Review of Run it!

[Adaeze Joan]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Run it!" by Mary Ramsey.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Having been best friends for so long and not wanting to give birth to their child out of wedlock, Alicia Blair Nikira, heiress to a billion-dollar company, and Remy Moceanu, an adopted son of the Nakiri family, decided to get married. Run It! by Mary Ramsey takes us through a fascinating tale of Elena Rose Nakiri as she tries to make her father, Remy Moceanu, proud by fulfilling her dreams of becoming a renowned chef and owning a restaurant.

At a tender age, Elena was enrolled in Toshaini-Kai Institute, the most exclusive culinary academy/boarding school in Japan. Elena was to compete with children of great chefs and alumni of the school. Halfway through the competition, Elena found out her father was ill with a terminal disease and might not have enough time to live. But with the help of Jamie, her boyfriend, and Prayikina, her cousin and best friend, she was able to pull through. It was no surprise to her when she found out that her mother knew nothing of the illness; after all, she never cared. Could it be possible that Alicia never loved Remy? Would he survive this illness? And would Elena be able to make her father proud?

This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions, and I could picture myself in Elena’s shoes. The characters were well developed and realistic. What I loved most about this book was the author’s simple writing style, which made it quite an easy read. The beginning of the book was enjoyable, and though the storyline was interesting, I found it very plain. There were no twists to the story, and this made the book a bore for me. The only emotion I felt so strongly in this book was love. Other emotions like hate, grief, and betrayal, which made up the themes in the book, were not strongly felt.

I feel the author should have made Elena’s character a bit older. I found it odd that Elena and her friends were able to discuss and act like adults even though they were young; they didn’t seem like children. A good book should have a compelling title and cover that will compel readers to read it. But that was not the case with this book, as its title seems unbefitting. I could not find any connection it had with the storyline. Also, the book’s cover and other pictures in the book, which were at the beginning of each chapter, were poorly done. It made the book seem like a children's fantasy book, and I could not relate it to the story.

Unfortunately, I noticed a few editing issues—mostly joint words, but that did not disrupt my reading flow. However, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. I deducted 2 stars because of the complaints stated in the above paragraph. This book can be read by all adults, especially young adults who love to read about young, ambitious chefs and would not mind a bit of romance. I would also like to state that this book contains a few uses of profane language and slight erotic content.

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Run it!
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[Essy Nma]

I am an aspiring chef and I would like to know where Elena's desire leads her to. Thanks for the review.

[Amy Luman]

I have always been curious about the concept of boarding schools. Are they really better? I am curious also about Elena’s relationship with her father.

[Oyedele Tomijane]

The whole concept of marrying your best friend has always appealed to me. My best friend is hitched already though so I guess that ship has sailed . Thanks for the lovely review.

[Emmanuel Okotie]

This book really piques my interest despite the complaints in your review.
It's going to be an interesting read for me.
Thank you for this great review.

[Aisha Yakub]

I like that the characters were well development and realistic. Great review.

[Chesko]

Its sad the ages of the characters weren't realistic but the book seems to have been written well. Thanks for this honest review.