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Dixon, Descending
A powerful, heartrending debut novel about ambition, survival, and our responsibilities to one another
Dixon was once an Olympic-level runner, but he missed the team by two-tenths of a second. Ever since that disappointment decades ago, he hasn’t allowed a goal to consume him. But when his charming older brother, Nate, suggests they attempt to be the first Black American men to summit Mount Everest, Dixon can’t refuse. The brothers are determined to prove something—to themselves and to each other. Dixon, Descending is a captivating, shattering portrait of the ways we’re reshaped by our decisions—and what it takes to angle ourselves, once again, toward hope.
Dixon was once an Olympic-level runner, but he missed the team by two-tenths of a second. Ever since that disappointment decades ago, he hasn’t allowed a goal to consume him. But when his charming older brother, Nate, suggests they attempt to be the first Black American men to summit Mount Everest, Dixon can’t refuse. The brothers are determined to prove something—to themselves and to each other. Dixon, Descending is a captivating, shattering portrait of the ways we’re reshaped by our decisions—and what it takes to angle ourselves, once again, toward hope.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2024
64 people are currently reading
8376 people want to read
About the author
Karen Outen
2 books24 followersKaren Outen’s fiction has appeared in Glimmer Train, The North American Review, Essence, and elsewhere. She is a 2018 recipient of the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award and has been a fellow at both the Institute for the Humanities at the University of Michigan and the Pew Fellowships in the Arts. She received an MFA from the University of Michigan. She lives in Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
March 21, 2024
Dixon, Descending is a thought-provoking debut novel, weaving a compelling narrative that is unfortunately undermined by uneven execution. The ambitious scope of the novel mirrors the monumental challenge at its core—the summit of Mount Everest by two brothers—providing a backdrop for a tale of survival and guilt, choices and their repercussions, forgiveness and recovery.
The novel’s central character is Dixon, a former Olympic-level runner who, having narrowly missed making the team, has since avoided letting himself be consumed by a singular goal. Now a school psychologist, Dixon becomes involved in a tricky bullying case. Dixon feels personally connected as he is fond of the victim, Marcus, a boy who truly looks up to him. Dixon attempts to set aside his own anger towards Shiloh, the bully, and intervenes, but his efforts backfire, leading to an escalation of the bullying. Feeling increasingly on edge, Dixon finds himself yielding to Nate, his charismatic older brother, when the latter proposes a daring endeavour - to ‘conquer’ Mount Everest and become the first Black American men to do so. This audacious feat sparks something in Dixon, who, for the first time in years, becomes wholly absorbed by something. Preceding Mount Everest, the two brothers have a lot of training to do, and Dixon soon finds himself being the one to push his brother Nate onwards. Despite the dissent from their loved ones, the two brothers travel to Mount Everest. Along the way, they encounter many other climbers and find themselves confronted by the strange hierarchies operating in the ‘climbing’ world. However prepared they feel, a string of disasters has tragic consequences for the brothers.
Much of the novel delves into the aftermath of the climb. Ravaged by Mount Everest, Dixon is guilt-ridden and grief-stricken. His decision to return to work proves to be a terrible idea, resulting in him finally losing control at Shiloh. Things take a turn for the worse, and now Dixon is even more tormented by how he handled the bullying case. The Dixon we encounter in these pages is barely holding on, with Mount Everest still looming over him.
Through Dixon’s journey, the novel explores the consequences of life-altering decisions. Not only does Dixon experience survivor’s guilt, but he also finds himself losing sight of the kind of person he was, is, and wants to be. Dixon undergoes a transformative odyssey, grappling with the haunting echoes of his past choices.
Despite the novel’s exploration of Dixon's internal and external struggles, the narrative doesn’t always deliver emotional depth. A more introspective narrative would have provided a more in-depth character analysis. The before and after timelines also don’t always gel well, with the bullying storylines sometimes feeling as if from a different book. It didn’t help that Dixon is a character lacking in ‘history,’ that is, we learn virtually nothing about his and Nate’s childhood, and throughout the narrative, I kept forgetting that Dixon is divorced and has a child. The ex-wife and his daughter have no impact whatsoever on his character or his story. Sure, sometimes this contributes to the characterization of a character, say, someone who is entirely self-involved and unreliable, with little interest in his family, etc. But Dixon is presented as someone who should care. The narrative establishes and critiques the dichotomy between the brothers, with Dixon playing the role of the reliable, ‘good’ brother, while Nate is the carefree, wildcard, ‘bad’ brother. Extended flashbacks into their childhood and young adulthood, and their relationship with the rest of their family would have made for a more nuanced portrayal of their bond. Nate serves the role of foil to Dixon, and because of this he never really comes into his own as a character. His behavior during the climb, particularly in the final stages, appears somewhat overdramatized. Sure, we can attribute some of his actions to their extenuating circumstances, but there are moments where his dialogue seems inconsistent and forced, designed more for dramatic effect.
Having greater insight into Dixon’s professional life before the climb would have added depth to his character. Following the physical and emotional traumas he experienced, it's understandable that maintaining professionalism becomes challenging, especially in the face of provocation from Shiloh. However, Dixon doesn't exhibit many of the traits and knowledge one might expect from someone who finds fulfillment as a school psychologist. While he questions Shiloh's actions, he fails to consider the possible underlying issues that have shaped Shiloh's behavior. It's only towards the end of the novel that he starts to ‘contextualize’ some aspects of Shiloh's personality. I did appreciate that the novel doesn’t merely go for a cause-and-effect approach when it comes to exploring abuse, violence, and trauma.
Still, a more thorough exploration of the bond between Dixon and Marcus would have contributed to Dixon's authenticity as a school psychologist. At times, it felt as if Dixon's role as a school psychologist was primarily a plot device to incorporate the Marcus/Shiloh storyline. Yet, it might have been more convincing for Dixon to be a teacher, considering his surprising lack of awareness regarding mental health throughout the novel. This adjustment would have aligned better with the portrayal of his character and the challenges he faces in understanding and addressing the complexities of his students' psychological issues.
The chapters transporting us back to Mount Everest were certainly immersive and succeeded in giving us a glimpse into the kind of people driven by ambition and hubris, leading them to court danger in pursuit of greatness. Sadly, these sections feature a female character who seems to have been included merely to underline the dynamic between the brothers (why she chooses to have a fling with Nate over Dixon). She is the type of one-dimensional female character I usually encounter in male-authored fiction, so I was disappointed to find her here….
Nevertheless, despite these criticisms, I found the novel engrossing. Dixon, Descending would make for a solid book club choice, as it certainly succeeds in challenging readers' notions of right and wrong, the extent of forgiveness, and whether renewal and hope are and should always be possible.
