Run, Rebel

Product Information

In some cultures, it’s a curse when you’re born as a girl instead of a boy. No one ever wanted a girl. Girls were deemed as a burden and their whole life will forever be the property of their parents, husband and brothers. They have to give up their decision-making power, be small, be silent, endure and never question! One of the shortcomings from my point of view is it was so happy to be real I am not saying it was forced happy ending cause it wasn't at all, I just felt like it was too good to be true. Even though I was in a bad need for happy ending. And when I read the Q&As section I found out the author herself thought it was kinda strange and she wrote it " Darker" according to others opinions.

Run, Rebel is a trailblazing verse novel that thunders with rhythm, heart and soul – perfect for fans of Sarah Crossan, Elizabeth Acevedo and Rupi Kaur. So when I was asked by Penguin to join the blog tour for Run, Rebel, a novel in verse by Manjeet Mann, I couldn’t have been more excited. I love getting new verse fiction in my life, and I usually love them – and this book was no exception. The Story This book is so satisfying brilliant. It’s been told in verse which I really love. Another gem that I think doesn’t get enough recognition it deserved. It’s a moving story and profoundly inspiring. A must read book!! I started writing out a list and then realised I’ve already mentioned all of these in my blog post all about verse novels for newbies, and also in a video I made on my YouTube channel. I’ll embed that below if you’re interested in watching it 🙂 Manjeet Mann's multi-award-winning verse novel, Run, Rebel, about a young woman beginning to take control of her life, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2021 and won the CILIP Carnegie Shadowers Choice Award, a UKLA Book Award, a Diverse Book Award and the Sheffield Children's Book Award.

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As part of this tour, I also wanted to share some of my favourite verse novels. If you’ve read any of these already, you’ll love Run, Rebel! If you loved The Poet X, then you'll love this, too! Although, I did like that book, I loved this one more, maybe because it was easier to picture in my head? Run, Rebel is a trailblazing verse novel that thunders with rhythm, heart and soul - perfect for fans of Sarah Crossan, Elizabeth Acevedo and Rupi Kaur.

Note: I think this needs to be read as opposed to listened to as I suspect there are some visual text elements that are part of the storytelling as is often the case in free verse novels. Amber’s father is extremely traditional: women should work in the home, and there is no need for them to have an education or a worthwhile job, because those are the roles for the men. This means that Amber’s mum lives a life with no independence. She’s desperate to learn and to fit in, but her husband always stands in her way. This is the same for Amber too; she dreams of being a runner and she’s often told she’s gifted, but she’s not allowed a life of her own. Because what happened to women who did try to live an independent life isn’t something that anybody wants to repeat… But when the Rebels start to stand up for their rights, revolution will follow and eventually the throne that so long been dictated by weak men will be overthrown by the strong spirits that will never get tired to fight for their freedom and peace!

Editorial content

The themes made this quite a heavy read, but it was also very hopeful and empowering. There's a lot of depth and a lot of character development, and not just from the main character. I'm honestly in awe with how well written this was, and with how the author needed so few words to make such a strong point.

Note: I was sent a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review as part of the blog tour. If you’re feeling trapped in a life that you feel you can’t control, this book might give you the urge you need to make a change. It shows that if you’re willing and able, you can make a difference, and things can get better. It shows that good people deserve to live a good life, and sometimes, all you need is the courage to rebel. My Favourite Verse Novels Run, Rebel does an incredible job of making you realise just how dangerous and claustrophobic this sort of life can be. For a teenager like Amber, and the thousands of teenagers like her who live in abusive environments, it can feel like there’s no escape. There’s a fine line between the urge to leave and create a new life of independence and freedom, and the desperate hope that things will change, that people will change, and that everything will magically get better. If you know anything about my reading tastes, you’ll know that I really love novels written in verse. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ve written a whole post about verse fiction here .)This fast-paced, mesmerising stage version, adapted by the author, was first produced in 2023 by Pilot Theatre, with Mercury Theatre, Colchester, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Derby Theatre and York Theatre Royal. This edition also contains a range of teaching materials and resources designed to help educators bring the play to life for their students. Honor killing/ crimes, domestic violence, women, girls, feminine, education, poverty, environment and circumstances, women, girls, friendship, bullying, women, girls, traumas, being a she/ her. It's been a long time since I read a novel written in verse, and honestly I forgot how much I love it (when it's done well of course!) Throughout the course of this poetic piece, we follow Amber, Surinder (her Mom), and Ruby's journey towards the better, and see their characters grow.