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Descent
The Rocky Mountains have cast their spell over the Courtlands, a young family from the plains taking a last summer vacation before their daughter begins college. For eighteen-year-old Caitlin, the mountains loom as the ultimate test of her runner’s heart, while her parents hope that so much beauty, so much grandeur, will somehow repair a damaged marriage. But when Caitlin and her younger brother, Sean, go out for an early morning run and only Sean returns, the mountains become as terrifying as they are majestic, as suddenly this family find themselves living the kind of nightmare they’ve only read about in headlines or seen on TV.
As their world comes undone, the Courtlands are drawn into a vortex of dread and recrimination. Why weren’t they more careful? What has happened to their daughter? Is she alive? Will they ever know? Caitlin’s disappearance, all the more devastating for its mystery, is the beginning of the family’s harrowing journey down increasingly divergent and solitary paths until all that continues to bind them together are the questions they can never bring themselves to ask: At what point does a family stop searching? At what point will a girl stop fighting for her life?
As their world comes undone, the Courtlands are drawn into a vortex of dread and recrimination. Why weren’t they more careful? What has happened to their daughter? Is she alive? Will they ever know? Caitlin’s disappearance, all the more devastating for its mystery, is the beginning of the family’s harrowing journey down increasingly divergent and solitary paths until all that continues to bind them together are the questions they can never bring themselves to ask: At what point does a family stop searching? At what point will a girl stop fighting for her life?
376 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2015
About the author
Tim Johnston
13 books745 followersTim Johnston is the author of the novels THE CURRENT and DESCENT, the story collection IRISH GIRL, and the YA novel NEVER SO GREEN. A New York Times, USA Today, and Indie national bestseller, Descent has been published internationally and optioned for film. The stories of Irish Girl won an O. Henry Prize, the New Letters Award for Writers, and the Gival Press Short Story Award, while the collection itself won the 2009 Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction. In 2005 the title story, “Irish Girl,” was included in the David Sedaris anthology of favorites, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules. Tim’s stories have also appeared in New England Review, New Letters, The Iowa Review, The Missouri Review, Double Take, Best Life Magazine, and Narrative Magazine, among others. Tim holds degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A carpenter for most of his adult life, he has also taught creative writing at The George Washington University and the University of Memphis. He is the recipient of the 2015 Iowa Author Award, and currently lives in Iowa City, Iowa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,166 reviews
March 28, 2019
Tim Johnston strikes a remarkable balance here, showcasing his literary prowess while simultaneously catapulting readers into pulse-pounding territory with his suspenseful plotting. In my eyes, Descent raises the bar—whether good or bad—making the domestic and missing person storylines dominating the suspense space now seem bland or even shoddy in comparison. Although, if literary fiction isn't your thing, I'd say pass. This piece of fiction is fitting for those readers who thrive off the thrills and chills but also harbor a craving for something deeper and more meaningful. This fantastically written novel not only presents a quest for answers, but also explores a family’s heart-wrenching and emotional *descent* into despair.
When things take a turn for the worse, we tend to regret the choices that brought us to that moment. Which is where Grant and Angela find themselves, wishing they could take back the decision to bring their daughter, Caitlin, and son, Sean, to the Rocky Mountains. What was intended to be a celebratory gift for Caitlin before heading off to college, becomes the backdrop for the family's worst nightmare. During an early morning run, and under the guise of getting help, Caitlin is taken. Gone; without a clue in sight.
Non-linear—time, place and perspective are fluid—the author’s mesmerizing style demands attention. The result is both emotionally impactful and fear-inducing, but ultimately redemptive.
The coping mechanisms deployed by each member of the family following Caitlin’s disappearance is what brings heart and hurt to the pages. For Grant, it's the continuous search for his daughter that keeps him going; and subsequently a new makeshift life in Colorado. The disappearance of her daughter has revived old wounds for Angela, making it all too easy to turn inward. Most surprising is Caitlin’s younger brother, Sean, who moves from place to place in an attempt to leave behind the ugly memories of that pivotal morning.
Unexpected is the best descriptor here; from impact and overall experience to the unnerving ending, this book far exceeded any expectations that I allowed to tag along for the ride. Descent is one of those rare journeys that reinvigorated my appreciation for the written word and sparked some self-reflection in regards to my reading habits. It's worth taking the time to seek out the unique and validating reading experiences, rather than succumbing to the mundane or trying to adhere to a review schedule. Why settle when there are books like this waiting to be read?
*I can’t end my review without mentioning the fantastic reviews written by Marialyce and Jan, both of which convinced me I *had* to get my hands on this book. What an experience. THANKS ladies! ♥
They’d come to the Rockies thinking it was a place like any other they might have chosen: chronicled, mapped, finite. A fully known American somewhere. Now Grant understood that, like the desert, like the ocean, the mountains were a vast and pitiless nowhere. Who would bring his family—his children—to such a place?
When things take a turn for the worse, we tend to regret the choices that brought us to that moment. Which is where Grant and Angela find themselves, wishing they could take back the decision to bring their daughter, Caitlin, and son, Sean, to the Rocky Mountains. What was intended to be a celebratory gift for Caitlin before heading off to college, becomes the backdrop for the family's worst nightmare. During an early morning run, and under the guise of getting help, Caitlin is taken. Gone; without a clue in sight.
Non-linear—time, place and perspective are fluid—the author’s mesmerizing style demands attention. The result is both emotionally impactful and fear-inducing, but ultimately redemptive.
The coping mechanisms deployed by each member of the family following Caitlin’s disappearance is what brings heart and hurt to the pages. For Grant, it's the continuous search for his daughter that keeps him going; and subsequently a new makeshift life in Colorado. The disappearance of her daughter has revived old wounds for Angela, making it all too easy to turn inward. Most surprising is Caitlin’s younger brother, Sean, who moves from place to place in an attempt to leave behind the ugly memories of that pivotal morning.
Unexpected is the best descriptor here; from impact and overall experience to the unnerving ending, this book far exceeded any expectations that I allowed to tag along for the ride. Descent is one of those rare journeys that reinvigorated my appreciation for the written word and sparked some self-reflection in regards to my reading habits. It's worth taking the time to seek out the unique and validating reading experiences, rather than succumbing to the mundane or trying to adhere to a review schedule. Why settle when there are books like this waiting to be read?
*I can’t end my review without mentioning the fantastic reviews written by Marialyce and Jan, both of which convinced me I *had* to get my hands on this book. What an experience. THANKS ladies! ♥
October 7, 2014
i seem to be the outlier with this book. everyone else is rave city, and i'm just "meh." i thought it was okay, but it was both a little familiar and a little forgettable. while i was reading it, i was enjoying it, but at the end of the day it didn't really stick to my ribs. there are definitely some memorable moments here, but my tastes run more towards the gritty thriller version of this story rather than the family drama side of things. the strongest scenes for me are the ones that fall on "my" side of the spectrum, and mostly come towards the end. those scenes were definitely worth the journey to get to them, but i think this just comes down to me being the wrong reader for the story. oops.
it concerns a family that is already experiencing difficulties when their eighteen-year-old track-star daughter caitlin goes missing during a family vacation in the rocky mountains where she's out running with her younger brother sean. when sean is hit by a truck, miles from civilization, caitlin goes off with the driver to get help, and vanishes.
from there, the story focuses on the years following caitlin's disappearance, and her family's stubborn clinging to the hope of getting answers and closure. her father grant stays in the area to continue the search, her mother angela returns to wisconsin, and sean, after he heals, goes on a bit of a wander across the country, doing odd jobs and eventually rejoining grant in a cabin, where their neighbor has two sons: the sheriff leading the investigation and a much less law-abiding man who is mean to dogs. caitlin's family, in their separate lives, experience emotional fallout, guilt, the pain of not knowing whether caitlin is alive or dead, and the horrible speculation about what is being done to her if she is still alive. it is told from multiple viewpoints, as each member of her family navigates their grief, which affects them all in very different ways.
as a family story with psychological elements, it is very well-written. it occasionally veers into "trying too hard" territory: Both beds in the adjoining room were empty and unmade, their layers cast off like torments, and it gets a little episodic at times, but it's definitely engaging, and i kept reading because i wanted to know what happened to caitlin.
my biggest problem is with the ending.
so there's a lot of good stuff here, particularly in the descriptions of the rockies, but i didn't get as swept away as all the other readers here on goodreads, which makes me sad. but i can just go read another book, and not sit here and dwell on what it is in me that is so flawed as a reader to have missed the enthusiasm boat. as always, don't listen to me.
come to my blog!
it concerns a family that is already experiencing difficulties when their eighteen-year-old track-star daughter caitlin goes missing during a family vacation in the rocky mountains where she's out running with her younger brother sean. when sean is hit by a truck, miles from civilization, caitlin goes off with the driver to get help, and vanishes.
from there, the story focuses on the years following caitlin's disappearance, and her family's stubborn clinging to the hope of getting answers and closure. her father grant stays in the area to continue the search, her mother angela returns to wisconsin, and sean, after he heals, goes on a bit of a wander across the country, doing odd jobs and eventually rejoining grant in a cabin, where their neighbor has two sons: the sheriff leading the investigation and a much less law-abiding man who is mean to dogs. caitlin's family, in their separate lives, experience emotional fallout, guilt, the pain of not knowing whether caitlin is alive or dead, and the horrible speculation about what is being done to her if she is still alive. it is told from multiple viewpoints, as each member of her family navigates their grief, which affects them all in very different ways.
as a family story with psychological elements, it is very well-written. it occasionally veers into "trying too hard" territory: Both beds in the adjoining room were empty and unmade, their layers cast off like torments, and it gets a little episodic at times, but it's definitely engaging, and i kept reading because i wanted to know what happened to caitlin.
my biggest problem is with the ending.
so there's a lot of good stuff here, particularly in the descriptions of the rockies, but i didn't get as swept away as all the other readers here on goodreads, which makes me sad. but i can just go read another book, and not sit here and dwell on what it is in me that is so flawed as a reader to have missed the enthusiasm boat. as always, don't listen to me.
come to my blog!