The novel’s central character is Dixon, a former Olympic-level runner who, having narrowly missed making the team, has since avoided letting himself be consumed by a singular goal. Now a school psychologist, Dixon becomes involved in a tricky bullying case. Dixon feels personally connected as he is fond of the victim, Marcus, a boy who truly looks up to him. Dixon attempts to set aside his own anger towards Shiloh, the bully, and intervenes, but his efforts backfire, leading to an escalation of the bullying. Feeling increasingly on edge, Dixon finds himself yielding to Nate, his charismatic older brother, when the latter proposes a daring endeavour - to ‘conquer’ Mount Everest and become the first Black American men to do so. This audacious feat sparks something in Dixon, who, for the first time in years, becomes wholly absorbed by something. Preceding Mount Everest, the two brothers have a lot of training to do, and Dixon soon finds himself being the one to push his brother Nate onwards. Despite the dissent from their loved ones, the two brothers travel to Mount Everest. Along the way, they encounter many other climbers and find themselves confronted by the strange hierarchies operating in the ‘climbing’ world. However prepared they feel, a string of disasters has tragic consequences for the brothers.
Much of the novel delves into the aftermath of the climb. Ravaged by Mount Everest, Dixon is guilt-ridden and grief-stricken. His decision to return to work proves to be a terrible idea, resulting in him finally losing control at Shiloh. Things take a turn for the worse, and now Dixon is even more tormented by how he handled the bullying case. The Dixon we encounter in these pages is barely holding on, with Mount Everest still looming over him.
Through Dixon’s journey, the novel explores the consequences of life-altering decisions. Not only does Dixon experience survivor’s guilt, but he also finds himself losing sight of the kind of person he was, is, and wants to be. Dixon undergoes a transformative odyssey, grappling with the haunting echoes of his past choices.
Despite the novel’s exploration of Dixon's internal and external struggles, the narrative doesn’t always deliver emotional depth. A more introspective narrative would have provided a more in-depth character analysis. The before and after timelines also don’t always gel well, with the bullying storylines sometimes feeling as if from a different book. It didn’t help that Dixon is a character lacking in ‘history,’ that is, we learn virtually nothing about his and Nate’s childhood, and throughout the narrative, I kept forgetting that Dixon is divorced and has a child. The ex-wife and his daughter have no impact whatsoever on his character or his story. Sure, sometimes this contributes to the characterization of a character, say, someone who is entirely self-involved and unreliable, with little interest in his family, etc. But Dixon is presented as someone who should care. The narrative establishes and critiques the dichotomy between the brothers, with Dixon playing the role of the reliable, ‘good’ brother, while Nate is the carefree, wildcard, ‘bad’ brother. Extended flashbacks into their childhood and young adulthood, and their relationship with the rest of their family would have made for a more nuanced portrayal of their bond. Nate serves the role of foil to Dixon, and because of this he never really comes into his own as a character. His behavior during the climb, particularly in the final stages, appears somewhat overdramatized. Sure, we can attribute some of his actions to their extenuating circumstances, but there are moments where his dialogue seems inconsistent and forced, designed more for dramatic effect.
Having greater insight into Dixon’s professional life before the climb would have added depth to his character. Following the physical and emotional traumas he experienced, it's understandable that maintaining professionalism becomes challenging, especially in the face of provocation from Shiloh. However, Dixon doesn't exhibit many of the traits and knowledge one might expect from someone who finds fulfillment as a school psychologist. While he questions Shiloh's actions, he fails to consider the possible underlying issues that have shaped Shiloh's behavior. It's only towards the end of the novel that he starts to ‘contextualize’ some aspects of Shiloh's personality. I did appreciate that the novel doesn’t merely go for a cause-and-effect approach when it comes to exploring abuse, violence, and trauma.
Still, a more thorough exploration of the bond between Dixon and Marcus would have contributed to Dixon's authenticity as a school psychologist. At times, it felt as if Dixon's role as a school psychologist was primarily a plot device to incorporate the Marcus/Shiloh storyline. Yet, it might have been more convincing for Dixon to be a teacher, considering his surprising lack of awareness regarding mental health throughout the novel. This adjustment would have aligned better with the portrayal of his character and the challenges he faces in understanding and addressing the complexities of his students' psychological issues.
The chapters transporting us back to Mount Everest were certainly immersive and succeeded in giving us a glimpse into the kind of people driven by ambition and hubris, leading them to court danger in pursuit of greatness. Sadly, these sections feature a female character who seems to have been included merely to underline the dynamic between the brothers (why she chooses to have a fling with Nate over Dixon). She is the type of one-dimensional female character I usually encounter in male-authored fiction, so I was disappointed to find her here….
Nevertheless, despite these criticisms, I found the novel engrossing. Dixon, Descending would make for a solid book club choice, as it certainly succeeds in challenging readers' notions of right and wrong, the extent of forgiveness, and whether renewal and hope are and should always be possible.
February 14, 2024
Outstanding! I really enjoyed this!
Once I started, I found the book impossible to put down. The hook took hold quickly, the characters came to life, and the various storylines played out nicely.
And, well, if it's any indication, the book was released less than a week ago, and I was in the middle of another book when it arrived, but, well, you get the idea. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was wrong (who me, Pollyanna?), but I found the twists and turns as credible as I found them compelling.
Also, and this isn't relevant for most folks thinking about trying the book - but, trust me, you should read it, it's very well done , but ... it's not every day that someone you know (even if you don't know them well) publishes a book (OK, OK, I live and work in a weird and privileged world where a lot more of my colleagues and friends and former classmates have published books than most, but ... but ... still), but I was particularly intrigued by this because, on the one hand, I didn't realize until quite recently that the author was, well, an author, ... and the topic (... the climbing, not just the running, although running is another of my favorite reading topics) is one that's long fascinated me (and I can't say I'm stunned by the passage in the Acknowledgements that points to the same historical (and familiar) reference and plenty of overlapping non-fiction reading). And it was particularly frustrating to have been out of town for the author's reading at DC's iconic Politics and Prose. Still having pre-ordered the book, I thought I might take a quick peek, and, well, as indicated above, that was that.
I'll leave the topic of race to others. Obviously, race animates almost every aspect of the book, and I thought it was handled effectively, extremely well. But I also expect, nay, assume, that the there's no way around the fact that the book will speak to many readers very differently depending upon what they bring to the table, their perspective, their lived experience, etc. But isn't that true with pretty much everything we read?
It'll come as no surprise to any of my Goodreads friends or followers that I'm a sucker for a good ending, and I think the author got this one just about right. Sure I experienced plenty of eye-dabbing and reaching for the tissues, but I appreciated that the author didn't try to do too much at the end, instead, tying up enough of the loose ends without obsessing over a shiny bow or a fireworks display. Particularly given how much I enjoyed the reading experience, I found the conclusion fully satisfactory and true to or in keeping with the overall work. Chapeau!
