Runaways

by Ruth Thomas

Winner of the prestigious Guardian Children's Fiction Award in 1988, this book is the compelling and unique story of two children, Julian and Nathan, from inner city London. Outsiders at school and unhappy at home, the two are strangely drawn together. They stumble across some money with which they try to buy friendship in their class, but with teachers and parents closing in the two are forced to run away. The story centres on the brilliant and unusual friendship that develops between these two children, thrown together by force of circumstance. A hard-hitting, well-crafted story of great emotional range that has an important message about personal growth and friendship, this novel is suitable for strong readers between the ages of 10 and 12.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Adventure

252 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 1987

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Ruth Thomas was an English author of children's fiction.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh!!! I can remember reading this when I was around nine or ten years of age, sitting next to the rather dim nightlight compelled, obsessed and intrigued. This book made want to read! This book which I thoroughly devoured! (looking back)made me call in love with reading! Im so pleased I've managed to find this and now I'm going to go out and purchase it for my ten year old.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice a week, every week, my year six teacher would march our class to the tiny primary school library for 'reading time'. We had ten minutes to select a book, find a comfy spot to sit, and start reading.

On this particular day, I couldn't find a single thing to read. I'd scoured every shelf, but every book in the fiction section I'd either read (which was most of them...it was a small library for a big reader) or considered reading but dismissed.

Then I saw a book I'd never, ever seen before. It was (relatively) old with a cover I probably wouldn't go for normally, but the title seemed ok. 
"Ten minutes are up!" my teacher announced. "Everyone, finish choosing your book and sit down." I hadn't even read the blurb - and there wasn't enough time to look for something else anyway. The Runaways was in my hand, and I was now stuck with it.

As soon as I opened it, I was enthralled. There's around half a dozen books that I only read once during my childhood, but had such a massive impact on me that I never forgot them - this was one. After finally tracking it down and re reading it after almost ten years, I can understand why; and I was totally enthralled all over again.

The book follows two eleven year old London children, Nathan and Julia. Both have problems at home, and due to their poor behaviour are not looked upon kindly by their teachers. Julia made a few social mistakes and became the school reject, and Nathan is an introvert with anger management issues. Both are bullies, purely because nobody taught them how to be nice. The world doesn't understand them, and they hate the world because of it. I found myself, even now, relating to the characters - my problems obviously weren't anywhere as bad as theirs, but I'd been through something similar, and it hit me hard.

Basically, the kids (who hate each other) find thousands of pounds and decide to run away from their hellish lives. It's every kid's dream at one stage or another to escape from home and school and rules and expectations. But, unfortunately for Nathan and Julia, this isn't an Enid Blyton tale. They face some horrifying problems that they didn't anticipate, and have to think on their feet to survive on their own and escape the police. While none of these types of stories are ever truly realistic, Ruth Thomas got reasonably close.

But by far the most touching part was watching Nathan and Julia's friendship grow. If I was a crier, I totally would have bawled my eyes out. They start out insulting each other, kicking each other, discouraging each other, and thinking horrible thoughts about each other. But over the course of the story, they learn what it means to care. They teach each other important lessons about self sacrifice, forgiveness, and loyal love. They become better people because of it.

I know a lot of people didn't like the ending, but it didn't worry me. I was satisfied, and actually enjoy the idea of getting to imagine what happens next.

Overall, this story marks one of the cornerstones of my childhood. Right now, as I type this, I want to read it again and again and again. I want to write my own replica story. I want play out an entire sequel in my mind. I never, ever want to forget the magic of The Runaways.

[Francesca]

Trovato mentre riordinavo (...ancora!) la libreria, insieme ad altri libri per ragazzi, acquistati quando ero (così mi hanno detto) già fuori tempo massimo per questo genere di letture (in età adatta, passai direttamente da Il gran sole di Hiroshima a Il giorno della civetta, ma la curiosità non invecchia mai), ho deciso di leggerlo per sfamare quella curiosità, appunto, che, anni fa, me lo fece comprare. Storia carina. Qualche luogo comune usato eccessivamente, a mio avviso, ma, comunque, lettura non sgradita, anzi, alla fine, mi ha quasi commossa.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been trying to think of books that I enjoyed as an older child/ pre-adolescent. I clearly remember selecting this from the school library at about eleven years of age because nothing else grabbed my attention that day, and then I remember not being able to put it down once I started reading it. Yet I can barely remember the story. So I give it 3 stars tentatively, knowing that at the time I did in fact really like it, but not really being able to put my finger on what it was that engaged me so.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books from childhood, I still have my original copy. One of the books that turned me into a reader.

[J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was edging into my teens. I don't remember much of the story but I do remember loving it. I felt the need to search for it and recognised the cover instantly. It's stuck in my head all these years so I deem it worthy of 4 stars for that even though my true recollections are fuzzy.

[Niraj 123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah! My favourite children's book - read this aged 13 and it hasn't left my mind since those glorious (well, they weren't for pimpled me at the time) days. Found a copy in a 2nd hnd bookshop today and knew I had to buy it.

[Donna Louise Hay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was at school and really loved it. I remember the teacher reading it to us over the term. I read it all over again in one sitting and LOVED it. Took me back. Such a great story and definitely suitable for all ages!

