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emeraldjulep's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
*Audio
I enjoyed Tim Johnston’s writing style so much. He gave his characters such personality and depth, which was unexpected as I was just looking for a pulpy thriller. Instead I would compare Johnston to Tana French in that both give a literary flair to their mysteries. I became completely invested in the plot as well, in which the reader is pulled along with a steady pace, rather like a river, to the big reveal. I thought it could have been edited better as it seemed just a bit long, but I am not sure what I would cut. Impressed and looking forward to reading The Descent.
*Narration was spot on and helped deepen the characters IMO.
I enjoyed Tim Johnston’s writing style so much. He gave his characters such personality and depth, which was unexpected as I was just looking for a pulpy thriller. Instead I would compare Johnston to Tana French in that both give a literary flair to their mysteries. I became completely invested in the plot as well, in which the reader is pulled along with a steady pace, rather like a river, to the big reveal. I thought it could have been edited better as it seemed just a bit long, but I am not sure what I would cut. Impressed and looking forward to reading The Descent.
*Narration was spot on and helped deepen the characters IMO.
alisonlaw's review against another edition
Listen to Episode 56 of the Literary Atlanta podcast for my interview with Algonquin authors [a:B.A. Shapiro|7276618|B.A. Shapiro|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1402425223p2/7276618.jpg] and [a:Tim Johnston|476225|Tim Johnston|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1551016341p2/476225.jpg], recorded February 27, 2019, in front of a live audience at Atlanta's Margaret Mitchell House.
billymac1962's review against another edition
4.0
After loving Descent, and having such anticipation for The Current (I held off until my vacation started), it pains me to rate his work less than five stars.
Firstly, because he is a very good writer, and secondly, having exchanged a couple of tweets with him, he was very gracious of my gushing over Descent, and seems to be a really nice guy.
I enjoyed The Current overall, but I did find the first two hundred pages a lot to get through at times. The writing seemed more 'literary' in style than Descent was, and a lot of time was spent reading things that were trodden over a bit much. Thankfully, things picked up in a big way for the second half of the book.
What I loved about Descent was his attention to his characters. It's done here as well, but there were considerably more characters this time around, and I think that attention to detail suffered a bit. I really think this guy's strength lies with a smaller cast.
Having said that, though, there were some characters that were really well developed.
I was okay with how the story ended. I know this irked a lot of readers, but my joy in a novel is in the journey, not necessarily the destination.
I only finished this a little while ago, and this is a rushed review because my wife is waiting for me to start up the BBQ and there's a really cold Mill St. Organic Lager waiting for me, so I am ending the review here with the intent of 4.5 stars.
Don't be surprised if later on, you see I've changed my mind to 5 stars despite not liking it as much as Descent.
As is often the case, I find if a book continues to stay under my skin over time, I'll bump it up.
Regardless if this stays four stars or not, I really like this guy and I'll be excited to read what he puts out next.
Firstly, because he is a very good writer, and secondly, having exchanged a couple of tweets with him, he was very gracious of my gushing over Descent, and seems to be a really nice guy.
I enjoyed The Current overall, but I did find the first two hundred pages a lot to get through at times. The writing seemed more 'literary' in style than Descent was, and a lot of time was spent reading things that were trodden over a bit much. Thankfully, things picked up in a big way for the second half of the book.
What I loved about Descent was his attention to his characters. It's done here as well, but there were considerably more characters this time around, and I think that attention to detail suffered a bit. I really think this guy's strength lies with a smaller cast.
Having said that, though, there were some characters that were really well developed.
I was okay with how the story ended. I know this irked a lot of readers, but my joy in a novel is in the journey, not necessarily the destination.
I only finished this a little while ago, and this is a rushed review because my wife is waiting for me to start up the BBQ and there's a really cold Mill St. Organic Lager waiting for me, so I am ending the review here with the intent of 4.5 stars.
Don't be surprised if later on, you see I've changed my mind to 5 stars despite not liking it as much as Descent.
As is often the case, I find if a book continues to stay under my skin over time, I'll bump it up.
Regardless if this stays four stars or not, I really like this guy and I'll be excited to read what he puts out next.
horizonous's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What I expected was a fast paced popcorn thriller in a wintery setting. What I got is an atmospheric small town literary mystery with beautiful prose and complex characters.
I think if you like Long Bright River by Liz Moore you could like this as well and vice versa.
I think if you like Long Bright River by Liz Moore you could like this as well and vice versa.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Ableism, and Animal death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Miscarriage, and Vomit
novelvisits's review against another edition
4.0
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
Fantastic Writing – Tim Johnston will now be an auto-buy author for me because of his writing. It’s that good, that thoughtful, that engaging. In both his debut, Descent, and The Current, the writing shone brightly. But, I want to be clear, the two books are otherwise quite different. Fans of Descent will probably remember the breathless excitement/anxiety in a scene at the start of the book and another near the end. The Current never reaches that same state, but it does highlight people and relationships in crises, and Johnston does that every bit as compellingly as he did in his debut.
“Two dates and a dash between them. A whole life in that dash. From first breath with blood on her little face to last….
….In the end it’s you. Just you. You had one thing to do with your life and that was to protect her. To keep her safe.
And you did not. You did not.”