It's a splendid book, I hope it sells lots of copies, and, looking down the road, I can't wait to see what the author does next.
Once I started, I found the book impossible to put down. The hook took hold quickly, the characters came to life, and the various storylines played out nicely.
And, well, if it's any indication, the book was released less than a week ago, and I was in the middle of another book when it arrived, but, well, you get the idea. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was wrong (who me, Pollyanna?), but I found the twists and turns as credible as I found them compelling.
Also, and this isn't relevant for most folks thinking about trying the book - but, trust me, you should read it, it's very well done , but ... it's not every day that someone you know (even if you don't know them well) publishes a book (OK, OK, I live and work in a weird and privileged world where a lot more of my colleagues and friends and former classmates have published books than most, but ... but ... still), but I was particularly intrigued by this because, on the one hand, I didn't realize until quite recently that the author was, well, an author, ... and the topic (... the climbing, not just the running, although running is another of my favorite reading topics) is one that's long fascinated me (and I can't say I'm stunned by the passage in the Acknowledgements that points to the same historical (and familiar) reference and plenty of overlapping non-fiction reading). And it was particularly frustrating to have been out of town for the author's reading at DC's iconic Politics and Prose. Still having pre-ordered the book, I thought I might take a quick peek, and, well, as indicated above, that was that.
I'll leave the topic of race to others. Obviously, race animates almost every aspect of the book, and I thought it was handled effectively, extremely well. But I also expect, nay, assume, that the there's no way around the fact that the book will speak to many readers very differently depending upon what they bring to the table, their perspective, their lived experience, etc. But isn't that true with pretty much everything we read?
It'll come as no surprise to any of my Goodreads friends or followers that I'm a sucker for a good ending, and I think the author got this one just about right. Sure I experienced plenty of eye-dabbing and reaching for the tissues, but I appreciated that the author didn't try to do too much at the end, instead, tying up enough of the loose ends without obsessing over a shiny bow or a fireworks display. Particularly given how much I enjoyed the reading experience, I found the conclusion fully satisfactory and true to or in keeping with the overall work. Chapeau!
It's a splendid book, I hope it sells lots of copies, and, looking down the road, I can't wait to see what the author does next.
March 1, 2024
Wow- I am blown away! I came because I liked the plot (two brothers set off the be the first Black men to summit Everest), but stayed for the writing and the depth. What a fantastic debut!
February 27, 2024
I had high hopes for this debut about two Black brothers who decide to climb Everest. The plot sounded different and interesting but I wasn't a huge fan of the pacing or the way the story jumped back and forth in time. Most of the novel deals with how Dixon recovers from his Everest expedition and the tragedy that happened on the mountain. Without giving too much away, things do not go as planned. Okay on audio and recommended for fans of books like Into thin air by Jon Krakauer.
February 6, 2024
4.0
This is a very challenging book for me to review because it wasn't what I expected and that I appreciate, but I felt it was trying to cover a lot of things all at once. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so, but I guess I need to sit with my thoughts on this a little more.
I mentioned that it wasn't what I was expecting and that was because I thought it would go into Dixon's failure at making the Olympics, how that shaped his turn to climb Everest and his journey of trying to accomplish that. What I read was way more than that and I thought it was an incredible way of exploring someone's character and how a turning point in life can change you for good and bad. I think the book might have been more effective if it was told in a more linear fashion? (This is all personal opinion, it is getting very high reviews so this probably hasn't bothered anyone else, but I think I lost some of the strength of Dixon's journey with the interruptions in time.)
I greatly appreciated the exploration of Dixon's change and then how he became a reluctant supporter of a troubled young Black man who seems determined to punish himself by refusing to take help. The arc of that relationship was my favorite part of the book and I could have read much more of that.
All in all, a good debut. I listened to the audio, which I received for free thanks to @prhaudio. Thank you also to Dutton Books for the gifted print copy. This releases today, 2/6/24.
This is a very challenging book for me to review because it wasn't what I expected and that I appreciate, but I felt it was trying to cover a lot of things all at once. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so, but I guess I need to sit with my thoughts on this a little more.
I mentioned that it wasn't what I was expecting and that was because I thought it would go into Dixon's failure at making the Olympics, how that shaped his turn to climb Everest and his journey of trying to accomplish that. What I read was way more than that and I thought it was an incredible way of exploring someone's character and how a turning point in life can change you for good and bad. I think the book might have been more effective if it was told in a more linear fashion? (This is all personal opinion, it is getting very high reviews so this probably hasn't bothered anyone else, but I think I lost some of the strength of Dixon's journey with the interruptions in time.)
I greatly appreciated the exploration of Dixon's change and then how he became a reluctant supporter of a troubled young Black man who seems determined to punish himself by refusing to take help. The arc of that relationship was my favorite part of the book and I could have read much more of that.
All in all, a good debut. I listened to the audio, which I received for free thanks to @prhaudio. Thank you also to Dutton Books for the gifted print copy. This releases today, 2/6/24.
January 8, 2024
4.5 stars. A great read.
February 16, 2025
I really liked Karen Outen's Dixon Descending!
As the author points out in this book, we are very often told triumphant stories of people ascending to greatness. We don't really hear what happens next, particularly if the journey to the top was physically and emotionally traumatic.
So this is about Dixon, the first (fictional) black American to summit Mount Everest. Not only do we read about his harrowing and life-changing ascent, but more interestingly, we see the aftermath, his descent, not from the mountain, but back to his "normal" life
Dixon holds it together pretty well all things considered, but has returned from Everest a broken man. He's a school psychologist and attempts to pick his life back up from where he left it.
This means reconnecting with the student he has taken under his wing and dealing with the bully who torments him.
It was really interesting!
My one complaint here is that the book felt overlong and repetitive at times and needed like 30-50 pages cut out. It flips back and forth between what happened on the mountain and what's happening with the students.
I kinda hate dual plotlines because I always like one less. And here, it was the time on the mountain that I felt was weighing this book down. That may be due to the fact that I read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air right before picking this up, so take that with a grain of salt. That real-life narrative was so intense, of course a fictionalized one would pale in comparison.
But you can tell the author has researched mountaineering and Mount Everest extensively, which was super cool.
So anyway, Dixon Descending was a solid 4 star read for me.
I can't end this without a shoutout to Sophia Danenberg, the actual first black American to summit Mount Everest. That's some badass bitchery right there.
As the author points out in this book, we are very often told triumphant stories of people ascending to greatness. We don't really hear what happens next, particularly if the journey to the top was physically and emotionally traumatic.
