Descent by Tim Johnston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Plot: A man and his wife, struggling with marriage issues, take their 18-yr-old daughter and her younger brother on a trip to the mountains. While the parents have a lazy morning at the hotel, the girl and boy have a tragic encounter on a mountain trail – she is kidnapped, and he is gravely injured. Thus begins a tale of familial bonding, abuse, guilt, survival, and determination.
Warning – some areas are cringeworthy as there is severe abuse. It is a riveting story, page-turning. No sex, no objectionable language. There are flashbacks and dreams, sometimes difficult to follow. Descent is not told in a linear time fashion through most of the story. The father, mother, and brother go their different paths – each struggling with their guilt, wondering if the girl is alive.
The narration is terrific; no issues with production.
Written by Tim Johnston, narrated by Xe Sands and R.C. Bray, about 12 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released in January 2015 by Recorded Books.
Recommended – chilling.
