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rmarcin's review
4.0
Solid first novel, but I thought it went on a little long, and the ending was a bit too pat for me.
lizzyacker's review
4.0
You can read my review here: http://the-tusk.com/2015/01/13/read-this-now-descent/
lbaggy's review
From the first page, I could tell the writing was scatterbrained and I would have a terrible time following. I couldn’t tell who was talking or narrating half the time. He would switch between present time and past in the same paragraph.
Also, it was just so slow. There are many books I enjoyed that are a slow pace read, but this just wasn’t doing it for me.
When I looked up the summary to see what happened, the whole story was told within two paragraphs. So WHY THE HECK WAS THIS BOOK ALMOST 400 PAGES LONG?!
Also, it was just so slow. There are many books I enjoyed that are a slow pace read, but this just wasn’t doing it for me.
When I looked up the summary to see what happened, the whole story was told within two paragraphs. So WHY THE HECK WAS THIS BOOK ALMOST 400 PAGES LONG?!
judithdcollins's review
5.0
I am utterly speechless!
Top Books of 2015
DESCENT must be made into a movie, and I want a front-row seat. Tim Johnston delivers an extraordinary "work of art," narrated by an award-winning performance of Xe Sands and R.C. Bray. One of the best books of the year, and assured to win numerous awards.
Where to begin? Grant and Angela are going to the Rockies for a last family vacation, to Colorado and the great outdoors, before eighteen-year-old Caitland, an avid runner, goes off to college (track scholarship), along with younger brother Sean.
While mom and dad are at the motel having sex, the brother/sister take off to the hills on their adventure. However, when a tragic accident occurs, Sean is hit by a car while on his bike; with no cell phone reception, Caitland is frantic as her brother needs help. They find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
When a stranger comes along and agrees to take her down the mountain to call her parents and seek help, a family’s nightmare begins, and none of their lives will ever be the same. This is one sick, twisted guy.
An emotional and intense journey, as slowly each family member falls apart, one by one. Each blames the other, feels guilt, and cannot console the other. There are emotional wounds, even from the past, before the tragedy.
When no clues turn up, or a body, Grant thinks Angela needs to return home to Wisconsin. She has depression problems and withdraws. Grant stays in Colorado, helping another older man (this story is quite humorous) at times.
Sean wants to escape, takes off in his dad’s truck, and crosses the country with one problem after another. (this guy cannot catch a break). Sean is fearless and wants to help everyone since he cannot help his sister. Finally, Grant bails his son out of jail, and the two remain in Colorado as they continue their search.
As the days on the mountain become years, a tale of survival, family bonds, courage, love, choices, and an experience that will change them forever.
This is not your ordinary novel of a typical kidnapping or abduction. It is so much more. We do not hear much from Caitland and less of the mother back in Wisconsin; however, the novel takes many twists and turns into the lives of a family in Colorado and the powerful connection, which will make readers cry and laugh simultaneously, for an emotional journey. (Emmett, Billy, Sheriff connection)
Captivating! Johnston is a gifted and creative writer who weaves a suspense psycho-crime thriller that crosses many genres. Not only is this an intense, harrowing mystery thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, hanging on every word; it is an exploration into human dynamics, the beautiful literary prose, and the many metaphors . . .Spellbinding.
Completely blown away by the writing, as difficult to put into words. I am reminded of a mix of rough and tough Clint Eastwood, a twisted and evil mind of Anthony Hopkins, yet poetic and elegant at the same time with flawed characters, pulling you into the heartfelt, strong bond of family as they make their broken way back to one another. Best of all, Johnston pulls this off in one riveting, poignant novel.
Reminiscent of Charles Martin, Ron Rash, John Hart, Allen Eskens, T. Greenwood, and Catherine Ryan Hyde with the outdoor mountain setting, small-town characters, and the deep human emotional dynamics—many elements.
Guys will devour this one, and the gals- from rough and rugged suspense to deeply moving, emotional, and intense.
My recommendation: Start reading this today, and set aside the time, as you will not be able to stop! Best High-Wire Literary Thriller
A special thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review. (I also purchased the audio.)
Blog review posted @
Judith D. Collins
@JudithDColins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Top Books of 2015
Pub Date: 01/06/2019
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
Top Books of 2015
DESCENT must be made into a movie, and I want a front-row seat. Tim Johnston delivers an extraordinary "work of art," narrated by an award-winning performance of Xe Sands and R.C. Bray. One of the best books of the year, and assured to win numerous awards.
Where to begin? Grant and Angela are going to the Rockies for a last family vacation, to Colorado and the great outdoors, before eighteen-year-old Caitland, an avid runner, goes off to college (track scholarship), along with younger brother Sean.
While mom and dad are at the motel having sex, the brother/sister take off to the hills on their adventure. However, when a tragic accident occurs, Sean is hit by a car while on his bike; with no cell phone reception, Caitland is frantic as her brother needs help. They find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
When a stranger comes along and agrees to take her down the mountain to call her parents and seek help, a family’s nightmare begins, and none of their lives will ever be the same. This is one sick, twisted guy.