So this is about Dixon, the first (fictional) black American to summit Mount Everest. Not only do we read about his harrowing and life-changing ascent, but more interestingly, we see the aftermath, his descent, not from the mountain, but back to his "normal" life
Dixon holds it together pretty well all things considered, but has returned from Everest a broken man. He's a school psychologist and attempts to pick his life back up from where he left it.
This means reconnecting with the student he has taken under his wing and dealing with the bully who torments him.
It was really interesting!
My one complaint here is that the book felt overlong and repetitive at times and needed like 30-50 pages cut out. It flips back and forth between what happened on the mountain and what's happening with the students.
I kinda hate dual plotlines because I always like one less. And here, it was the time on the mountain that I felt was weighing this book down. That may be due to the fact that I read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air right before picking this up, so take that with a grain of salt. That real-life narrative was so intense, of course a fictionalized one would pale in comparison.
But you can tell the author has researched mountaineering and Mount Everest extensively, which was super cool.
So anyway, Dixon Descending was a solid 4 star read for me.
I can't end this without a shoutout to Sophia Danenberg, the actual first black American to summit Mount Everest. That's some badass bitchery right there.
February 18, 2025
DNF at 50%
My first DNF of the year and yes I do feel kinda terrible about it! Judging from the premise this should have totally been my thing I mean hello? Everest? but I was left pretty disappointed sadly.
The book is told from Dixon's pov and how his brother Nate persuades him to join Nate to become the first two black men to summit Everest. The book deals mostly with the aftermath of that venture as well as Dixon's personal life.
My first qualm with this was simply the writing style? I thought it pretty dull and at times bad and perhaps that's just the authors style but I do prefer more description and I guess flowery language.
Secondly,,,,I feel like the author didn't really get deeper into Everest expeditions than surface level? Which is obviously fine I'm nothing but an armchair mountaineer myself it just felt hollow while reading it.
Thirdly I frankly cared very little for Dixon's job as a school therapist and the students he hates and who he takes care of, I was reading this for an Everest expedition and not teacher fiction, one that made me pretty uncomfotable at that because of the bullying and violence against children (from the main character)
Overall just not my thing at all and I'd rather spend time reading books I enjoy.
My first DNF of the year and yes I do feel kinda terrible about it! Judging from the premise this should have totally been my thing I mean hello? Everest? but I was left pretty disappointed sadly.
The book is told from Dixon's pov and how his brother Nate persuades him to join Nate to become the first two black men to summit Everest. The book deals mostly with the aftermath of that venture as well as Dixon's personal life.
My first qualm with this was simply the writing style? I thought it pretty dull and at times bad and perhaps that's just the authors style but I do prefer more description and I guess flowery language.
Secondly,,,,I feel like the author didn't really get deeper into Everest expeditions than surface level? Which is obviously fine I'm nothing but an armchair mountaineer myself it just felt hollow while reading it.
Thirdly I frankly cared very little for Dixon's job as a school therapist and the students he hates and who he takes care of, I was reading this for an Everest expedition and not teacher fiction, one that made me pretty uncomfotable at that because of the bullying and violence against children (from the main character)
Overall just not my thing at all and I'd rather spend time reading books I enjoy.
April 4, 2024
I think this story would’ve possibly worked better for me on audio. I struggled to get through it honestly. The premise is very interesting. Two brothers, black Americans decide to summit Mt. Everest. The story interweaves timelines, of the climb, before and after. There’s a lot more to the story but I just did not connect with it in the way I had hoped.
February 12, 2024
I went in blind on this one. I assumed it would be about climing Mount Everest - and it was, but there was a whole lot more going on in this one.
To be clear from the beginning, I preferred the time spent on the moutain. I wanted to know about the physicality demanded from the mountian, the mental preparation, and the niche things a general person doesn't know. If I had to estimate, only about 25% of this story touches on those elements, so in that regard, it was a little disappointing.
What I wasn't expecting was the emotional component and backstory about our main character, Dixon. There is a lot of anger, guilt, and grief he must grapple with, and honestly, that feels like the real heart of the story. I liked Dixon very much and felt so much of his pain and guilt.
Having known this wasn't just a mountain climbing adventrure, I might not have been set up for disppointment due to my own expectations. Both sides of this story are good and kept me engaged, so the disappointment was short-lived. (Honestly, 'disappointment' is probably the wrong word...just different expectations of what I was getting into...it was just a little jarring to expect an adventure story that really is much different than that.) Once I got around that, I sunk into Dixon's story and really enjoyed the reading experience.
Outen is a phenomenal writer and I happened to stumble across a podcast she did (Thoughts from a Page) and it really added to my experience of reading her book. I always love to hear the backstory of a book and Outen was really delightful.
I will also say that I have returned to this mountain, Dixon, and his brother a lot in the week since I've finished reading it. It has staying power and has even piqued my interest to try to find more of the adventure stories I was seeking when I picked it up.
To be clear from the beginning, I preferred the time spent on the moutain. I wanted to know about the physicality demanded from the mountian, the mental preparation, and the niche things a general person doesn't know. If I had to estimate, only about 25% of this story touches on those elements, so in that regard, it was a little disappointing.
What I wasn't expecting was the emotional component and backstory about our main character, Dixon. There is a lot of anger, guilt, and grief he must grapple with, and honestly, that feels like the real heart of the story. I liked Dixon very much and felt so much of his pain and guilt.
Having known this wasn't just a mountain climbing adventrure, I might not have been set up for disppointment due to my own expectations. Both sides of this story are good and kept me engaged, so the disappointment was short-lived. (Honestly, 'disappointment' is probably the wrong word...just different expectations of what I was getting into...it was just a little jarring to expect an adventure story that really is much different than that.) Once I got around that, I sunk into Dixon's story and really enjoyed the reading experience.
Outen is a phenomenal writer and I happened to stumble across a podcast she did (Thoughts from a Page) and it really added to my experience of reading her book. I always love to hear the backstory of a book and Outen was really delightful.
I will also say that I have returned to this mountain, Dixon, and his brother a lot in the week since I've finished reading it. It has staying power and has even piqued my interest to try to find more of the adventure stories I was seeking when I picked it up.
September 9, 2024
Outstanding!! Two African American brothers scale Mt. Everest, and in the process come to terms with their own responsibilities to themselves and the decisions they've made, and with their lives off the mountain. Dixon and Nate ("Nixon") are tight, so when Nate, the more reckless of the brothers comes up with the idea to scale Everest together, Dixon is apprehensive at first but goes for it. After tragedy strikes during their quest, Dixon must come to terms with the terrible decision he made at the top of the world. This resonates and echoes his life off the mountain as a middle school counselor who must deal with a murder between 2 of "his boys". Great story with fantastic writing--I felt like I had the ice ax in my hand and crampons on my own sneakers as I took my walks listening to this !! One of my best reads this year!
April 14, 2025
*3.5, rounded up.
I think this is a really good debut novel and actually found that I liked that it didn't focus so much on the actual climbing as much as the aftermath of the climb on Dixon, his family, his career, etc. This being said, I just felt like it fell flat to me emotionally.
I think this is a really good debut novel and actually found that I liked that it didn't focus so much on the actual climbing as much as the aftermath of the climb on Dixon, his family, his career, etc. This being said, I just felt like it fell flat to me emotionally.
February 29, 2024
This book was an incredible but heartbreaking story. I think my heart rate went up to 150 while I was reading it, but I could never put it down. I loved how it alternated sections in the book from their journey of climbing Mt. Everest and then the aftermath of their lives back home afterwords.
January 7, 2025
4 stars. A great debut.
December 17, 2024
I picked this up because it sounded like a good book on Mt. Everest and ordinary people who choose to do something adventurous, challenging and life-threatening. This provided an interesting perspective of two African-American brothers who endeavor to climb the mountain together. There is more to the book than just the climb- the story goes back and forth among their time on the mountain, the period leading up to their climb, and the post-climb. Overall, it was less of a climbing novel than a family story involving race, a complicated sibling dynamic, and Dixon's role as a school psychologist working with troubled black youth. But I appreciated what happened after the climb for Dixon particularly, and how he worked through his emotions and challenges.
I listened to this on Audible and enjoyed the narrator very much.
I listened to this on Audible and enjoyed the narrator very much.
February 23, 2024
Overall good, but not great.
I got sucked into the desire to climb Mt. Everest and then was struggling in part two when we jumped ahead to Dixon’s life after he got down from Everest. I wanted to hear the story of what happened!
Of course, we do, eventually.
Ultimately his story of what happened in his life off the mountain was the more interesting, so I understand why the author did it this way, but it still made the first part of the read less than enjoyable for me.
I got sucked into the desire to climb Mt. Everest and then was struggling in part two when we jumped ahead to Dixon’s life after he got down from Everest. I wanted to hear the story of what happened!
Of course, we do, eventually.
Ultimately his story of what happened in his life off the mountain was the more interesting, so I understand why the author did it this way, but it still made the first part of the read less than enjoyable for me.
dnf-did-not-finish
October 31, 2024I got almost 50% into the audio but this one was too slow for me. I felt like it was trying to do too much and not really accomplishing any of it.
March 20, 2024
Thank you to @prhaudio for the gifted ALC of this book.
A book that really tells the story of what a person can do for another in this life. Dixon has a major life experience hiking Mount Everest and he takes what he learned from that experience and incorporates it into his life within the school system the impact is large.
This gives great food for thought with giving us a feel of "the moral of this story is". My one complaint was I found myself checking out at times. The pacing felt off, there were certain plot points I was more interested in than others.
A book that really tells the story of what a person can do for another in this life. Dixon has a major life experience hiking Mount Everest and he takes what he learned from that experience and incorporates it into his life within the school system the impact is large.
This gives great food for thought with giving us a feel of "the moral of this story is". My one complaint was I found myself checking out at times. The pacing felt off, there were certain plot points I was more interested in than others.
September 28, 2024
4.5 stars! A gripping story of two brothers who attempt to climb Mt. Everest. While this is a fiction, the author did an excellent job in her research about climbing and all of the details seem accurate to me from my limited knowledge from reading non fiction accounts of Everest attempts. However, this book is about more than climbing. Dixon and Nate share a close relationship, but Dixon as “the responsible son” has had the weighty responsibility of looking out for for Nate his entire life. Nate can be reckless and fearless while Dixon is cautious and careful in his life. As a school psychologist, Dixon cares deeply about the children he works with and is passionate about his job. The preparation for the climb bring Dixon and Nate closer, but also heightens Dixon’s worries about this undertaking. This novel is difficult to put down. Highly recommended!
January 21, 2025
I couldn’t put this book down once I got to page 50-60. I’m not interested in mountain climbing at all, but I love a good story with well-developed characters and relationships that I end up getting drawn into and caring about. I would think this would appeal to athletes, siblings, teachers, climbers, people concerned with challenged young people, and more. Loved it!
February 9, 2024
Lucked into an ARC of this, and I'm finishing just past it actually being released. I have to say I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.
I'm lucky to have read Into Thin Air pretty recently, which further contextualized this novel for me. That said, it wasn't necessary to have any context at all. Because Karen Outen can tell a story.
Spoilers incoming.
There are so many things that stood out to me in Dixon, Descending. It's so interesting to have Dixon and Shiloh set up as these mirrors of one another when on the surface they're so very different. You don't realize for a long time that it's what they are. One man whose moral compass seemingly always points North. One boy who seems determined to kick his moral compass into pieces. And yet...
In particular, I'm left thinking about the comments on the articles about Nate's death, held up against Dixon's initial mindset about Shiloh, about society's mindset about Shiloh. Such different situations, but all condemnation, all based in our society's tendency to favor the punitive over the restorative. In Dixon, Descending, we really see the scope of that in all its forms, from the nasty comments about how a man deserved to die to the view of a young boy as irredeemable, beyond saving.
Against all of that, we have this background of grief and recovery and what both of those things mean for different people. In Dixon in particular, this grief is handled unflinchingly and with so much nuance. By the end, we're given a true image of someone who has gone through the worst of it and come out the other side. Scarred but still living.
I'm lucky to have read Into Thin Air pretty recently, which further contextualized this novel for me. That said, it wasn't necessary to have any context at all. Because Karen Outen can tell a story.
Spoilers incoming.
There are so many things that stood out to me in Dixon, Descending. It's so interesting to have Dixon and Shiloh set up as these mirrors of one another when on the surface they're so very different. You don't realize for a long time that it's what they are. One man whose moral compass seemingly always points North. One boy who seems determined to kick his moral compass into pieces. And yet...
In particular, I'm left thinking about the comments on the articles about Nate's death, held up against Dixon's initial mindset about Shiloh, about society's mindset about Shiloh. Such different situations, but all condemnation, all based in our society's tendency to favor the punitive over the restorative. In Dixon, Descending, we really see the scope of that in all its forms, from the nasty comments about how a man deserved to die to the view of a young boy as irredeemable, beyond saving.
Against all of that, we have this background of grief and recovery and what both of those things mean for different people. In Dixon in particular, this grief is handled unflinchingly and with so much nuance. By the end, we're given a true image of someone who has gone through the worst of it and come out the other side. Scarred but still living.