September 29, 2020
Descent by Tim Johnston (Author), R.C. Bray (Narrator), Xe Sands (Narrator)
I enjoyed The Current so much that I finally listened to the audiobook of Descent and I devoured this book by Tim Johnston, too. Once I started the audio, I listened to it almost straight through, throwing self restraint out the window. I wanted to know how the story ended...I wanted to know the fate of Caitlin.
Eighteen year old Caitlyn's mother, father, and fifteen year old brother, are on a vacation in the Rocky Mountains, before Caitlyn leaves for her first year of college on a track scholarship. While running on the mountain trails, her brother, Sean, on a mountain bike, something happens that results in Sean being gravely injured and Caitlyn being kidnapped. The Courtland family falls apart, each in their own way. The already shaky marriage of the parents disintegrates and Sean's low self esteem and feelings of guilt lead him down a destructive path. Sean's a good kid but he's now reckless, chain smoking, unwilling to eat, rudderless, and never willing to let go of Caitlyn. Dad, a former drinker, smoker, and serial cheater has fallen off of every wagon and Mom can barely stand to keep living.
The biggest horror of the story for me is that Caitlyn is still alive, held captive by a sadist maniac. Her family never wants to give up on seeing her again, until they actually know her body has been found, but Caitlyn knows she only has so much time before the kidnapper will kill her, too. She knows there were others before her, sees signs of other captives in her hovel. The feeling of despair is the overriding thing that I took away from this book and just like Caitlyn's family, I couldn't stop until I knew Caitlyn's fate.
Obviously I enjoyed this story, immensely, although there were things about it that didn't flow smoothly. The author would often use the terms, the girl, the boy, the man, for established characters and this was off putting and confusing, especially when I didn't have the written page in front of me to clear my confusion about the person being described. Also, for all we know about the characters and how much we get inside their thoughts, it can be hard to understand some of their motivations. Why would a woman want to stay with a serial cheater, how could a father that loves his family so much, do such hurtful things to that family, what makes a character who is despicable change overnight? Despite these unanswered questions, this story had me trapped.
Published January 6th 2015
I enjoyed The Current so much that I finally listened to the audiobook of Descent and I devoured this book by Tim Johnston, too. Once I started the audio, I listened to it almost straight through, throwing self restraint out the window. I wanted to know how the story ended...I wanted to know the fate of Caitlin.
Eighteen year old Caitlyn's mother, father, and fifteen year old brother, are on a vacation in the Rocky Mountains, before Caitlyn leaves for her first year of college on a track scholarship. While running on the mountain trails, her brother, Sean, on a mountain bike, something happens that results in Sean being gravely injured and Caitlyn being kidnapped. The Courtland family falls apart, each in their own way. The already shaky marriage of the parents disintegrates and Sean's low self esteem and feelings of guilt lead him down a destructive path. Sean's a good kid but he's now reckless, chain smoking, unwilling to eat, rudderless, and never willing to let go of Caitlyn. Dad, a former drinker, smoker, and serial cheater has fallen off of every wagon and Mom can barely stand to keep living.
The biggest horror of the story for me is that Caitlyn is still alive, held captive by a sadist maniac. Her family never wants to give up on seeing her again, until they actually know her body has been found, but Caitlyn knows she only has so much time before the kidnapper will kill her, too. She knows there were others before her, sees signs of other captives in her hovel. The feeling of despair is the overriding thing that I took away from this book and just like Caitlyn's family, I couldn't stop until I knew Caitlyn's fate.
Obviously I enjoyed this story, immensely, although there were things about it that didn't flow smoothly. The author would often use the terms, the girl, the boy, the man, for established characters and this was off putting and confusing, especially when I didn't have the written page in front of me to clear my confusion about the person being described. Also, for all we know about the characters and how much we get inside their thoughts, it can be hard to understand some of their motivations. Why would a woman want to stay with a serial cheater, how could a father that loves his family so much, do such hurtful things to that family, what makes a character who is despicable change overnight? Despite these unanswered questions, this story had me trapped.
Published January 6th 2015
May 3, 2019
MA LA VITA CONTINUA DAVVERO?
Il Great Divide, o Continental Divide, separa i corsi d’acqua che da lì in poi puntano ai due opposti oceani, a ovest verso il Pacifico, o a est verso l’Atlantico.
È lì che succede.
Caitlin ha diciotto anni, scarpe da corsa, è un’atleta della velocità a piedi, ha vinto una borsa di studio per meriti sportivi e alla fine dell’estate (siamo a luglio) inizierà il college.
Caitlin è un atleta, ha vinto una borsa di studio al college per meriti sportivi.
Il fratello Sean ha quindici anni, è piuttosto in carne, e le arranca dietro con una mountain bike.
I genitori, Grant e Angela, sono rimasti al motel: insieme e finalmente nudi, finalmente congiunti, dopo un periodo di separazione emotiva. Lui beve troppo, ha perso due dita tagliate da una sega elettrica mentre era ubriaco – lei ha perso la sorella gemella Faith a sedici anni, mentre era occupata a fare la respirazione bocca a bocca all’altra sorella, quella minore, Grace (tre sorelle, Faith, Angela, Grace: qualcuno nella sua famiglia è per caso religioso?).
Succede lassù, in mezzo alle montagne rocciose, dove si può restare nascosti per anni senza che nessuno ti trovi, pure se ti cerca con accanimento, pur se ti nascondono a pochi chilometri in linea d’aria. La linea a terra è più complessa: boschi, neve, ghiaccio, crepacci.
Succede che un pick-up Ford Bronco appaia all’improvviso e travolga Sean spezzandogli una gamba, e l’uomo alla guida, nascosto da occhiali da sole con le lenti gialle, si porti via la sorella Caitlin.
La casa nel bosco.
Il titolo originale è Descent e infatti si concentra sulla caduta, e lo sgretolamento, lo sfaldamento della famiglia dopo la scomparsa della figlia sorella.
Il padre resterà per anni in Colorado a cercarla, pungolando le autorità competenti a non abbandonare la ricerca, diventando un nuovo membro della comunità. La madre tornerà a casa, in Wyoming, entrerà e uscirà da ospedali ricoverata per crolli emotivi – poi tenterà in modo un po’ così, un po’ maldestro, di riprendere l’insegnamento. Nel frattempo accuserà più o meno tacitamente il fratello minore, Sean, per aver abbandonato la sorella. Nonostante Sean fosse a terra con una gamba spezzata e avesse solo quindici anni: a distanza di anni, Sean ancora zoppica e ha dolore. Lui raggiunge l’età che aveva lei quando è scomparsa: se ne va in giro per il paese su un vecchio pick-up, New Mexico, Nebraska, mangia poco, fuma molto, parla poco, se le va a cercare, si spezza un polso, finisce in prigione, ma intanto diventa uomo.
Il padre va a recuperarlo, lo tira fuori di cella e se lo riporta in Colorado.
La chiesa di St Malo in Colorado e sullo sfondo le Rocky Mountains.
L’inizio è buono. Così come il finale.
In mezzo Tim Johnston regala centinaia di pagine che si accendono di rado, vince la noia e la monotonia nonostante il buon inizio.
Forse dipende dalla fatica ad accettare la situazione di Grant, Angela e Sean, dalla loro perdita di fiducia nella vita, dalla reazione quasi dormiente al colpo del destino.
Le Montagne Rocciose in Colorado.
Forse, invece, succede perché Johnston complica il racconto senza motivo. Alla ricerca di una narrazione “edgy” (come la chiamano gli scout di Netflix) si muove avanti e indietro nel tempo, da uno all’altro personaggio, spezza il ritmo, frantuma il flusso, richiede un’attenzione che però a me non pare meritare.
Ora, io non sono certo un fanatico dello scorrere del tempo narrativo in senso lineare, mi piace l’avanti e indietro, la sorpresa, il salto, lo stacco. Ma diciamolo: anche sullo schermo questo modo di raccontare ha un po’ raggiunto il suo limite, serve trovare nuove soluzioni, flash-back e flash-forward devono cominciare ad agire su altro livello.
La Main Street di Omaha, Nebraska. È qui che Sean finisce in prigione.
Tim Johnston insiste molto sulla famiglia, sparge riferimenti a fede dio e religione, sembra in qualche modo volerci convincere che sotto sotto una qualche colpa familiare esista e motivi il fattaccio (immagino i tradimenti del padre, la messa in discussione del vincolo del matrimonio, e altre amenità simili).
Si dimentica però di fornirci un profilo criminale del colpevole, a parte il solito genitore ubriaco (ma se tutti i figli di genitori ubriachi dovessero diventare adulti sequestratori e pedofili…)
Loveland Pass in Colorado.
Il Great Divide, o Continental Divide, separa i corsi d’acqua che da lì in poi puntano ai due opposti oceani, a ovest verso il Pacifico, o a est verso l’Atlantico.
È lì che succede.
Caitlin ha diciotto anni, scarpe da corsa, è un’atleta della velocità a piedi, ha vinto una borsa di studio per meriti sportivi e alla fine dell’estate (siamo a luglio) inizierà il college.
Caitlin è un atleta, ha vinto una borsa di studio al college per meriti sportivi.
Il fratello Sean ha quindici anni, è piuttosto in carne, e le arranca dietro con una mountain bike.
I genitori, Grant e Angela, sono rimasti al motel: insieme e finalmente nudi, finalmente congiunti, dopo un periodo di separazione emotiva. Lui beve troppo, ha perso due dita tagliate da una sega elettrica mentre era ubriaco – lei ha perso la sorella gemella Faith a sedici anni, mentre era occupata a fare la respirazione bocca a bocca all’altra sorella, quella minore, Grace (tre sorelle, Faith, Angela, Grace: qualcuno nella sua famiglia è per caso religioso?).
Succede lassù, in mezzo alle montagne rocciose, dove si può restare nascosti per anni senza che nessuno ti trovi, pure se ti cerca con accanimento, pur se ti nascondono a pochi chilometri in linea d’aria. La linea a terra è più complessa: boschi, neve, ghiaccio, crepacci.
