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Abandon
A gripping thriller from Blake Crouch, internationally bestselling author of the Wayward Pines trilogy.
On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman, and child in a remote gold-mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins—and not a single bone was ever found.
One hundred sixteen years later, two backcountry guides are hired by a history professor and his journalist daughter to lead them to the abandoned mining town so they can learn what happened. Recently, a similar party had also attempted to explore the town and was never heard from again. Now the area is believed to be haunted. This crew is about to discover, twenty miles from civilization with a blizzard bearing down, that they are not alone, and the past is very much alive.
Revised edition: This edition of Abandon includes editorial revisions.
On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman, and child in a remote gold-mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins—and not a single bone was ever found.
One hundred sixteen years later, two backcountry guides are hired by a history professor and his journalist daughter to lead them to the abandoned mining town so they can learn what happened. Recently, a similar party had also attempted to explore the town and was never heard from again. Now the area is believed to be haunted. This crew is about to discover, twenty miles from civilization with a blizzard bearing down, that they are not alone, and the past is very much alive.
Revised edition: This edition of Abandon includes editorial revisions.
521 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Blake Crouch
77 books52.7k 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 2,758 reviews
June 6, 2018
Oye. After abandoning "Run" and finishing his "Pines" Trilogy, I think this will be the last I read of Blake Crouch for a long time. My biggest issue with this book is its description. It is the ultimate bait-and-switch that hints at supernatural elements that just aren't there. Take a look (spoilers):
"On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman and child in a remote gold mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins; and not a single bone was ever found. One hundred thirteen years later, two backcountry guides are hired by a history professor and his journalist daughter to lead them into the abandoned mining town so that they can learn what happened. With them is a psychic, and a paranormal photographer—as the town is rumored to be haunted. A party that tried to explore the town years ago was never heard from again. What this crew is about to discover is that twenty miles from civilization, with a blizzard bearing down, they are not alone, and the past is very much alive."
Now that I've read the book, I can see all of the misleading BS in this paragraph.
"Not a single bone was ever found." What about the preacher who is left buried in the snow? What about the boy who is shot dead by Harriet in chapter 1?
"With them is a psychic, and a paranormal photographer" Red herrings. These characters serve no purpose other than dying. They could have been a plumber and his monkey assistant and it wouldn't have made a damn difference.
"as the town is rumored to be haunted." No it isn't. Aside from the disappearance (which seriously should have been solved decades before the book took place since the townspeople are, you know, right in the freakin' mountain) there is nothing about the town to suggest its haunted. Seriously though. It's a mining town. Did no one think to search for them in the mine?
"A party that tried to explore the town years ago was never heard from again." Did I miss this part? When did this happen? Can someone help me out with this because I seriously can't remember?
"they are not alone and the past is very much alive." THIS. LINE. SUCKS. This line is the very reason why I wanted to read the book. Just like everything else, it suggests something supernatural. It suggests, no, outright states the past is still alive. No it isn't. Do you mean the gold is still missing? Because that's not exactly the past being alive. And the reason they're not alone is because some marines (from the present, I might add) are with them. This line is so misleading, it's embarrassing.
I'll give Crouch some credit for the mystery. I wanted to know what happened to the town, but I could not have been more pissed when I found out what it was. Scroll down for the answer.
The priest did it.
Why'd he do it? God told him to.
How'd he do it? He told everyone in town Indians were coming and suggested they hide in the mine, then locked them in. Then he shot everyone who stayed in town. Does that sound stupid? That's because it is.
"On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman and child in a remote gold mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins; and not a single bone was ever found. One hundred thirteen years later, two backcountry guides are hired by a history professor and his journalist daughter to lead them into the abandoned mining town so that they can learn what happened. With them is a psychic, and a paranormal photographer—as the town is rumored to be haunted. A party that tried to explore the town years ago was never heard from again. What this crew is about to discover is that twenty miles from civilization, with a blizzard bearing down, they are not alone, and the past is very much alive."
Now that I've read the book, I can see all of the misleading BS in this paragraph.
"Not a single bone was ever found." What about the preacher who is left buried in the snow? What about the boy who is shot dead by Harriet in chapter 1?
"With them is a psychic, and a paranormal photographer" Red herrings. These characters serve no purpose other than dying. They could have been a plumber and his monkey assistant and it wouldn't have made a damn difference.
"as the town is rumored to be haunted." No it isn't. Aside from the disappearance (which seriously should have been solved decades before the book took place since the townspeople are, you know, right in the freakin' mountain) there is nothing about the town to suggest its haunted. Seriously though. It's a mining town. Did no one think to search for them in the mine?
"A party that tried to explore the town years ago was never heard from again." Did I miss this part? When did this happen? Can someone help me out with this because I seriously can't remember?
"they are not alone and the past is very much alive." THIS. LINE. SUCKS. This line is the very reason why I wanted to read the book. Just like everything else, it suggests something supernatural. It suggests, no, outright states the past is still alive. No it isn't. Do you mean the gold is still missing? Because that's not exactly the past being alive. And the reason they're not alone is because some marines (from the present, I might add) are with them. This line is so misleading, it's embarrassing.
I'll give Crouch some credit for the mystery. I wanted to know what happened to the town, but I could not have been more pissed when I found out what it was. Scroll down for the answer.
The priest did it.
Why'd he do it? God told him to.