March 24, 2025
3.5 Stars. Not what I was expecting. Dixon is an accomplished man a school psychologist who cares deeply for his students. He also missed being on the US Olympic track team by a fraction of a second. This is the story of his life, his upbringing his goals, and his accomplishments whether or not they are enough, and what you need to prove and who you need to prove it to. This story involves himself and his brother climbing Mount Everest, tbut here’s a parallel story of his work, and the children who rely on him, and how he tries to save these children, his brother and himself.
August 18, 2024
This is a great story, and I'm really surprised that this debut novel isn't being talked about more.
Dixon is a middle-aged school psychologist at a charter school in Maryland. Decades ago, he was a runner who just barely missed qualifying for the Olympics. Now, his older brother Nate is trying to convince Dixon to climb Mt. Everest. If they summit, they would be the first American Black men to conquer the mountain.
About a third of the way through, the story jumps from spring 2011, when Dixon and Nate are at Everest base camp, to the fall. I listened to this on audio, and at first I was really confused by the sudden jump in timeline and wondered if I had missed something.
This isn't really a book about Black men climbing Everest...it is somewhat that, but even more so, this is a book about what happens to Dixon afterward. It's a book about choices and consequences, guilt and reconciliation, identity and forgiveness.
Before Everest, Dixon looked out for and mentored a boy at his school named Marcus who was being bullied by another boy named Shiloh. After returning home, Dixon gets involved in both Marcus and Shiloh's lives. The book drifts back and forth between Dixon's flashbacks of his time on the mountain - where, in fragments, we slowly get the story of what happened on Everest - and the aftermath, where Dixon is struggling to adapt back to normal life and to navigate his relationships with Marcus and Shiloh. Criticism of the book mostly focuses on the non-linear timeline, and I can definitely see how the jumps in time would be confusing to a reader, but I think the hazy boundaries between past and present are key to effectively portraying Dixon's state of mind.
Although the story is compelling, I found the characters and exploration of themes even more interesting. There is a lot more to say about the book, it's themes, and what it's trying to communication, but in the interest of space and not giving spoilers, I'll stop here. This would be a fantastic book club book!
Dixon is a middle-aged school psychologist at a charter school in Maryland. Decades ago, he was a runner who just barely missed qualifying for the Olympics. Now, his older brother Nate is trying to convince Dixon to climb Mt. Everest. If they summit, they would be the first American Black men to conquer the mountain.
About a third of the way through, the story jumps from spring 2011, when Dixon and Nate are at Everest base camp, to the fall. I listened to this on audio, and at first I was really confused by the sudden jump in timeline and wondered if I had missed something.
This isn't really a book about Black men climbing Everest...it is somewhat that, but even more so, this is a book about what happens to Dixon afterward. It's a book about choices and consequences, guilt and reconciliation, identity and forgiveness.
Before Everest, Dixon looked out for and mentored a boy at his school named Marcus who was being bullied by another boy named Shiloh. After returning home, Dixon gets involved in both Marcus and Shiloh's lives. The book drifts back and forth between Dixon's flashbacks of his time on the mountain - where, in fragments, we slowly get the story of what happened on Everest - and the aftermath, where Dixon is struggling to adapt back to normal life and to navigate his relationships with Marcus and Shiloh. Criticism of the book mostly focuses on the non-linear timeline, and I can definitely see how the jumps in time would be confusing to a reader, but I think the hazy boundaries between past and present are key to effectively portraying Dixon's state of mind.
Although the story is compelling, I found the characters and exploration of themes even more interesting. There is a lot more to say about the book, it's themes, and what it's trying to communication, but in the interest of space and not giving spoilers, I'll stop here. This would be a fantastic book club book!
March 10, 2024
This is a well-written book by a competent author. That being said about halfway through the book, having been forced into the annoying shuffling back and forth among before, after, and during the climb sections, I asked myself of what possible benefit was chopping up the timeline and shuffling them together and I realized that, given that neither story (Dixon on the mountain, Dixon off the mountain) was particularly compelling, keeping each timeline incomplete was a tactic to force the reader to keep reading.
The huge problem with Dixon on the mountain is it really is a fool's journey, that even Outen reminds us of several times throughout their "quest." Worst of all neither the mountain nor pride kill Nate, it was having to wait in line. If there had been half the people trying to climb that day they would have been up and down and none the worse for wear.
The huge problem with Dixon off the mountain is every character is two-dimensional, Shiloh especially. And falling into a diner where he gets a job? Please.
In the end we are left with an annoyingly pointless Lena calling from Seattle to listen to Dixon process everything and do nothing, while the world reduces his "feat" to a line in a list and Dixon, more observer than participant, fails to materially alter the lives of Marcus and Shiloh.
Lots of people seem to love this book, however, and I can see it being made into the hoped for Netflix movie. I'd prune out the repeated references to the fact that "climbing" Everest has become a frozen traffic jam, and use a straight timeline.
The huge problem with Dixon on the mountain is it really is a fool's journey, that even Outen reminds us of several times throughout their "quest." Worst of all neither the mountain nor pride kill Nate, it was having to wait in line. If there had been half the people trying to climb that day they would have been up and down and none the worse for wear.
The huge problem with Dixon off the mountain is every character is two-dimensional, Shiloh especially. And falling into a diner where he gets a job? Please.
In the end we are left with an annoyingly pointless Lena calling from Seattle to listen to Dixon process everything and do nothing, while the world reduces his "feat" to a line in a list and Dixon, more observer than participant, fails to materially alter the lives of Marcus and Shiloh.
Lots of people seem to love this book, however, and I can see it being made into the hoped for Netflix movie. I'd prune out the repeated references to the fact that "climbing" Everest has become a frozen traffic jam, and use a straight timeline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2025
Climbing mountains – Earth’s highest and the invisible ones to empower Black boys and men in a suburban landscape (Himalayas, Nepal and Maryland, 2011): Would you have gone?
IF your older brother (by eighteen months), Nate, concocted a surreal scheme for the two of you “to summit” Mount Everest, “Mother Goddess of the World”?
YOU, Dixon, have spent nearly all your mid-forty years (since you were ten) watching out for Nate, always getting in trouble. A promise that attached you together. He, the unmarried “Romeo” who takes things lightly, whereas you’re the serious, divorced one (still friends with your ex). You promised your mother you’d be his guardian angel and live up to your father’s expectations that you, as “a Black man,” would carry the weight “to represent them all.” You’re from a middle-class family in the suburbs of Maryland outside Washington, DC, not insulated from those far less fortunate than you. You’ve followed the “yellow-brick road of rules,” yet “lived in quiet dread” that any day the police would come knocking at your door. As a school psychologist at a charter middle school, you’re immersed in protecting a sweet, vulnerable Black boy (Marcus), bullied by a hardened, older Black boy (Shiloh), angry-at-the-world (with good reason), out-of-control. To you, they’re all your boys (Nate calls you a “boy whisperer”). So — Nate’s “apocalyptic” proposition comes, at the minimum, at a time when Marcus clings to you and you, the protector, can’t bear abandoning him.
