Blake Crouch is a genius!
I am a huge fan of his work. I didn't like this one as much as Dark Matter or Recursion but I still enjoyed it a lot. Unique story telling that keeps you interested, you won't want to put it down.

Abandon by Blake Crouch

Title - Abandon
Author - Blake Crouch
Release Date - August 2023
Page Count - 425
Read/Listen Time - 11hrs
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ /3 stars

You have to love a bit of Blake Crouch; The Pines series was mysterious, Dark Matter was fascinating and The Upgrade was high octane and this is to reference just a few. Abandon thought is a little different to his usual, it was slow and meandering and that oomph that we have become accustomed to with Crouch books just didn’t arrive. Abandon is written well and the few action scenes were blistering but it just didn’t have that bite. If this was a debut novel I’d have thought it was brilliant but it just wasn’t in keeping to my expectation of Crouch.

So what’s it about…the aptly named town of Abandon’s inhabitants mysteriously vanished in the 1893. We follow a dual timeline with a group of gold hunters in modern day - what happens with this group and what happened to the towns people all those years ago. Throw in a team of commandos and some gunfights and that sums up the novel.

No major surprises and was a little too obvious I give this 3 stars.

This book started off strong! The idea of following a story through two different timelines was intriguing, and the initial mystery had me hooked. The characters were interesting too, and I felt invested in what would happen to them.

Unfortunately, the story dragged on a bit much. It took a long time for anything major to develop, and by the time things finally started moving, I just wasn't that interested anymore. It felt like the story could have been told much more effectively without the last third. Maybe it was because the blurb built me up for a different

This was more *traditional thriller* than the two more sci-fi-based plots of Crouch’s books I’ve read prior to this. ABANDON brings us an eerie, secluded setting made even more ominous by tense weather conditions, a fight for survival, plenty of gore + some elements of horror thrown in. Dual timelines switch between 1893, when the remote mining town is abandoned, and the present, in which the deserted town is being explored by a journalist + her team, over a century later. The plot was addictive, immersive + dark and kept me guessing throughout. If you liked THE DRIFT by CJ Tudor, you’ll probably like this too!

#𝐴𝐷𝑃𝑅. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑡𝑜 @𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝐿𝐶!

This was an unusual plot that really worked the fkashbacks also worked for me. Once I started it I found it addictive and couldn't put it down. Like all his books this doesn't dissapoint.

I have enjoyed many works by this author, but this one didn’t keep my interest. The story is captivating enough, but it’s berry rambling and the main characters are hard to warm to. I found myself skipping parts to find out what happens and for me ending didn’t deliver.

I love Blake Crouch, and have read most of his books, but his one was a disappointment for me. Slow and I did not connect with the characters

Having read Recursion in 2022, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this. I loved the premise and was ultimately enticed by the promising plot structure of dual time frames. The mystery was clever and the characters were interesting. The story's beginning had me engaged but lost me as it went on; it took too long for anything to happen and when it eventually did, I just didn’t care and was ultimately uninterested. The book felt longer than it needed to and it could have done without the last third of it. Perhaps I expected a different story after reading the blurb and that expectation is what led to my experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read another Blake Crouch novel after enjoying Dark Matter and Recursion but unfortunately I did not find Abandon anywhere near as intriguing or thrilling.

The book is split into two time periods - 1893 and present day. While the present day story line is somewhat entertaining, I found the continually flashing back to the past ruined the flow of the story. Not to mention the reason for everyone disappearing being disappointing to say the least.

While this doesn’t put me off trying another Crouch book in the future, I wouldn’t be recommending this particular story.

I am a MASSIVE Blake Crouch fan and was so excited to receive a copy of Abandon initially I was so disappointed I struggled to get into this but once I did it was an ok read and Blake Crouch is still an auto buy author for me this one just didn't work for me as much for me as his other work.

An utterly gripping dark thriller, full of interesting characters. The two timelines are seamlessly intertwined. Well plotted and I could not put it down. An author worth looking out for. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for a review copy.

This is the second book by the author that I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading it.
The book takes place over two timelines, one in the present where an estranged professor of history father and journalist daughter reunite to go on a hike with some guides and paranormal photographers to a ghost town in remote mountains. At the same time, we are sent into the past to discover what led to the residents of Abandon leaving the town in the first place.
This is an atmospheric and creepy thriller that had me on edge throughout. It’s pretty bleak, both in the setting and the events of the book but I found it utterly compelling.

I hadn't realised that this was one of Crouch's older books from 2009 and had anticipated it would be inkeeping with his more recent sci-fi themed novels. What I read of this was very atmospheric but the thriller /western vibe of this isn't to my taste so I DNF'ed at 26%

Thanks so much to @blackcrow_pr and @tor for the copy of this gripping psychological thriller. It was a real nail biter, packed with clever twists and turns and it kept me on the edge of my seat! So what’s it about?

On Christmas day in 1893, the entire population of Abandon, a run down gold mining town high up in the mountains, disappeared without trace. In 2009, a party of researchers travel to Abandon on an expedition to discover what actually happened and where the bodies are, but they get more than they bargained for …

The story flits effortlessly back and forth between the two eras, cleverly unravelling details along the way that are pertinent to the mystery.

