Title: Long Walk Back
Author: A.S. MacKenzie
Release date: December 2021
I love random book finds.
For example, I was recently scheduling folks for my ongoing 3Q’s interview series and came to scheduling A.S. MacKenzie’s. I’ve known A.S. for a number of years now – we are both former review team members over at Kendall Reviews and have appeared in an anthology together – and have enjoyed reading his dark and cerebral take on horror fiction. While scheduling it, he mentioned that his latest release was this one, ‘Long Walk Back,’ and that it was free on his website. Sure enough, when I took a look, there it was and immediately downloaded it to take a look. Then, when I realized that three of my current reads were pushing 500+ pages, I knew I needed a novella to slot in to give my reading brain a bit of a break. So, this one got bumped way up the TBR!
Look, if you’ve read any of my reviews or my own fiction, you’ll know the woods/the forest will always have a place in my heart, so knowing this was about two friends and a hiking trip gone wrong, I was excited to dive in.
What I liked: The story follows two co-workers that go on a weekend camping trip together. They hike into the area and enjoy a nice stay beside a lake. Things take a turn when it’s time to go and they can’t find their GPS. Suddenly, a storm rips through the mountains and they realize they’re lost.
MacKenzie does a great job of using the setting as the biggest antagonist, something I really do love. Even though it frustrated me (I’ll talk in a minute about that) that these two guys were so unprepared and still decided to do all the things you should never do if lost in the woods, it works well for their characters and keeps the reader pulled along, wondering what animals they’ll encounter and whether they will survive or not.
There’s a layered approach to the storytelling as well, with some glimpses into the ‘after’ of the hike at the start of each chapter, which helps to reveal the truth behind what occurred and the reasons for it happening.
What I didn’t like: Honestly, I couldn’t stand either of the main characters. They acted like children and their lack of preparedness and constant fighting was frustrating. But that was the point. So, even though it did grind my gears, MacKenzie used it perfectly to push the story along and heighten the ‘real-life’ stakes that revolved around their location and scenario.
Why you should buy this: Well, you don’t have to – it’s free on his website! But instead we’ll call this the ‘why you should read this’ section, shall we? If you want a survival story that has no paranormal/supernatural elements and focuses on two friends getting lost and doing their best to make it out alive, all while growing to hate the other one and dealing with that relationship dissolution, look no further.
This one was a fun one and will make you double check your supplies the next time you go camping!
4/5
Get your free copy at the link below!
Steve Stred - The Official Website 