Everything changed when the police officer knocked on the door to tell me – a 16-year-old – that my older sister Kristen had died of a brain aneurysm. Cue the start of my parents neglecting me and my whole life spiraling out of control.
I decided now was the perfect time to skip town. It’s the early 90’s, Kurt Cobain runs the grunge music scene and I just experienced some serious trauma. What’s a girl supposed to do? I didn’t want to end up like Kristen, so I grabbed my bucket list, turned up my mixtape of the greatest 90’s hits and fled L.A.. The goal was to end up at Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, but I never could have guessed what would happen along the way.
At turns heartbreaking, inspiring, and laugh out loud funny, Runaway Train is a wild journey of a bygone era and a portrait of a one-of-a-kind teenage girl trying to find herself again the only way she knows how.
Goodreads | Amazon
Rating: 4 Stars
My Review: I usually love any retro 90s stories and this one was a pretty good one. There were times when I felt like Nico was a little too whiney I enjoyed following her on her journey to complete her bucket list. This one brought back some memories of high-school which I thoroughly enjoyed. I absolutely loved the music references and how each chapter was titled after a song. I'm so glad that Nico found herself and ended up happy and healthy. It shows that even when you think there's no where to go other than rock bottom that as long as you don't give up things can get better.
Go Into This One Knowing: drug use, suicide.
Review
"Raw. Riveting. Runaway Train stays true to its title as it explores the deep pain of a teenager desperately trying to find peace in a world full of pain. Lee Matthew Goldberg is a master at bestowing sympathy and strength on deeply flawed characters. Realistic and shocking, hopeful and satisfying, Runaway Train will keep readers turning the page." -- USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Forster
"It's an incredibly challenging task for an author to utilize a darkly comedic tone without coming across as disingenuous--but Goldberg executes it here with expert precision. Brimming over with the visceral atmosphere of the early 90s grunge era, RUNAWAY TRAIN is a must-read for those willing to buckle up for the ride."
--Peter Malone Elliott (Director of Operations, Book Pipeline)
"An engaging '90s pastiche with an earnest heart beating at its center." -- Kirkus Reviews
"In Runaway Train, Nico takes the leap every teenager dreams of taking, but it's a leap few writers have handled as well as Goldberg. He pulls apart the teen puzzle of feeling both adrift and intentional in the same moment and reminds us that finding a way to be heard is the only way anybody finds themselves." -- Rick Polito, Off Trail
"Goldberg's atmospheric RUNAWAY TRAIN will take you back to the Nineties faster than a Pearl Jam track and a lace choker." --Alisha Sevigny, author of SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS and THE SECRET OF THE SANDS series.
"All fans of '90s alternative, no matter their generation, will find something to love in this book. A story of a young, drifting woman, who has lost her older sister abruptly and decides, as her family crumbles, to run away, Runaway Train presents an adventure, an escape fantasy, and the possibilities of life when you're young and on the margins. This book is a delight for readers of all ages." -Alex DiFrancesco, author of All City and Transmutation: Stories "Runaway Train is a high-energy testimonial to the redemptive power of a road trip with an awesome soundtrack. Lee Matthew Goldberg balances the urgency of youth with a whiff of anticipatory nostalgia for the music and misadventures of late adolescence. Attuned to way distinctions between music genres and teen idols can feel like impermeable walls worth defending, and then crumble as a teen like Nico Sullivan finds her own voice." -- Jenn Stroud Rossman, author of The Place You're Supposed to Laugh
"It's an incredibly challenging task for an author to utilize a darkly comedic tone without coming across as disingenuous--but Goldberg executes it here with expert precision. Brimming over with the visceral atmosphere of the early 90s grunge era, RUNAWAY TRAIN is a must-read for those willing to buckle up for the ride."
--Peter Malone Elliott (Director of Operations, Book Pipeline)
"An engaging '90s pastiche with an earnest heart beating at its center." -- Kirkus Reviews
"In Runaway Train, Nico takes the leap every teenager dreams of taking, but it's a leap few writers have handled as well as Goldberg. He pulls apart the teen puzzle of feeling both adrift and intentional in the same moment and reminds us that finding a way to be heard is the only way anybody finds themselves." -- Rick Polito, Off Trail
"Goldberg's atmospheric RUNAWAY TRAIN will take you back to the Nineties faster than a Pearl Jam track and a lace choker." --Alisha Sevigny, author of SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS and THE SECRET OF THE SANDS series.
"All fans of '90s alternative, no matter their generation, will find something to love in this book. A story of a young, drifting woman, who has lost her older sister abruptly and decides, as her family crumbles, to run away, Runaway Train presents an adventure, an escape fantasy, and the possibilities of life when you're young and on the margins. This book is a delight for readers of all ages." -Alex DiFrancesco, author of All City and Transmutation: Stories "Runaway Train is a high-energy testimonial to the redemptive power of a road trip with an awesome soundtrack. Lee Matthew Goldberg balances the urgency of youth with a whiff of anticipatory nostalgia for the music and misadventures of late adolescence. Attuned to way distinctions between music genres and teen idols can feel like impermeable walls worth defending, and then crumble as a teen like Nico Sullivan finds her own voice." -- Jenn Stroud Rossman, author of The Place You're Supposed to Laugh
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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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