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Survive
In the frozen wilderness of Alaska, a cabin is readied for the winter. Jonesy and Lisa, with their loyal dog Lad, have been preparing their home to avoid a repeat of their horrific first year living apart from civilisation.
They survived that. They’ll survive this.
But then the strangers arrive. Two people who are even more desperate to survive, who have clawed their way through hell to reach Jonesy and Lisa, and who will drag them back down there with them.
They survived that. They’ll survive this.
But then the strangers arrive. Two people who are even more desperate to survive, who have clawed their way through hell to reach Jonesy and Lisa, and who will drag them back down there with them.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2017
44 people are currently reading
329 people want to read
About the author
David Haynes
27 books214 followersWhen 12 year-old David Haynes picked up a battered copy of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, he never looked back.
Writing in the grand tradition of the horror paperback originals of his misspent youth, Haynes populates his spine-chilling novels with ancient evils and small-town terrors, mutant monstrosities and knife-wielding psychopaths, and is dedicated to disproving the depressing observation that “...they don’t write ‘em like they used to.”
David Haynes is the author of sixteen horror novels and three collections of macabre short fiction, and lives in England with his wife and dog - that he wasn’t allowed to call Cujo.
Writing in the grand tradition of the horror paperback originals of his misspent youth, Haynes populates his spine-chilling novels with ancient evils and small-town terrors, mutant monstrosities and knife-wielding psychopaths, and is dedicated to disproving the depressing observation that “...they don’t write ‘em like they used to.”
David Haynes is the author of sixteen horror novels and three collections of macabre short fiction, and lives in England with his wife and dog - that he wasn’t allowed to call Cujo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 24, 2024
The Man Was A Survivor
and That Made Him Special...
SURVIVE
by David Haynes
No spoilers. 4 1/2 stars. The man, known as Olin, was a survivor. Narrowly saving his own skin...
He killed a gangster and one of the man's flunkies...
Now...
Minus two teeth, he was on the run again, trying to escape the street justice of the gangster's cronies...
Olin was a survivor and would do anything to stay alive, and that made him special...
Meanwhile...
In the Kuskokwim mountains, surrounded by heavy snow and sitka spruce, Mark Jones (Jonsey) and his wife Lisa were returning from a caribou hunt...
The couple were stocking their food cache for the oncoming winter in the remote Alaskan wilderness...
Their cabin was located fifty miles from the nearest outpost...
The next day...
Canoeing to the outpost of Big Six for a final supply run before winter truly settled in...
Jonsey met up with the toothless Olin for the first time just outside the General Store...
Returning from the supply run...
Jonsey and Lisa are snowed in with only five hours of daylight per day...
While hiking down to the river for water...
Jonsey noticed human tracks in the snow. Later that day, he noticed some of their food cache was missing...
The couple had almost starved to death the previous year and were afraid of not putting away enough food...
So, they argued over the missing meat...
And...
Together, they returned to the supply cache to recheck their food stores. Afterward, when then they returned to the cabin...
They found a woman lying in front of their fireplace suffering from malnutrition and frostbite...
Later...
They were able to locate the woman's husband, who was in worse shape than she...
Did the couple have enough stored food supplies to share with these total strangers through the harsh winter? To turn them out would mean certain death for both of them...
This was a nail-biter psychological thriller. It reminded me of stories I've read about the Donner Party. It also made me think about the first time I winterized and stored food supplies and firewood in my mountain home for the oncoming winter. Being a lifelong beach girl, I feared getting snowed in without my creature comforts.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot, but it lost half a star because the characters did unbelievably stupid things, and I don't like to read about people doing unreasonable things.
There is a dog in the story who is the true hero and my favorite character, but don't worry, the dog lives to tell the tale.
If you liked this story, you might also like THE REMEDY FOR LOVE (not a love story) by Bill Roorbach.
and That Made Him Special...
SURVIVE
by David Haynes
No spoilers. 4 1/2 stars. The man, known as Olin, was a survivor. Narrowly saving his own skin...
He killed a gangster and one of the man's flunkies...
Now...
Minus two teeth, he was on the run again, trying to escape the street justice of the gangster's cronies...
Olin was a survivor and would do anything to stay alive, and that made him special...
Meanwhile...
In the Kuskokwim mountains, surrounded by heavy snow and sitka spruce, Mark Jones (Jonsey) and his wife Lisa were returning from a caribou hunt...
The couple were stocking their food cache for the oncoming winter in the remote Alaskan wilderness...
Their cabin was located fifty miles from the nearest outpost...
The next day...
Canoeing to the outpost of Big Six for a final supply run before winter truly settled in...
Jonsey met up with the toothless Olin for the first time just outside the General Store...
Returning from the supply run...
Jonsey and Lisa are snowed in with only five hours of daylight per day...
While hiking down to the river for water...
Jonsey noticed human tracks in the snow. Later that day, he noticed some of their food cache was missing...
The couple had almost starved to death the previous year and were afraid of not putting away enough food...
So, they argued over the missing meat...
And...
Together, they returned to the supply cache to recheck their food stores. Afterward, when then they returned to the cabin...
They found a woman lying in front of their fireplace suffering from malnutrition and frostbite...
Later...
They were able to locate the woman's husband, who was in worse shape than she...
Did the couple have enough stored food supplies to share with these total strangers through the harsh winter? To turn them out would mean certain death for both of them...
This was a nail-biter psychological thriller. It reminded me of stories I've read about the Donner Party. It also made me think about the first time I winterized and stored food supplies and firewood in my mountain home for the oncoming winter. Being a lifelong beach girl, I feared getting snowed in without my creature comforts.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot, but it lost half a star because the characters did unbelievably stupid things, and I don't like to read about people doing unreasonable things.
There is a dog in the story who is the true hero and my favorite character, but don't worry, the dog lives to tell the tale.
If you liked this story, you might also like THE REMEDY FOR LOVE (not a love story) by Bill Roorbach.
March 18, 2025
Unwanted Guests with a Motive?
Small backstory:
Jonesy and Lisa along with their dog Lad are living out in the backwoods of Alaska. Winter is upon them and they have stocked up on food to help them get through the winter. But what they don't know is that two people are getting ready to grace their doorstep and they are anything but good people.
They find a woman named "Laura" laying at their cabin when they come back from one of their hunting excursions. She doesn't talk much and she won't tell them much of nothing about herself. She finally lets them know that she left "Olin" out in the winter conditions. They end up finding "Olin" and bringing him back to the cabin. But after Olin wakes up is when the terror begins and Jonesy and Lisa are left wondering how they are going to "survive" their guests!
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
The book starts out a little slow as the author builds up the suspense as he performs the world building of the story, but then picks up speed when the "guests" arrive. The terror then begins and doesn't end till the last chapter.
There are a lot of twists and turns along with some action that captivated my interest. I couldn't put the book down the more I got into it and I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning wanting to finish it to see how it all ended. Giving this book four "Survival of the Fittest" stars!
Small backstory:
Jonesy and Lisa along with their dog Lad are living out in the backwoods of Alaska. Winter is upon them and they have stocked up on food to help them get through the winter. But what they don't know is that two people are getting ready to grace their doorstep and they are anything but good people.
They find a woman named "Laura" laying at their cabin when they come back from one of their hunting excursions. She doesn't talk much and she won't tell them much of nothing about herself. She finally lets them know that she left "Olin" out in the winter conditions. They end up finding "Olin" and bringing him back to the cabin. But after Olin wakes up is when the terror begins and Jonesy and Lisa are left wondering how they are going to "survive" their guests!
That is about all I can hand out with a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
The book starts out a little slow as the author builds up the suspense as he performs the world building of the story, but then picks up speed when the "guests" arrive. The terror then begins and doesn't end till the last chapter.
There are a lot of twists and turns along with some action that captivated my interest. I couldn't put the book down the more I got into it and I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning wanting to finish it to see how it all ended. Giving this book four "Survival of the Fittest" stars!
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October 3, 2018I really like this author but this just wasn’t for me. I tried really hard to get engaged and went back to it a few times. It’s certainly not badly written and many would like it, just not one to float my boat. I’m keen to read other books of David’s. 😺 As not finished I’ve not rated this one. Do read the other reviews. Lots of readers enjoyed it.
September 21, 2023
Wonderful story of survival in the Alaskan wilderness. The situation and characters are realistic. I particularly loved Lad the dog.
Jonesy and his wife, Lisa, moved to a remote cabin in the Yukon to get away from the stress of modern living. They are far from civilization, and the closest town is virtually unreachable until the spring thaw. They had barely survived the first winter and were approaching their second winter, but better prepared. They spent all summer laying in food and supplies, enough to get through the winter. When a badly injured woman mysteriously appears at their cabin, they figure they can stretch their food supply until spring. Lisa reaches out to the frightened woman, Lauren, but she is too withdrawn to say much other than her beloved husband, Olin, perished in the wilderness. Jonesy is suspicious, but Lisa and Lad both try to comfort Lauren.
Just as Lauren is beginning to recover from her trauma, Jonesy hears a gunshot and rescues an unconscious, frostbitten man. When he wakes, he claims to be the Lauren's husband. Lauren doesn't deny this, but becomes terrified and withdrawn.
Lisa and Jonesy are both haunted by memories of the prior winter and near starvation.
Tensions escalate as precious food disappears from the cache, and Olin becomes increasingly aggressive. Jonsey and Lisa are faced with a dilemma, if they put Olin and Lauren out of their home, they will die before they can reach the closest town, a four day trip at best. If they allow Olin and Lauren to stay, they are all risking death from starvation. Olin displays an increasing ugly and dangerous character.
Meanwhile, the rogue grizzly bear that destroyed their food last winter continues to prowl their homestead.
Jonesy and his wife, Lisa, moved to a remote cabin in the Yukon to get away from the stress of modern living. They are far from civilization, and the closest town is virtually unreachable until the spring thaw. They had barely survived the first winter and were approaching their second winter, but better prepared. They spent all summer laying in food and supplies, enough to get through the winter. When a badly injured woman mysteriously appears at their cabin, they figure they can stretch their food supply until spring. Lisa reaches out to the frightened woman, Lauren, but she is too withdrawn to say much other than her beloved husband, Olin, perished in the wilderness. Jonesy is suspicious, but Lisa and Lad both try to comfort Lauren.
Just as Lauren is beginning to recover from her trauma, Jonesy hears a gunshot and rescues an unconscious, frostbitten man. When he wakes, he claims to be the Lauren's husband. Lauren doesn't deny this, but becomes terrified and withdrawn.
Lisa and Jonesy are both haunted by memories of the prior winter and near starvation.
Tensions escalate as precious food disappears from the cache, and Olin becomes increasingly aggressive. Jonsey and Lisa are faced with a dilemma, if they put Olin and Lauren out of their home, they will die before they can reach the closest town, a four day trip at best. If they allow Olin and Lauren to stay, they are all risking death from starvation. Olin displays an increasing ugly and dangerous character.
Meanwhile, the rogue grizzly bear that destroyed their food last winter continues to prowl their homestead.
November 20, 2017
Mark Jones (Jonesy) and his wife Lisa are wintering in a cabin in Alaska. They’ve spent the summer hunting, making a cache of food and a big store of wood and shouldn’t have any trouble surviving till the spring. They had an awful time last winter, we gather, and Jonesy promises it will never happen again. He’s prepared. Then they find a young woman collapsed in their cabin as they return from an expedition. They can’t help but take her in or she’ll die, but that’s a strain on their resources. Then – it gets worse.
This is a very atmospheric and suspenseful tale. Things begin purposefully and as one setback after another strains the couple’s resources and relationship, the tension ratchets up, tighter and tighter. It’s claustrophobic; it happens in the great outdoors of Alaska with nobody else for miles, yet much of the action is cramped up in little sheds and cabins, where people can’t get away from one another. What people will do to survive is astonishing when they are in their full senses. As the mind deteriorates, man can become monster. I have a tendency to say, ‘David Haynes’ latest book is his best’ and I’m going to have to say it again. A stunning story, brilliantly told.
This is a very atmospheric and suspenseful tale. Things begin purposefully and as one setback after another strains the couple’s resources and relationship, the tension ratchets up, tighter and tighter. It’s claustrophobic; it happens in the great outdoors of Alaska with nobody else for miles, yet much of the action is cramped up in little sheds and cabins, where people can’t get away from one another. What people will do to survive is astonishing when they are in their full senses. As the mind deteriorates, man can become monster. I have a tendency to say, ‘David Haynes’ latest book is his best’ and I’m going to have to say it again. A stunning story, brilliantly told.
December 3, 2017
David Haynes previous book was, for me, not quite my style. This one - back to DH at the top of his game.
The story starts off with a bad guy being bad. Then we go to Jonesy and Lisa about to start winter in the middle of nowhere in the Alaskan woods. I thought I knew how this would play out from the start. I was wrong.
This book was definitely an un-put-downable read. I felt my eyebrows going up as my eyes widened reading some of the passages.
The story starts off with a bad guy being bad. Then we go to Jonesy and Lisa about to start winter in the middle of nowhere in the Alaskan woods. I thought I knew how this would play out from the start. I was wrong.
This book was definitely an un-put-downable read. I felt my eyebrows going up as my eyes widened reading some of the passages.
July 25, 2024
I don't think there's a book Mr. Haynes has wrote that I didn't enjoy.
November 4, 2020
Let me preface this review by saying that I am not one to read ebooks. I LOVE audiobooks, but I would much rather read from a real piece of paper than stare at an electronic screen. However, that was the only way I could gain access to this book, and it turns out I stopped complaining about that after a bit. In fact, for the past two nights, I have been awake staring at my phone screen like a maniac until 1 or 2am because I simply could not stop reading.
Needless to say, I enjoyed reading this novel immensely. It was exactly the suspenseful adventure I needed after a long binge of non-fiction, which included Into the Wild, the story of a young man who hitchhikes to Alaska and ends up dying in the wilderness. Knowing the details of this true story intertwined with the fiction well for me and gave it more elements of reality, therefore apprehensiveness, therefore fear. It was the experience I was looking for.
And for those of you who will understand this sentence...it was absolutely whumptastic. 5/5 stars from me!
Needless to say, I enjoyed reading this novel immensely. It was exactly the suspenseful adventure I needed after a long binge of non-fiction, which included Into the Wild, the story of a young man who hitchhikes to Alaska and ends up dying in the wilderness. Knowing the details of this true story intertwined with the fiction well for me and gave it more elements of reality, therefore apprehensiveness, therefore fear. It was the experience I was looking for.
And for those of you who will understand this sentence...it was absolutely whumptastic. 5/5 stars from me!
June 11, 2018
A good read
I did enjoy this book however it took me a while to read it due to real life getting in the way! The book itself is very well written and draws you into the environment and keeps you there, if you like survival then this is a very good book for you. I don't want to spoil the story however I was left thinking that the main bloke in the story turned out to be a bit of a wimp, he had many opportunities to get out of the situation but didn't.
Maybe this is just me being biased here but I expected more from someone like "Jonesy" and that's why I only went for 3 stars.
If you're thinking about reading it then please do, its a good book.
I did enjoy this book however it took me a while to read it due to real life getting in the way! The book itself is very well written and draws you into the environment and keeps you there, if you like survival then this is a very good book for you. I don't want to spoil the story however I was left thinking that the main bloke in the story turned out to be a bit of a wimp, he had many opportunities to get out of the situation but didn't.
Maybe this is just me being biased here but I expected more from someone like "Jonesy" and that's why I only went for 3 stars.
If you're thinking about reading it then please do, its a good book.
December 1, 2021
Fantastic winter survival book
April 14, 2019
Bit gruesome
Thought from blurb it was going to be a horror rather than what it was. Kept me reading til the end tho.
Thought from blurb it was going to be a horror rather than what it was. Kept me reading til the end tho.
August 9, 2018
Loved it !!!
Couldn't put it down, needed to get to the next part as soon as possible to fulfil my curiosity. Not for the faint hearted,
.
Couldn't put it down, needed to get to the next part as soon as possible to fulfil my curiosity. Not for the faint hearted,
.
April 11, 2018
Excellent and well written, could not put it down once I started!
October 20, 2018
4 shiny stars for sheer entertainment value.
David Haynes is such a versatile author, he always manages to create a hugely entertaining and authentic story, whether the setting is Victorian London or, in the case of Survival, the Alaskan wilderness in the present day. The beautiful yet inhospitable environment is vividly portrayed and the action really picks up halfway through the book. I don't want to spoil anyone's fun, so I won't reveal any plot details. Suffice to say, if you fancy an atmospheric thriller, Survival is a good choice.
David Haynes is such a versatile author, he always manages to create a hugely entertaining and authentic story, whether the setting is Victorian London or, in the case of Survival, the Alaskan wilderness in the present day. The beautiful yet inhospitable environment is vividly portrayed and the action really picks up halfway through the book. I don't want to spoil anyone's fun, so I won't reveal any plot details. Suffice to say, if you fancy an atmospheric thriller, Survival is a good choice.
April 29, 2020
An outstanding survival thriller set in the Alaskan winter, pitting man against man against nature.
I had not read anything by this author, but on the strength of this story I think I'll look into Haynes more. The writing feels natural, easy to follow and very colourful, effortlessly putting the reader into the environment and into the boots of these desperate characters. I will admit I'm a bit biased towards nature survival backdrops, but I genuinely challenge anyone to read this and not be entertained.
I had not read anything by this author, but on the strength of this story I think I'll look into Haynes more. The writing feels natural, easy to follow and very colourful, effortlessly putting the reader into the environment and into the boots of these desperate characters. I will admit I'm a bit biased towards nature survival backdrops, but I genuinely challenge anyone to read this and not be entertained.
July 13, 2019
A solid, well told story
So this is not my usual fare: a couple in Alaska over the winter have to battle for survival. It stated a little showy, as if the author was keen too establish his credibility in all things Alaskan, but once I got pass that stage it was a well written story.
So this is not my usual fare: a couple in Alaska over the winter have to battle for survival. It stated a little showy, as if the author was keen too establish his credibility in all things Alaskan, but once I got pass that stage it was a well written story.
August 8, 2019
The remote setting is used to excellent, chilling effect and the characterisations bring the straightforward to life. Also, there is a bear.
May 1, 2024
This one was a fun read and by fun... I don't mean funny, but it kept my interest. Our main couple and their dog, Lad, have decided to move out of the city and live a survivalist life style in what amount to a frozen waste land in Alaska. We meet them in the beginning of their second winter. The first winter did NOT go well, so this year they made sure they were well stocked and prepared before everything froze, but who could prepare for a crazed psycho and his female "friend" stopping by AFTER the snow has started falling.
The suspense was good in this one and it wasn't written in any way where I didn't at least understand some of the thoughts that went into everyone's decisions. (Maybe not the psycho... but everyone else.) I find in a great deal of books when a character or characters are taken hostage I just want to scream at the page for them to do MORE, to fight MORE, or to just act in some way any logical person might. In this book, I never wanted to scream at the characters and on the very few occasions when I started to get frustrated by them, I found out they were actually right and I would have gotten myself killed pretty quickly.
All in all, it was a well written horror thriller about what we are all willing to do to survive and the scars it might leave on us afterwards. I could have used a bit more gore... but I think most people will find it lives up to their required amount of gore and horror. Read this one if you've ever wondered what you would do if you were stuck in a frozen wasteland... how far would you go?
The suspense was good in this one and it wasn't written in any way where I didn't at least understand some of the thoughts that went into everyone's decisions. (Maybe not the psycho... but everyone else.) I find in a great deal of books when a character or characters are taken hostage I just want to scream at the page for them to do MORE, to fight MORE, or to just act in some way any logical person might. In this book, I never wanted to scream at the characters and on the very few occasions when I started to get frustrated by them, I found out they were actually right and I would have gotten myself killed pretty quickly.
All in all, it was a well written horror thriller about what we are all willing to do to survive and the scars it might leave on us afterwards. I could have used a bit more gore... but I think most people will find it lives up to their required amount of gore and horror. Read this one if you've ever wondered what you would do if you were stuck in a frozen wasteland... how far would you go?
September 23, 2022
*Trigger warning - rape*
An enjoyable read. Jonesy, Lisa and their dog Lad, are in their second year of living in the Alaskan wilderness, completely isolated in their cabin, away from any kind of civilisation. They have spent the year filling their cache with food to survive the upcoming winter.
After an expedition to get water or supplies, they return to their cabin to find a catatonic, half frozen young woman on the floor. After their initial shock they undress her and wrap her in warm furs by the fire. They nurse her for several weeks. They eventually find out that she is called Lauren and that her husband is dead.
Jonesy hears shots in the forest and goes to investigate. He finds an unconscious man who has frostbite and assumes the man is Lauren's husband. He takes him back to the cabin.
The man is not Lauren's husband, he is a very nasty piece of work and Jonesy should have left him where he found him!
I found this story to be engaging and set at a pace that, although not a real 'page-turner', was nicely captivating. The characters (apart from Lad) were not particularly likeable but that didn't matter too much. The author manages to write quite beautifully, and transports you to the Wilderness without much trouble. I shall miss it now I've finished! I'm looking forward to reading another David Haynes novel.
An enjoyable read. Jonesy, Lisa and their dog Lad, are in their second year of living in the Alaskan wilderness, completely isolated in their cabin, away from any kind of civilisation. They have spent the year filling their cache with food to survive the upcoming winter.
After an expedition to get water or supplies, they return to their cabin to find a catatonic, half frozen young woman on the floor. After their initial shock they undress her and wrap her in warm furs by the fire. They nurse her for several weeks. They eventually find out that she is called Lauren and that her husband is dead.
Jonesy hears shots in the forest and goes to investigate. He finds an unconscious man who has frostbite and assumes the man is Lauren's husband. He takes him back to the cabin.
The man is not Lauren's husband, he is a very nasty piece of work and Jonesy should have left him where he found him!
I found this story to be engaging and set at a pace that, although not a real 'page-turner', was nicely captivating. The characters (apart from Lad) were not particularly likeable but that didn't matter too much. The author manages to write quite beautifully, and transports you to the Wilderness without much trouble. I shall miss it now I've finished! I'm looking forward to reading another David Haynes novel.
September 18, 2024
Pure and simple, this is a book about what people will do just to survive. Part of the story is about a couple living their 2nd winter in the Alaska wilderness. They struggled their first winter and almost didn't live through it. They learned a lot and thought they were prepared for their second winter. That probably would have been the case if a female stranger and later a male stranger hadn't landed at their doorstep. When you have enough to get 2 people and a dog through winter, it's tough to get 4 and a dog through with those same provisions. This is really true when the male stranger starts eating all their food. The story talks about life in a wilderness setting and how difficult survival can be, especially if you are far from anyone else. All it takes it one mistake or a couple of strangers showing up and surviving that human contact becomes an even bigger act of survival. Good story and lots of action.
December 23, 2025
I guess I enjoyed this, but god damn, the guy in this story needs some balls.
Jonesy and his wife are preparing for another harsh winter in Alaska when they stumble across a girl in trouble and a man with a dangerous, mysterious past. From there, it becomes a fight to survive the oncoming winter and the chaos that follows.
The pacing is solid and the story keeps moving. It definitely got an emotional reaction out of me (mostly anger), which is exactly what a story should do — get you invested.
But by Odin’s beard, Jonesy is useless. There are so many moments where he could’ve stepped up and shut the whole situation down. I’m not claiming to be the high king of the alpha manly men, but honestly, I would’ve pistol‑whipped Owens so fast he’d forget his own name.
Bonus points for the dog, though. That’s a good boy.
Jonesy and his wife are preparing for another harsh winter in Alaska when they stumble across a girl in trouble and a man with a dangerous, mysterious past. From there, it becomes a fight to survive the oncoming winter and the chaos that follows.
The pacing is solid and the story keeps moving. It definitely got an emotional reaction out of me (mostly anger), which is exactly what a story should do — get you invested.
But by Odin’s beard, Jonesy is useless. There are so many moments where he could’ve stepped up and shut the whole situation down. I’m not claiming to be the high king of the alpha manly men, but honestly, I would’ve pistol‑whipped Owens so fast he’d forget his own name.
Bonus points for the dog, though. That’s a good boy.
December 25, 2023
A hugely entertaining thriller, it really kept you stressed over what was happening throughout (and of course, the question of "will the dog survive" lol)
Highly recommended for all thrill seekers, it's a fab story read based on the Alaskan dark heavy winters and a survivalist couple who switched civilisation to remote hard living.
I questioned their reasons (the wife's especially) and i felt that motives were often questionable throughout the book. Also sometimes they were a bit slow on catching on things (while it was clear as daylight to the reader), purposefully not understanding obvious things. That was a bit frustrating.
But overall it was a well written and well narrated audiobook, really glad i picked it up as a December read.
Highly recommended for all thrill seekers, it's a fab story read based on the Alaskan dark heavy winters and a survivalist couple who switched civilisation to remote hard living.
I questioned their reasons (the wife's especially) and i felt that motives were often questionable throughout the book. Also sometimes they were a bit slow on catching on things (while it was clear as daylight to the reader), purposefully not understanding obvious things. That was a bit frustrating.
But overall it was a well written and well narrated audiobook, really glad i picked it up as a December read.
June 25, 2022
I found this book a bit difficult to read. On the one hand, I loved the main protagonists, but on the other hand, I wanted to scream at them that they deserved what was happening to them because they were so stupid. But then, would I have been able to kill two people without real evidence that they were bad people? I don't know, but that realisation didn't remove my inner conflict while reading. And, while I found it frustrating, that was probably one of the aspects that made it a good book to read. Not just a thriller, but a slightly deeper thriller. For dog lovers like me who were concerned about reading this one after reading the blurb, no worries, it's a safe read.
February 13, 2019
A survivalist's dream!
What a strange book this was. Not my normal genre but very enjoyable all the same. Not sure about the main character though. Was he a Bear Grills type of action hero or a closet masochist? Time and again he could have extracted himself and his family from harm but, for some reason, he didn't. I don't think this book will be mandatory reading for the Alaskan tourist board.
What a strange book this was. Not my normal genre but very enjoyable all the same. Not sure about the main character though. Was he a Bear Grills type of action hero or a closet masochist? Time and again he could have extracted himself and his family from harm but, for some reason, he didn't. I don't think this book will be mandatory reading for the Alaskan tourist board.
May 11, 2023
A fantastic and easily readable survival novel with a lot of tension and suspense, well developed characters and a dash of moral ambiguity on the part of every character involved. The stakes feeling quite high always where they need to.
May 15, 2018
Brilliant
This is a brilliant read very easy to read not remotely tedious every chapter had you gripped. I will be reading more from this author.
This is a brilliant read very easy to read not remotely tedious every chapter had you gripped. I will be reading more from this author.
December 12, 2021
Dejo la reseña pendiente de relectura.
December 31, 2023
Oh dear, I have also dreamed of escaping to isolation and living the self sustained life of a hermit.
This is a harsh awakening.
I now know that I do not have what it takes to live this life.
This is a harsh awakening.
I now know that I do not have what it takes to live this life.
April 19, 2024
The this was an excellent read. I couldn’t stop reading. Loved it
April 26, 2024
Fast paced, great plot, interesting characters, tense! my favourite from this author so far. The book was everything I wanted it to be and more
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