Memorials

By: Richard Chizmar

Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Jonathan Todd Ross

The New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller about a group of college students encountering supernatural terror while on a road trip through Appalachia—an unforgettable, chilling novel that is “scary and hard to put down. You might be advised not to read it at night” (Stephen King).

1983: Three students from a small college embark on a weeklong road trip to film a documentary on roadside memorials for their American Studies class. The project starts out as a fun adventure, with long stretches of empty road and nightly campfires where they begin to open up with one another.

But as they venture deeper into the Appalachian backwoods, the atmosphere begins to darken. They notice more and more of the memorials feature a strange, unsettling symbol hinting at a sinister secret. Paranoia sets in when it appears they are being followed. Their vehicle is tampered with overnight, and some of the locals appear to be anything but welcoming. Before long, the students can’t help but wonder if these roadside deaths were really random accidents…or is something terrifying at work here?

Critic reviews

"Michael Crouch and Jonathan Todd Ross narrate an atmospheric horror story that draws upon the power of grief. In 1983, three college students set out on a road trip to film a documentary on the varied roadside memorials dotting America’s roadsides. What starts out as an adventure morphs slowly and painfully into terror. Crouch and Ross alternate narrating, and both maintain an ear-catching level of suspense. As the students notice a recurring mysterious symbol, Crouch and Ross inject the narration with a balance of gravitas and earnestness. While the three characters are likable, they have challenging moments, and Crouch and Ross imbue them with appropriate drama. Their narration complements the characters’ terror as they encounter a supernatural force in the Appalachian wilderness."

Different enough…

First off, I liked this book. Taking place in 1983, I was that age at that time and found myself relating to the characters in interesting ways. Growing up in a small Oregon town, there were some similarities to their small town. I liked the characters and the relationship. I thought the racial issues were interesting and well articulated but not overwhelming to the story line. The story is methodically developed and evenly paced. It is carefully crafted and very, very thoughtful. That said, installed near the end because O thought some of my favorite characters - or perhaps the ones I identified most with - were being implicated in a way that felt manipulative or perhaps cliche, but in the end it didn’t go that way. The climax is dark and harsh but gives a full conclusion in a not unsatisfying way.

So, yes, well written and voiced. Not a new theme but delivered in a way that made it fresh and relatable, sad, engaging, etc.

I thought it would be better.

I was really looking forward to a scary thriller. This book was disappointing. I really liked the narrator, but just parts of the book just wandered off forever and were very boring. The ending was just OK. All in all I wouldn't recommend it.

It actually scared me at times listening at night.

Loved the characters and the fact it was not predictable. Had no idea how it would end.

Better than expected

The narrator was great- fit the characters perfectly. Is a very fresh story, I really enjoyed it.

Too Long - Chapters Out of Wavk

First, the basic premise is what attracted me & kept me listening to the end.

That said, 5 hours could have easily been cut from this story. Too much attention was paid to insignificant things such as the details of all the snacks eaten throughout the story. Not a great example but that is what sticks in my mind

Chapters were strange, some seemed to be just a sentence or two. And what was with the weird numbering?

Criticism aside, most of the characters were likeable and seemed to have personalities that complemented each other.

The storyline is not new but the ending was unexpected.