Succede che un pick-up Ford Bronco appaia all’improvviso e travolga Sean spezzandogli una gamba, e l’uomo alla guida, nascosto da occhiali da sole con le lenti gialle, si porti via la sorella Caitlin.
La casa nel bosco.
Il titolo originale è Descent e infatti si concentra sulla caduta, e lo sgretolamento, lo sfaldamento della famiglia dopo la scomparsa della figlia sorella.
Il padre resterà per anni in Colorado a cercarla, pungolando le autorità competenti a non abbandonare la ricerca, diventando un nuovo membro della comunità. La madre tornerà a casa, in Wyoming, entrerà e uscirà da ospedali ricoverata per crolli emotivi – poi tenterà in modo un po’ così, un po’ maldestro, di riprendere l’insegnamento. Nel frattempo accuserà più o meno tacitamente il fratello minore, Sean, per aver abbandonato la sorella. Nonostante Sean fosse a terra con una gamba spezzata e avesse solo quindici anni: a distanza di anni, Sean ancora zoppica e ha dolore. Lui raggiunge l’età che aveva lei quando è scomparsa: se ne va in giro per il paese su un vecchio pick-up, New Mexico, Nebraska, mangia poco, fuma molto, parla poco, se le va a cercare, si spezza un polso, finisce in prigione, ma intanto diventa uomo.
Il padre va a recuperarlo, lo tira fuori di cella e se lo riporta in Colorado.
La chiesa di St Malo in Colorado e sullo sfondo le Rocky Mountains.
L’inizio è buono. Così come il finale.
In mezzo Tim Johnston regala centinaia di pagine che si accendono di rado, vince la noia e la monotonia nonostante il buon inizio.
Forse dipende dalla fatica ad accettare la situazione di Grant, Angela e Sean, dalla loro perdita di fiducia nella vita, dalla reazione quasi dormiente al colpo del destino.
Le Montagne Rocciose in Colorado.
Forse, invece, succede perché Johnston complica il racconto senza motivo. Alla ricerca di una narrazione “edgy” (come la chiamano gli scout di Netflix) si muove avanti e indietro nel tempo, da uno all’altro personaggio, spezza il ritmo, frantuma il flusso, richiede un’attenzione che però a me non pare meritare.
Ora, io non sono certo un fanatico dello scorrere del tempo narrativo in senso lineare, mi piace l’avanti e indietro, la sorpresa, il salto, lo stacco. Ma diciamolo: anche sullo schermo questo modo di raccontare ha un po’ raggiunto il suo limite, serve trovare nuove soluzioni, flash-back e flash-forward devono cominciare ad agire su altro livello.
La Main Street di Omaha, Nebraska. È qui che Sean finisce in prigione.
Tim Johnston insiste molto sulla famiglia, sparge riferimenti a fede dio e religione, sembra in qualche modo volerci convincere che sotto sotto una qualche colpa familiare esista e motivi il fattaccio (immagino i tradimenti del padre, la messa in discussione del vincolo del matrimonio, e altre amenità simili).
Si dimentica però di fornirci un profilo criminale del colpevole, a parte il solito genitore ubriaco (ma se tutti i figli di genitori ubriachi dovessero diventare adulti sequestratori e pedofili…)
Loveland Pass in Colorado.
January 7, 2016
DNF Hugely not a fan of the leaden "literary" writing style, and the family dynamics aren't nearly as compelling as they should be. The way things wrap up neatly into a pretty bow made me roll my eyes, and as a thriller, this isn't a very suspenseful read, either.
Best part:
Least interesting part(s): Welllll. Pretty much everything else.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
Best part:
Least interesting part(s): Welllll. Pretty much everything else.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
January 15, 2016
It’s rare to come across a book which leaves the reader feeling he has read something very, very special. With a slow beginning it quietly moves along until you are completely entranced by the author’s flair to write such a powerful and moving story. It begins with a family of four on holiday in the Rocky Mountains. Two teenagers, eighteen-year-old Caitlin and her brother fifteen-year-old Sean, leave the motel as their parents sleep and make their way towards the mountain. Upon reaching the trail, Caitlin runs ahead of Sean who tries his best to keep up pedaling his mountain bike at full tilt. As they ascend higher and higher, fate appears on the horizon and the coin is tossed; one child will come off the mountain safe, while the other will simply disappear. Tim Johnston has captured the raw emotions felt by both parents and son, as the once happy family is now torn apart and fractured beyond repair. With many profound, deeply moving scenes with such expressive vivid detail, The Descent is an impressive novel.
March 13, 2019
"A daughter was your life; it was as simple as that. Her body was the only body, her heart the only heart. The most absolute, the most terrible love.”
A parent’s worst nightmare: Grant and Angela, and their two children, Sean and Caitlin, take a much-needed vacation in the Rocky Mountains before Caitlin heads off to college. Caitlin and her brother go running/biking in the hills early one morning when they are hit by a truck. Sean is left severely injured on the side of the road, and Caitlin is abducted.
This sounds like the start of an ordinary thriller but in the deft hands of this talented author, it is anything but ordinary. The strength of the story is not simply the plot, but it is also the quality of the writing, the deep dive into the character’s psyches, and the exploration of the devastating effects of the abduction on the family. People are complicated and flawed, and never more so than when in the midst of a crisis.
The days turn into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into years, but still Caitlin has not been found. With gorgeous prose, the author intimately captures the nuances of the characters and their emotions. They are each living inside their own private hell, a “descent” if you will, and I took that painful journey with them. I felt their pain and anguish.
Some families pull together at times of crisis. Other families are being held together by a string and those ties are easily broken. Eventually, Angela returns home to Wisconsin and Grant and Sean stay in Colorado. They are on a mission, but each takes a different path.
“I never believed in God like I never believed in the truly bad man. In his power to touch me. Now I ask of this God, that if he will not give me my daughter back, at least give me my bad man. At least give me that. I spend my nights dreaming of nothing else.”
The story is told mainly from Grant and Sean’s perspective. There’s a variety of secondary characters and the shifting narratives left me a little confused in the beginning. Once I figured it out, I was completely captivated. I had to fight the dual urges to read quickly to figure out what happened next vs slowing down to savor the writing.
Once I reached the last 1/3 of the novel the thriller aspect kicked up a notch and it was heart-pounding suspense till the end. I stayed up until 2:30 A.M. to finish, something I haven’t done in years. I suffered from a book hangover the next day but I have no regrets.
Highly recommended for any reader who loves powerful, character-driven novels. The way this book made me feel will stay with me long after the details of the plot fades. This author's writing reminds me of another favorite author, Kent Haruf. Both write beautiful prose, but Mr. Johnston’s tales are darker and grittier.
I do have one complaint where, at the end of the book, the psychological effects for one of the characters was not addressed, which felt unrealistic.
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. I buddy read this with my friend Marialyce, and this author is now on our short list of favorite authors. We hope he is hard at work on his next novel and we can hardly wait!
A parent’s worst nightmare: Grant and Angela, and their two children, Sean and Caitlin, take a much-needed vacation in the Rocky Mountains before Caitlin heads off to college. Caitlin and her brother go running/biking in the hills early one morning when they are hit by a truck. Sean is left severely injured on the side of the road, and Caitlin is abducted.
This sounds like the start of an ordinary thriller but in the deft hands of this talented author, it is anything but ordinary. The strength of the story is not simply the plot, but it is also the quality of the writing, the deep dive into the character’s psyches, and the exploration of the devastating effects of the abduction on the family. People are complicated and flawed, and never more so than when in the midst of a crisis.
The days turn into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into years, but still Caitlin has not been found. With gorgeous prose, the author intimately captures the nuances of the characters and their emotions. They are each living inside their own private hell, a “descent” if you will, and I took that painful journey with them. I felt their pain and anguish.
Some families pull together at times of crisis. Other families are being held together by a string and those ties are easily broken. Eventually, Angela returns home to Wisconsin and Grant and Sean stay in Colorado. They are on a mission, but each takes a different path.
“I never believed in God like I never believed in the truly bad man. In his power to touch me. Now I ask of this God, that if he will not give me my daughter back, at least give me my bad man. At least give me that. I spend my nights dreaming of nothing else.”
The story is told mainly from Grant and Sean’s perspective. There’s a variety of secondary characters and the shifting narratives left me a little confused in the beginning. Once I figured it out, I was completely captivated. I had to fight the dual urges to read quickly to figure out what happened next vs slowing down to savor the writing.
Once I reached the last 1/3 of the novel the thriller aspect kicked up a notch and it was heart-pounding suspense till the end. I stayed up until 2:30 A.M. to finish, something I haven’t done in years. I suffered from a book hangover the next day but I have no regrets.
Highly recommended for any reader who loves powerful, character-driven novels. The way this book made me feel will stay with me long after the details of the plot fades. This author's writing reminds me of another favorite author, Kent Haruf. Both write beautiful prose, but Mr. Johnston’s tales are darker and grittier.
I do have one complaint where, at the end of the book, the psychological effects for one of the characters was not addressed, which felt unrealistic.
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. I buddy read this with my friend Marialyce, and this author is now on our short list of favorite authors. We hope he is hard at work on his next novel and we can hardly wait!
September 15, 2016
When I finished Tim Johnson’s Descent, my first reaction was: Wow, that was sneaky good. I hadn’t known exactly what to expect, and even now, with all the tonal shifts, it’s hard for me to explain what I experienced. But I liked it, a lot. It hit me at the end with a force that had been accumulating all along. Accordingly, I started recommending it immediately.
The first person to take me up on my offer was my friend and coworker Jamie. She was intrigued by my description and got it from the library. Then I went about living my life, eventually forgetting that I’d ever made the suggestion.
I remembered with a fury the other day, when she knocked on my office door. She came in, closed the door behind her, and asked me if I was busy. Worried at the wild look in her eyes, I said yes, yes I am busy, as I minimized the game of spider solitaire I was crushing. I started to move papers from one pile to another, which is what I do when I’m trying to convince others that I shouldn’t be fired. Jamie ignored my feigned activity and instantly launched into a withering critique. I tried to jump in, to offer some defense, but we’re both lawyers and once we start talking, you have to slap us to make it stop. I am not exaggerating when I say that her harangue lasted 30 minutes. I kept looking at the clock, hoping she’d get the hint. She did, and kept going. To get it to stop, I finally picked up the phone and redialed the last person who had called, just to get her to leave.