An emotional and intense journey, as slowly each family member falls apart, one by one. Each blames the other, feels guilt, and cannot console the other. There are emotional wounds, even from the past, before the tragedy.
When no clues turn up, or a body, Grant thinks Angela needs to return home to Wisconsin. She has depression problems and withdraws. Grant stays in Colorado, helping another older man (this story is quite humorous) at times.
Sean wants to escape, takes off in his dad’s truck, and crosses the country with one problem after another. (this guy cannot catch a break). Sean is fearless and wants to help everyone since he cannot help his sister. Finally, Grant bails his son out of jail, and the two remain in Colorado as they continue their search.
As the days on the mountain become years, a tale of survival, family bonds, courage, love, choices, and an experience that will change them forever.
This is not your ordinary novel of a typical kidnapping or abduction. It is so much more. We do not hear much from Caitland and less of the mother back in Wisconsin; however, the novel takes many twists and turns into the lives of a family in Colorado and the powerful connection, which will make readers cry and laugh simultaneously, for an emotional journey. (Emmett, Billy, Sheriff connection)
Captivating! Johnston is a gifted and creative writer who weaves a suspense psycho-crime thriller that crosses many genres. Not only is this an intense, harrowing mystery thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, hanging on every word; it is an exploration into human dynamics, the beautiful literary prose, and the many metaphors . . .Spellbinding.
Completely blown away by the writing, as difficult to put into words. I am reminded of a mix of rough and tough Clint Eastwood, a twisted and evil mind of Anthony Hopkins, yet poetic and elegant at the same time with flawed characters, pulling you into the heartfelt, strong bond of family as they make their broken way back to one another. Best of all, Johnston pulls this off in one riveting, poignant novel.
Reminiscent of Charles Martin, Ron Rash, John Hart, Allen Eskens, T. Greenwood, and Catherine Ryan Hyde with the outdoor mountain setting, small-town characters, and the deep human emotional dynamics—many elements.
Guys will devour this one, and the gals- from rough and rugged suspense to deeply moving, emotional, and intense.
My recommendation: Start reading this today, and set aside the time, as you will not be able to stop! Best High-Wire Literary Thriller
A special thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review. (I also purchased the audio.)
Blog review posted @
Judith D. Collins
@JudithDColins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Top Books of 2015
Pub Date: 01/06/2019
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
slpugs's review
3.0
I love stories about people lost in the woods. I wish there were more of them.
This novel is fairly middle of the road. I did find the pacing a little slow and the climax to be a tad mediocre after such a long build-up. I found the characters to be fairly one dimensional, especially the core family that the novel is about. All of their dialogue felt incredibly similar which made it hard to keep track of who was talking sometimes. I also felt some of the secondary characters were completely unnecessary. Some of the character backstory (mainly the brother) felt like complete filler and did absolutely nothing to develop his character or move the story forward.
That being said, I found the novel to be beautifully written. The use of run-on sentences in particular I found compelling (though recognize that not every reader will like this). The use of emotive description and the whole "show don't tell" concept was well executed. I think the novel is worth a read for Johnston's unique writing style alone.
This novel is fairly middle of the road. I did find the pacing a little slow and the climax to be a tad mediocre after such a long build-up. I found the characters to be fairly one dimensional, especially the core family that the novel is about. All of their dialogue felt incredibly similar which made it hard to keep track of who was talking sometimes. I also felt some of the secondary characters were completely unnecessary. Some of the character backstory (mainly the brother) felt like complete filler and did absolutely nothing to develop his character or move the story forward.
That being said, I found the novel to be beautifully written. The use of run-on sentences in particular I found compelling (though recognize that not every reader will like this). The use of emotive description and the whole "show don't tell" concept was well executed. I think the novel is worth a read for Johnston's unique writing style alone.
mmc6661's review
2.0
Jumped around way to much without letting you know what when or why it was. I found it hard to stay involved in and just really wanted to know if they found her or not. The rest of the story held no interest for me.
liketheday's review
2.0
Overall there were enough good pieces to this story that I think it turned out decent, but knowing what I know now I would probably not have started this book. It's like catching one of those murder-of-the-week shows on TV — I didn't particularly want to stick around another hour (or several, in this case), but I just had to know.
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ilovestory's review
2.0
The writing was great but it just wasn't a book for me. I didn't feel the tension, got lost in the italicized parts as I tried to figure out who was speaking, didn't feel the portrayal of the mom was well developed and in any event should never have picked it up because girls being abducted or killed while out running hits too close to home for me for several reasons.
triciamc1238's review
1.0
Hated it, didn't finish. The middle was impossible to get through. I jumped ahead and read the last few chapters.
shewwimonster's review
4.0
This novel was a slow burn. Going in I was expecting more of a thriller, and it's definitely not that. The focus is on how each family member copes after experiencing this terrible loss and how they deal with the unknown factor of whether or not Caitlin is still alive. That being said, the writing is beautiful and even though there isn't much movement, the story doesn't drag. Descent is a solid read.