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badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Read for my February 2022 Mini-challenge "Short Month, Long Book." I will read books 500+ pages for this challenge.
There was so much chasing, gunfire, and frostbite in this book. I'm glad I did not make a drinking game out of every time I someone got frostbite. I would still be in hospital for alcohol poisoning!
There was so much chasing, gunfire, and frostbite in this book. I'm glad I did not make a drinking game out of every time I someone got frostbite. I would still be in hospital for alcohol poisoning!
phantastikate's review against another edition
1.0
Why is this boring af? I'm so mad at how long this book took so long to listen to. Its3so boring that I still have no clue what is you on or who the characters are. Jfc. What a disappointment
carnal_butterfly's review against another edition
5.0
The Very First..
Blake Crouch book I've ever read and I will definitely be reading more. Seriously enjoyed this book! If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
Blake Crouch book I've ever read and I will definitely be reading more. Seriously enjoyed this book! If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
hellococo927's review against another edition
3.0
Blake Crouch is an author I usually devour, so diving into Abandon felt like a sure bet. While the initial mystery of the vanished town was undeniably interesting, the execution left me wanting.
Crouch's talent for creating vivid settings and characters shines through. You can practically feel the dust of the abandoned town and the desperation of the explorers. However, the story faltered between moments of genuine suspense and repetitive dialogue that veered towards torture porn and predictable banter.
As a Crouch fan, I was expecting the trademark edge-of-your-seat tension. Unfortunately, Abandon lacked that punch. The plot twists felt predictable, and the ending didn't quite deliver the satisfying resolution I craved.
While I ultimately finished the book, it was more out of curiosity than genuine engagement. If you're new to Crouch's work, I'd recommend starting with one of his other gripping thrillers like Dark Matter or Recursion. For established fans, Abandon might feel like a miss.
Crouch's talent for creating vivid settings and characters shines through. You can practically feel the dust of the abandoned town and the desperation of the explorers. However, the story faltered between moments of genuine suspense and repetitive dialogue that veered towards torture porn and predictable banter.
As a Crouch fan, I was expecting the trademark edge-of-your-seat tension. Unfortunately, Abandon lacked that punch. The plot twists felt predictable, and the ending didn't quite deliver the satisfying resolution I craved.
While I ultimately finished the book, it was more out of curiosity than genuine engagement. If you're new to Crouch's work, I'd recommend starting with one of his other gripping thrillers like Dark Matter or Recursion. For established fans, Abandon might feel like a miss.
belle9630's review against another edition
I read it doesn't have supernatural elements in it which disappointed me, and I lost interest after that.
michaelbeecham's review against another edition
4.0
I've been a long-time fan of Blake Crouch, and I know he'll always come up with the goods when it comes to a riveting read. Abandon was just as riveting. It's engaging and draws you in. If I were to pick any holes in it, I would probably offer two of them.
First, it's not as engaging as some of the others I've read but, more importantly, it's nothing like the click-bait title suggests. It's just a very different books. That's not to say it's a bad book per sé, it's not. But it's not what it purports to be. I won't go into anything that could be perceived as a spoiler, but if you're picking this because of the supernatural sound of it - it's just none of that.
Take it for what it is, and I think you'll love it.
First, it's not as engaging as some of the others I've read but, more importantly, it's nothing like the click-bait title suggests. It's just a very different books. That's not to say it's a bad book per sé, it's not. But it's not what it purports to be. I won't go into anything that could be perceived as a spoiler, but if you're picking this because of the supernatural sound of it - it's just none of that.
Take it for what it is, and I think you'll love it.
j_loop72's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
4.25
dr_kat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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
3.75
Okay…this just wasn’t the right book for me. Many other folks I know LOVED this book so much. But me…I just didn’t. I will say there’s a lot of creep and scary-teasing and build up. But I wouldn’t call this horror so much as adventure.
First, it just felt like it took so long to get started and even 3/4 + of the way through we were learning new things. And I disliked everyone. Everyone. And I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t really like ghost stories because they’re all tragedies and so sad.
So in my MFA program I was told over and over to do horrible things to my most likeable characters. I was told this makes great fiction and the reader wants it. Like a safe kind of schadenfreude where it’s just fiction so no one is really hurt. I tho k this is BS advice, though. Yes, testing a person to see how they react will often provide interesting, maybe even entertaining results. But like the “bonus short story” included in my copy of Abandon, at what cost to even a vicarious observer? Yeah, no, no thanks. A story needs complications but I don’t think it needs to be the worst of human nature for nearly the entire cast of characters, which is what this story has. Sorry, I’m not really giving spoilers; just my personal thoughts on why this book disappointed me and troubled me. So I read Lacalle’s Lone Women and it had a similar vibe, similar place and time, but no real cannibals, I guess. That left me with a more uplifted feeling even though it was still tragic. It was creepy and mysterious but not to the point of extreme torture. And there were redeemable people and lots of Justice. I could have used some of that in this novel.
But look, that’s just me. If you liked gold mining westerns and ghosts you may love this. I hope so.
So in my MFA program I was told over and over to do horrible things to my most likeable characters. I was told this makes great fiction and the reader wants it. Like a safe kind of schadenfreude where it’s just fiction so no one is really hurt. I tho k this is BS advice, though. Yes, testing a person to see how they react will often provide interesting, maybe even entertaining results. But like the “bonus short story” included in my copy of Abandon, at what cost to even a vicarious observer? Yeah, no, no thanks. A story needs complications but I don’t think it needs to be the worst of human nature for nearly the entire cast of characters, which is what this story has. Sorry, I’m not really giving spoilers; just my personal thoughts on why this book disappointed me and troubled me. So I read Lacalle’s Lone Women and it had a similar vibe, similar place and time, but no real cannibals, I guess. That left me with a more uplifted feeling even though it was still tragic. It was creepy and mysterious but not to the point of extreme torture. And there were redeemable people and lots of Justice. I could have used some of that in this novel.
But look, that’s just me. If you liked gold mining westerns and ghosts you may love this. I hope so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Murder, Torture, and Violence
madreejima's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0