Anyone who watches the news can tell you that public opinion is sharply split on the topic of abortion. Chrissie’s Run joins the conversation by asking, What if abortions were mandatory? Young Chrissie was one-hundred-percent positive that she wanted to keep her baby boy. I admired how she was so willing to leave behind her easy life as a politician’s daughter for a cause that she believed in. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, was a little infuriating. Jason had virtually a cameo, and his few scenes made him less than likable. He didn’t care about the baby and had zero chemistry with Chrissie, so their relationship was not believable to me. A twist at the end may redeem him in some eyes.
Chrissie’s journey as a rebel “runner” was filled with allusions to the Bible and Greek mythology, which were fun to catch. It was also packed with vivid action. At one point, Chrissie says mournfully, “So much death,” and I heartily agree. I was surprised at the rate Chrissie’s guides were killed off. For a Christian book, it was rather gruesome. Of course, the violence had an end result, but verbal sparring can also be exciting to read.
In regards to Chrissie’s pregnancy and motherhood, I felt that it was underrepresented even though it was a central theme of the novel. When she has the baby, she doesn’t undergo any great change. Little Daniel appears, but as a secondary character. Chrissie is a sweet, strong girl, but I felt she doesn’t act like a mom. In my opinion, the writing made the relationship feel detached, like he was her brother, not her first child! The sudden time jumps made it difficult for the reader to capture emotional growth, yet they kept the story fast-paced.
Genre-hopping keeps readers on their toes! I was expecting a Christian book with a dystopian background and it ended up being that as well as sci-fi, survival fiction, and romance. Sci-fi can be a hard genre to blend in, so I applaud the creativity. Chrissie finds love in a hopeless, unexpected place, which adds a touch of sweetness to the novel.
Chrissie’s Run is a teen novel that offers more than the boy-meets-girl mix. Fans of thought-provoking novels and strong female characters would like spending a few hours running for a better world with Chrissie.
