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Snowbound
Catastrophe hits when Will and Devlin Innis lose their wife and mother one stormy night on a lonely desert highway. Will under suspicion, they flee. Suddenly a hard-edged FBI agent appears on their doorstep. “I know you’re innocent, because Rachael wasn’t the first ... or the last.”
309 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
1683 people are currently reading
8158 people want to read
About the author
Blake Crouch
79 books59.2k followersBlake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of the forthcoming novel, Dark Matter, for which he is writing the screenplay for Sony Pictures. His international-bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX, executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, that was Summer 2015’s #1 show. With Chad Hodge, Crouch also created Good Behavior, the TNT television show starring Michelle Dockery based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He has written more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over thirty languages and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Crouch lives in Colorado with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 789 reviews
March 14, 2016
Let me preface this review by saying I really enjoy this author's books. However, it was too difficult to suspend my reality for most of this book.
I thought a lot of the characters were unbelievable and their actions/reactions implausible. I thought the book started strong and began a downward spiral at about 20%.
Though I would love to divulge some of the plot twists had me rolling my eyes,it will spoil it for folks who want to read the book.
Suffice it to say,if this is your first foray into Mr.Crouch's work,I don't think it is a good representation of his storytelling. Try the "Wayward Pine" series.
I thought a lot of the characters were unbelievable and their actions/reactions implausible. I thought the book started strong and began a downward spiral at about 20%.
Though I would love to divulge some of the plot twists had me rolling my eyes,it will spoil it for folks who want to read the book.
Suffice it to say,if this is your first foray into Mr.Crouch's work,I don't think it is a good representation of his storytelling. Try the "Wayward Pine" series.
November 26, 2021
After ‘Dark Matter’, ‘Recursion’ and then ‘The Wayward Pines’ series, I have come to expect from Blake Crouch’s books – an imaginative story, great pace, good character development & some subtle philosophy/food for thought. This particular book has only 1.5 of these ingredients – pace & some reasonable character development, which is why it was largely disappointing, considering the high standards I have been used to.
Rachel Innis does not return home one stormy night, and as her husband Will is about to call law enforcement, they coincidentally come to his house. Rachel’s car is discovered with a broken window on a lonely desert highway, with no sign of her. Devlin, their daughter has a chronic ailment which needs periodic attention. Will is subjected to aggressive questioning on why he waited so long to report her missing, and neighbours had heard them arguing a few days back. Will is terrified of the turn this is taking and decides to relocate suddenly with his daughter. After many months, Kalyn who says she is an FBI agent turns up at his place. She believes he has nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance and her sister Lucy went missing in very similar circumstances. She has some ideas on how they can find out what happened.
The book starts off well, building good suspense and pace. While the pace sustains, the story & plot are very mediocre.
I remain a loyal Blake Crouch reader, and will continue to read any of his books! This one really is not anywhere near what he can and does write generally.
My rating: 2.25 / 5.
Rachel Innis does not return home one stormy night, and as her husband Will is about to call law enforcement, they coincidentally come to his house. Rachel’s car is discovered with a broken window on a lonely desert highway, with no sign of her. Devlin, their daughter has a chronic ailment which needs periodic attention. Will is subjected to aggressive questioning on why he waited so long to report her missing, and neighbours had heard them arguing a few days back. Will is terrified of the turn this is taking and decides to relocate suddenly with his daughter. After many months, Kalyn who says she is an FBI agent turns up at his place. She believes he has nothing to do with his wife’s disappearance and her sister Lucy went missing in very similar circumstances. She has some ideas on how they can find out what happened.
The book starts off well, building good suspense and pace. While the pace sustains, the story & plot are very mediocre.
I remain a loyal Blake Crouch reader, and will continue to read any of his books! This one really is not anywhere near what he can and does write generally.
My rating: 2.25 / 5.
November 28, 2017
Snow Bound is a standalone thriller written by Blake Crouch. The brief synopsis of this book in no way prepared me for what was to come. There are some dark themes running through this mystery/thriller and to say the ending was a surprise is putting it lightly. Overall, a good thriller that was fast-paced and engaging. Personally, I desperately needed more character development to help me care more for all involved and I think feeling more connected to the characters would have heightened the suspense factor. I think that factor would have bumped this up from good to great! Regardless, I enjoyed it and I'm always open for some of this author's imagination.
My favorite quote:
"Live your life. Fuck the fear."
My favorite quote:
"Live your life. Fuck the fear."
October 24, 2017
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
It happened in the blink of an eye, one minute they were a happy family, the next Rachael is missing and Will is the chief suspect. What will their young, fragile daughter do on her own without either of them to watch over her? Will is left with one answer; run, fast and far and avoid putting down roots too firmly. Even the best plans can get waylaid when an FBI agent finds them, in spite of their new identities. Kaylan doesn’t want to arrest Will or take Devlin away, she doesn’t even have the authority to do so. Kaylan wants more, she wants Will’s help in finding both his wife and her sister, because she has a very good idea of what happened to them. Five years have passed, could Rachael still be alive?