What did I learn from this experience? (Besides, obviously, not recommending anything to Jamie ever again).
I can tell you one thing. I didn't learn that I was wrong. Because I’m not. My opinion, after all, is just that. An opinion.
What I learned, rather, is that this is a polarizing reading experience. The reason, I think, is that Descent is hard to pigeonhole, to describe in a pithy sentence. My mistake with Jamie, other than bringing this up in the first place, was to reduce Descent to a type. Descent is constantly morphing.
Start with the premise. Eighteen year-old Caitlin Courtland is on summer vacation with her mom, dad, and brother. They are in the Colorado mountains. One morning, Caitlin goes running and is abducted. There we go. That’s the hook. Missing girl. As far as the basis for a novel, this sort of feels like every other book that is published these days.
But wait. There’s a bit of a catch.
Imagine that this reads like it was cooked up in the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. It is skillfully structured to reveal important family back-story in dribs and drabs. There are ephemeral passages that need to be read a couple times, to understand what is going on. There is also the careful observation of characters. Johnson is content, at the start, to simply watch the remaining family members – Grant, the father; Angela, the mother, and Sean, the brother – deal with a sudden and unspeakable tragedy. It starts to feel like maybe this is going to be a meditative piece, like Stewart O’Nan’s Songs for the Missing.
Just when you settle in for this kind of book, things change. The main characters start to fracture and walk lonely and parallel tracks that seldom intersect. Sean, for instance, begins to travel cross-country on a solitary and self-destructive journey that reminded me of a cross between On the Road and The Fool’s Progress. Now, the novel shifts into a different state. A character study. Nothing is really happening. People are just living their lives. Hard and interesting lives, to be sure, but not structured in a typical arc.
Johnson is not done shape-shifting. At a certain point, I feel like his agent told him, Hey, we want to make some money off of this. And so certain genre conventions click into place. The book begins to feel more like your typical thriller. Except Tim Johnson is a creative writing professor, and he just can’t conform too completely. The result is hard-bitten, violent. His main characters – almost all male, strangely – wander across a violent landscape where the most ordinary of encounters can turn bloody. It’s like Cormac McCarthy wrote Gone Girl.
I was not entirely unaware, as I read, how this book might be received by others. This heightened awareness came early on with my decision to foist this upon my book club. Choosing a book in my book club is a fraught experience. It’s like throwing red meat to a pack of hungry wolves. Also, the wolves have been drinking IPAs for three hours. I knew the argument over Descent’s merits could get vituperative. With this in the back of my mind, I started to tally the things that might irritate readers.
Most obviously, Johnson’s refusal to write in a straight line is bound to frustrate thriller-fans who are used to clockwork plot mechanisms. There are divergences and digressions. There are scenes that exist just so the characters can be for a moment. Much happens that does not figure into the endgame. This is also literary fiction. It has flourishes and certain pretensions. It could be argued that some of Johnson’s affectations overwhelm basic story mechanics.
All those potential negatives are why I liked Descent. I enjoyed its refusal to conform to the usual trappings. This isn’t paint-by-numbers mystery-solving. This isn’t Agatha Christie. This is a book built from the ground up, starting with characters. It is rife with symbolism. It meditates on certain themes: the ossification of grief; fathers and sons; fate versus randomness.
Johnson writes gorgeous prose. It’s not highfalutin or pompous; there are no byzantine sentences or ridiculous similes. It is evocative while remaining propulsive and easy to read.
There is little more to say without saying too much. That’s the thing about reviewing mystery-thriller types. Everything I mention is one less thing to discover.
I loved Descent. You might too. It’s just as likely, however, that you will absolutely hate it. If that’s the case, don’t bother storming into my office to tell me. I’ll be on the phone, pretending to talk to someone, until you go away.
The first person to take me up on my offer was my friend and coworker Jamie. She was intrigued by my description and got it from the library. Then I went about living my life, eventually forgetting that I’d ever made the suggestion.
I remembered with a fury the other day, when she knocked on my office door. She came in, closed the door behind her, and asked me if I was busy. Worried at the wild look in her eyes, I said yes, yes I am busy, as I minimized the game of spider solitaire I was crushing. I started to move papers from one pile to another, which is what I do when I’m trying to convince others that I shouldn’t be fired. Jamie ignored my feigned activity and instantly launched into a withering critique. I tried to jump in, to offer some defense, but we’re both lawyers and once we start talking, you have to slap us to make it stop. I am not exaggerating when I say that her harangue lasted 30 minutes. I kept looking at the clock, hoping she’d get the hint. She did, and kept going. To get it to stop, I finally picked up the phone and redialed the last person who had called, just to get her to leave.
What did I learn from this experience? (Besides, obviously, not recommending anything to Jamie ever again).
I can tell you one thing. I didn't learn that I was wrong. Because I’m not. My opinion, after all, is just that. An opinion.
What I learned, rather, is that this is a polarizing reading experience. The reason, I think, is that Descent is hard to pigeonhole, to describe in a pithy sentence. My mistake with Jamie, other than bringing this up in the first place, was to reduce Descent to a type. Descent is constantly morphing.
Start with the premise. Eighteen year-old Caitlin Courtland is on summer vacation with her mom, dad, and brother. They are in the Colorado mountains. One morning, Caitlin goes running and is abducted. There we go. That’s the hook. Missing girl. As far as the basis for a novel, this sort of feels like every other book that is published these days.
But wait. There’s a bit of a catch.
Imagine that this reads like it was cooked up in the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. It is skillfully structured to reveal important family back-story in dribs and drabs. There are ephemeral passages that need to be read a couple times, to understand what is going on. There is also the careful observation of characters. Johnson is content, at the start, to simply watch the remaining family members – Grant, the father; Angela, the mother, and Sean, the brother – deal with a sudden and unspeakable tragedy. It starts to feel like maybe this is going to be a meditative piece, like Stewart O’Nan’s Songs for the Missing.
Just when you settle in for this kind of book, things change. The main characters start to fracture and walk lonely and parallel tracks that seldom intersect. Sean, for instance, begins to travel cross-country on a solitary and self-destructive journey that reminded me of a cross between On the Road and The Fool’s Progress. Now, the novel shifts into a different state. A character study. Nothing is really happening. People are just living their lives. Hard and interesting lives, to be sure, but not structured in a typical arc.
Johnson is not done shape-shifting. At a certain point, I feel like his agent told him, Hey, we want to make some money off of this. And so certain genre conventions click into place. The book begins to feel more like your typical thriller. Except Tim Johnson is a creative writing professor, and he just can’t conform too completely. The result is hard-bitten, violent. His main characters – almost all male, strangely – wander across a violent landscape where the most ordinary of encounters can turn bloody. It’s like Cormac McCarthy wrote Gone Girl.
I was not entirely unaware, as I read, how this book might be received by others. This heightened awareness came early on with my decision to foist this upon my book club. Choosing a book in my book club is a fraught experience. It’s like throwing red meat to a pack of hungry wolves. Also, the wolves have been drinking IPAs for three hours. I knew the argument over Descent’s merits could get vituperative. With this in the back of my mind, I started to tally the things that might irritate readers.
Most obviously, Johnson’s refusal to write in a straight line is bound to frustrate thriller-fans who are used to clockwork plot mechanisms. There are divergences and digressions. There are scenes that exist just so the characters can be for a moment. Much happens that does not figure into the endgame. This is also literary fiction. It has flourishes and certain pretensions. It could be argued that some of Johnson’s affectations overwhelm basic story mechanics.
All those potential negatives are why I liked Descent. I enjoyed its refusal to conform to the usual trappings. This isn’t paint-by-numbers mystery-solving. This isn’t Agatha Christie. This is a book built from the ground up, starting with characters. It is rife with symbolism. It meditates on certain themes: the ossification of grief; fathers and sons; fate versus randomness.
The man watched him. Then he looked down and with his forefinger began writing in the snow. He seemed to be working out some calculus but the figures he made resembled none Billy had ever seen…He glanced at Billy as a professor glances up from his notes, saw that Billy was listening and went on. “People don’t want to give dumb luck any credit for the turn in their lives, good or bad. People want to believe in some plan, or design, when all around them is the evidence that the whole world is nothing but dumb luck. Going back to the first cells in the ocean. Going back to the stars.
Johnson writes gorgeous prose. It’s not highfalutin or pompous; there are no byzantine sentences or ridiculous similes. It is evocative while remaining propulsive and easy to read.
There is little more to say without saying too much. That’s the thing about reviewing mystery-thriller types. Everything I mention is one less thing to discover.
I loved Descent. You might too. It’s just as likely, however, that you will absolutely hate it. If that’s the case, don’t bother storming into my office to tell me. I’ll be on the phone, pretending to talk to someone, until you go away.
January 20, 2015
2 Stars
Ugggh, I suffered through Descent. I guess I really thought that it would focus much more the tragedy and the location. Instead, I was soooooo bored with the family drama. I guess that I should have felt something, but as a Man that steers away from dramatic and mushy books this was not my cup of tea. Couple this with the fact that I thought that this would be a thriller, I hated it.
Not even sure how much of it that I read, skimmed over, or simply forgot....either way.
Yawn.
Ugggh, I suffered through Descent. I guess I really thought that it would focus much more the tragedy and the location. Instead, I was soooooo bored with the family drama. I guess that I should have felt something, but as a Man that steers away from dramatic and mushy books this was not my cup of tea. Couple this with the fact that I thought that this would be a thriller, I hated it.
Not even sure how much of it that I read, skimmed over, or simply forgot....either way.
Yawn.
December 16, 2019
Here is another suspense thriller I am torn on. Some of my updates while reading mentioned my confusion. While the story did become clearer while I read, there was still something about the way it was written that felt a little off to me. Some of my reader friends did not seem to mind, but I figure it is worth mentioning if you get started and feel a bit confused.