How'd he do it? He told everyone in town Indians were coming and suggested they hide in the mine, then locked them in. Then he shot everyone who stayed in town. Does that sound stupid? That's because it is.
November 20, 2016
I'm an emotional wreck after reading this book; probably due to the Lana Hartman situation. What the hell was that all about? I really liked it up until that point - then it pissed me off.
Lawrence Kendall (History Professor), his daughter Abigail Foster (Journalist), two guides (Scott and Jerrod) and a husband and wife team of Paranormal Photographers (Emmett and June) head up to the ghost town of Abandon (originally called Hope by Bart Packer). Four members of the group are unaware they are there under false pretences.
What starts out to be an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of an entire town on Christmas Day 1893 - soon turns into a fight for survival. Even though there are phantasm hunters in the group; this is not a story about the supernatural, though Abandon is a haunted town with a dark past where history is about to repeat itself. So there are no ghosts or apparitions floating around sneaking up on people, but there are some new players in this decrepit town - which took the story in a direction I wasn't expecting.
This is basically a story about three things: Greed, madness and secrets - and what happens when certain secrets are no longer kept a secret. In 1893 a secret is shared, and that sets in motion a series of events, which have dire consequences. Fast forward one hundred sixteen years and another secret is shared - that too has consequences. Nobody can keep a secret, I guess.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the book. I liked the descriptions of the wilderness, changing weather conditions and the mining town. And I liked how it vacillated between the different time-lines every few chapters; how it all fitted together. What I didn't like was: how some of the sentences didn't make any sense, no matter how many times I read it or added/changed words. Not sure if it's me or the authors writing style? At times it felt like a crucible trying to make sense of it all - and I've been reading the revised and re edited edition, which I assume is superior to previous editions? Who knows?
Lawrence Kendall (History Professor), his daughter Abigail Foster (Journalist), two guides (Scott and Jerrod) and a husband and wife team of Paranormal Photographers (Emmett and June) head up to the ghost town of Abandon (originally called Hope by Bart Packer). Four members of the group are unaware they are there under false pretences.
What starts out to be an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of an entire town on Christmas Day 1893 - soon turns into a fight for survival. Even though there are phantasm hunters in the group; this is not a story about the supernatural, though Abandon is a haunted town with a dark past where history is about to repeat itself. So there are no ghosts or apparitions floating around sneaking up on people, but there are some new players in this decrepit town - which took the story in a direction I wasn't expecting.
This is basically a story about three things: Greed, madness and secrets - and what happens when certain secrets are no longer kept a secret. In 1893 a secret is shared, and that sets in motion a series of events, which have dire consequences. Fast forward one hundred sixteen years and another secret is shared - that too has consequences. Nobody can keep a secret, I guess.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the book. I liked the descriptions of the wilderness, changing weather conditions and the mining town. And I liked how it vacillated between the different time-lines every few chapters; how it all fitted together. What I didn't like was: how some of the sentences didn't make any sense, no matter how many times I read it or added/changed words. Not sure if it's me or the authors writing style? At times it felt like a crucible trying to make sense of it all - and I've been reading the revised and re edited edition, which I assume is superior to previous editions? Who knows?
January 12, 2023
Unsettling!
Published in 2009, Abandon is one of Blake Crouch's earlier works. After reading his latest sci-fi thrillers, I just wasn't sure what to expect!
I love the premise. Estranged history professor father, journalist daughter, mountaineer guide, and crew travel to an old gold mining town called Abandon in Colorado to investigate. Abandon was a bustling town until Christmas of 1893 when everyone vanished without a trace.
This is a dual-timeline story; the present day (2009) and the old west in 1893. I felt the past story is descriptive and stronger than the present, but I love the blizzard and "ghost town" element of the current time period. Some characters could've been better developed. This book felt a bit long but worth a read!
Published in 2009, Abandon is one of Blake Crouch's earlier works. After reading his latest sci-fi thrillers, I just wasn't sure what to expect!
I love the premise. Estranged history professor father, journalist daughter, mountaineer guide, and crew travel to an old gold mining town called Abandon in Colorado to investigate. Abandon was a bustling town until Christmas of 1893 when everyone vanished without a trace.
This is a dual-timeline story; the present day (2009) and the old west in 1893. I felt the past story is descriptive and stronger than the present, but I love the blizzard and "ghost town" element of the current time period. Some characters could've been better developed. This book felt a bit long but worth a read!
November 29, 2016
AWESOME that is the only way to describe Blake Crouch Abandon he is the absolute genius of this genre his characterisation is superb the nasty characters brought the plot to life throw in a few nice guys makes it even better.
this novel shows what greed can do to everyone of us it also decides who lives who dies who pays the consequences I took my time to read this taking everything in it goes back to 1893 to 1980 which made it a bit difficult for me but VERY enjoyable at the same time.
GREED CAN TAKE OVER OUR LIVES ITS JUST HOW WE HANDLE IT THAT MATTERS!!!
5 BIG FAT STARS TWICE
this novel shows what greed can do to everyone of us it also decides who lives who dies who pays the consequences I took my time to read this taking everything in it goes back to 1893 to 1980 which made it a bit difficult for me but VERY enjoyable at the same time.
GREED CAN TAKE OVER OUR LIVES ITS JUST HOW WE HANDLE IT THAT MATTERS!!!
5 BIG FAT STARS TWICE
June 11, 2020
Disappointing. I loved Recursion and Dark Matter and judging by the blurb I thought Abandon was going to be really good too.
It turned out the blurb was misleading. I was expecting something spooky and supernatural and intriguing. I got lots and lots of people being killed in really gross but definitely not supernatural ways. And it seemed endless. Every time someone escaped they got caught again.
Not my kind of book at all. I finished it because I wanted to know what happened so two stars for that. My lesson - do not believe the blurb and if in doubt check out other people's reviews first.
It turned out the blurb was misleading. I was expecting something spooky and supernatural and intriguing. I got lots and lots of people being killed in really gross but definitely not supernatural ways. And it seemed endless. Every time someone escaped they got caught again.
Not my kind of book at all. I finished it because I wanted to know what happened so two stars for that. My lesson - do not believe the blurb and if in doubt check out other people's reviews first.
February 14, 2023
On Christmas Day in 1893 all the people in the gold-mining, mountain town of Abandon, Colorado vanished, leaving behind food laden tables and all their belongings. What can have happened to everyone?
Jump ahead to 2009. A small group of adventurers - toting food, tents and supplies - embarks for the ghost town of Abandon, to try to uncover what happened all those years ago.
The expedition consists of Lawrence Kendall - a historian/history professor;
Lawrence's estranged daughter Abigail Foster - a freelance journalist;
an older married couple who study and photograph paranormal phenomena;
and two mountain guides.
Winter weather is rapidly approaching and this is the group's last chance to get to Abandon until next year....so they're very determined to make the climb despite a looming snowstorm.
The story jumps back and forth between events that occurred in 1893 and what's happening in 2009.
In 1893, times were tough in Abandon. The mines were almost tapped out and residents were struggling to survive. One couple ate scraps for weeks so their daughter could have a new doll for Christmas, some people wore layers of old rags to keep warm, and most homes were bare bones and uncomfortable.
Like many 'Old West' towns, Abandon had its share of gamblers, grifters, and whores.....
.....as well as a resident preacher and a man reputed to have a big stash of gold bars.
Given the situation - and human nature - some yobbos made a grab for the treasure. The gold stash, however, seems to have disappeared along with the citizens of Abandon.
Switch to 2009 and trouble starts early in the trip up the mountain. The climbers are set upon by gun-toting ruffians who think Lawrence knows how to find the missing gold - and they're willing to torture him and his daughter to get the information.
Imagine someone threatening to pop out your eyeball! Horrific! The following events eerily parallel some things that occurred in Abandon in 1893.
The gold is the 'mcguffin' that drives the dual stories, which are essentially two adventure tales. Both narratives have plenty of chasing, shooting, stabbing, and double dealing. There are also harrowing scenes of characters trudging through snow in blizzard conditions for miles and miles.
Loads of gruesome things happen, including amputations and long drawn-out deaths that will (unfortunately) stick in my mind for a long time.
The story has a lot of characters, all of which are well-written and memorable. In old Abandon these include: a pretty barkeep who's sentenced to hang - but keeps working till then; the drunk deputy who guards her; a vicious killer and his stammering dead-shot sidekick; an abandoned wife who - having become demented - does nothing but sit in the window year after year waiting for her husband; and to top it off - a six-year-old assassin. The 2009 characters are less colorful, but include a couple of ex-soldiers with remarkable skills. To say more would ruin some surprises.
In the end, this is a cautionary tale about insanity, religious zealotry, and bottomless greed.
I thought the book was okay but adventure stories like this aren't my favorites. Readers who like to read about risky escapades though - and don't mind a lot of blood and gore - would probably like this book.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
August 5, 2017
The year is 1893. The place is Abandon, Colorado. Population 123. Tables are set with Christmas dinner. "They're all gone." All of them, gone without a trace.
Fast forward to the year 2009. Another group of souls is in danger of suffering the same fate. This tale is told by flipping back and forth betwixt the two time settings, the older time period of far greater interest to me. I even learned a couple of new words. Slumgullion. Shadowgee.
A malignant smile, a snorty barkeep, an eye-watering stink. The perfect silence just after a snowstorm, with the world outside blanketed in white powder. Feel a loneliness so overwhelming that it has a smell. The evil forces at work here are something with which we are all familiar. Greed and avarice have seeped into the very veins of Abandon.
Fast forward to the year 2009. Another group of souls is in danger of suffering the same fate. This tale is told by flipping back and forth betwixt the two time settings, the older time period of far greater interest to me. I even learned a couple of new words. Slumgullion. Shadowgee.
A malignant smile, a snorty barkeep, an eye-watering stink. The perfect silence just after a snowstorm, with the world outside blanketed in white powder. Feel a loneliness so overwhelming that it has a smell. The evil forces at work here are something with which we are all familiar. Greed and avarice have seeped into the very veins of Abandon.
June 20, 2018
4.5 STARS!
I liked this book a lot. When I first read the blurb, I couldn't help but think of Roanoke - I just know the bare bones, but an entire town disappeared without a trace. It also left me wondering if this story was going to move over to the supernatural (the way Stephen King did in the miniseries STORM OF THE CENTURY) or stick to reality.
Basically, I knew that in 1893, the entire town of Abandon disappeared into thin air. Everything was abandoned exactly as it were that day and no bodies or bones were ever found.
In 2009, two back-country guides, a history professor, a journalist, a psychic and a paranormal investigator go back to Abandon to try and uncover the truth.
With a blizzard bearing down, they discover they are not alone in Abandon.
This story is told in two different timelines, explaining the past and present as the reader moves along. When done correctly, it is a great way to build tension and keep the story moving. And in this book it was done correctly.
Very well written and very interesting, my only criticism being that this story was a little bit long - it didn't bother me too much, but the end dragged on too much for my taste. But well worth the read.
I liked this book a lot. When I first read the blurb, I couldn't help but think of Roanoke - I just know the bare bones, but an entire town disappeared without a trace. It also left me wondering if this story was going to move over to the supernatural (the way Stephen King did in the miniseries STORM OF THE CENTURY) or stick to reality.
Basically, I knew that in 1893, the entire town of Abandon disappeared into thin air. Everything was abandoned exactly as it were that day and no bodies or bones were ever found.
In 2009, two back-country guides, a history professor, a journalist, a psychic and a paranormal investigator go back to Abandon to try and uncover the truth.
With a blizzard bearing down, they discover they are not alone in Abandon.
This story is told in two different timelines, explaining the past and present as the reader moves along. When done correctly, it is a great way to build tension and keep the story moving. And in this book it was done correctly.
Very well written and very interesting, my only criticism being that this story was a little bit long - it didn't bother me too much, but the end dragged on too much for my taste. But well worth the read.
December 30, 2010
This book made me want to bash my head in with a pickaxe it was so plodding despite the REALLY interesting plot. I literally one arm crawled my way through this ill written nightmare just so I could see how it ended, I was THAT interested. Never again, my friend. I forgot that I even read it until just now, getting back from Christmas, seeing it on my desk. Ooops. Giving it one star because somebody else should have taken that (fairly interesting) plot and made a better book. Yick.
June 1, 2024
Awww, so wished it ended differently, but that's cursed money for you, brings out the worse in certain people!
The hunt for gold brings a daughter and her long gone father on a journey to discover what happened with the town abandon. Little do they know that the town's history more likely than not wants to let its sleeping dogs lie!
Solid 4 stars!
The hunt for gold brings a daughter and her long gone father on a journey to discover what happened with the town abandon. Little do they know that the town's history more likely than not wants to let its sleeping dogs lie!
Solid 4 stars!
November 27, 2018
4.5 stars. I'll say one thing for Blake Crouch, he has an amazing imagination. OK I'll say two things, he can write a ripping yarn, usually with lots of murder and mayhem. Abandon was no exception. In 1893 the entire town's population disappeared on Christmas Day and no trace of them, not a single bone, has ever been found. They just walked out of their homes and vanished.
Fast forward to 2009 and a bunch of disparate people trek to Abandon to chase ghosts and maybe write a story about the mysterious town. It doesn't take long for baddies to appear with very ulterior motives and for terrible things to happen to our happy little group. They have no idea what's going on and they're not so happy any more. The place is brutal, the climate is brutal and the baddies are very, very brutal. And they just keep on coming like in the best horror movie tradition. It's nail biting stuff.
Yet when it was all finished I couldn't get over what happened to poor Lana Hartman back in 1893, and no, I'm not telling but it really gutted me. You do find out what happened to the poor souls of Abandon in 1893 and what a tragic tale it is. I hope that all whets your appetite for this addictive and creepy book.
Fast forward to 2009 and a bunch of disparate people trek to Abandon to chase ghosts and maybe write a story about the mysterious town. It doesn't take long for baddies to appear with very ulterior motives and for terrible things to happen to our happy little group. They have no idea what's going on and they're not so happy any more. The place is brutal, the climate is brutal and the baddies are very, very brutal. And they just keep on coming like in the best horror movie tradition. It's nail biting stuff.
Yet when it was all finished I couldn't get over what happened to poor Lana Hartman back in 1893, and no, I'm not telling but it really gutted me. You do find out what happened to the poor souls of Abandon in 1893 and what a tragic tale it is. I hope that all whets your appetite for this addictive and creepy book.
February 20, 2017
This story started out well enough with the disappearance of an entire town and the mystery surrounding it. At first I was thinking ghost story. Unfortunately what you get is a rather bland hostage, wilderness, survival story...and it seemed to go on forever! It was also one long weather report. By 100 pages in I was so sick of reading about snow, I nearly put the book aside. It was a struggle to complete and when I reached the predictable ending, I was just skimming through the last few chapters.
I absolutely loved the Wayward Pines series, but this book was tedious and didn't grip me. It had an interesting premise, and a promising start, but quickly slid toward "cheapish" action thriller, which is considerably less than what I have come to expect from Blake Crouch. I'm not giving up on Mr. Crouch, but I'm certainly glad I read Pines first so that I know what this author is capable of.
I absolutely loved the Wayward Pines series, but this book was tedious and didn't grip me. It had an interesting premise, and a promising start, but quickly slid toward "cheapish" action thriller, which is considerably less than what I have come to expect from Blake Crouch. I'm not giving up on Mr. Crouch, but I'm certainly glad I read Pines first so that I know what this author is capable of.
August 17, 2009
I’m not much into thrillers. The tried-and-true thriller formula goes something like this: person disappears; detective is called; detective interviews people whose names you can’t keep straight; red herrings are tossed about; person is found, sometimes dead, sometimes alive. The end. If you want to read an outside-the-box thriller, then get in line for Blake Crouch’s Abandon.
Abandon is a parallel story that seamlessly moves from 1893 to the present day by use of alternating chapters. It begins on December 28, 1893, when a mule skinner rides into the once bustling mining town of Abandon, Colorado. But now it’s all but deserted, 123 townsfolk vanished, leaving balls of crumpled wrapping paper under Christmas trees and frozen holiday dinners on kitchen tables. The only resident left behind is little curly-haired, coal-eyed Harriet. She greets the skinner with an army revolver hanging at her side. She knows the gun is used for killin’, and she promises him he’ll feel better directly.
It is 2009 and freelance journalist Abigail Foster has joined her estranged father, Lawrence, a history professor; a husband and wife team of paranormal photographers; and a guide and his assistant in Colorado to hike to the ghost town of Abandon, where they'll search for clues about this Croatoan-like disappearance. Not long after nightfall on the first day of exploration, the group discovers that the dilapidated town isn’t abandoned, and soon learn what Willliam Faulkner warned us about: The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.
Abandon’s 1893 characters are so fully realized that you’ll want them to hang around longer than their dedicated chapters. There is Ezekiel and Gloria Curtice, a husband and wife with checkered pasts trying to cope with the loss of their son, Gus; mute piano player, Lana; the pale and balding Molly Madsen, who sits in the window of her second floor room, waiting for her beloved husband's return; Bessie McCabe, battered wife of stuttering Billy and mother of 6-year-old Harriet; Stephen Cole, the town preacher who has started hearing God's voice, and making plans for the town's salvation; and hardened barkeep Joss Maddox, who is soon to be hanged for murder.
Crouch's third book is about a town named Abandon, but its theme is about abandonment, too: abandoned pasts, abandoned lovers, abandoned family, and lost children, and who might be waiting for them on the other side.
Abandon is a parallel story that seamlessly moves from 1893 to the present day by use of alternating chapters. It begins on December 28, 1893, when a mule skinner rides into the once bustling mining town of Abandon, Colorado. But now it’s all but deserted, 123 townsfolk vanished, leaving balls of crumpled wrapping paper under Christmas trees and frozen holiday dinners on kitchen tables. The only resident left behind is little curly-haired, coal-eyed Harriet. She greets the skinner with an army revolver hanging at her side. She knows the gun is used for killin’, and she promises him he’ll feel better directly.
It is 2009 and freelance journalist Abigail Foster has joined her estranged father, Lawrence, a history professor; a husband and wife team of paranormal photographers; and a guide and his assistant in Colorado to hike to the ghost town of Abandon, where they'll search for clues about this Croatoan-like disappearance. Not long after nightfall on the first day of exploration, the group discovers that the dilapidated town isn’t abandoned, and soon learn what Willliam Faulkner warned us about: The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.
Abandon’s 1893 characters are so fully realized that you’ll want them to hang around longer than their dedicated chapters. There is Ezekiel and Gloria Curtice, a husband and wife with checkered pasts trying to cope with the loss of their son, Gus; mute piano player, Lana; the pale and balding Molly Madsen, who sits in the window of her second floor room, waiting for her beloved husband's return; Bessie McCabe, battered wife of stuttering Billy and mother of 6-year-old Harriet; Stephen Cole, the town preacher who has started hearing God's voice, and making plans for the town's salvation; and hardened barkeep Joss Maddox, who is soon to be hanged for murder.
Crouch's third book is about a town named Abandon, but its theme is about abandonment, too: abandoned pasts, abandoned lovers, abandoned family, and lost children, and who might be waiting for them on the other side.
November 10, 2021
Be sure to visit my Favorites Shelf for the books I found most entertaining.
I'll start my review of Blake Crouch's, Abandon with an apology. I'm sorry if I ramble on and on about how excellent the book is. I've wanted to read it for a while, but I had a hard time obtaining it. I was so excited when the book arrived in the mail.
The first page grabbed me. Almost immediately, I noticed how well-written the book was. The setting is described so vividly. I wouldn't classify this as horror. It's more along the line of a thriller/suspense with a ton of action-packed adventure. I almost always enjoy nature stories and survival stories.
The story takes place in both 1893 and 2009. I enjoyed the mix of characters—good and evil. In the past, Joss and Lana were my favourites. In modern times, Joss would be the friend you'd want to have on your side in a bar fight. She's that person who tells it like it is and doesn't take shit from anyone. Lana, I felt sorry for her. She didn't deserve what happened to her—the characters from 2009: lots more mystery to them—and surprises. Characters you think are good aren't so good after all. Of course, they each have their way of justifying their actions. One can always expect some shadiness when there's treasure involved. The treasure part of the story sort of surprised me. I was waiting for some paranormal element to be the reason everyone disappeared in 1893.
This book will stick with me, and I know I'll be recommending it six months … a year … two years from now.
I'll start my review of Blake Crouch's, Abandon with an apology. I'm sorry if I ramble on and on about how excellent the book is. I've wanted to read it for a while, but I had a hard time obtaining it. I was so excited when the book arrived in the mail.
The first page grabbed me. Almost immediately, I noticed how well-written the book was. The setting is described so vividly. I wouldn't classify this as horror. It's more along the line of a thriller/suspense with a ton of action-packed adventure. I almost always enjoy nature stories and survival stories.
The story takes place in both 1893 and 2009. I enjoyed the mix of characters—good and evil. In the past, Joss and Lana were my favourites. In modern times, Joss would be the friend you'd want to have on your side in a bar fight. She's that person who tells it like it is and doesn't take shit from anyone. Lana, I felt sorry for her. She didn't deserve what happened to her—the characters from 2009: lots more mystery to them—and surprises. Characters you think are good aren't so good after all. Of course, they each have their way of justifying their actions. One can always expect some shadiness when there's treasure involved. The treasure part of the story sort of surprised me. I was waiting for some paranormal element to be the reason everyone disappeared in 1893.
This book will stick with me, and I know I'll be recommending it six months … a year … two years from now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
Well, my first thought after finishing this was "Thank god, it's finally over!" That seems pretty negative for a three star review, I guess, but it is what it is. I actually kind of liked it, but it felt like it just dragged on forever. I think the whole thing could have been better if the last third of the book were just deleted.
I'm normally a big Blake Crouch fan, which was probably the problem, since the whole book was very un-Blake Crouch-like. I went into this expecting some kind of sci-fi twist, and it never happened. I kept reading and reading and reading and it never fricking happened. In the end, the story winds up being a better written, more plausible version of The Lost Village, even though the final twist in Abandon was the straw that gave the camel scoliosis. I'm pretty generous with my suspension of disbelief in fiction, but we'd crossed my threshold before this book finished.
I was really hooked in the beginning of the story, but it just took too long for anything to happen, and when it did, I just didn't care that much anymore. Part of that is me; I went into this expecting a different book than the one I got. That will teach me not to read the blurb. To be fair, I'd still be expecting something different to happen based on the author.
I'm normally a big Blake Crouch fan, which was probably the problem, since the whole book was very un-Blake Crouch-like. I went into this expecting some kind of sci-fi twist, and it never happened. I kept reading and reading and reading and it never fricking happened. In the end, the story winds up being a better written, more plausible version of The Lost Village, even though the final twist in Abandon was the straw that gave the camel scoliosis. I'm pretty generous with my suspension of disbelief in fiction, but we'd crossed my threshold before this book finished.
I was really hooked in the beginning of the story, but it just took too long for anything to happen, and when it did, I just didn't care that much anymore. Part of that is me; I went into this expecting a different book than the one I got. That will teach me not to read the blurb. To be fair, I'd still be expecting something different to happen based on the author.
February 26, 2019
A fascinating premise ... a promising plot structure set in two widely different time frames ... a clever mystery ... several interesting characters ... but then, after 1/3 of the way through, the story had degenerated into a series of no longer clever violent acts that left me uninterested in reading any further.
April 20, 2013
The premise of this book was good: a mining town abandoned on Christmas Day in 1893, being explored in 2009. It sounded like it would be a good, spooky mystery and adventure. Unfortunately it ended up being a dark, bloody, depressing story with no redemption, filled with characters that, for the most part, revealed themselves to be horrible, greedy monsters. No one really learned or gained anything; almost every character died horribly, and the one who didn't ended up emotionally and financially ruined. I just don't see the point that the author was trying to make, and I honestly wish I hadn't read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2022
I really liked it, but I 100% did not have a good time 😂😅 So many bad things happen in this story, to the point that it got exhausting and it still kept going. One thing in particular towards the end REALLY upset me, so much that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to finish the book. But I did, and I’m happy I did, but Blake Crouch can be a real dick 😂
I recommend if you want to be miserable, or like to read about the ways people can be horrible to one another
I recommend if you want to be miserable, or like to read about the ways people can be horrible to one another
September 19, 2013
This one just didn't do it for me. It was a little too Scooby-Doo at times and I couldn't take it seriously. If Shaggy made a cameo and bit into a hash brownie it wouldn't have phased me.
June 25, 2016
I don’t know why it takes me a million years to finish a book these days but I blame it on work and life fatigue. Lame, I know…This book got me out of a bit of a slump simply because I was obsessed with finding out what happened next. Abandon is about human survival and something putting an end to it, very, very cruelly. Crouch is a master at making that honest character or two and also at creating some really twisted baddies waiting to take them down but reading this guy for a while I can tell you that it’s never that clear who the bad guy is and I love that! While reading Abandon I wasn’t sure if it was supernatural or my mind was being thrown into a blender with some hot sauce, it was quite a ride. Two time lines, two sets of characters colliding at an apex on a precipice of a major reveal, the whole book is a race for precious time and holding onto that slippery life.
This story doesn’t stop, page after page it rushes at you with constant action and obstacles and the pressure doesn’t let up until that last page smacks you over the face. I didn’t even know Abandon was 520 pages until I was almost finished. It was a little lengthy but perhaps it needed that richness to make each person in it resonate louder when they met their demise in some horrific and quite intricate fashion, having said that I can’t even tell you what I would cut out because that would take away from the story. So much creepy stuff happens that I was scared many times reading it. This book is a cross road of personal demons and issues people face while going through a very intense situation fueled by one of the oldest vehicles in human history, greed. I really loved this story, it took time to get used to the 1893 world and its characters and I could never wait to get back to 2009 to resume this creepy tale for the conclusion. I went in not knowing much about it and that’s how I recommend it. This one will leave me thinking about what I just read for quite a while…
- Kasia S.
This story doesn’t stop, page after page it rushes at you with constant action and obstacles and the pressure doesn’t let up until that last page smacks you over the face. I didn’t even know Abandon was 520 pages until I was almost finished. It was a little lengthy but perhaps it needed that richness to make each person in it resonate louder when they met their demise in some horrific and quite intricate fashion, having said that I can’t even tell you what I would cut out because that would take away from the story. So much creepy stuff happens that I was scared many times reading it. This book is a cross road of personal demons and issues people face while going through a very intense situation fueled by one of the oldest vehicles in human history, greed. I really loved this story, it took time to get used to the 1893 world and its characters and I could never wait to get back to 2009 to resume this creepy tale for the conclusion. I went in not knowing much about it and that’s how I recommend it. This one will leave me thinking about what I just read for quite a while…
- Kasia S.
April 28, 2020
3.5/5.
So. I am not a particularly big fan of terror books or even films for that matter. They tend to get under my skin and give me a hard time when trying to sleep. But when I discovered the Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch a couple of years ago, I was hooked. And after that, I occasionally come back to his work, pick up a kindle and dive in its mysteries. In view of the above, one could validly assume that I am not an expert of the kind and this would be a fair conclusion. But I will do my best in reviewing this book because I really enjoyed it. And in any case this actually turned out to be more of a thriller/action book rather than a horror book (the description is quite misleading in that regard), although I can't say I'm much of an expert on those either.
To begin with, Crouch is no Stephen King - obviously - but he knows how to make movies in book form. "Abandon" has the rhythm of a good thriller and constantly leaves the reader on a cliffhanger, craving to discover what happens next. So you have to rely on plot twists rather than technique, although I did find his writing improved in this one compared to his other works, smoother than what I was used to and more elaborate on the descriptions (scenery and otherwise), with improved dialogue quality and character development (all of which still need work though).
As to the plot, the story of Abandon is simple and yet inexplicable: in the late 19th century, a whole town, Abandon, is disappeared. All inhabitants have gone missing and no sign of them has ever been discovered. So what happened? How can a whole town vanish into thin air without so much of a dead body evidencing its fate? A strange team comprising of a history professor, a journalist and two paranormal photographers accompanied by their guides visits Abandon in 2009 trying to figure out what happened to the town, only to be caught in a circle of blood, violence and utter horror. I won't say anything else about the story, because anything would be a huge spoiler, except that although the plot twists weren't exactly mind-blowing (some of them even were expected), as was the end of "Pines" (I keep coming to this epic finale!), the pace was very good and the whole reading experience was rewarding.
All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this type of literature. It is a fun page-turner based on a tested recipe: mystery, fear, running, shooting, some more running and the optional metaphysical twist. I think I will definitely read another book by Blake Crouch in the future.
So. I am not a particularly big fan of terror books or even films for that matter. They tend to get under my skin and give me a hard time when trying to sleep. But when I discovered the Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch a couple of years ago, I was hooked. And after that, I occasionally come back to his work, pick up a kindle and dive in its mysteries. In view of the above, one could validly assume that I am not an expert of the kind and this would be a fair conclusion. But I will do my best in reviewing this book because I really enjoyed it. And in any case this actually turned out to be more of a thriller/action book rather than a horror book (the description is quite misleading in that regard), although I can't say I'm much of an expert on those either.
To begin with, Crouch is no Stephen King - obviously - but he knows how to make movies in book form. "Abandon" has the rhythm of a good thriller and constantly leaves the reader on a cliffhanger, craving to discover what happens next. So you have to rely on plot twists rather than technique, although I did find his writing improved in this one compared to his other works, smoother than what I was used to and more elaborate on the descriptions (scenery and otherwise), with improved dialogue quality and character development (all of which still need work though).
As to the plot, the story of Abandon is simple and yet inexplicable: in the late 19th century, a whole town, Abandon, is disappeared. All inhabitants have gone missing and no sign of them has ever been discovered. So what happened? How can a whole town vanish into thin air without so much of a dead body evidencing its fate? A strange team comprising of a history professor, a journalist and two paranormal photographers accompanied by their guides visits Abandon in 2009 trying to figure out what happened to the town, only to be caught in a circle of blood, violence and utter horror. I won't say anything else about the story, because anything would be a huge spoiler, except that although the plot twists weren't exactly mind-blowing (some of them even were expected), as was the end of "Pines" (I keep coming to this epic finale!), the pace was very good and the whole reading experience was rewarding.
All in all, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this type of literature. It is a fun page-turner based on a tested recipe: mystery, fear, running, shooting, some more running and the optional metaphysical twist. I think I will definitely read another book by Blake Crouch in the future.
January 26, 2023
I’m so glad this book was re-released to Kindle (or whatever it was they did… it was suddenly available and marketed as new so🤷🏼♀️💛) because the book landed on my radar.
Abandon was awesome. Ghost towns have always been super intriguing to me. I remember as a kid, every time we went up to see my cousins in Oregon (from Cali) we’d drive through a small abandoned ghost town - it could be seen from the highway. My imagination went wild every time I saw those creepy little shacks from the backseat window of my moms car. I’d pester with questions my mom didn’t have for hours after seeing it - every time.
Abandon is very well written, stays interesting and unfortunately, I read it way too quickly.
Abandon was awesome. Ghost towns have always been super intriguing to me. I remember as a kid, every time we went up to see my cousins in Oregon (from Cali) we’d drive through a small abandoned ghost town - it could be seen from the highway. My imagination went wild every time I saw those creepy little shacks from the backseat window of my moms car. I’d pester with questions my mom didn’t have for hours after seeing it - every time.
Abandon is very well written, stays interesting and unfortunately, I read it way too quickly.
March 8, 2016
it wasn't awful but it wasn't great either. not what I was expecting.
May 17, 2021
A former gold mining town, Abandon, is far off the beaten path in the mountains and is truly abandoned. One day in late 1800’s, all citizens of town vanished and no one knows why. There are no clues. Just up and went - somewhere. No bodies found.
Without giving away any spoilers, there is a group going out with guide and journalist and a couple who deal who they paranormal activity, among others, on this excursion adventure. There are other people, bad people, who are looking for lost gold and they are not very nice.
This becomes a cat and mouse game of running for your life.
There is two fold story in this book. One written about the town of Abandon from the late 1800’s and one during current day.
Without giving away any spoilers, there is a group going out with guide and journalist and a couple who deal who they paranormal activity, among others, on this excursion adventure. There are other people, bad people, who are looking for lost gold and they are not very nice.
This becomes a cat and mouse game of running for your life.
There is two fold story in this book. One written about the town of Abandon from the late 1800’s and one during current day.
August 28, 2011
This book was hard to rate for me. I liked it and it kept my attention but then it just seemed choppy at times.
May 18, 2024
3.5 Good Christian horror novel, ok thriller. I was starting to get the impression that Blake Crouch was mister wholesome, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see him turn in something this dark. It’s still more of a survival thriller, but the oppressive tone and occasional violent imagery shows someone who wants to experiment with different styles. Definitely the same writer of the Wayward Pines books, and has more in common with those than his light sci-fi adventures. A group of people seek out an old mining ghost town in rumors of some kind of lost treasure. The history of the town is told in an intertwining narrative. Winter hits and a lot of blood is shed for the love of money. Some heavy handed feminist themes, and father/daughter themes, and people mention God a lot (makes more sense in the 19th century). Preachy, but not in a bad way. Actually the mix of Old Testament violence and women’s rights has a certain appeal. Third act is kind of sloppy though and there’s a tendency for the dialogue to shift into the same sort of purple prose that makes up everything else. Not a bad thriller, the Koontz fans will dig it.
March 30, 2016
A 100-Year Old Mystery- 3.5 stars...
Going into this, I thought it was going to be a paranormal horror story but it really wasn't that at all. It's actually more along the line of a mystery/thriller. The paranormal aspect was a very small part of it and almost like an afterthought that wasn't followed through with. It's written as two parallel storylines, the past and the present, that converge at the end. I seem to have a thing lately for finding stories with dual plots which I don't mind if they are done well but the shifting back and forth in this one wasn't as clear as it could have been. I found myself backtracking a few times to make sure I was even in the right century.
I think once I was able to get out of the scary, ghost story mindset and just accept it for what it was, I was able to enjoy it more. I also like stories with unique settings and climates and Abandon is set in the back-country with mountains and caves and snowy blizzard weather so all of those things helped to endear me to the story a little more but if you're looking for a good Friday night fright, this is really not the best choice for that.
Going into this, I thought it was going to be a paranormal horror story but it really wasn't that at all. It's actually more along the line of a mystery/thriller. The paranormal aspect was a very small part of it and almost like an afterthought that wasn't followed through with. It's written as two parallel storylines, the past and the present, that converge at the end. I seem to have a thing lately for finding stories with dual plots which I don't mind if they are done well but the shifting back and forth in this one wasn't as clear as it could have been. I found myself backtracking a few times to make sure I was even in the right century.
I think once I was able to get out of the scary, ghost story mindset and just accept it for what it was, I was able to enjoy it more. I also like stories with unique settings and climates and Abandon is set in the back-country with mountains and caves and snowy blizzard weather so all of those things helped to endear me to the story a little more but if you're looking for a good Friday night fright, this is really not the best choice for that.
June 11, 2016
I'm a fan of Blake Crouch from the WAYWARD PINES Series (and I've even written a few Wayword Pines stories for Amazon myself, shameless plug) so this was a treat to read some of his non-Pines work.
This story tells the tale of an old town called Abandon. The story jumps back and forth from modern times to the old west. There's a cache of gold supposedly buried somewhere in the town. So we get to see the origins of the cache from the 1800s, and we also get to see the story of the modern group searching for the gold.
Pretty horrific story, both in the old west version and the modern. The citizens of the town had vanished back in the 1800s, and we get see exactly what happened. I won't spoil it,but wow.
A great thriller with some horror elements and plenty of action. If you are a Blake Crouch fan, pick this up for sure. If you aren't familiar with Crouch, this would be a good intro to his work. Recommended!
This story tells the tale of an old town called Abandon. The story jumps back and forth from modern times to the old west. There's a cache of gold supposedly buried somewhere in the town. So we get to see the origins of the cache from the 1800s, and we also get to see the story of the modern group searching for the gold.
Pretty horrific story, both in the old west version and the modern. The citizens of the town had vanished back in the 1800s, and we get see exactly what happened. I won't spoil it,but wow.
A great thriller with some horror elements and plenty of action. If you are a Blake Crouch fan, pick this up for sure. If you aren't familiar with Crouch, this would be a good intro to his work. Recommended!
May 9, 2016
A shit ton of characters and time jumps galore made for a story that was a little hard to follow. And if you have trouble following what is going on then your enjoyment of the book dwindles drastically. Hence the 2 stars.
December 16, 2023
Blake Crouch is everything
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