How far would you go to find a loved one? What would you do? SNOWBOUND by Blake Crouch tells us just how far people will go to find the ones they love. It tells an almost impossible tale of daring, danger and most likely just plain dumb luck and true grit as two unlikely people uncover and infiltrate a sex trafficking ring in hopes of finding answers, if not the people they seek.
Follow a rapid-fire chase across countries, feel the tension, believe in the unfathomable and the power of love to face danger head on. Sometimes a little too unbelievable, but still a riveting and gut-clenching tale that will raise the hackles of readers, this tale has moments of vicious hatred, dogged determination and some wicked crazy heroics. Sit back and hang on for a ride that will most definitely entertain, and remember, this is fiction, the author has a story to tell and his characters are on a mission they never knew they would be presented with, closure at the least, a nightmare ended at best. Then, ask yourself again, how far would you go to save a loved one, there just might be a little Rambo in all of us.
Publication Date: December 22, 2012
Publisher: Blake Crouch
Genre: Thriller | Suspense
Print Length: 324 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
It happened in the blink of an eye, one minute they were a happy family, the next Rachael is missing and Will is the chief suspect. What will their young, fragile daughter do on her own without either of them to watch over her? Will is left with one answer; run, fast and far and avoid putting down roots too firmly. Even the best plans can get waylaid when an FBI agent finds them, in spite of their new identities. Kaylan doesn’t want to arrest Will or take Devlin away, she doesn’t even have the authority to do so. Kaylan wants more, she wants Will’s help in finding both his wife and her sister, because she has a very good idea of what happened to them. Five years have passed, could Rachael still be alive?
How far would you go to find a loved one? What would you do? SNOWBOUND by Blake Crouch tells us just how far people will go to find the ones they love. It tells an almost impossible tale of daring, danger and most likely just plain dumb luck and true grit as two unlikely people uncover and infiltrate a sex trafficking ring in hopes of finding answers, if not the people they seek.
Follow a rapid-fire chase across countries, feel the tension, believe in the unfathomable and the power of love to face danger head on. Sometimes a little too unbelievable, but still a riveting and gut-clenching tale that will raise the hackles of readers, this tale has moments of vicious hatred, dogged determination and some wicked crazy heroics. Sit back and hang on for a ride that will most definitely entertain, and remember, this is fiction, the author has a story to tell and his characters are on a mission they never knew they would be presented with, closure at the least, a nightmare ended at best. Then, ask yourself again, how far would you go to save a loved one, there just might be a little Rambo in all of us.
Publication Date: December 22, 2012
Publisher: Blake Crouch
Genre: Thriller | Suspense
Print Length: 324 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
May 6, 2019
Of course it was bloody unbelievable, it was Blake Crouch! Do we read SF/fantasy/horror and complain - 'oh it was so unbelievable?" No we don't. What about those dreary romance thingies where everyone lives happily ever after in loved-up bliss??
Just having a little rant. Will and Devlin (his daughter) Innes have the guts ripped out of their world when their wife/mother Rachel doesn't come home one night from working a bit late (she's a doctor). When the police get involved Will is shocked to realise that the detective has a hard-on for pinning Rachel's death on him, despite the lack of a body. Scared of leaving 11 year old Devlin without a parent Will and his daughter go on the run.
Five years later they are living quietly and incognito in a small town when Will is approached out of the blue by Kalyn, an FBI agent, who seeks to enlist his help. She tells him she knows he's innocent because there are five other disappearances with the same MO and the women all look very similar. Kalyn is on the trail of the killer as he got her sister, Lucy. It a little off the books and she needs Will's help. Its a very faint trail that they follow and it leads them into a nightmare scenario in a snowbound wilderness guarded by some very scary guys.
It was most entertaining and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll be going back to Blake Crouch for more chills and thrills soon.
Just having a little rant. Will and Devlin (his daughter) Innes have the guts ripped out of their world when their wife/mother Rachel doesn't come home one night from working a bit late (she's a doctor). When the police get involved Will is shocked to realise that the detective has a hard-on for pinning Rachel's death on him, despite the lack of a body. Scared of leaving 11 year old Devlin without a parent Will and his daughter go on the run.
Five years later they are living quietly and incognito in a small town when Will is approached out of the blue by Kalyn, an FBI agent, who seeks to enlist his help. She tells him she knows he's innocent because there are five other disappearances with the same MO and the women all look very similar. Kalyn is on the trail of the killer as he got her sister, Lucy. It a little off the books and she needs Will's help. Its a very faint trail that they follow and it leads them into a nightmare scenario in a snowbound wilderness guarded by some very scary guys.
It was most entertaining and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll be going back to Blake Crouch for more chills and thrills soon.
August 12, 2025
Will and his young daughter Devlin are at home when the police turn up in the middle of the night. They inform him that his wife, Rachael, has disappeared. Her car has been found abandoned by the side of the road with a smashed window.
After a detective accuses Will of killing his wife (with no evidence), he doesn't like the idea of ending up in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He also realises this would leave his sick daughter to grow up alone. So they both go on the run. I wasn't quite on board with this part; it seemed to be a bit of a premature overreaction.
We then fast forward 5 years, and Will and Devlin are living under new identities. This is where Kalyn, an FBI agent whose sister has also disappeared, tracks them down. They begin to work together to try and find the culprits who took their respective relatives.
Just a warning that this does delve into the murky world of cartel bosses, human trafficking and slavery.
This was pretty fast-paced, with short chapters, which I personally quite liked. The prose was a little bit clunky in places but overall nicely written.
To be honest, I don’t think you can overlook some of the improbable scenarios or rash decisions that some of the characters make in this story. Some of the plot started to come across just a little bit too contrived.
I had mixed feelings about this book. It's a pretty easy read, and I found myself flying through it, but at the same time, I had some problems with it. This Author is talented, but it definitely wasn't one of their best. That said, it's not awful either.
After a detective accuses Will of killing his wife (with no evidence), he doesn't like the idea of ending up in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He also realises this would leave his sick daughter to grow up alone. So they both go on the run. I wasn't quite on board with this part; it seemed to be a bit of a premature overreaction.
We then fast forward 5 years, and Will and Devlin are living under new identities. This is where Kalyn, an FBI agent whose sister has also disappeared, tracks them down. They begin to work together to try and find the culprits who took their respective relatives.
Just a warning that this does delve into the murky world of cartel bosses, human trafficking and slavery.
This was pretty fast-paced, with short chapters, which I personally quite liked. The prose was a little bit clunky in places but overall nicely written.
To be honest, I don’t think you can overlook some of the improbable scenarios or rash decisions that some of the characters make in this story. Some of the plot started to come across just a little bit too contrived.
I had mixed feelings about this book. It's a pretty easy read, and I found myself flying through it, but at the same time, I had some problems with it. This Author is talented, but it definitely wasn't one of their best. That said, it's not awful either.
August 5, 2016
Blake Crouch can write. Let's make sure there's no mistake about that.
Snowbound was a unique experience for me. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the writing. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the characters. I certainly thought the hook for the plot was a great idea. That's not why I couldn't finish. None of that. Snowbound was the first book that I had to put down because of a plot development, in my mind, so off-key it ruined my trust in where the narrative was going.
I thought about it. I was actually a little perturbed over letting myself get so caught up with it. But, in the end, I felt that if the main character makes a decision that's so outlandish with what's come before, so in the face of what I felt the book was leading me toward, what's to keep that character or plot for completely pulling the rug out from under me at the end of the book, so much so that I feel robbed and (more) than a little perturbed I invested my time in seeing how things would play out?
Make no mistake--I'll read Crouch again. I think he's got some great ideas and if you read even the little I've read of him, it's clear he has talent. But Snowbound left me feeling early on that the book could plausibly (but really implausibly) go anywhere--and not in a good way. I simply couldn't sign up for that. Readers have to relate, and I felt I was asked to give Crouch's main character too much benefit of the doubt.
I can't recommend it. Unless you're willing to check all your decision-making opinions at the door.
Snowbound was a unique experience for me. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the writing. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the characters. I certainly thought the hook for the plot was a great idea. That's not why I couldn't finish. None of that. Snowbound was the first book that I had to put down because of a plot development, in my mind, so off-key it ruined my trust in where the narrative was going.
I thought about it. I was actually a little perturbed over letting myself get so caught up with it. But, in the end, I felt that if the main character makes a decision that's so outlandish with what's come before, so in the face of what I felt the book was leading me toward, what's to keep that character or plot for completely pulling the rug out from under me at the end of the book, so much so that I feel robbed and (more) than a little perturbed I invested my time in seeing how things would play out?
Make no mistake--I'll read Crouch again. I think he's got some great ideas and if you read even the little I've read of him, it's clear he has talent. But Snowbound left me feeling early on that the book could plausibly (but really implausibly) go anywhere--and not in a good way. I simply couldn't sign up for that. Readers have to relate, and I felt I was asked to give Crouch's main character too much benefit of the doubt.
I can't recommend it. Unless you're willing to check all your decision-making opinions at the door.
March 19, 2017
A very well done and thought out thriller from Mr. Crouch. The characters were fleshed out nicely and there was plenty of action and twists to keep this one going at a brisk pace until the very end.
I listened to this one on audio and the narrator, Jeffrey Kafer, really nailed it. I was never once thrown out of the story or confused about events playing out, as sometimes happens to me when I am listening to a read and get slightly distracted. An easy listening voice with spot on cadence and tone. I have listened to some of his work before on “The Holy Terror” by Wayne Allen Sallee, which I loved.
