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The Current by Tim Johnston
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Length: 417 pages
Amazon
{A Bit of Backstory}
Single Sentence Summary
After a car carrying two coeds is rammed into an icy river, the surrounding community is pulled back 10 years, to the death of another young woman in that same river.
From the Publisher
“Grief, suspicion, the innocent and the guilty—all stir to life in this cold northern town where a young woman can come home, but still not be safe. Brilliantly plotted and unrelentingly propulsive, The Current is a beautifully realized story about the fragility of life, the power of the past, and the need, always, to fight back.”
The Draw
- I was a huge fan of Descent, Johnston’s last book.
- Chilling accident/crime in a small town.
- Woman seeking dangerous answers.
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
Fantastic Writing – Tim Johnston will now be an auto-buy author for me because of his writing. It’s that good, that thoughtful, that engaging. In both his debut, Descent, and The Current, the writing shone brightly. But, I want to be clear, the two books are otherwise quite different. Fans of Descent will probably remember the breathless excitement/anxiety in a scene at the start of the book and another near the end. The Current never reaches that same state, but it does highlight people and relationships in crises, and Johnston does that every bit as compellingly as he did in his debut.
“Two dates and a dash between them. A whole life in that dash. From first breath with blood on her little face to last….
….In the end it’s you. Just you. You had one thing to do with your life and that was to protect her. To keep her safe.
And you did not. You did not.”
Character Driven with a Bit of Suspense – I liked that The Current was more about people and less about suspense. Yes, there was some mystery at its core, but I would not put it in the suspense genre, but more so in literary fiction. I found Johnston’s storytelling beautifully layered. Piece by piece, bit by bit he built connections; connections between his characters, connections between the past and the present, but also connections between the book and its reader. I couldn’t help but care about the people who populated The Current. In this character driven novel, Johnston gave the reader a vivid cast of small town folks touched by tragedy: a man haunted by his daughter’s death, another man who can never come home, a woman living in the shadow suspicion, a dying sheriff and his grieving daughter. Every character was connected to the others in ways that made this book real and touching.
“Now climbing into the Ford, she thought she’d cry again from the smell of it – the smokiness, yes, but also something beneath that, or within it, some old sherrify scent or combination of scents that was the very smell of – what? Of safety.”
What Didn’t
Slow Parts – Before I really got enmeshed in the characters and their lives, I found a few parts of the book slow. That resolved before the middle of the book.
What’s With the Smells? – Too many times people in this book talked about smells…cigarettes, trees, water, snow. It got a little annoying.
{The Final Assessment}
This is a book with just plain good storytelling. Yes, one part I found a bit of a stretch, but really isn’t that true in most every book? I loved the community that was The Current and could easily forgive this flaw. The ending was far from neat and tidy, which I truly appreciate. I whole-heartedly recommend Johnston’s new novel, but do not go in expecting to find another Descent. The Current shines in its own light. Grade: B+
If you liked this book you might also enjoy:
- Descent by Tim Johnston – If you haven’t read Johnston’s debut, you should. The story of a kidnapped daughter and the family left behind was fantastic.
- Us Against You by Fredrik Backman – Like The Current, both this book and Beartown (my review) have that same thoughtfully layered writing about the people of a small community. (my review)
Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.
Nice review Susie! I’ll keep this mind when I”m in the mood for a character driven type mystery
Hope you enjoy it at some point, Renee.
Great review Susie, I haven’t read either but they are going on my tbr list. I love a character driven book.
Oh! You’re in for a treat and if you want both thrills and a great character driven story, I’d start with Descent.
Oh, I like suspense/thriller if it leans more on the literary fiction side. Thank you for mentioning that about this book!
You’re most welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
Oh I’m glad you liked this one. I plan to read both of his books …. this year. I wont go in thinking it’s suspense which will help. thanks.
You’re definitely in for some great reading with the two Johnston books.
Excellent review! I really appreciate how you touch on whether a suspense novel has a literary bent/good character development.
I remember reading an excerpt of Descent a while back and did enjoy it — I’ll need to read both that book and The Current!
Thanks, RK. I always appreciate your comments and support.
Hi, Susie, this is my first time on your blog. I found it through Pinterest, and I’m glad that I did. You are an excellent book reviewer! I just started my own book review site and am looking at other book reviewers to see how they’re doing it, what works/doesn’t work, etc., for them. 🙂 You’ve certainly set the bar high!
This sounds like a terrific read. I’m unfamiliar with this author, but I really enjoy the combination of literary writing with some suspense. I enjoy both genres, anyway, so combining them in any way really works for me. I will look for this book!
Thank you so much, Meredith. I’m glad you found your way to my blog and happy that you enjoy it.
I took a look at your blog and it looks like you are off to a terrific start. If there is absolutely anything I can do to help you, please email me.
Thank you so much. I appreciate the encouragement.
I’ve never heard of this book but it sounds intriguing! That’s great you’ve found a new author to love. I do like books that are character driven.
-Lauren
I’ve been a fan of Johnston’s since reading Descent a few years back. It’s always wonderful when a writer’s sophomore effort lives up to his/her debut.
Great review! I agree with everything you say, but somehow I liked it less. I’m sure, in large part, it’s because I was expecting more suspense. If I’d gone in thinking Kent Haruf, Fredrik Backman- slice of life, literary fiction I might not have been as disappointed. Although, there is the action towards the end that was too over-the-top!
I agree about the action toward the end being just too much. I wish he would have found a more subtle way to move the story. Otherwise, I was fairly pleased. I had a feeling it couldn’t be quite as good as Descent which I gave an A back in my journaling days.
Just nearing the end of the book and totally glued to the storyline. Have not read anything by Tim Johnston before, but now am looking forward to reading The Descent. Very timely and informative! Sucks you in from the beginning and holds your interest to the very end!!!
If you like The Current you will LOVE Descent. Let me know what you think if you read it.