WHY do it, then?
Ohers in Dixon’s close-knit circle are his loving daughter Kira, like-a-sister cousin Charlaina, and a brother-spirit friend Skeet. All react similarly upon catching wind of Nate’s outrageous plan the two set out to become the first Black men to plant themselves on Mount Everest Summit, 29,035 moon-like feet. “Of all the dangers in the world, who the hell wants this one?” responds Charlaina. “What, your lives aren’t hard enough on earth?” says Skeet. Kira’s “look just this side of terror.”
Nate envisions it differently: “See, it’s a dream, you know, you need a dream now and then.” Believing: “We get to decide who we are.” We can dream, but do we always follow our dreams? Scaling the highest mountain in the world, our third-person narrator echoes what we’ve been thinking: Only “lunatics and heroes” would dare tempt death in such a grueling way.
Dixon says no, no, at first. Overtime, Nate convinces him to go. What is it about the mountaintop that mesmerizes Nate and Dixon?
That’s what Karen Outen digs into, expanding, broadening, intensifying her hard-hitting, affecting novel that covers more bases than the already ambitious Mount Everest trek. A group expedition Dixon and Nate sign onto, documents that pull-no-punches in spelling out the dangers of a 68-day mountaineering journey traversing glaciers and an icefall, lugging 40 pounds of specialized equipment skillfully identified, at temperatures falling to minus 45 degrees.
Survival on that mountaintop is palpable. At Base Camp, already 17,500 feet elevation, the brothers meet Lena, a “damn fine alpinist” as opposed to the paying, frowned upon “clients” seeking a glorified “transactional experience.” Enlightening them on the “real culture” of mountaineering, the epigraph by David Breasheres, an alpinist too, well-sums up the soul-searching theme:
“The mountain doesn’t care whether we’re here or not.
Everything it means to us is only what we bring to it.
It is only what the mountain reveals about us that has any lasting value.”
Dixon is a “former triathlete,” who ran in the Olympics and lost badly, having never been “left behind” before. He’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa at 19,341 feet, apparently more doable. What eats at Dixon, out-of-shape yet highly disciplined for the training and preparation, is could his partner, Nate, ever be ready? Should he even trust him? What happens on that mountain will impact both of them. Says so right in those chilling documents, and the plotting.
Ouren takes an interesting approach in structuring her novel. (Hard to believe, her debut.) She begins with Mount Everest and then circles back to Dixon and Nate’s stories so we can contemplate the origins of blinding ambition that drove the brothers to such extreme peril. She then shifts back to vivid, superhuman climbing scenes, followed by showing us the fallouts.
Acknowledging reading over a dozen books and watching videos to ingest first-hand and other accounts of transcending from Base Camp, ten days to get there, to 21,000 feet (Camp 2), to 23,000 feet (Camp 3), to 26,300 feet (Camp 4) and higher where the air is so thin you’re in the Death Zone and need oxygen tanks to stay alive to reach the South Summit at 28,500 feet and then the Everest Summit at 29,035.
As you try to piece together the why-do-this question, consider Nate’s comment to Dixon: “Must know how to do something right?” And Dixon telling us about the burden of being his brother’s keeper and a role-model for all Black men. Rich material for a book club discussion and for the rest of us to ponder.
Inspired by the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, told in John Krakauer’s memoir Into Thin Air, adapted into the movie Everest, Outen’s fiction attests to the film’s assertion "Everest is the most dangerous place on Earth."
As heart-stopping as the Everest storytelling is, equally gripping and emotionally moving are the formidable storylines of Dixon with Marcus, Shiloh, and Herbert, his newfound friend who turns the tables to counsel and protect Dixon in the aftermath. Street-savvy, complete with street-slang, he’s seen life behind bars for seventeen years. A grill cook at a diner, his sensitivity and sagacity emphasizes how authentic the reading feels.
Herbert’s the one who offers a contrary view of the pilgrimage Nate and Dixon undertook: “Can’t a black man have a goddamn mountain if he want?”
Looks like he can. The first Black man to summit Mount Everest in 2003 is South Africa’s Sibusiso Vilante. The first Black team (men and women) in 2022.
IF your older brother (by eighteen months), Nate, concocted a surreal scheme for the two of you “to summit” Mount Everest, “Mother Goddess of the World”?
YOU, Dixon, have spent nearly all your mid-forty years (since you were ten) watching out for Nate, always getting in trouble. A promise that attached you together. He, the unmarried “Romeo” who takes things lightly, whereas you’re the serious, divorced one (still friends with your ex). You promised your mother you’d be his guardian angel and live up to your father’s expectations that you, as “a Black man,” would carry the weight “to represent them all.” You’re from a middle-class family in the suburbs of Maryland outside Washington, DC, not insulated from those far less fortunate than you. You’ve followed the “yellow-brick road of rules,” yet “lived in quiet dread” that any day the police would come knocking at your door. As a school psychologist at a charter middle school, you’re immersed in protecting a sweet, vulnerable Black boy (Marcus), bullied by a hardened, older Black boy (Shiloh), angry-at-the-world (with good reason), out-of-control. To you, they’re all your boys (Nate calls you a “boy whisperer”). So — Nate’s “apocalyptic” proposition comes, at the minimum, at a time when Marcus clings to you and you, the protector, can’t bear abandoning him.
WHY do it, then?
Ohers in Dixon’s close-knit circle are his loving daughter Kira, like-a-sister cousin Charlaina, and a brother-spirit friend Skeet. All react similarly upon catching wind of Nate’s outrageous plan the two set out to become the first Black men to plant themselves on Mount Everest Summit, 29,035 moon-like feet. “Of all the dangers in the world, who the hell wants this one?” responds Charlaina. “What, your lives aren’t hard enough on earth?” says Skeet. Kira’s “look just this side of terror.”
Nate envisions it differently: “See, it’s a dream, you know, you need a dream now and then.” Believing: “We get to decide who we are.” We can dream, but do we always follow our dreams? Scaling the highest mountain in the world, our third-person narrator echoes what we’ve been thinking: Only “lunatics and heroes” would dare tempt death in such a grueling way.
Dixon says no, no, at first. Overtime, Nate convinces him to go. What is it about the mountaintop that mesmerizes Nate and Dixon?
That’s what Karen Outen digs into, expanding, broadening, intensifying her hard-hitting, affecting novel that covers more bases than the already ambitious Mount Everest trek. A group expedition Dixon and Nate sign onto, documents that pull-no-punches in spelling out the dangers of a 68-day mountaineering journey traversing glaciers and an icefall, lugging 40 pounds of specialized equipment skillfully identified, at temperatures falling to minus 45 degrees.