Once past the confusion, this was a very decent book. Suspense, mystery, thrills, chills - everything you could hope for if this is your genre of choice. Also, I can say that at times there was a decent amount of frustration - but good frustration. It's the kind of frustration that had me grinding my teeth and yelling at the book hoping that I could change the plot to benefit the protagonist. Whenever the frustration gets me this invested in the story, it is a good sign.
So, I am reminded again of some of the confusion I encountered. In the case of this book, I think the core progress and main characters are great. Focusing on those are all you need. It was when it strayed into some of the characters and plot points that were peripheral to the main story, it almost lost me. I didn't want to stray once I got moving in the right direction, but the author seemed determined to send me on a side journey.
I can sum it up by saying it is a great thriller that was easily distracted in it's plot progression. If you can make it past the meandering that occurs from time to time, I think you will enjoy.
Once past the confusion, this was a very decent book. Suspense, mystery, thrills, chills - everything you could hope for if this is your genre of choice. Also, I can say that at times there was a decent amount of frustration - but good frustration. It's the kind of frustration that had me grinding my teeth and yelling at the book hoping that I could change the plot to benefit the protagonist. Whenever the frustration gets me this invested in the story, it is a good sign.
So, I am reminded again of some of the confusion I encountered. In the case of this book, I think the core progress and main characters are great. Focusing on those are all you need. It was when it strayed into some of the characters and plot points that were peripheral to the main story, it almost lost me. I didn't want to stray once I got moving in the right direction, but the author seemed determined to send me on a side journey.
I can sum it up by saying it is a great thriller that was easily distracted in it's plot progression. If you can make it past the meandering that occurs from time to time, I think you will enjoy.
April 14, 2019
3 Stars.
Just call me the outlier..
Descent is a slow moving character study of one family’s downward spiral after an extremely tragic event. The Courtlands are a close knit family who vacation in the mountains before their Eighteen year-old daughter Caitlin goes off to College. One morning she and her younger brother Sean go off on an early morning run when he gets hurt and Caitlin goes for help. She doesn’t return. Detectives search and the family scours the area and yet Caitlin is nowhere to be found.
This is a character study, a detailed description of the boy (Sean) and the girl (Caitlin), their parents, Grant and Angela. It’s the “Descent” of a family feeling lost and out of control and letting that downward spiral get you - that blame grip you and take hold. If it were just that, this novel might have worked for me, yet multiple plot points were thrown into this book with a myriad of characters that truly held no bearing on this story and were wholly extraneous. In my opinion, a good 40% of this book could have been chopped and the novel would have worked a lot better. That being said, I loved the characters of Caitlin and Sean and felt every ounce of what they were feeling throughout this novel. What Tim Johnston excels at is characterizations. I read “The Current” by Tim Johnston before this and loved it and was disappointed that “Descent” didn’t work for me.
I listened to the audiobook and think the narrators, Xe Sands and R.C. Bray did a fantastic job. Perhaps if I had read this book instead of listening to the novel, I would have liked it better. Everyone else seemed to love this so don’t go by my review.
Published on Goodreads on 4.14.19.
Just call me the outlier..
Descent is a slow moving character study of one family’s downward spiral after an extremely tragic event. The Courtlands are a close knit family who vacation in the mountains before their Eighteen year-old daughter Caitlin goes off to College. One morning she and her younger brother Sean go off on an early morning run when he gets hurt and Caitlin goes for help. She doesn’t return. Detectives search and the family scours the area and yet Caitlin is nowhere to be found.
This is a character study, a detailed description of the boy (Sean) and the girl (Caitlin), their parents, Grant and Angela. It’s the “Descent” of a family feeling lost and out of control and letting that downward spiral get you - that blame grip you and take hold. If it were just that, this novel might have worked for me, yet multiple plot points were thrown into this book with a myriad of characters that truly held no bearing on this story and were wholly extraneous. In my opinion, a good 40% of this book could have been chopped and the novel would have worked a lot better. That being said, I loved the characters of Caitlin and Sean and felt every ounce of what they were feeling throughout this novel. What Tim Johnston excels at is characterizations. I read “The Current” by Tim Johnston before this and loved it and was disappointed that “Descent” didn’t work for me.
I listened to the audiobook and think the narrators, Xe Sands and R.C. Bray did a fantastic job. Perhaps if I had read this book instead of listening to the novel, I would have liked it better. Everyone else seemed to love this so don’t go by my review.
Published on Goodreads on 4.14.19.
March 13, 2019
5 wow this author can write stars
Looking for a good vacation, a time to meld together, a time to be at peace with one another, the Courtlands, Grant and Angela, travel into the Rocky Mountains with their daughter Caitlin, a track star and an upcoming freshman in college, and Sean, their teenage son. Anxious to challenge her skills, Caitlin heads out one morning with Sean in tow and runs up the hillside. However, as two children go up the mountain, only one, Sean, descends and people who were trying hard to pull life together were hit with a blow so deep, so cruel that life stalled and a daughter and sister went missing.
From the exquisite details making the reader seemed to be tucked into the pocket of the characters experiencing their turmoil, to the environment portrayed, this book caught you in its pages and made one realize that this is what terrific writing is all about. You were there experiencing the pain, the loss, the love, and that spirit that with faith and hope, life can perhaps one day be as it once was.
A year by the calendar since she’d vanished, one hour by the heart.”
Mr Johnston portrayed Grant and Sean as steadfast possessing that will that forced them forward towards finding their daughter and sister. A year goes by and then two and yet that hope is there for their mind and heart imparts a dream, she is still alive.
“A daughter was your life; it was as simple as that. Her body was the only body, her heart the only heart. The most absolute, the most terrible love.”
The author depicted the daughter, Caitlin, as a force to be reckoned with. She drew upon the qualities of bravery, endurance, and courage. It seemed as if Mr Johnston placed male characteristics onto the persona of his female protagonist and female characteristics onto his male characters. A kind of role reversal occurred, making this book unstoppable in its portrayal of family, life, and tragedy. The book starts slowly establishing both the characters and the story line within the reader and then draws you in to a compulsive read as you trek your way to its conclusion.
There were other male characters, Emmett, the rancher, where the father and later the son stayed, his two sons, one a sheriff, and one a good for nothing. Yet, in all these characters, he showed what it was to be human, to be a part of a culture, to be people of resiliency, tenacity, and disappointment. The mother who tried to escape in her own way lent a poignancy to this tragedy. However this was a story of the men and the daughter/sister they were on a mission to find.
Jan and I definitely recommend this book as one where you will be drawn into its meticulous writing, mesmerized by the scenes, and shed a tear or two for the heartaches that are mirrored in this tale. We are so hoping that Tim is busily writing his next story for we are anxiously waiting in the wings for it.
“I like a good story, don’t get me wrong. But a man should never be the hero of his own stories. Nobody likes those stories.” But a woman hero, why yes, she can.
You can read our reviews here as well: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
Looking for a good vacation, a time to meld together, a time to be at peace with one another, the Courtlands, Grant and Angela, travel into the Rocky Mountains with their daughter Caitlin, a track star and an upcoming freshman in college, and Sean, their teenage son. Anxious to challenge her skills, Caitlin heads out one morning with Sean in tow and runs up the hillside. However, as two children go up the mountain, only one, Sean, descends and people who were trying hard to pull life together were hit with a blow so deep, so cruel that life stalled and a daughter and sister went missing.
From the exquisite details making the reader seemed to be tucked into the pocket of the characters experiencing their turmoil, to the environment portrayed, this book caught you in its pages and made one realize that this is what terrific writing is all about. You were there experiencing the pain, the loss, the love, and that spirit that with faith and hope, life can perhaps one day be as it once was.
A year by the calendar since she’d vanished, one hour by the heart.”
Mr Johnston portrayed Grant and Sean as steadfast possessing that will that forced them forward towards finding their daughter and sister. A year goes by and then two and yet that hope is there for their mind and heart imparts a dream, she is still alive.
“A daughter was your life; it was as simple as that. Her body was the only body, her heart the only heart. The most absolute, the most terrible love.”
The author depicted the daughter, Caitlin, as a force to be reckoned with. She drew upon the qualities of bravery, endurance, and courage. It seemed as if Mr Johnston placed male characteristics onto the persona of his female protagonist and female characteristics onto his male characters. A kind of role reversal occurred, making this book unstoppable in its portrayal of family, life, and tragedy. The book starts slowly establishing both the characters and the story line within the reader and then draws you in to a compulsive read as you trek your way to its conclusion.
There were other male characters, Emmett, the rancher, where the father and later the son stayed, his two sons, one a sheriff, and one a good for nothing. Yet, in all these characters, he showed what it was to be human, to be a part of a culture, to be people of resiliency, tenacity, and disappointment. The mother who tried to escape in her own way lent a poignancy to this tragedy. However this was a story of the men and the daughter/sister they were on a mission to find.
Jan and I definitely recommend this book as one where you will be drawn into its meticulous writing, mesmerized by the scenes, and shed a tear or two for the heartaches that are mirrored in this tale. We are so hoping that Tim is busily writing his next story for we are anxiously waiting in the wings for it.
“I like a good story, don’t get me wrong. But a man should never be the hero of his own stories. Nobody likes those stories.” But a woman hero, why yes, she can.
You can read our reviews here as well: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
February 10, 2015
I thought about giving this one two stars since I did finish the book but I disliked the journey so much I'm giving it one star. I think this was a good concept for a book but I disliked just about everything in the execution.
I was in the mood for a good plot driven novel and when I saw an online ad for this one it seemed like a perfect fit: female runner goes missing and what happens next. I should have known from the start that I was in for a bumpy ride because I was immediately uncomfortable with the way the characters were referred to as "the boy" and "the girl" from the start. The characters have names...use them!
The concept of what happens to a family after one of them goes missing is a really interesting one. The tension it brings to a marriage, the feelings of guilt for all those involved, the pain of wondering where the missing person is and is she alive or dead. The Descent tries to tackle that but it is in such a disjointed way that I never felt any compassion for these people. In some cases, like with the Mother figure, I couldn't even follow what was happening in some chapters towards the end. There was also a heavy presence of cigarettes in the book. I felt like there was so much discussion about the characters smoking that it would eventually have some bearing on the plot but it never did.
