Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Runaway  By  cover art

Runaway

By: Wendelin Van Draanen
Narrated by: Emma Galvin
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This diary of a runaway girl and her search for a home celebrates hope, resilience, and happy endings as only Wendelin Van Draanen, the author of Flipped and other acclaimed novels, can.

Holly has run away before, but this time she actually gets away - and what at first felt like an escape soon becomes a daily struggle for survival. She is smart and resourceful, and she manages to make it across the country on her own. But how long can this go on? It’s getting harder to avoid the truth - Holly is now homeless.

Runaway is a remarkably uplifting portrait of a girl still young and stubborn and naive enough to believe there’s a better place for her in the world.

“Will grab readers from the first entry.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Holly’s lively self lingers in the way the best characters do. Runaway is certainly one of the best young adult books of the year.” (The Sacramento Bee)

©2008 Wendelin Van Draanen (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

“This is a great book [for] young teens.... Van Draanen has shown great versatility in adding another dimension to her already respected body of work.” (School Library Journal)

“The ending of this taut, powerful story seems possible and deeply hopeful.” (Booklist)

“Readers will be drawn to Holly as she shifts between her search for a safe place to live, her anger at the foster care system and her reflections on the circumstances that led up to her mother's overdose.” (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Runaway

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    10
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Finally!!! We get Holly‘s backstory

When I first started reading the Sammy Keyes series I loved it. I read every single book. And when I read Sammy keys and the sisters of Mercy and Holly was introduced I got really curious. What was Holly‘s backstory? Overtime though Holly kept showing up in the books as one of Sammy‘s best friends, and I kind of got used to her so I kind of forgot all about how she was introduced. The thought of Holly having a backstory kind of just faded in my mind until I basically forgot about my curiosity.
When I went on Audible and I saw this everything came back. I knew I had to listen to this book, and I don’t regret a single second of that decision. I absolutely love this book. If I had known about it sooner I totally would’ve read it by now.
I would also just like to say that the narrator was excellent. Emma Galvin was the perfect choice to narrate this book. She was able to capture and portray Holly‘s emotions so well. I love listening to narrators who can really bring a story to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Greatest Audiobook of All Time

My favorite book is now on Audible. The narrator was PERFECTLY casted. 12/10 AMAZING

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Forever my favorite book

The date the book starts on is my birthday so that always resonated with me and made me remember this book, i’ve never been homeless or in foster care but I often found myself relating to Holly for some reason, the storyline is intriguing and I enjoy the style of this book, i’m ready to read for the fifth time lol

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not it

I love this author and all her other books but this one was just sad and not a good read until about the very very end so it was mid

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!