Character Driven with a Bit of Suspense – I liked that The Current was more about people and less about suspense. Yes, there was some mystery at its core, but I would not put it in the suspense genre, but more so in literary fiction. I found Johnston’s storytelling beautifully layered. Piece by piece, bit by bit he built connections; connections between his characters, connections between the past and the present, but also connections between the book and its reader. I couldn’t help but care about the people who populated The Current. In this character driven novel, Johnston gave the reader a vivid cast of small town folks touched by tragedy: a man haunted by his daughter’s death, another man who can never come home, a woman living in the shadow suspicion, a dying sheriff and his grieving daughter. Every character was connected to the others in ways that made this book real and touching.
“Now climbing into the Ford, she thought she’d cry again from the smell of it – the smokiness, yes, but also something beneath that, or within it, some old sherrify scent or combination of scents that was the very smell of – what? Of safety.”
What Didn’t
Slow Parts – Before I really got enmeshed in the characters and their lives, I found a few parts of the book slow. That resolved before the middle of the book.
What’s With the Smells? – Too many times people in this book talked about smells…cigarettes, trees, water, snow. It got a little annoying.
{The Final Assessment}
This is a book with just plain good storytelling. Yes, one part I found a bit of a stretch, but really isn’t that true in most every book? I loved the community that was The Current and could easily forgive this flaw. The ending was far from neat and tidy, which I truly appreciate. I whole-heartedly recommend Johnston’s new novel, but do not go in expecting to find another Descent. The Current shines in its own light. Grade: B+
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/the-current-by-tim-johnston-review/
What Worked For Me
Fantastic Writing – Tim Johnston will now be an auto-buy author for me because of his writing. It’s that good, that thoughtful, that engaging. In both his debut, Descent, and The Current, the writing shone brightly. But, I want to be clear, the two books are otherwise quite different. Fans of Descent will probably remember the breathless excitement/anxiety in a scene at the start of the book and another near the end. The Current never reaches that same state, but it does highlight people and relationships in crises, and Johnston does that every bit as compellingly as he did in his debut.
“Two dates and a dash between them. A whole life in that dash. From first breath with blood on her little face to last….
….In the end it’s you. Just you. You had one thing to do with your life and that was to protect her. To keep her safe.
And you did not. You did not.”
Character Driven with a Bit of Suspense – I liked that The Current was more about people and less about suspense. Yes, there was some mystery at its core, but I would not put it in the suspense genre, but more so in literary fiction. I found Johnston’s storytelling beautifully layered. Piece by piece, bit by bit he built connections; connections between his characters, connections between the past and the present, but also connections between the book and its reader. I couldn’t help but care about the people who populated The Current. In this character driven novel, Johnston gave the reader a vivid cast of small town folks touched by tragedy: a man haunted by his daughter’s death, another man who can never come home, a woman living in the shadow suspicion, a dying sheriff and his grieving daughter. Every character was connected to the others in ways that made this book real and touching.
“Now climbing into the Ford, she thought she’d cry again from the smell of it – the smokiness, yes, but also something beneath that, or within it, some old sherrify scent or combination of scents that was the very smell of – what? Of safety.”
What Didn’t
Slow Parts – Before I really got enmeshed in the characters and their lives, I found a few parts of the book slow. That resolved before the middle of the book.
What’s With the Smells? – Too many times people in this book talked about smells…cigarettes, trees, water, snow. It got a little annoying.
{The Final Assessment}
This is a book with just plain good storytelling. Yes, one part I found a bit of a stretch, but really isn’t that true in most every book? I loved the community that was The Current and could easily forgive this flaw. The ending was far from neat and tidy, which I truly appreciate. I whole-heartedly recommend Johnston’s new novel, but do not go in expecting to find another Descent. The Current shines in its own light. Grade: B+
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/the-current-by-tim-johnston-review/
randywgravitz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
natalie_88's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mlwilson1021's review against another edition
3.0
Johnston sets up this novel well. Two college girls taking a spur of the moment road trip in order for one of the girls to see her dying father. The girls are assaulted at a truck stop, and after escaping find themselves sliding off the road near a river bank. Their car is bumped intentionally and their car goes into the icy river. One girl survives.
This book felt like it was trying to be Beartown by Fredrik Backman, but it missed the mark. The writer doesn’t develop any of the characters very well, and there are a string of them to keep track of. The story also jumps back and forth between two time periods, one current and the other ten years prior. Johnston gives no clues or notations at the beginning of a chapter to clue the reader in to the switch in timelines/plot. Last, I felt this book was longer than it needed to be, and yet the author didn’t really tie up some loose ends. There were several slow parts for a book that appears to be mostly plot-driven.
This book felt like it was trying to be Beartown by Fredrik Backman, but it missed the mark. The writer doesn’t develop any of the characters very well, and there are a string of them to keep track of. The story also jumps back and forth between two time periods, one current and the other ten years prior. Johnston gives no clues or notations at the beginning of a chapter to clue the reader in to the switch in timelines/plot. Last, I felt this book was longer than it needed to be, and yet the author didn’t really tie up some loose ends. There were several slow parts for a book that appears to be mostly plot-driven.
jill_reading's review against another edition
4.5
Upper Midwest, ominous, not fully resolved catching/punishing of the ‘bad guy’ in a satisfying open ended way.
lmshilling14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0