Genre: Horror
Published: January 31, 2023
Pages: 476
What happens when good people make one bad decision?
Imagine you are on the way to a remote mountain cabin with your friends. Upon arrival, you discover an abandoned armored van with fifteen million dollars on board. Would you take the money?
Nova and her friends answer with a resounding yes. Perhaps their answer would have been different had they known that a professional killer was already tracking down the money. Or that a legendary creature known as the Wraith roams the mountain, ravenous with hunger.
Thinking they’re safe and anonymous, Nova and her friends divvy up the stolen cash, unaware who or what is after them, unaware that soon they will be fighting for their lives.
For readers who enjoy The Ritual by Adam Nevill and The Terror by Dan Simmons.
I received a copy of this audiobook through Netgalley. This is my honest review.
I have some seriously mixed feelings about this book, and that's due in large part to the fact that as things happened in the book, had the kids simply not done one thing, I think it's very likely they would have gotten away with their theft free and clear. They wouldn't have been in danger at all from either the killer or the wraith. But things did happen the way they happened so...
As far as the rest of the story goes, I found myself relating to Nova the most. Like Nova, I was always the last resort friend (and still feel that way at times if we're being honest). I'd get invited to do things when literally no one else was available, and that's exactly how Nova ends up on Claw Heart Mountain in the first place. Nova and I are also more similar in the financial aspect as well, although I don't think I would have cautioned against taking the money like she did, so morally, she's better than me.
Once the danger showed up, I was on the edge of my seat, anxious to see how things would turn out and if I was correct about who would survive, because you don't have a story like this without some death. It's just not possible. I did have a pretty good bead on the way things would go, although there were a few twists in between that took me a little by surprise.
The narration was decent. There wasn't much effort to do specific voices for the different characters, but that means there also weren't cringey opposite gendered voices, which can really grate on my nerves and is probably my biggest pet peeve where audiobooks are concerned. Overall I give Claw Heart Mountain 3.6927 out of 5 stars. - Katie
David Oppegaard is the author of Claw Heart Mountain, The Town Built on Sorrow, The Firebug of Balrog County, The Suicide Collectors, Wormwood, Nevada, And the Hills Opened Up, The Ragged Mountains, and Breakneck Cove. His work has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and a MN Book Award.
David's work is a blend of science fiction, literary fiction, horror, and fantasy. He lives in St. Paul, MN, with his wife and their ravenous cat.
You can visit his website/blog at davidoppegaard.com
No comments:
Post a Comment