The author has a wonderfully visual writing style that sucked me in and brought the plot to life. I really enjoyed the richly woven historical detail of the bygone Western era and I couldn’t help root for the characters even although I already knew they would soon meet a mysterious and untimely end.

Both timelines are darkly atmospheric and the bleak and appalling winter conditions plays a significant part in both, adding to the drama. Gold and the lust for it becomes the underlying story, and the lawless nature of both bygone and modern times also comes to the fore in the quest for gold.

The plot is intriguing, exciting, brutal and relentlessly eventful and had me on tenterhooks.

Abandon is the perfect blend of thriller, mystery, action, Western and horror and makes for an excellent read that I’d thoroughly recommend.

It has such an interesting and unique plot with excellent pacing which kept me super engaged throughout. It is incredibly emotional, raw and beautiful. I absolutely love this genre and this was no exception, i will definitely be reading more from this wonderful author

A brilliant mystery novel that goes back and forth between the present and the past.
The twists and turns come thick and fast, the characters are well written and features twists that you won’t see coming.
A brilliant read

I loved Blake Crouch's previous novels so I was really excited to read Abandon. However, this was a departure from previous sci-fi novels about centuries old mystery where a whole town disappears. I still enjoyed the novel but this wasn't my favourite Blake Crouch.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

A hundred-odd years ago the whole population of a small mining town disappeared without a trace. A group of modern days explorers go to the ruins to investigate and belatedly realise it was a spectacularly bad idea.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Blake Crouch's books, because the always gripping story unfortunately comes together with the most paper-thin characters imaginable. This book is above average in this regard though: there was actually one interesting character in one of the two timelines who I genuinely felt for. As for the story - I actually considered missing an appointment one time because I couldn't stop reading.

To sum up, usually when I say "this book was obviously written with a purpose to be picked up for a tv show", it's not a compliment t0 whichever book I review. Not this time though: I'll be eagerly awaiting Abandon tv show, preferable made by HBO, like Deadwood on steroids.

On a fateful Christmas Day in the year 1893, a remote mining town bore witness to an enigma of chilling proportions—its populace, down to the last soul, vanished without a trace. Abandoning their possessions, leaving meals to succumb to the bite of winter's frost in unoccupied cabins, not a solitary bone remained to tell the tale.

Now, journalist Abigail Foster and her historian father embark on a quest of unearthing veracity from the shadows. Their expedition leads them through the rugged expanse, accompanied by two wilderness guides—one endowed with psychic intuition, the other skilled in capturing the paranormal through the lens. The town, long forsaken by the living, shrouds itself in whispers of haunting specters that tread the ethereal realm.

Yet, as Abigail and her companions venture deeper, they are poised to comprehend that the town's phantoms pale in comparison to the terrors that await them. Isolated, twenty miles removed from the trappings of civilization, and a tempestuous blizzard looming on the horizon, they grapple with the jarring realization—they are not the sole entities traversing these desolate lands.

In the relentless crucible that ensues, this intrepid quartet is put through a crucible of endurance, their limits strained to the precipice. Amidst battling both the unforgiving elements and human adversaries, they unearth that the town's arcane enigmas remain potent, harboring a lethality that can extinguish life.

The narrative unfurls as a gothic tapestry, enshrouded in haunting atmospherics that ensnare the senses. Its allure was magnetic, ensnaring my attention from commencement to closure. The tale masterfully intertwines suspense with an undercurrent of unpredictability, augmenting the narrative's resonance. This haunting odyssey has lingered within me since the last page was turned—a testament to its compelling allure.

While the eBook captivates, prospects for elevated user-friendliness beckon. The incorporation of navigational chapter links, mitigation of discernible word spacing, and the inclusion of a captivating cover design would metamorphose the eBook's semblance from a document-like veneer to an immersive gateway into a captivating world. Accordingly, a minor deduction from my rating seems apt.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book is incredible! I’m aware that not everybody likes horror elements in novels but if you are a fan of horror thrillers then you need to pick up this book immediately!

Abandon is the creepiest story I can remember reading for a long time. The silence and intrepidation of the unknown as the group explored the abandoned town, and then the explosion of fear as ‘something’ comes for them was so exhilarating but also heavy with terror. Reading this book reminded me of the first time I played Silent Hill. Walking through the town with reduced visibility from the snow and darkness, never knowing when something is going to attack. The level of tension is spot on!

I thought the first half was tense but believe me, that was nothing compared to the second half. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be able to get this story out of my head! Overall I just loved the concept. Sometimes when a book has multiple timelines and viewpoints I find myself favouring one and wanting to just get back to that part of the story but with Abandon it was more like a constant push and pull. When the story went back to 1893 I was desperate to continue with the present day investigation, but when I was reading about Abigail and her group I just wanted to go back and find out how and why everyone in the town had disappeared.

I just love a story where the lines are blurred as to whether there is something supernatural going on, so the tone of the book was perfect for me. Abandon was creepy, frustrating and quite disturbing in the end. The perfect #WinterThriller if you’re looking for something new for your TBR heading into Spooky Season.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan for introducing me to Blake Crouch. I’ve already added the entire backlist to my wishlist and can’t wait to read more!