The introduction of a bad guy to the story felt heavy handed and what happened next veered into territory that just made me want to throw the book across the room. The action ratchets up a lot in the last quarter of the book but in a way that felt both thrown together and generally ridiculous.
Do not recommend.
I was in the mood for a good plot driven novel and when I saw an online ad for this one it seemed like a perfect fit: female runner goes missing and what happens next. I should have known from the start that I was in for a bumpy ride because I was immediately uncomfortable with the way the characters were referred to as "the boy" and "the girl" from the start. The characters have names...use them!
The concept of what happens to a family after one of them goes missing is a really interesting one. The tension it brings to a marriage, the feelings of guilt for all those involved, the pain of wondering where the missing person is and is she alive or dead. The Descent tries to tackle that but it is in such a disjointed way that I never felt any compassion for these people. In some cases, like with the Mother figure, I couldn't even follow what was happening in some chapters towards the end. There was also a heavy presence of cigarettes in the book. I felt like there was so much discussion about the characters smoking that it would eventually have some bearing on the plot but it never did.
The introduction of a bad guy to the story felt heavy handed and what happened next veered into territory that just made me want to throw the book across the room. The action ratchets up a lot in the last quarter of the book but in a way that felt both thrown together and generally ridiculous.
Do not recommend.
January 6, 2015
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 ++
January 25, 2020
****4.5 Stars****Descent is a beautifully written and lyrical character study more than a thriller. The novel chronicles the horror and the aftermath of a parent’s worst nightmare…the abduction of their child. The author explores each family member’s separate grief, their guilt and isolation after that tragic disappearance splinters an already unstable family relationship.
The author’s style of writing, especially in the beginning, is deep with thoughtful musings that veered into overwritten for me only because I like my prose stripped down…not purple. Once the plot settled into the Rocky Mountains, where the father, Grant remained to search for his daughter, I was totally immersed and captivated by this story.
The author seemed to have a keen knowledge of the Rocky Mountains. His use of many colloquial expressions of the local cowboys made this Colorado native smile in recognition.
I loved this emotionally powerful story and I recommend it highly.
The author’s style of writing, especially in the beginning, is deep with thoughtful musings that veered into overwritten for me only because I like my prose stripped down…not purple. Once the plot settled into the Rocky Mountains, where the father, Grant remained to search for his daughter, I was totally immersed and captivated by this story.
The author seemed to have a keen knowledge of the Rocky Mountains. His use of many colloquial expressions of the local cowboys made this Colorado native smile in recognition.
I loved this emotionally powerful story and I recommend it highly.
October 22, 2016
A poetic thriller. Terrific audiobook. Just loved it.
February 9, 2015
This novel is deceptive. It starts with a bang and then simmers slowly, gradually building up to boil over into a nail biting finish.
The first section of the novel lulls you into thinking that this is a book about the kidnapping of a teenage girl, Caitlin in the Rocky Mountains and the subsequent disintegration of her family, with each individual member coping in different ways. As time drags on and Caitlin isn't found, the book becomes the story of a family in stasis unable to move on with their lives but unable to give up looking and hoping she'll be found. And then just when you're thinking this is a familiar story, the book switches to Caitlin's story and her fight for life and freedom. From there it's a rapid build up in tension to the breathtaking conclusion. The book itself is like a long, slow climb up a steep mountain followed by a rapid descent to the finish.
Tim Johnston's writing is very evocative and powerful at times. The descriptions of the mountains are particularly atmospheric, towering over everything and it's easy to feel why it is so difficult to search for a missing girl amongst the looming peaks and forests on their slopes. The characters are well depicted, Caitlin's mother, Angela less so as she returns home but her father Grant who stays and never gives up looking and her brother, Sean who blames himself, are both very real, if imperfect characters. The kidnapper remains a shadowy character and that seems fitting; the embodiment of evil in the mountains.
Definitely recommended, but don't expect a fast paced thriller. Just allow the story to develop slowly and creep up on you and it will be worth the wait. 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book to read and review
The first section of the novel lulls you into thinking that this is a book about the kidnapping of a teenage girl, Caitlin in the Rocky Mountains and the subsequent disintegration of her family, with each individual member coping in different ways. As time drags on and Caitlin isn't found, the book becomes the story of a family in stasis unable to move on with their lives but unable to give up looking and hoping she'll be found. And then just when you're thinking this is a familiar story, the book switches to Caitlin's story and her fight for life and freedom. From there it's a rapid build up in tension to the breathtaking conclusion. The book itself is like a long, slow climb up a steep mountain followed by a rapid descent to the finish.
Tim Johnston's writing is very evocative and powerful at times. The descriptions of the mountains are particularly atmospheric, towering over everything and it's easy to feel why it is so difficult to search for a missing girl amongst the looming peaks and forests on their slopes. The characters are well depicted, Caitlin's mother, Angela less so as she returns home but her father Grant who stays and never gives up looking and her brother, Sean who blames himself, are both very real, if imperfect characters. The kidnapper remains a shadowy character and that seems fitting; the embodiment of evil in the mountains.
Definitely recommended, but don't expect a fast paced thriller. Just allow the story to develop slowly and creep up on you and it will be worth the wait. 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book to read and review
January 11, 2015
This book is hailed, on it's own front cover, as "a riveting literary thriller of the can't-stop-turning-the-page, stay-up-all-night variety," and that couldn't be farther from the truth. More often than not, I had to will myself to pick this up and keep reading.
Caitlin Courtland and her family take a trip to the mountains before she gets ready to set off to college, but she mysteriously disappears one morning on a run and the search for her eventually dies down. From this point, Descent focuses more on the family drama and attempts by Cailtin's loved ones, especially her brother and dad, to cope with her loss and with not knowing what happened.
The focus on the family dynamic part wouldn't be so bad if it were written better. I didn't feel like there was much in the way of character development; I didn't care about one single character in this book, and the mother, who is present in the beginning, just disappears from the story altogether until the end. The writing style was also annoying and hard to follow at times. For example, the author constantly identifies characters as "the boy," the man," "the girl," etc, to the point where sometimes I wasn't sure who he was even talking about.
Not the worst book I have ever read, but it's definitely falsely billed as a "thriller," and was a chore for me to finish. There are currently 250 holds on this at my local library and I just don't get the hype!
Caitlin Courtland and her family take a trip to the mountains before she gets ready to set off to college, but she mysteriously disappears one morning on a run and the search for her eventually dies down. From this point, Descent focuses more on the family drama and attempts by Cailtin's loved ones, especially her brother and dad, to cope with her loss and with not knowing what happened.
The focus on the family dynamic part wouldn't be so bad if it were written better. I didn't feel like there was much in the way of character development; I didn't care about one single character in this book, and the mother, who is present in the beginning, just disappears from the story altogether until the end. The writing style was also annoying and hard to follow at times. For example, the author constantly identifies characters as "the boy," the man," "the girl," etc, to the point where sometimes I wasn't sure who he was even talking about.
Not the worst book I have ever read, but it's definitely falsely billed as a "thriller," and was a chore for me to finish. There are currently 250 holds on this at my local library and I just don't get the hype!
March 23, 2019
NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR ALERT!!!!
There are not enough adjectives out there for me to describe my reading experience with this book. It was knock your socks off amazing and completely worth your time. I guess the best way to put it is that I did a lot of my reading at night (in the dark with my phone flashlight) and there were times I had to set the book down and open Instagram and look at puppy, food and book pictures just to get my mind off of what I was reading and slow my heart rate down.
An 18 year old girl, Caitlin and her younger brother, Sean wake up before their parents and decide to go for a run/bike ride in the mountains. The family is there on a brief vacation for various reasons - Caitlin is about to go to college and her parents, Grant and Angela are having marital problems. They are trying to reconnect as a couple and as a family. The parents are waiting for the kids to come back because it's been a little too long when suddenly the phone rings...
This book is utterly devastating in it's journey. Just when you think you couldn't be gut punched more by what these characters go through, you are taken to new depths (or Descent haha). I did have a little trouble at first with the change in character perspectives. It didn't help that characters were referred to as "he", "she", "the boy", etc. and I know that bothered a lot of people. It actually didn't bother me - it only made me curious in wondering why the author did that. My take on it was that these characters weren't themselves anymore based on how Caitlin's disappearance affected them individually. I think about someone taking a hammer to a mirror. The mirror was smashed into all these different pieces that went in their own direction and with that their identity was lost.
Can we also talk about the writing???? This is some of the best writing I have ever seen. Here are some examples:
In the hours before dawn, in the storm’s first cool blows, thin curtains fill and lift in the dark. They belly out over the bed, rippling, luffing—and abruptly empty again, and for a moment everything is still.
She stepped between the mares and raised a hand to each and they pushed their muzzles into her bare palms and snuffled and blew, and for a moment with the two horse heads balanced in the cups of her hands she seemed to be weighing them one against the other, like some figure of equine justice come to decide their case.
Lastly, there were two parts that I had to skim read a little (german shepherd and alley bar scene), but the rest was fine. I was actually relieved that the author withheld detail regarding Caitlin (based on where he could have gone). This was such a complete book. I can't rave about it enough. It's dark and depressing, but uplifting and redemptive too. This is a very special one that I will remember for a long, long time.
There are not enough adjectives out there for me to describe my reading experience with this book. It was knock your socks off amazing and completely worth your time. I guess the best way to put it is that I did a lot of my reading at night (in the dark with my phone flashlight) and there were times I had to set the book down and open Instagram and look at puppy, food and book pictures just to get my mind off of what I was reading and slow my heart rate down.
An 18 year old girl, Caitlin and her younger brother, Sean wake up before their parents and decide to go for a run/bike ride in the mountains. The family is there on a brief vacation for various reasons - Caitlin is about to go to college and her parents, Grant and Angela are having marital problems. They are trying to reconnect as a couple and as a family. The parents are waiting for the kids to come back because it's been a little too long when suddenly the phone rings...
