PURGATORY ROAD

Samuel Parker, Oasis Audio, $19.99 (7.5 hours), 978-1-61375-874-8 Purgatory Road is meant for people who like breakneck pacing and a somewhat mystical plot.

Purgatory Road, by Samuel Parker, tells the story of several people lost in the desert. Filled with personal discovery and mysterious circumstances, this novel is an action-packed adventure with a wide cast of characters and a variety of different personalities and goals.

When the book begins, there are several different characters and stories. At first, they do not seem to be connected. However, this rectifies itself and the initial confusion provides a stronger sense of payoff.

Jack and Laura, a married couple, are stranded on an abandoned highway and running out of supplies. Molly, a teenage runaway, is abducted by Colton, a gas station manager. Colton appears to be mentored by a sinister older man called Seth who encourages him along a destructive path. There is an obvious otherworldly feel to Seth, which sets the stage for Boots, a desert hermit who rescues Jack and Laura. Seth and Boots provide the opportunities for the characters to cross paths and interact. As the story develops it becomes clear that there is more to these two old men than it seems and both have more power than they let on.

The characters are straightforward and easy to differentiate. Each person has a distinct style of thought, and the narrator gives them all unique voices. The characters all undergo a change throughout the novel and get recognizable growth and evolution. The dialogue is realistic and flows.

While the characters and writing are engaging, much relies on aspects of the world in which the story takes place that are never clearly established. Despite this, there is an active crescendo in the action and climatic resolve.

Purgatory Road is meant for people who like breakneck pacing, a somewhat mystical plot, and characters who truly become better people.