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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The crude language really put me off. In addition, once the story lost some of the paranormal edge, I was less interested. A couple of the storylines were not to my taste either. Disappointed.
This book was incredible! The premise caught my attention, the travel into wilderness was fun and interesting and in the last half the interweaving perspectives were so intense I couldn't put it down.
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Not having read anything by this author, I came in with no expectations. I enjoyed the thrilling parts of the story enough to overlook my frustration with some of the clumsy writing. After seeing other reviews, I’d like to read more by him.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is by far my least favorite Blake Crouch book. And given that it was initially published in 2009, long before his more recent successes, I'm going to look over the fact that this doesn't feel like the same author. There was so much to be frustrated with within this book. For one, the overall expectation that was set up by the author, the synopsis, and even the Goodreads genre tagging and missed. This book isn't the usual fair of sci-fi on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller that usually comes from this author. In fact, there is no science present. The synopsis leads you to believe that there will paranormal elements, a mystery to be solved. Well, the ghosts never show up and the mystery is only solved by relaying the history to the reader in narrative form. The expedition crew (the ones who survive) don't solve anything.
The one surprise I liked though was the historical section. Taking place in 1893 this section was full of mystery as you know all these people are doomed you just want to know how. Unfortunately, you find that answer out around 50-60% and then wonder where the remaining historical chapters are going to go. I kept thinking when is this going to wrap it up? The pov in this section followed multiple characters, ones who were a bit over-the-top caricatures of an old mining town but at least that allowed you to understand them better than the flat present-day characters. In the end, though the depiction of a preacher losing his mind and native Americans being called heathens felt unoriginal and left a bad taste in my mouth.
For the present chapters, it was a slog. While initially interesting, at 80 pages in it became a mixture of gore, snow, and a scope that I couldn't get my head around. If it was supposed to be a horror the disorientation about the distance between the town and the mine and the mansion and the campsite. Everyone seemed to move faster than possible in the snow. They survived deadly falls off a cliff, bullet wounds, and days without fresh water in a mine. No sleep, no food. How Abigail made it anywhere was total bs.
The plot in the present also drops in the beginning and the middle of the story simultaneously. We see her meet with her estranged dad to discuss the trip yet we have no idea what the trip actually is. Why Abigail is there, what she's writing, and who she even is as a person is missing. Every character has a backstory that pops up for a few pages and then vanishes. The psychic talks about ghosts but then just becomes another potential victim. The father-daughter storyline was weak. It needed more context and character depth to make every that would happen later in the story matter.
And finally, the writing was irritating. Characters would be standing 10 feet away, say a few lines of dialogue, and then press their knife to the other character's neck without any mention of them moving. I had a lot of difficulties knowing who was talking and where they were.
In the end, I recommend this book to no one and hope Crouch's next book comes out soon.
The one surprise I liked though was the historical section. Taking place in 1893 this section was full of mystery as you know all these people are doomed you just want to know how. Unfortunately, you find that answer out around 50-60% and then wonder where the remaining historical chapters are going to go. I kept thinking when is this going to wrap it up? The pov in this section followed multiple characters, ones who were a bit over-the-top caricatures of an old mining town but at least that allowed you to understand them better than the flat present-day characters. In the end, though the depiction of a preacher losing his mind and native Americans being called heathens felt unoriginal and left a bad taste in my mouth.
For the present chapters, it was a slog. While initially interesting, at 80 pages in it became a mixture of gore, snow, and a scope that I couldn't get my head around. If it was supposed to be a horror the disorientation about the distance between the town and the mine and the mansion and the campsite. Everyone seemed to move faster than possible in the snow. They survived deadly falls off a cliff, bullet wounds, and days without fresh water in a mine. No sleep, no food. How Abigail made it anywhere was total bs.
The plot in the present also drops in the beginning and the middle of the story simultaneously. We see her meet with her estranged dad to discuss the trip yet we have no idea what the trip actually is. Why Abigail is there, what she's writing, and who she even is as a person is missing. Every character has a backstory that pops up for a few pages and then vanishes. The psychic talks about ghosts but then just becomes another potential victim. The father-daughter storyline was weak. It needed more context and character depth to make every that would happen later in the story matter.
And finally, the writing was irritating. Characters would be standing 10 feet away, say a few lines of dialogue, and then press their knife to the other character's neck without any mention of them moving. I had a lot of difficulties knowing who was talking and where they were.
In the end, I recommend this book to no one and hope Crouch's next book comes out soon.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No