This book is utterly devastating in it's journey. Just when you think you couldn't be gut punched more by what these characters go through, you are taken to new depths (or Descent haha). I did have a little trouble at first with the change in character perspectives. It didn't help that characters were referred to as "he", "she", "the boy", etc. and I know that bothered a lot of people. It actually didn't bother me - it only made me curious in wondering why the author did that. My take on it was that these characters weren't themselves anymore based on how Caitlin's disappearance affected them individually. I think about someone taking a hammer to a mirror. The mirror was smashed into all these different pieces that went in their own direction and with that their identity was lost.
Can we also talk about the writing???? This is some of the best writing I have ever seen. Here are some examples:
In the hours before dawn, in the storm’s first cool blows, thin curtains fill and lift in the dark. They belly out over the bed, rippling, luffing—and abruptly empty again, and for a moment everything is still.
She stepped between the mares and raised a hand to each and they pushed their muzzles into her bare palms and snuffled and blew, and for a moment with the two horse heads balanced in the cups of her hands she seemed to be weighing them one against the other, like some figure of equine justice come to decide their case.
Lastly, there were two parts that I had to skim read a little (german shepherd and alley bar scene), but the rest was fine. I was actually relieved that the author withheld detail regarding Caitlin (based on where he could have gone). This was such a complete book. I can't rave about it enough. It's dark and depressing, but uplifting and redemptive too. This is a very special one that I will remember for a long, long time.
March 22, 2023
Outstanding book! Definitely fits the category of "literary thriller" or "literary crime fiction". It is in equal parts the story of the efforts to find an 18 year old girl abducted in the Rocky Mountains, and the thoughtful, and beautifully written, exploration of what happens to her family in the aftermath.
If you come to Descent expecting a thriller in the classic sense, you may be disappointed because the hunt to find Caitlin is not always the primary focus. The impact on her mother, father and younger brother of what happened the day she disappeared fills much of the book. Beautifully so. Johnston's descriptions of the dramatically different ways in which each of them attempt to cope with their new reality are gorgeous. Not always pretty, but often poetic.
Books about family dynamics aren't always my cup of tea, but this really captured my imagination. Johnston is a talented author. Definitely adding to my Favorites shelf.
p.s. I forgot to mention that both narrators are excellent, especially R.C. Bray, who is spot on at enhancing our understanding of the men in this book.
If you come to Descent expecting a thriller in the classic sense, you may be disappointed because the hunt to find Caitlin is not always the primary focus. The impact on her mother, father and younger brother of what happened the day she disappeared fills much of the book. Beautifully so. Johnston's descriptions of the dramatically different ways in which each of them attempt to cope with their new reality are gorgeous. Not always pretty, but often poetic.
Books about family dynamics aren't always my cup of tea, but this really captured my imagination. Johnston is a talented author. Definitely adding to my Favorites shelf.
p.s. I forgot to mention that both narrators are excellent, especially R.C. Bray, who is spot on at enhancing our understanding of the men in this book.
December 21, 2014
Tim Johnston grabs our attention from page one in this atmospheric recounting of a young woman kidnapped while on a run off the beaten path in the hills of Colorado. The Courtland family had come here Caitlin is not immediately found. Is she dead or alive? Inhale deeply, hold that breath; as Descent builds momentum to its breathtaking finish.
The Hook – This quote from author, Mary Roach
”I was so absorbed in the final incredible fifty pages that I missed my flight to La Guardia."
The Line – as Grant scans everyday traffic… ”He looked for some ordinary man in a certain kind of car, any kind of car or truck that said mountain, that said unmarked roads and mud, deeply rutted paths, and he would follow. It was madness, but it was all madness; if a man should randomly pick his daughter, then why shouldn’t’ that same man randomly cross his path?”
The Sinker – There are many books depicting the kidnapping of young women and detailing the search by their families. What makes this one a standout? The viewpoint of loss is usually told from the female perspective. Not so with Descent. Caitlin’s mother is in the picture yet it is her father, Grant and brother, Sean who Caitlin calls Dudley, who will not give up hope and set the tone regarding the anguish of the continuing search. It is not only this handling by Johnston of a father and brother’s grief, but also his characterizations of nature and the ruggedness of the Rocky Mountains that made Descent a unique and exceptional read.
Sincere thanks are extended to Algonquin Books, a division of Workman Publishing for providing the e-galley of Descent to be published January 6, 2015. Get yourself on the list.
The Hook – This quote from author, Mary Roach
”I was so absorbed in the final incredible fifty pages that I missed my flight to La Guardia."
The Line – as Grant scans everyday traffic… ”He looked for some ordinary man in a certain kind of car, any kind of car or truck that said mountain, that said unmarked roads and mud, deeply rutted paths, and he would follow. It was madness, but it was all madness; if a man should randomly pick his daughter, then why shouldn’t’ that same man randomly cross his path?”
The Sinker – There are many books depicting the kidnapping of young women and detailing the search by their families. What makes this one a standout? The viewpoint of loss is usually told from the female perspective. Not so with Descent. Caitlin’s mother is in the picture yet it is her father, Grant and brother, Sean who Caitlin calls Dudley, who will not give up hope and set the tone regarding the anguish of the continuing search. It is not only this handling by Johnston of a father and brother’s grief, but also his characterizations of nature and the ruggedness of the Rocky Mountains that made Descent a unique and exceptional read.
Sincere thanks are extended to Algonquin Books, a division of Workman Publishing for providing the e-galley of Descent to be published January 6, 2015. Get yourself on the list.
January 4, 2015
Descent is a harrowing story about a family searching for a daughter that has disappeared. The girl disappears on a summer vacation, kidnapped, in the Rocky Mountains and the family that's left, the father, mother and brother must go on with their lives not knowing where she is, if she is still alive...
This book hit me pretty hard. I had it for ages on my Ipad, but the time never really came for me to read it until now when I saw that it would be released, then I thought "what the heck, I read it, who knows it could be good". It was harrowing to read the family's agonizing search. The father Grant who stayed and searched, the mother Angela who in the end returned home but never really could go on living, the son Sean who finally left them and lived in his car and worked for gas money just driving around...
In the end, I just want to say that Tim Johnston has written a marvelous book, very beautiful written about the evil things men do. In many ways this is so much worse than paranormal horror because things like this happen, children disappear, some are found and some are never found. I cared deeply for the family and I even came to care very much for a character that I never really liked until in the very end, then he did something that made me actually get tearful and I seldom cry when I read books.
I recommend this book warmly!
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review!
This book hit me pretty hard. I had it for ages on my Ipad, but the time never really came for me to read it until now when I saw that it would be released, then I thought "what the heck, I read it, who knows it could be good". It was harrowing to read the family's agonizing search. The father Grant who stayed and searched, the mother Angela who in the end returned home but never really could go on living, the son Sean who finally left them and lived in his car and worked for gas money just driving around...
In the end, I just want to say that Tim Johnston has written a marvelous book, very beautiful written about the evil things men do. In many ways this is so much worse than paranormal horror because things like this happen, children disappear, some are found and some are never found. I cared deeply for the family and I even came to care very much for a character that I never really liked until in the very end, then he did something that made me actually get tearful and I seldom cry when I read books.
I recommend this book warmly!
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review!
January 31, 2015
This kind of felt like it fell apart at the end, which was really awful and I hate to say it because the book started out so Ah-mazing. Without a doubt, the writing is exceptional, but you have to have momentum to keep the story going, and it fizzled a bit. I still think it's worth reading, and I really, really want to see the next book from this fella.
April 28, 2019
Where to begin with this book? It takes place in the Rocky Mountains, but the accents and dialogue given to the characters are very back woods. I am from Colorado, and I have to say in all my time even in the smallest mountain towns, we do not speak like this. The narrative was difficult to follow, as it oscillated between an almost stream of consciousness to very direct, choppy sentences. I felt throughout the book as if I simply couldn't settle into it. Perhaps this was intentional, as that in and of itself would mirror the storyline of a kidnapped girl. I will say the ending was just as shocking as I'd been told to anticipate, and I must give the writer credit for an ending that left me gasping for air. When all is said and done, 3.5 stars.
Read
January 20, 2015No. No. No.
It's me, not Tim Johnston. I just do not like this type of read. I take away nothing but fear and sadness. I absolutely do not want to read about how a family deals with the disappearance of their eighteen year old daughter. I read this and The Shining Girls for Readers' Advisory purposes only and will not be reading this type of grit lit again.
It's me, not Tim Johnston. I just do not like this type of read. I take away nothing but fear and sadness. I absolutely do not want to read about how a family deals with the disappearance of their eighteen year old daughter. I read this and The Shining Girls for Readers' Advisory purposes only and will not be reading this type of grit lit again.
August 13, 2014
Eighteen year old Caitlin Courtland was just months out of college; on a scholarship, she was a runner of extreme talent. With her father Grant, mother Angela and younger brother Sean, the family had come to the Rocky Mountains for a special holiday – the last before college. But Angela and Grant hoped it would also bring back the romance to their strained marriage as well.
Early one morning, just before dawn Caitlin and Sean headed out for a run in the mountains – Caitlin on foot, Sean on his bike trying to keep up with his sister. Their easy banter, their closeness and friendship kept them relaxed and casual, though Caitlin was as serious as she always was in bettering her times. But along the way something dreadful happened; something that only nightmares were made of – Sean was shattered; what had happened? Where was Caitlin?
As the investigation into Caitlin’s disappearance began, headed by Sheriff Joe Kinney and involving law enforcement from all over the country, including the FBI, the family's lives changed in unimaginable ways. Blaming themselves; blaming each other – the searching continued. Until the day came that it was only Grant and Sean still searching…
Captivating; written in a lyrical and beautifully descriptive way, Descent is like nothing I have read before. With words written in a manner which made me feel the fear, experience the despair of the family - the need to keep reading; the urgency to find out what happened was intense. This is the story of one family; mother, father, son and daughter – of their love for one another; the horror of what can (and does) happen; and the staggering conclusion of the devastating events – a totally riveting thriller which kept me mesmerized its entire length. Not a book to be rushed, Descent is one to be devoured, savoured and enjoyed (while your heart is thumping). I have no hesitation in highly recommending this debut thriller by author Tim Johnston – a master of his craft.