[samantha lyttle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this so many times since I was a kid. Always go back to it.

[winterynights · Rating 5 out of 5]

like some other commenters here, i read this book when i was a young child. while it's been many years, this book pops into my mind every now and then. giving it five stars when i don't remember everything that happened may seem wrong, but this book brought me so much joy. it spurred my interest in reading, and the fact that the (low-key farfetched) story of nathan and julia still has an impact on me to this day is worth something. :-) i regret misplacing this book, but again, i only lost it because i loved it so much, even bringing it to a relative's house!

(as for the book itself, watching julia and nathan — outcasts in very different ways — grow closer in such an unexpected situation was oddly touching, and i still remember feeling emotional over it. perhaps that's the beauty of this book. while it touches on the 'odd one out' concept, the execution was well done, and as an impressionable child, i think this book meant a lot to me.)

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a child and it has lived with me throughout the years. I am now 37 and today I finished reading it to my 8 year old daughter, who loved it just as much as I do. Whenever I visit Brighton I picture the children there. To me this story is so real and I have never fallen in love with a story to this degree since, though I do love my reading.

I know a lot of people feel the ending is not complete for them and I yearned for a sequel myself. However the ending could not be more appropriate, as the book is about the incredible drawing together of two outcasts. The fact Nathan sacrificed the dream he cherished all throughout the book for his new friend, was beautiful and I feel finished the story off in the most appropriate manner.

[Jade Michaelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, for a children's story. Lots of adventure and probably children's way of thinking. I just wish it wouldn't have ended so abruptly; they just hand themselves in after running away, the end. Would have been nice to see how things played out once they got home to their parents. We never know where the money originally came from, we never see them go home. Overall the story was good but the ending was incomplete.

[Thomas Standridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has an interesting plot and doesn't romanticize running away; the characters face realistic consequences for their actions. This a great read for a rainy day. My only criticism: the characters are a little bit flat. However, this is overshadowed by Ruth Thompson's fantastic writing.

[Mi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone should read this book.
I read it throughout the years, everytime with new relations and various meanings, and after every reading I've been wondering about the beauty of friendship, but most of all about the fickleness of life. All delivered by the story of two young outcasters.

[Melissa Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a book I read when I was much younger and it feels nostalgic to re read it. I loved how both characters were portrayed and how they acted with each other because of their home life. The book is well written

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children’s book I used to read over and over. I read it again for the first time in about 20 years. The friendship which develops between the two children is so lovely.

[Eyad · Rating 5 out of 5]

They are a cute couple ;)

[QuinnS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il libro preferito della mia infanzia

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first book that started my reading addiction when I was a kid. Brill Book.

[secondhandsmoker]

they don't have the edition i read on here

[Mysticmoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gli assegno quattro stelle perché non è un libro perfetto (ma non per questo non lo consiglierei a ogni ragazzino dai 10 anni in su) e una voglio dargliela per il valore sentimentale.
Lo comprai quasi vent'anni fa e ad oggi l'ho riletto talmente tante volte che non saprei più se sono più vicina alle quindici o alle venticinque riletture (un adulto un libro simile lo legge in un paio d'ore al massimo) perché questa storia semplice di due giovanissimi outsider è deliziosa: avventura e sentimento coesistono in questo romanzo e la maturazione dei protagonisti, Julia e Nathan, è graduale, realizzata in modo molto naturale attraverso gli eventi che i due vivono.
I Fuggitivi è un romanzo davvero molto gradevole.

[Yas Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought the book, runaways, from St Vinnies and found the blurb on the back really intriguing, so I bought the book for fifty cents. The book has a wonderful storyline, although, at times it does get hard to understand because the author uses English colloquial language from England. I'm Australian, so I had no idea of about what the English slang meant, but I still really enjoyed this book. I absolutely love how Julia and Nathan can get away with with everything that they did, however, I didn't like the ending because it did not feel like it was finishing the book off properly. Overall, good book.

[Toni Umar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little book- took a few chapters to get me hooked but once I worked out the characters u was captured!
Nathan and Julia have lots of faults but as they get to know each other the nice part of them that was always there is seen.
Sad in parts but also quite funny I enjoyed the story. It seemed to end rather suddenly though and left me yearning for a sequel.
It almost felt like watching a movie as I read this story - I wonder if a movie has been made?

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while in High School, it was the winner of the prestigious Guardian Children's Fiction Award in 1988. The appeal of running away for teens will grab probably even children today, but of course there are always consequences and reasons why running away happens. The main focus though is on friendship and the relationship that develops between Julian and Nathan. Great for tweeners and teens though it not a quick read.

[Ramona Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good young adult book. Two kids on an adventure doesn't get much better than that. I have no major complaints other than the end. I thought it was sweet but insufficient. I need to know what happens next lol. Is this the first in a series and I just didn't know? That's how it felt. So 1 star knocked off for that

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Officially My Favorite BOOK!!!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book that catches your attion from the moment you first open it. A most read for anyone that always wonders what they would do if they found a lot of money.

[Ke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe most children and teens have had the fantasy that they should run away from home. This book addresses this desire in an exciting and real way.

[Kimberlite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite book as a child.

[Sarah Stirrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child. It may be a bit outdated, but still, any child would be able to read and love this book. I'm definitely saving my copy.