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Running Scared
After witnessing a murder, Donna puts her life in the hands of authorities, who give her a new name, a new home, and a whole new identity
232 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 18, 2024
Rounded up to 3 stars from 2.5 stars.
This book is right out of the gate a thriller and not a horror book by any means so if you were expecting it to be...you may be disappointed.
I also wouldn't call it a mystery because everything that happens is clear cut and dry about who and why...mostly. There is a big reveal and some twists but I don't know why most books have to be in first person.
Sometimes it just feels like it is dragging on and on until your main character engages in conversation with another person. I am all for descriptive prose but I don't know...it seems to make teenage characters seem so whiny.
You want to feel sorry for our main character Donna and I do at certain points of the story.
Her mother use to work for a company that was dumping toxic substances and not legally. A smart woman, she reported her boss, Mr. Dillman, to the right people and had to testify against him in court.
Jury couldn't agree, a mistrial was called and both Donna and her mother Mary had to go into the Witness Protection Program right around Donna's senior year.
New names, new looks, new state, new town and no contact with their old lives. A history built on lies and under no circumstances...being photographed as if a camera might just steal your soul.
All Donna wanted was a picture of her deceased father from her mother's old office so she snuck in one night but now a new image became seared into her mind. A reporter who had been covering the trial with his back against the wall and two men with one face hidden and the other in profile.
A man with a crooked nose and a gun pointed at the reporter's chest. Donna ran and heard the gunshot...now a witness to a murder.
The federal marshalls in charge of the program have no idea just how deep Donna has dragged herself into danger or her mother. Donna is hoping that once the new trial begins, she can get back to normal and graduate high school even if a different name is on the diploma.
Donna Aubrey becomes Donna White and just hopes to be a face in the crowd, knowing anything she tells another soul is all a lie...how can she even make friends if there is no trust?
Donna then meets Tina and Greg who try to get her out of her shell and Donna can't help but finally be happy and smile as they persuade her to try out for the school play. It seems harmless enough and fun and Greg is kind of cute and Tina is so nice so why not?
Opening night is a few days away but the drama teacher has signed them up for a contest in Chicago to perform their play against other high schools. That causes concern for Donna's mother and their handler, Inspector Marris, but she goes...it's too late when other people are counting on you.
Before the contest that night, Donna swears she sees Mr. Dillman at the restaurant where they are eating. To everyone else, it just looks like nerves and stage fright for acting in front of people for the first time but Donna is terrified that the man saw her as well.
The anxiety becomes even worse when their school wins and the cast is photographed.
Even through the costume and wig and stage make-up, Donna's face is still able to be seen and if the wrong person sees it...she and her mother may have to be relocated again.
Donna has no way of knowing the terror that is about to happen and all the lives that are about to be ruined the way the lives of her and her own mother were suddenly shot down.
There is a lot of action and danger and suspense in trying to figure out just who can be trusted when the story gives us its first real shock. The one character in the book you know who is true blue is Greg and the only spoiler I will give is that Donna tells him everything...the truth.
I only spill that bit of tea because once we get to the ending third act of the story, it would be a travesty just to sweep him aside. There are no loose ends...nothing ambiguous to chew over but still a degree of bittersweetness.
Running Scared by Kate Daniel is an okay book but just not the thriller I thought it would be but still worth checking out if you are curious.
This book is right out of the gate a thriller and not a horror book by any means so if you were expecting it to be...you may be disappointed.
I also wouldn't call it a mystery because everything that happens is clear cut and dry about who and why...mostly. There is a big reveal and some twists but I don't know why most books have to be in first person.
Sometimes it just feels like it is dragging on and on until your main character engages in conversation with another person. I am all for descriptive prose but I don't know...it seems to make teenage characters seem so whiny.
You want to feel sorry for our main character Donna and I do at certain points of the story.
Her mother use to work for a company that was dumping toxic substances and not legally. A smart woman, she reported her boss, Mr. Dillman, to the right people and had to testify against him in court.