With thanks to TRR and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
Early one morning, just before dawn Caitlin and Sean headed out for a run in the mountains – Caitlin on foot, Sean on his bike trying to keep up with his sister. Their easy banter, their closeness and friendship kept them relaxed and casual, though Caitlin was as serious as she always was in bettering her times. But along the way something dreadful happened; something that only nightmares were made of – Sean was shattered; what had happened? Where was Caitlin?
As the investigation into Caitlin’s disappearance began, headed by Sheriff Joe Kinney and involving law enforcement from all over the country, including the FBI, the family's lives changed in unimaginable ways. Blaming themselves; blaming each other – the searching continued. Until the day came that it was only Grant and Sean still searching…
Captivating; written in a lyrical and beautifully descriptive way, Descent is like nothing I have read before. With words written in a manner which made me feel the fear, experience the despair of the family - the need to keep reading; the urgency to find out what happened was intense. This is the story of one family; mother, father, son and daughter – of their love for one another; the horror of what can (and does) happen; and the staggering conclusion of the devastating events – a totally riveting thriller which kept me mesmerized its entire length. Not a book to be rushed, Descent is one to be devoured, savoured and enjoyed (while your heart is thumping). I have no hesitation in highly recommending this debut thriller by author Tim Johnston – a master of his craft.
With thanks to TRR and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
February 26, 2019
This book has been on my TBR forever.
I'm so glad I finally got to it. Told in multiple perspectives, we meet Caitlin and Sean - two siblings that sneak out of their family's vacation cabin to bike the Rockies when something happens that will change the trajectory of their lives. Grant and Angela are the parents- clearly struggling with their relationship have to find the strength to figure out what comes next for them, and for their family.
I was engrossed from the beginning, but will admit it was a bit hard to follow at times. Hard to tell who was "speaking" and which was past vs present tense. The writing was a little overdone, but ultimately created a harrowing vision with sparks of ice and snow sleeting through the pages. I had to know how this would end and couldn't stop reading to find out how this author would wrap it up. I cannot begin to imagine experiencing something like this and how to move forward. For a debut novel, it was a good one.
Ending with 3.5
I'm so glad I finally got to it. Told in multiple perspectives, we meet Caitlin and Sean - two siblings that sneak out of their family's vacation cabin to bike the Rockies when something happens that will change the trajectory of their lives. Grant and Angela are the parents- clearly struggling with their relationship have to find the strength to figure out what comes next for them, and for their family.
I was engrossed from the beginning, but will admit it was a bit hard to follow at times. Hard to tell who was "speaking" and which was past vs present tense. The writing was a little overdone, but ultimately created a harrowing vision with sparks of ice and snow sleeting through the pages. I had to know how this would end and couldn't stop reading to find out how this author would wrap it up. I cannot begin to imagine experiencing something like this and how to move forward. For a debut novel, it was a good one.
Ending with 3.5
May 21, 2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Descent is a mystery thriller that follows the Courtland family during their summer vacation in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. When 18-year-old Caitlin and her younger brother Sean go for a morning run in the mountains, Caitlin disappears, and Sean is left injured and traumatized. This is where the family’s nightmare begins — not knowing how to find their daughter or what exactly happened to her.
When there’s a loss like this, many families either break or grow distant. In this case, the mother decides to return home while the father stays in Colorado to continue searching the wilderness for his missing daughter. Meanwhile, Sean struggles to grow up with the weight of trauma he can’t shake off. Each member of the family copes with the emotional aftermath in their own way, and the narration shifts between them to capture their inner lives and the slow, aching toll of grief.
The strongest aspect of the book, for me, is Johnston’s beautiful literary prose. His writing is often poetic and deeply reflective. If you enjoy literary fiction, there's a lot to appreciate in the way he describes both the natural world and the emotional terrain of his characters. Unlike many thrillers written today, Descent feels grounded and realistic — at least for the first 80% of the story. The ending leans more into conventional thriller territory, and that shift, in my opinion, undercuts some of the realism built up earlier.
Descent has a lot going for it: rich, thoughtful writing, well-drawn characters, and a convincing portrayal of grief and survival. Where it falters is in its pacing. This book is marketed as a thriller, and while it starts off that way, the entire middle section felt much more like literary fiction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — I enjoy both genres — but when I pick up a thriller, I’m usually in the mood for a fast-paced, tension-driven story. Likewise, if I pick up a literary novel, I expect a slower, more introspective read. This book sits somewhere in between, and that can be frustrating depending on what you're expecting going in.
The issue, really, is that it tries to be both, and for me, that didn’t fully work. Had it been structured entirely as literary fiction, I think the story would have felt more cohesive — especially with a different kind of ending. The one we get is more suited to a thriller, but it doesn’t quite match the tone or pace of the bulk of the book.
Caitlin’s sections, which should’ve been the most gripping emotionally, are also too limited for much of the novel. We do get to see her strength, especially toward the end, but I wanted more of her voice earlier. And when the ending finally comes, it feels rushed — almost too quick and clean after such a slow, heavy build-up.
Overall, I think Descent is a decent read, but it’s best approached with the right expectations. If you're looking for a literary exploration of trauma with occasional bursts of suspense, this will likely resonate with you. But if you’re after a page-turning thriller, you may find yourself disappointed by how slowly it moves.
The Review
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Descent is a mystery thriller that follows the Courtland family during their summer vacation in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. When 18-year-old Caitlin and her younger brother Sean go for a morning run in the mountains, Caitlin disappears, and Sean is left injured and traumatized. This is where the family’s nightmare begins — not knowing how to find their daughter or what exactly happened to her.
When there’s a loss like this, many families either break or grow distant. In this case, the mother decides to return home while the father stays in Colorado to continue searching the wilderness for his missing daughter. Meanwhile, Sean struggles to grow up with the weight of trauma he can’t shake off. Each member of the family copes with the emotional aftermath in their own way, and the narration shifts between them to capture their inner lives and the slow, aching toll of grief.
The strongest aspect of the book, for me, is Johnston’s beautiful literary prose. His writing is often poetic and deeply reflective. If you enjoy literary fiction, there's a lot to appreciate in the way he describes both the natural world and the emotional terrain of his characters. Unlike many thrillers written today, Descent feels grounded and realistic — at least for the first 80% of the story. The ending leans more into conventional thriller territory, and that shift, in my opinion, undercuts some of the realism built up earlier.
Descent has a lot going for it: rich, thoughtful writing, well-drawn characters, and a convincing portrayal of grief and survival. Where it falters is in its pacing. This book is marketed as a thriller, and while it starts off that way, the entire middle section felt much more like literary fiction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — I enjoy both genres — but when I pick up a thriller, I’m usually in the mood for a fast-paced, tension-driven story. Likewise, if I pick up a literary novel, I expect a slower, more introspective read. This book sits somewhere in between, and that can be frustrating depending on what you're expecting going in.
The issue, really, is that it tries to be both, and for me, that didn’t fully work. Had it been structured entirely as literary fiction, I think the story would have felt more cohesive — especially with a different kind of ending. The one we get is more suited to a thriller, but it doesn’t quite match the tone or pace of the bulk of the book.
Caitlin’s sections, which should’ve been the most gripping emotionally, are also too limited for much of the novel. We do get to see her strength, especially toward the end, but I wanted more of her voice earlier. And when the ending finally comes, it feels rushed — almost too quick and clean after such a slow, heavy build-up.
Overall, I think Descent is a decent read, but it’s best approached with the right expectations. If you're looking for a literary exploration of trauma with occasional bursts of suspense, this will likely resonate with you. But if you’re after a page-turning thriller, you may find yourself disappointed by how slowly it moves.
The Review
October 21, 2015
It was a parent's worst nightmare. The Courtland family was vacationing in the Colorado Rockies when their 18-year-old daughter Caitlin went out on a morning run. Her younger brother, following her on his bike, was hit by a car and Caitlin was abducted.
We next see the heartbroken family one year later, their lives shattered since Caitlin disappeared. The father is drinking too much. The mother, who was already emotionally fragile, has fallen apart. The brother, mending from the accident, suffers from survivor's guilt. The story is told from the perspectives of all the family members.
The setting in the Rockies is gorgeous, but very dangerous with so many places where someone can disappear. The cover of "Descent" describes it as a "literary thriller" since it is written beautifully. The first part of the book tends to be more character-driven. Then the plot quickens in the second half to a "can't put the book down" ending.
We next see the heartbroken family one year later, their lives shattered since Caitlin disappeared. The father is drinking too much. The mother, who was already emotionally fragile, has fallen apart. The brother, mending from the accident, suffers from survivor's guilt. The story is told from the perspectives of all the family members.
The setting in the Rockies is gorgeous, but very dangerous with so many places where someone can disappear. The cover of "Descent" describes it as a "literary thriller" since it is written beautifully. The first part of the book tends to be more character-driven. Then the plot quickens in the second half to a "can't put the book down" ending.
January 1, 2015
DNF
People have been raving over this thriller about a girl (Caitlin) who goes running in the mountains with her brother (Sean) and doesn't return. However, I got about 15% of the way through and put it down. I kept zoning out while I was reading (a bad sign for a supposedly page-turning thriller!) and the characters felt distant. I think some of this distant feeling was caused by Johnston's frequent use of "the boy" and "the girl" to refer to Caitlin and Sean and "her" and "him" to refer to their parents, making the central characters feel completely impersonal.
People have been raving over this thriller about a girl (Caitlin) who goes running in the mountains with her brother (Sean) and doesn't return. However, I got about 15% of the way through and put it down. I kept zoning out while I was reading (a bad sign for a supposedly page-turning thriller!) and the characters felt distant. I think some of this distant feeling was caused by Johnston's frequent use of "the boy" and "the girl" to refer to Caitlin and Sean and "her" and "him" to refer to their parents, making the central characters feel completely impersonal.
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