Denali

By: Austin Bunn

Narrated by: Jack Falahee, Jake Lacy, Amrit Kaur, full cast

Three friends from small-town Pennsylvania set out to conquer Denali, North America's highest peak, but only two come down alive. On the mountain, their grand adventure unravels into a harrowing tale of survival, betrayal, and the haunting consequences of ambition pushed too far. For fans of Into Thin Air, Touching the Void, and 127 Hours, Denali has a full cast, jaw-dropping twists, and immersive sound design that will transport you to one of the most extreme environments on earth.

When their best friend Josh proposes a daring climb of Alaska’s perilous summit, aspiring writer Finn (Jack Falahee, How to Get Away with Murder) sees it as his ticket to literary success, and local lifer Doug (Jake Lacy, The White Lotus) signs up for the challenge. But as the trio ascends into the deadly "Death Zone," long-buried secrets and rivalries emerge, threatening to tear them apart before the mountain does.

Told through a masterful blend of present-day scenes, excerpts from Finn’s now best-selling memoir, and their pulse-pounding ascent, Denali keeps listeners on edge, slowly revealing the mystery of what really happened on that fateful expedition. As Abby (Amrit Kaur, Sex Lives of College Girls), Josh’s sister, pieces together conflicting accounts years later, she’s forced to confront unsettling questions about the brother she thought she knew—and the man she's chosen to love.

Denali explores the complex bonds of friendship, the seductive power of fame, and the psychological toll of surviving when others do not.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©2024 Austin Bunn (P)2024 Audible Originals, LLC

A lost hour

This book has potential, but the story lacks cohesion. This is unfortunate, as the author could have engaged readers more effectively and developed a stronger storyline.

Intriguing

Overall a good story. The ending is a little soft; I would have liked a more definite precise ending.

Thought provocative

For a short store, it was pretty well written and told. Constantly wondering what was going on but in a good way. And even kept my mind wondering wait what even after it ended.

Don't bother.

The basic premise is interesting, but the storyline is inconsistent, there are multiple unresolved threads, and the switches between past/present/memoir is badly executed, needlessly complicating the narrative.

The ending feels like the author couldn't figure out how to tie it all together so they threw in mad cackling and probably told themselves they were being edgy and giving it an ambiguous ending.

That’s an hour and a half I’ll never get back

So many little details that seemed like they’d be roped in for meaning at some point but this whole story really falls short.
What was this even about? I could have written better than this in 6th grade.

Frozen memories on Denali

Frightening. . . The very thought of dying alone. Be With your friends only a few hundred feet away. You are helplessly alone while waiting for your own inevitable death.

Pretty good

Too short but knew that going in. My biggest problem is I can’t tell who it is laughing at the end. Doug bc he did something or Finn bc he did? So kinda screws up the whole ending

Loved it!

I really liked that it was a full cast Audio-play! The sound design enhances the experience, with chilling winds, creaking ice, and the distant echoes of the climbers' voices creating an immersive atmosphere that pulls you into the harsh reality of the climb. Highly recommended!

Suspense

Somewhat hard to follow storyline. Character development was done well. realistic character interpretation. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah blah blah.

Not clear what the point was

The idea behind the story is fascinating and I like the supernatural aspect of hikers feeling the presence of some spirit with them on their climb, but the story itself was mostly confusing and the ending left me with more questions. What was the point? That people are untrustworthy? No character feels very likable as they all seem to be betraying and hurting one another.