I like Blake Crouch. He knows how to write. He has a real sense of character and pacing that never fails to impress me. Dude is solid. He has really taken off in popularity since his Wayward Pines series and TV show. (Is it still on?) I have read several of his previous works and enjoyed every one of them. I still need to get to his Luther Kite series though, starting with “Desert Places” and I am really looking forward to it. My all- time favorite so far is “Draculas”, which was a mash up off authors including F. Paul Wilson, Jack Kilborn and Jeff Strand. Pure craziness. I dug it.
Major Spoiler (kindof)
Overall, an extremely entertaining and satisfying tale. Highly recommended. I would also recommend checking out the audio version because it was excellent.
I listened to this one on audio and the narrator, Jeffrey Kafer, really nailed it. I was never once thrown out of the story or confused about events playing out, as sometimes happens to me when I am listening to a read and get slightly distracted. An easy listening voice with spot on cadence and tone. I have listened to some of his work before on “The Holy Terror” by Wayne Allen Sallee, which I loved.
I like Blake Crouch. He knows how to write. He has a real sense of character and pacing that never fails to impress me. Dude is solid. He has really taken off in popularity since his Wayward Pines series and TV show. (Is it still on?) I have read several of his previous works and enjoyed every one of them. I still need to get to his Luther Kite series though, starting with “Desert Places” and I am really looking forward to it. My all- time favorite so far is “Draculas”, which was a mash up off authors including F. Paul Wilson, Jack Kilborn and Jeff Strand. Pure craziness. I dug it.
Major Spoiler (kindof)
Overall, an extremely entertaining and satisfying tale. Highly recommended. I would also recommend checking out the audio version because it was excellent.
March 12, 2022
Wow!!! What A Ride. I am a fan of Blake Crouch's science fiction novels and since I've finished the most recent 3 (including the one yet to be released) I was interested to see some of his Backlist. I have a very mixed relationship with Audible--love/hate barely describes it--but this was part of its latest teaser for free and I was intrigued.
Not usually a thriller reader but I was hooked, I tried to put it down after the 1st chapter but found the temptation for a propulsive story, even a bit of a scary one, was something I needed right now. I was not disappointed. Stayed up late in the night reading and boy can this guy write.
The story centers around women disappearing and focuses on a doctor who goes missing and is believed dead, and the life of her husband and daughter who is a 9 year old with cystic fibrosis. When the doctor/mother disappears one snowy night, the police begin to accuse the father of her murder, though no body has been found and there is scant evidence to support this theory. From there the story takes off. I particularly loved how the father is the good guy in this story. He cares deeply about his daughter and is committed to caring for her and making a normal life for her in very difficult circumstances.
There are so many twists and turns along the way and yes some stretch believeability but this author never stumbles.
Loved the rapid pace and would encourage any mystery/thriller lovers to just put on their seat belts and enjoy the ride. A scary one for sure but you will find yourself in the hands of a great driver.
5 stars for enjoyment.
Not usually a thriller reader but I was hooked, I tried to put it down after the 1st chapter but found the temptation for a propulsive story, even a bit of a scary one, was something I needed right now. I was not disappointed. Stayed up late in the night reading and boy can this guy write.
The story centers around women disappearing and focuses on a doctor who goes missing and is believed dead, and the life of her husband and daughter who is a 9 year old with cystic fibrosis. When the doctor/mother disappears one snowy night, the police begin to accuse the father of her murder, though no body has been found and there is scant evidence to support this theory. From there the story takes off. I particularly loved how the father is the good guy in this story. He cares deeply about his daughter and is committed to caring for her and making a normal life for her in very difficult circumstances.
There are so many twists and turns along the way and yes some stretch believeability but this author never stumbles.
Loved the rapid pace and would encourage any mystery/thriller lovers to just put on their seat belts and enjoy the ride. A scary one for sure but you will find yourself in the hands of a great driver.
5 stars for enjoyment.
November 30, 2022
Blake Crouch is a talented writer. This one is a decent yarn, but, not a great representation of Crouch's work, IMO.
April 14, 2015
This was a good story but parts reminded me of a fast action film, some parts are a little improbable, however, it was an interesting mystery with a surprising ending.
When a new lead in a very cold case arises a man and his daughter set out on a hopeful journey to find their missing wife and mother, who mysteriously disappeared five years earlier. I Think our society has far too many twisted people in it, the depths of human depravity are astounding.
Jeffrey Kafer's narration was done very well and it definitely helped to keep my attention on the story. Good well rounded characters with believable personalities. Fast moving, with thorough but not over done descriptions of places and surroundings.
When a new lead in a very cold case arises a man and his daughter set out on a hopeful journey to find their missing wife and mother, who mysteriously disappeared five years earlier. I Think our society has far too many twisted people in it, the depths of human depravity are astounding.