Jury couldn't agree, a mistrial was called and both Donna and her mother Mary had to go into the Witness Protection Program right around Donna's senior year.
New names, new looks, new state, new town and no contact with their old lives. A history built on lies and under no circumstances...being photographed as if a camera might just steal your soul.
All Donna wanted was a picture of her deceased father from her mother's old office so she snuck in one night but now a new image became seared into her mind. A reporter who had been covering the trial with his back against the wall and two men with one face hidden and the other in profile.
A man with a crooked nose and a gun pointed at the reporter's chest. Donna ran and heard the gunshot...now a witness to a murder.
The federal marshalls in charge of the program have no idea just how deep Donna has dragged herself into danger or her mother. Donna is hoping that once the new trial begins, she can get back to normal and graduate high school even if a different name is on the diploma.
Donna Aubrey becomes Donna White and just hopes to be a face in the crowd, knowing anything she tells another soul is all a lie...how can she even make friends if there is no trust?
Donna then meets Tina and Greg who try to get her out of her shell and Donna can't help but finally be happy and smile as they persuade her to try out for the school play. It seems harmless enough and fun and Greg is kind of cute and Tina is so nice so why not?
Opening night is a few days away but the drama teacher has signed them up for a contest in Chicago to perform their play against other high schools. That causes concern for Donna's mother and their handler, Inspector Marris, but she goes...it's too late when other people are counting on you.
Before the contest that night, Donna swears she sees Mr. Dillman at the restaurant where they are eating. To everyone else, it just looks like nerves and stage fright for acting in front of people for the first time but Donna is terrified that the man saw her as well.
The anxiety becomes even worse when their school wins and the cast is photographed.
Even through the costume and wig and stage make-up, Donna's face is still able to be seen and if the wrong person sees it...she and her mother may have to be relocated again.
Donna has no way of knowing the terror that is about to happen and all the lives that are about to be ruined the way the lives of her and her own mother were suddenly shot down.
There is a lot of action and danger and suspense in trying to figure out just who can be trusted when the story gives us its first real shock. The one character in the book you know who is true blue is Greg and the only spoiler I will give is that Donna tells him everything...the truth.
I only spill that bit of tea because once we get to the ending third act of the story, it would be a travesty just to sweep him aside. There are no loose ends...nothing ambiguous to chew over but still a degree of bittersweetness.
Running Scared by Kate Daniel is an okay book but just not the thriller I thought it would be but still worth checking out if you are curious.
February 26, 2015
A real page-turner! If you like action and you like suspense, read this book, even if you are an adult.
Since the books is about people in the witness protection program, you already know you can expect some stupidity.
I really didn't understand why they let Donna keep her first name. They changed the mother's entirely, but then let Donna keep calling herself Donna.
When Donna clearly didn't want her photo taken for a newspaper article, her new friends acted like maniacs. They literally tried to hold the girl in place to force her to take a picture. It's not that serious folks.
One funny thing in the book was when Donna was getting some clothes from her friend Tina. Donna said that since Tina was several inches taller than her, the jeans Tina had given her came above her ankles. Come again? Clearly they meant to say that Tina was several inches SHORTER than Donna, and that is why the pants were too short. I can't believe the editor didn't catch that, or the writer.
Since the books is about people in the witness protection program, you already know you can expect some stupidity.
I really didn't understand why they let Donna keep her first name. They changed the mother's entirely, but then let Donna keep calling herself Donna.
When Donna clearly didn't want her photo taken for a newspaper article, her new friends acted like maniacs. They literally tried to hold the girl in place to force her to take a picture. It's not that serious folks.
One funny thing in the book was when Donna was getting some clothes from her friend Tina. Donna said that since Tina was several inches taller than her, the jeans Tina had given her came above her ankles. Come again? Clearly they meant to say that Tina was several inches SHORTER than Donna, and that is why the pants were too short. I can't believe the editor didn't catch that, or the writer.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews