of losing her parents and then being in some abusive foster situations... so she runs away. The book is a diary of her days on the road. I gave it 4 stars not because I liked it 4-stars-worth but because my daughter liked it that much, and she's the "real" audience for the book. The author did capture the very rea...more

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Jun 03, 2009 Mr. Z rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-classroom-library, abuse-orphans-outcasts, family-life, struggling-for-survival, sunshine-state-books

Holly is a bitter and abused teenager on the run from a life lacking loving parents and full of neglect. Her mother was an unfortunate victim of drugs, but even more unfortunate has been the ill effects her mother's absence has created in Holly's life.

I'm sure there are many teenagers out there who feel like running away. Do you really want to know what it's like? If so, you can follow Holly's story. I think you'll find that no matter how bad you think you have it at home, it could be worse. You...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Sara Cat rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not awful writing, this is a journal format book about a twelve year old girl who runs away from a horrible foster care situation. Probably accurate about some aspects of street life, it is both naive and evasive about others. Not a whole lot happens, the character is sort of one of those "generic character" types - no quirks, she exists entirely for the plot, and the end is what really irked me, giving a happy ending of a runaway pre-teen magically and randomly finding two nice ladies who are u...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Sarah Rosenberger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult, realistic

This was the first Sunshine State Young Readers book I read last year, and one of my definite favourites. My mom doubted this book, considering how shocked she was seeing how real it was. However, I am a huge fan of books like this, where teens confront problems that most people don't have to face until adulthood. It's my kind of book.

In Runaway, the main character Holly is planning to runaway from her abusive step-parents. After days of planning and preparing she sets out to find a world of her...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book "Runaway" by Wendelin Van Draanen is written in the format of journal entries. These entries are written by an orphan, Holly. Her foster parents abuses her by locking her in the laundry room for days and sticking her head in the toilet when she tries to defend herself. When Holly can no longer take the abuse, she runs away. Throughout this book, Holly writes about how and what she does to survive being homeless or what she calls "being a gypsy".
This book was great. It showed me what hom...more

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Aug 12, 2010 Carson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, childrens, fiction, diary

I was wondering whether I should give this book 3 or 4 stars. I thought four stars was good because it had great voice, good character, the plot was good, staying intrested was okay, and overall was great. I didn't realize untill the end that this book is sort of like a sequel to Sisters of Mercy. So maybe I should read that. I hope it will be worth it though. I found it intresting that the author experienced some things to make this book be more realistic. Example: She went camping without any...more

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Sep 22, 2010 ayyitskianaa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-shelf

Runaway, by Wendelin Van Draanen, is an amazing book. It was was a girl who had foster parents that treated her like a dog. So eventually, she ran away. I mean i wouldn't blame her because her "parents" dont treat her like how a regular child is supposed to be treated.

She ended up running away to California. The problems in the book sound so impossible but i mean, it's just a book. She had much obstacles to go through because, you know, she went to California from across the country. I would nev...more

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Dec 10, 2009 Bethfarley_3 added it

Shelves: tweens

I have been a busy, busy bee! No time for journaling, I've been building a house! I'm not kidding! I am so excited I can hardly stand it!
This book was very well written and written in JOURNAL format. Excerpt:

I can't keep living like this. I can't even talk about it. This is no city of angels. Steel screeches on....The truck reaches on....The night spins grey and light burns my eyes as...Night reaches on....endlessly on.....

Holly's a run away...She was locked in laundry rooms, had her head flush...more

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May 23, 2009 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-recommendations, favorites

I've had this book for over a year and never read it because I don't like the cover (Hey, Publisher! Got that? Your cover sucks. It makes people not want to read the book).

But it's an excellent book! I am going to use it to hook my seventh grade girls next year!

Van Draanen weaves poetry into the journal entries and really makes you hurt for Holly. I had to put the book down once to answer the phone, I was convinced that something horrible was going to happen to Holly while I was away. The ending...more

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Apr 22, 2009 MEREDITH :) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Runaway By: Wenddelin Van Draanen.
This story is about a foster girl, she lives with her foster parents who make her sleep in the laundry room when shes a "bad girl"
After her foster dad shoves her head in the toilet and flushes several times, shes had enough.
She runaway.
Read this book to find out the type of horror and fear she faces.
All she wants is a good family and house to love and live in.
Is that too much to ask?
I guess it is when your mother died bc of heroin.
Read this book to find out if...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sad book about a teenager on the run from her terrible foster home life. The book covers her trials and tribulations while on the run. Very emotional, but I couldn't put it down.

Holly's run away before, but this time she actually gets away—and what feels like an escape at first soon becomes a daily struggle for survival. She is smart and resourceful, and she manages to make it all the way across the country on her own. But how long can this go on? It's getting harder and harder to avoid the trut...more

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Mar 06, 2010 Jadmary713 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-books

I loved the book Runaway. It was such a good book. I loved it because it tells a story that shows what the real world is like and how someone that is 12 or 13 had to go through an experience of a lifetime just to survive.

I can make a connection with Holly because sometimes you are just so mad or even just so sick of something you might just feel like runing away just to get a break from it all, even though you know that it will always come back and bite you. My favorite part was when Holly final...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Dan Fleming rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I was a kid thoughts of running away came across my mind and there are many teenagers out there who feel like running away also. This book made me think that no matter how bad you think you have it at home, it could be worseThis book is about Holly a twelve year old girl. She is alone in a big world, but it didn’t start out that way. When she was little Holly lived happily with her mother and her father. When her father died in a tragic accident, it was just her and her mother. That’s when...more

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Nov 24, 2012 7706lily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Runaway is a realistic fiction book written in the form of Holly's diary. Holly is and has been a foster child and runaway since her mother died of a overdose. Before that Holly and her mother were homeless and living in the back of a van. In the diary Holly is writing to her teacher (whom she hates) and basically writing everything she does in her runaway time. Lying and stealing are the main things Holly does to stay being a runaway but she does need to defend herself at times. I liked the way...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Sydney rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 20, 2010 Ayla rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone 11-15, but adults might like it too

Runaway is about a girl who has been bounced from foster home to foster home, never ending up with the right "parents". She's run away before, but this time she knows she won't get caught.
Runaway is the journal of a girl who runs off in search of not only a home, but in search of herself. She is skilled at theft, and has the street smarts to live on her own for a while. But can she keep doing this forever? It's a hard question to answer, and you'll be shocked with every twist and turn in this co...more

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Jul 13, 2010 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Holly has had nothing but bad experiences in foster homes. Her mother and father are both dead, and she is left alone in terrible situations where no one seems to be helping. Taking a suggestion from her English teacher, Holly begins writing in a journal. She decides to run away from her current foster family, and her journal soon becomes her prized possession. In her journal, Holly discovers things about herself and starts to deal with the turmoil she has experienced in her young life. The jour...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Sherry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Good read. It kept you turning the pages and hoping on each new page she found a new family. You kind of half excepted Mrs. LEONE to come to she resuce or that she would give in and call her and ask her to help her. But it was so cool how SAmmy was the one that came to her rescuse and hooked her with her new family.

It is so ture how one wants to write in a journal or diary, but feels so out of place doing it at first, when they let their gaurd down and put a name to who they are writing to how t...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and read it in an afternoon. It is heart-wrenching and sad to think how many children find themselves in a similar situation and without any hope of a happy resolution. Holly felt real and well rounded. She flip-flopped between emotions in a way that was very believable and endearing; real people aren't always just mad or just sad or just feel one thing and Holly plays the whole range well.

I can't quite give it 5 stars, because it simply isn't something I really see my...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Winifred added it

Shelves: junior-year

I really liked this book beacuse the reader was able to get into the mind of character. The author does this well by using 1st person narrative. I also like that the book was written in diary from because it made me fee closer to the character. I found it interestng how the chracter refered to herself as a sea gypse(sp?) instead of a homeless girl. In the book the character also says how much he hates doing certain things when she really likes them such as writing poetry. The character also seem...more

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May 02, 2013 justablondemoment rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: foster-care, runaways, read-2010, 5-stars, young-adult, social-issues, child-abuse

Holly can't take the abuse anymore from her current foster family and at the tender age of twelve decides to run away. This is her story told in journal fashion. Although this is a fictional book, the sad thing is that somewhere out there it IS a child's real life or some version of.

My heart went out to Holly, and I wanted to reach through the pages of this fictional world, grab her into the real world and smother her with love. Author did a fantastic job of putting you right into the story. It...more

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Is the Book Lost Boy By Dave Pelzer have something in comment with the Book Runaway?	2	7	Nov 05, 2012 09:54am
Title unknown, A YA book (80s/90s) about a Girl who runs away from home, ends up in a shelter, looks out for a young boy, makes him chocolate chip pancakes....Title please?	1	5	Sep 15, 2011 08:51am

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About Wendelin Van Draanen

Wendelin Van Draanen (born January 6, 1965, Chicago, Illinois) is an American author of children's books. She lives in California with her husband Mark Parsons and two sons, Colton and Connor. The daughter of chemists who emigrated to the U.S. from Holland, she worked as a math teacher and then as a high school computer science teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Her books feature spunky l...more

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Books by Wendelin Van Draanen

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief (Sammy Keyes, #1)

Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy (Sammy Keyes, #3)

Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy (Sammy Keyes, #6)

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Trivia About Runaway

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Quotes from Runaway

“Sometimes I get so caught up in my own problems that I forget how amazing the world is.” — 72 people liked it

“I miss school.
What’s wrong with me?” — 23 people liked it

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Runaway

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