Jeffrey Kafer's narration was done very well and it definitely helped to keep my attention on the story. Good well rounded characters with believable personalities. Fast moving, with thorough but not over done descriptions of places and surroundings.
November 19, 2013
I don't usually write reviews of bad books but I feel it is my duty as a reader to keep anyone else from wasting their time reading Snowbound. I will say the writing is good. That is all. The plot is the most ridiculous, least plausible plot I have ever come across. First, a middle aged mother is kidnapped on a dark & stormy night. Her husband is a lawyer who after being questioned by the police, on the night of the disappearance, grabs his daughter and runs away to start a new life under a new identity. Pretty quick reaction to a missing woman. What if she was having an affair and slept at her lover's house. Never mind. Five years later we find that the middle aged mom has been forced into a sex slave for the ultra rich in a remote Alaskan lodge, along with a bunch of other middle aged women. Apparently these ultra rich men love having sex with women who remind them of their wives back home or something. Any way, the story ends with a seemingly endless storming of the castle, and everyone goes home happy. The end. P.S. Do not read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2013
This was a fun, imaginative, fast paced story.
However, some of the characters acted in ways that were just not believable and some of the situations were not plausible.
If you're not too picky about that kind of thing, or if you're easily able to set those things aside, then you would probably enjoy this fast paced thrill ride.
However, some of the characters acted in ways that were just not believable and some of the situations were not plausible.
If you're not too picky about that kind of thing, or if you're easily able to set those things aside, then you would probably enjoy this fast paced thrill ride.
January 16, 2022
Sooooooo good. One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time! Different than I expected. Wow! What an ending.
July 18, 2013
I love the way Blake Crouch has of getting the readers into the emotional worlds of his characters. The action in this one starts off immediately. What really makes it a page-turner is the fact that you are sucked into the "emotional turmoil" and get to the point where you simply HAVE to know what is going to happen next! A very suspenseful, fast-moving read--recommended.
March 27, 2021
Blake Crouch: I love you, man. Recursion, Wayward Pines, Dark Matter: all excellent. But I can’t give this one more than three stars.
First, the positive. The premise of Snowbound (shocking and depressing though it may be) does lead to some compelling, emotional and dramatic situations. The entire third act (following a disturbing reveal) was excellent; chock full of action and suspense in an awesome setting.
That said, I had a lot of issues with this book. The character development was so minimal. It was essentially nonexistent. That, coupled with a plot that oftentimes moved way too quickly, made it hard to really care about these characters. I felt like I knew practically nothing about anyone in this book. And this plot really needed strong character development to be truly effective.
The other major issue I had has also been pointed out in many other Goodreads reviews, and I wholeheartedly agree: this story is SO far-fetched at times. I can’t remember the last time I had to suspend my disbelief this much in a book that didn’t feature supernatural elements. There are countless instances of characters making nonsensical decisions that just weren’t believable at all.
I’d be the first to say, based on the other books I’ve read, that Crouch is an author who really knows how to play to his strengths. In this one, though, his usual strong suits (pacing, surprise twists, etc.) do more harm than good.
Regardless of my mixed opinion of this particular book, I strongly encourage people to give Crouch a try. He is fast becoming one of my favorite writers due to his incredible imagination and ambition. This one just didn’t do it for me the way some of his other books did.
First, the positive. The premise of Snowbound (shocking and depressing though it may be) does lead to some compelling, emotional and dramatic situations. The entire third act (following a disturbing reveal) was excellent; chock full of action and suspense in an awesome setting.
That said, I had a lot of issues with this book. The character development was so minimal. It was essentially nonexistent. That, coupled with a plot that oftentimes moved way too quickly, made it hard to really care about these characters. I felt like I knew practically nothing about anyone in this book. And this plot really needed strong character development to be truly effective.
The other major issue I had has also been pointed out in many other Goodreads reviews, and I wholeheartedly agree: this story is SO far-fetched at times. I can’t remember the last time I had to suspend my disbelief this much in a book that didn’t feature supernatural elements. There are countless instances of characters making nonsensical decisions that just weren’t believable at all.
I’d be the first to say, based on the other books I’ve read, that Crouch is an author who really knows how to play to his strengths. In this one, though, his usual strong suits (pacing, surprise twists, etc.) do more harm than good.
Regardless of my mixed opinion of this particular book, I strongly encourage people to give Crouch a try. He is fast becoming one of my favorite writers due to his incredible imagination and ambition. This one just didn’t do it for me the way some of his other books did.
April 7, 2015
A train wreck of a book. Couldn't look away, but thought less of myself because of that.
March 3, 2024
Having just started Crouch's books, I assumed they would all be sci-fi. This was a pure thriller, however, which surprised me.
The best aspect of this book for me was that there is absolutely no standard formula for the genre found in the story. Thrillers seem to be the number one genre where the vast majority of the writing follows a standard formula for how the story will unfold and authors churn out the same thing over and over. Crouch creates a pure thriller without any of those formulas, which was super interesting and kept me much more engaged than 'commercial' thrillers.
The second best aspect for me was the pace, which was incredibly fast and kept me feeling like anything could happen at any time. To a small extent, this was also a small drawback, as the story's pace moved so fast at parts that it felt like pure sugar rather than a nourishing meal. Crouch has perfected his pacing in his most recent books so I chalk this up to an author finding what works for him as he develops his craft. And it wasn't that big of a deal anyway.
My only real complaint with the book is that there are two points in the story where the reader is 100% led to believe something happens and later in the book the exact opposite is found to have occurred, and there is never any explanation for the discrepancy. Both plot points are there to make the story feel unpredictable, and they worked in the short term, but when the opposite is found to have happened and the reader has no explanation it's almost like cheating.
Still, this was a great read and was far better than most thrillers I've read.
The best aspect of this book for me was that there is absolutely no standard formula for the genre found in the story. Thrillers seem to be the number one genre where the vast majority of the writing follows a standard formula for how the story will unfold and authors churn out the same thing over and over. Crouch creates a pure thriller without any of those formulas, which was super interesting and kept me much more engaged than 'commercial' thrillers.
The second best aspect for me was the pace, which was incredibly fast and kept me feeling like anything could happen at any time. To a small extent, this was also a small drawback, as the story's pace moved so fast at parts that it felt like pure sugar rather than a nourishing meal. Crouch has perfected his pacing in his most recent books so I chalk this up to an author finding what works for him as he develops his craft. And it wasn't that big of a deal anyway.
My only real complaint with the book is that there are two points in the story where the reader is 100% led to believe something happens and later in the book the exact opposite is found to have occurred, and there is never any explanation for the discrepancy. Both plot points are there to make the story feel unpredictable, and they worked in the short term, but when the opposite is found to have happened and the reader has no explanation it's almost like cheating.
Still, this was a great read and was far better than most thrillers I've read.
April 16, 2014
I found this to be another solid read from Crouch, not one that knocked my socks off but good none the less.
The pacing was great and I found this to be a fast and engaging read. The characters were fairly likeable but there were none that I really connected to that well. I was somewhat disappointed with the character of Javier, after first encountering him in Afraid I expected a much nastier character, I don't think he was developed enough.
The story line was well executed although it was certainly far fetched. There were also times that characters actions were not believable or authentic for their situation.
Still very enjoyable and a great read for pure escapism.
November 25, 2022
A thriller comprised of two to three page chapters that only contain enough info to race the kookie plot forward. Just tune out the disbelief and go with it and a (mostly) enjoyable time can be had.
3 Snowy Stars
3 Snowy Stars
April 3, 2013
Honestly, I don't remember the last time I quit reading before the end of a book; my Aries personality is always up for a challenge, and come hell or high water, I try to finish what I start.
Not this time.
The whole thing started with a few plot glitches and a titch of improbability, but it held my attention. By the time I got about a third of the way in, though, I realized that trouble was brewing; I was quite happy to put it down when anything else to do came along - shaving my legs had more appeal than opening this book to start another chapter. At that point, I said to myself, "Self, thank goodness I got this one through one of the free book sites."
Still, I persisted. That is, till it got worse. And when I'd slogged to the 65% mark, I finally said hold enough. There's no way I want to suffer any more fools just so I can say I'm not a quitter.
The book (which, by the way, managed to earn an average of 4.2 stars from 159 reviewers at the time I downloaded it) begins with a decent premise. When Will Innis and his 11-year-old daughter Devlin, who has cystic fibrosis and needs daily therapy, discover that their wife/mother has disappeared, an apparent kidnapping/murder. When the police begin to hound Will as the probable killer, he packs up his daughter, comes up with new identities and moves to a new town where they manage to live quite comfortably for five years. Suddenly, they're "discovered" by Kalyn, a female FBI agent who, as it turns out, is no longer an agent but has learned not only the Innis' identity, but the name of the mercenary who kidnapped her. Turns out Will's wife isn't the only one who's been his victim - apparently, she one of several to be captured as part of a human trafficking operation.
When Kalyn turns out to have no qualms about murdering the "bad guys," Will learns that her real intent is to find her sister, who disappeared in the same fashion as Will's wife. Despite the fact that Kalyn (for whom, not surprisingly, Will has developed a case of the hots) hasn't been up-front about her intentions, she convinces Will to drag his daughter on a search-and-seize mission that takes them to remote Alaska. There, also not surprisingly, they find the Lodge That Doesn't Exist, where the rooms are filled with -- well, I won't spoil the rest of the story by revealing what they find. Suffice it to say that it is at this point that things got downright silly and I jumped ship.
It may be that all's well that ends well, but I'll never know. What I do know is that getting to that point would take a heck of a lot more intestinal fortitude than I've got. It's up to you if you want to give it a go, but my advice? Don't bother.
Not this time.
The whole thing started with a few plot glitches and a titch of improbability, but it held my attention. By the time I got about a third of the way in, though, I realized that trouble was brewing; I was quite happy to put it down when anything else to do came along - shaving my legs had more appeal than opening this book to start another chapter. At that point, I said to myself, "Self, thank goodness I got this one through one of the free book sites."
Still, I persisted. That is, till it got worse. And when I'd slogged to the 65% mark, I finally said hold enough. There's no way I want to suffer any more fools just so I can say I'm not a quitter.
The book (which, by the way, managed to earn an average of 4.2 stars from 159 reviewers at the time I downloaded it) begins with a decent premise. When Will Innis and his 11-year-old daughter Devlin, who has cystic fibrosis and needs daily therapy, discover that their wife/mother has disappeared, an apparent kidnapping/murder. When the police begin to hound Will as the probable killer, he packs up his daughter, comes up with new identities and moves to a new town where they manage to live quite comfortably for five years. Suddenly, they're "discovered" by Kalyn, a female FBI agent who, as it turns out, is no longer an agent but has learned not only the Innis' identity, but the name of the mercenary who kidnapped her. Turns out Will's wife isn't the only one who's been his victim - apparently, she one of several to be captured as part of a human trafficking operation.
When Kalyn turns out to have no qualms about murdering the "bad guys," Will learns that her real intent is to find her sister, who disappeared in the same fashion as Will's wife. Despite the fact that Kalyn (for whom, not surprisingly, Will has developed a case of the hots) hasn't been up-front about her intentions, she convinces Will to drag his daughter on a search-and-seize mission that takes them to remote Alaska. There, also not surprisingly, they find the Lodge That Doesn't Exist, where the rooms are filled with -- well, I won't spoil the rest of the story by revealing what they find. Suffice it to say that it is at this point that things got downright silly and I jumped ship.
It may be that all's well that ends well, but I'll never know. What I do know is that getting to that point would take a heck of a lot more intestinal fortitude than I've got. It's up to you if you want to give it a go, but my advice? Don't bother.
February 6, 2014
A certain amount of my issue with this book is quite simply it not being the style I like. I am more into mysteries and this is pretty much pure thriller. I did read all of it.
I don't like bad guy POV. The author uses the bad guy in the beginning but then neglects him and that just felt wrong. His POV ended up seeming unnecessary.
I absolutely hate sudden midscene POV shifts. Too many of those.
Site is misused.
1 shows up in place of letters multiple times.
Devlin is shown as a very smart and observant girl, until she misses something essential. I find that a characterization failure.
I don't like bad guy POV. The author uses the bad guy in the beginning but then neglects him and that just felt wrong. His POV ended up seeming unnecessary.
I absolutely hate sudden midscene POV shifts. Too many of those.
Site is misused.
1 shows up in place of letters multiple times.
Devlin is shown as a very smart and observant girl, until she misses something essential. I find that a characterization failure.
July 15, 2014
Terrible. Crude swearing, violent and graphic. The plot itself rather ridiculous. It was a thriller - in "I want to know the mystery and how it ends", but definitely a book with language and imagery I should not have exposed my soul to. A poorly spent day of reading.
December 18, 2017
Крауч, как всегда, не изменил себе, и книга написана абсолютно в его стиле - то, за что я люблю его истории: интересно, напряженно, захватывающе и очень кинематографично. Я буквально проглотила ее, стремительно переворачивая страницы. Много неожиданных ходов, и я до самой последней страницы ждала каких-то подвохов. Проникаешься всей этой атмосферой холода и снега (чего как раз не наблюдается у нас за окном), так что книга оказалась у меня в руках очень вовремя. Снизила оценку лишь за немного плоские характеры главных героев, даже основной злодей показался мне намного харизматичнее их.
December 26, 2015
Ridiculous plot, shallow characters
This is an abysmal mystery. The writing is serviceable, but little in the plot makes any kind of sense. A few examples:
1. Man goes into hiding with his young daughter who has cystic fibrosis. How will she get medical care? Won't she be easily traced through medical records if she does get medical care? How could she live as long as she does without medical care -- especially when her father takes her into environments that could seriously impair someone with full lung capacity.
SPOILERS BELOW
2. Man murders a family at a gas station to try to cover up a kidnapping. Won't the homicide detectivess look at security footage at the gas station and spot the kidnap victim??? Won't they at least look for the killer-kidnapper?
3. Enterprising sociopathic gazillionaire hires thugs to kidnap women -- well-connected with families and some with relatives in law enforcement -- for his exotic high-end brothel. At the risk of sounding extremely callous, why doesn't he follow the usual practice of trafficking women from destitute countries? If he did that, the odds of someone tracking him down would be minimal.
Those are a few of the many gaping holes, and the characters are pure cardboard. Their emotions don't ring true, especially given the peculiar challenges of their lives. Plus they should all be dead of hypothermia before the book reaches its relatively happy ending.
Don't waste your time and money.
This is an abysmal mystery. The writing is serviceable, but little in the plot makes any kind of sense. A few examples:
1. Man goes into hiding with his young daughter who has cystic fibrosis. How will she get medical care? Won't she be easily traced through medical records if she does get medical care? How could she live as long as she does without medical care -- especially when her father takes her into environments that could seriously impair someone with full lung capacity.
SPOILERS BELOW
2. Man murders a family at a gas station to try to cover up a kidnapping. Won't the homicide detectivess look at security footage at the gas station and spot the kidnap victim??? Won't they at least look for the killer-kidnapper?
3. Enterprising sociopathic gazillionaire hires thugs to kidnap women -- well-connected with families and some with relatives in law enforcement -- for his exotic high-end brothel. At the risk of sounding extremely callous, why doesn't he follow the usual practice of trafficking women from destitute countries? If he did that, the odds of someone tracking him down would be minimal.
Those are a few of the many gaping holes, and the characters are pure cardboard. Their emotions don't ring true, especially given the peculiar challenges of their lives. Plus they should all be dead of hypothermia before the book reaches its relatively happy ending.
Don't waste your time and money.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2018
This is one of those books that just moves at 100 mph, never slows down, and it's so easy to say "ok...one more chapter and I'm going to bed" and one turns into six pretty quick. Everything I've read so far by Crouch reads this way. No need to sum up the plot here as you can find that out pretty easy but this gets five stars for having me entertained nonstop for the week or so that I spent reading it. I will say that there are many unrealistic moments and times when characters act in ways that don't make a whole lot of sense. Oh and there's quite a few typos in this paperback version. I don't usually notice that kind of thing but with this one it's hard not to.
Despite these flaws...I still loved it. Crouch is a fine mix of Koontz and Hitchcock on steroids in my opinion and unless you are looking for something that's going to flex your brain muscles and initiate deep thinking, I highly recommend this author!
Despite these flaws...I still loved it. Crouch is a fine mix of Koontz and Hitchcock on steroids in my opinion and unless you are looking for something that's going to flex your brain muscles and initiate deep thinking, I highly recommend this author!
March 14, 2016
I'm a fan of Blake Crouch and loved 'Abandon' and the 'Wayward Pines' series. However, 'Snowbound' just wasn't as good in my opinion. It was a page turner and interesting, but it didn't have me on the proverbial edge of my seat. It did have a nice little twist. I think the problem for me is rooted in the fact that the father/daughter and FBI agent who are the 3 main characters lack depth. Even though they are going through the motions to solve a case of disappearances, they didn't seem like tangible characters. I didn't feel their pain and couldn't feel invested in them which made me feel like I was reading a plot rather than a full fledged story. Even as I consider this to be less engaging than my previous reads of his, he's still good and a better writer than most. It's an engaging story with dull characters. That would be my summation of 'Snowbound.'
June 17, 2017
I enjoy Blake Crouch books--but this one didn't quite live up to what I had expected. It was a bit boring at first, but once the story hit the 3/4 mark, picked up pace quickly. The characters made some decisions that seemed a bit hard to swallow, but who's to say how any one of us would react in the same situation?
Overall, the ending was quite good (the wolves--OMG) with a twist I did not see coming, and that's what saved the story IMO.
Though I didn't get into this one as much as some of his others, I'll continue to be on the lookout for more of his work. He's not the best writer--but he knows how to tell a story. And isn't that why we read?
If you enjoy a suspenseful thriller, you'll enjoy this book. Not great--but worth the read. If you want a superb sampling of his work, try the Pines series or Dark Matter. Much, much better.
Overall, the ending was quite good (the wolves--OMG) with a twist I did not see coming, and that's what saved the story IMO.
Though I didn't get into this one as much as some of his others, I'll continue to be on the lookout for more of his work. He's not the best writer--but he knows how to tell a story. And isn't that why we read?
If you enjoy a suspenseful thriller, you'll enjoy this book. Not great--but worth the read. If you want a superb sampling of his work, try the Pines series or Dark Matter. Much, much better.
December 11, 2014
Nice, very nice. An actually thrilling thriller. Crouch has managed to keep suspense and surprises coming throughout the entire book. That along with strong writing made or a very compelling read. The characters are excellent, which really makes the story, since no amount of action can make up for soulless cardboard cutouts. Here there is family man whose life gets turned upside down, an FBI agent who is never what she seems, a marvelously well spoken antagonist, a properly appalling bunch of oil rich Texans and, of course, the star attraction the impossibly unforgivingly brutal Alaskan wilderness. The book spend a lot of time in a desert, but in the end really does earn its name. Great read, exciting, relatively quick, really entertaining. Recommended.
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