Abandon - Blake Crouch

I received a free copy of this book through the GoodReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the plot and pacing of Abandon, but I really hated Abby, so this book lost a couple of stars. The story is told in two pieces, the first taking place in 2009 as a group of ghost hunters, an historian, his writer daughter and their guides hike into the mysterious ghost town of Abandon, CO. Abandon is a former mining town, famous for the disappearance of all of its residents on Christmas day 1893. The second piece tells the story of the 1893 residents of Abandon and the events leading up to the mass disappearance.

Then there's Abby. Abby is the skeptical writer, along for the trip to write an article about the ghost hunter couple. It appears that Abby had zero hiking/backcountry experience prior to coming on this trip (at one point, she asks the guide where the bathroom is - in the wilderness... yeeeaahhh, there isn't one honey.) Every time she has to make a decision, she picks the dumbest option possible.

 

 

For example: at the end, when she's being chased and shot at by Quinn, she makes it to the car parked at the trailhead. Does she jump in and drive away? Nope, she sits down to rest before getting in the car to make her escape, you know, just to give Quinn time to catch up with her and take a couple more shots in her direction. UGH.

(show spoiler)

 

 

She also has daddy abandonment issues, like this is supposed to make her interesting or unique. Sorry, nope - it just makes her another overdone cliche'. It got to the point that I just rolled my eyes every time the story shifted to her POV.

Overall it's a decent book and an interesting story. I just wish the main character was not such a total dud.