The Long Way Down

by Kaitlin Corvus

It’s been one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine days since Riley’s tasted freedom. Taken from the streets at fourteen after a town fair and held captive against her will, Riley makes a brutal escape. Now that she’s free, returned to her family, she’s learning how to be her again, wading through trauma, heartache, and the remnants of her old life. It’s not the same as it used to be, but then again, neither’s she. Wildly destructive, wildly fearless, and starved to death for all the things she’s lost, she chases a feeling she doesn’t have a name for. Her favourite way to feel alive is to leap from Muller’s Bridge at night, into the faceless water below.
Wesley Draper is caught in the inertia. Him and his brother Cal have done what it takes to survive in the years since their parents were arrested. Things have been hard. Things have been awful, and life certainly isn’t what he thought it would be, despite the clean cottage, fresh coats of paint and family photos strategically placed around the living space. There’s a lot to be hidden beneath the thick veneer, but it’s starting to run thin as Cal’s enemies realize that the best way to get to Cal is to go through Wesley.
Riley chases the danger round Wesley with the determination of a storm, ready for anything and everything, she thinks. Things are different now, though. It’s not just her she’s pulling under the water every time she lets go of the guard rail and falls back. It’s everyone she loves, too.

236 pages, ebook

Published October 15, 2023

About the author

Kaitlin Corvus is from Ontario, Canada. The north holds the best part of her. She writes about nobodies, monsters, and gutter glitter, loves the stars, the deep dark sea, and a good horror mystery.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially fell in love with this author's writing in Dark Dark Heart. Much like that story, The Long Way Down weaves a complicated web, with an overarching theme of finding your place in the world, of navigating love, loss and growth.

We meet Riley on her last day in captivity. The last day she will be held against her will by a man who has kept her locked away for years, committing the unspeakable. She must learn to navigate society again and rediscover not only who she is, but her family and friends too. She finds solace in the darkness, in taking risks, in exposing herself to danger she feels she can control.

A riveting read, beautifully woven. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Samantha Steipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really good book. It was not a 5 star to me because while it was good, it won't be one of those that sticks with me long term. I felt sad for the main character, and while I haven't experienced anything like she has, I have experienced depression and her list to do what she needed was familiar. I do look forward to reading more from this author, and I definitely recommend this book! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Courtney Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is intense and fraught in a way that compels you on behalf of the characters. One character needed to escape from her past, while the other desperately wants to escape from his future. I was invested in their survival in spite of the incredible odds stacked against them. As painful and dark as this story unfolds, there's nuggets of truth throughout that are as breathtaking as they are heartbreaking. Another gripping tale by Corvus!

[Makayla Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Haunting. Real. Really loved this. Bravo.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.