Survival on that mountaintop is palpable. At Base Camp, already 17,500 feet elevation, the brothers meet Lena, a “damn fine alpinist” as opposed to the paying, frowned upon “clients” seeking a glorified “transactional experience.” Enlightening them on the “real culture” of mountaineering, the epigraph by David Breasheres, an alpinist too, well-sums up the soul-searching theme:
“The mountain doesn’t care whether we’re here or not.
Everything it means to us is only what we bring to it.
It is only what the mountain reveals about us that has any lasting value.”
Dixon is a “former triathlete,” who ran in the Olympics and lost badly, having never been “left behind” before. He’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa at 19,341 feet, apparently more doable. What eats at Dixon, out-of-shape yet highly disciplined for the training and preparation, is could his partner, Nate, ever be ready? Should he even trust him? What happens on that mountain will impact both of them. Says so right in those chilling documents, and the plotting.
Ouren takes an interesting approach in structuring her novel. (Hard to believe, her debut.) She begins with Mount Everest and then circles back to Dixon and Nate’s stories so we can contemplate the origins of blinding ambition that drove the brothers to such extreme peril. She then shifts back to vivid, superhuman climbing scenes, followed by showing us the fallouts.
Acknowledging reading over a dozen books and watching videos to ingest first-hand and other accounts of transcending from Base Camp, ten days to get there, to 21,000 feet (Camp 2), to 23,000 feet (Camp 3), to 26,300 feet (Camp 4) and higher where the air is so thin you’re in the Death Zone and need oxygen tanks to stay alive to reach the South Summit at 28,500 feet and then the Everest Summit at 29,035.
As you try to piece together the why-do-this question, consider Nate’s comment to Dixon: “Must know how to do something right?” And Dixon telling us about the burden of being his brother’s keeper and a role-model for all Black men. Rich material for a book club discussion and for the rest of us to ponder.
Inspired by the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, told in John Krakauer’s memoir Into Thin Air, adapted into the movie Everest, Outen’s fiction attests to the film’s assertion "Everest is the most dangerous place on Earth."
As heart-stopping as the Everest storytelling is, equally gripping and emotionally moving are the formidable storylines of Dixon with Marcus, Shiloh, and Herbert, his newfound friend who turns the tables to counsel and protect Dixon in the aftermath. Street-savvy, complete with street-slang, he’s seen life behind bars for seventeen years. A grill cook at a diner, his sensitivity and sagacity emphasizes how authentic the reading feels.
Herbert’s the one who offers a contrary view of the pilgrimage Nate and Dixon undertook: “Can’t a black man have a goddamn mountain if he want?”
Looks like he can. The first Black man to summit Mount Everest in 2003 is South Africa’s Sibusiso Vilante. The first Black team (men and women) in 2022.
December 1, 2023
I couldn’t put down Dixon, Descending. From the first page, I was totally absorbed in everything—first, the drama of the opening climbing scene—and then the complex, often fraught dynamics between Dixon and the men in his life: Nate, Marcus, Shiloh, and Herbert. The author’s exploration of brotherly bonds and what it means to be a “good person” moved me from start to finish. Dixon is on a hero’s journey, seeking his own redemption. The characters he meets on his journey are vibrant and three-dimensional. I especially loved scenes with Herbert and Lena.
Though the relationships in the book are what I connected with the most, the climbing scenes were out of this world! The writing was exhilarating and full of tension and detail (I feel like I learned so much!). I could picture myself on Mount Everest, witnessing Dixon and Nate. I especially loved the description when Dixon summited; the image of being on the top of the world and being able to see the atmosphere stuck with me.
Loved this book and would recommend it to anyone!
Though the relationships in the book are what I connected with the most, the climbing scenes were out of this world! The writing was exhilarating and full of tension and detail (I feel like I learned so much!). I could picture myself on Mount Everest, witnessing Dixon and Nate. I especially loved the description when Dixon summited; the image of being on the top of the world and being able to see the atmosphere stuck with me.
Loved this book and would recommend it to anyone!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2024
Two brothers— Black men might I add— decide to climb Mount Everest and you think that’s what the bulk of this story will be about but it’s more than that. I’ve never climbed a mountain (nor would I 💁🏽♀️👀) but I loved the vivid descriptions weaved into this cause there were moments where I felt like I was on the mountain in the heart of this story.
This story is complex, emotional, full of depth and great character development— I actually loved Dixon and his fight for the youth in his life really resonated with me. I feel like everything he was doing for Shiloh was his way of seeking redemption for all he’d lost. 🖤
Audiobook Thoughts:
We all have certain narrators that we love hearing reading books to us— I was so ecstatic when I heard @ on this one! I don’t think there’s any other narrator that would’ve done a better job, I feel like his voice embodied Dixon’s character well and brought all the angst that was needed to this story. 👌🏾
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I personally think it would make a great movie! 🎥
This story is complex, emotional, full of depth and great character development— I actually loved Dixon and his fight for the youth in his life really resonated with me. I feel like everything he was doing for Shiloh was his way of seeking redemption for all he’d lost. 🖤
Audiobook Thoughts:
We all have certain narrators that we love hearing reading books to us— I was so ecstatic when I heard @ on this one! I don’t think there’s any other narrator that would’ve done a better job, I feel like his voice embodied Dixon’s character well and brought all the angst that was needed to this story. 👌🏾
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I personally think it would make a great movie! 🎥
March 15, 2024
Impressive debut novel. I was drawn to this as I personally know both a man and a woman who summited Everest and another who attempted it and have been curious about what motivates people to take on such a challenge. This book explores the themes of obsession, loyalty, guilt and grief - it’s very sad yet ultimately hopeful.
April 21, 2024
4.5 rounded up.
This novel was immersive and atmospheric — I felt like I needed to put on a parka just to get through the Everest chapters! Karen Outen has crafted convincing characters that are well fleshed-out while delivering realistic emotional tension.
Dixon is talked into climbing Mt. Everest by his brother Nick. Together, they would be the first Black Americans to scale it. From page one, we're tossed directly into their arduous climb. At first attempt, this was a little sudden for me to take on with no character knowledge, and I set the book aside as a DNF. When I came back at a time when I was more ready for it, though, Dixon, Descending absolutely sucked me in.
This is not an easy read. Outen brings her narrative to life so well that there was one scene in particular that I found really difficult to get through emotionally. While that probably means this isn't a great choice for your next beach read, it also makes the journey you take through Dixon's emotions and recovery all that more convincing.
This novel was immersive and atmospheric — I felt like I needed to put on a parka just to get through the Everest chapters! Karen Outen has crafted convincing characters that are well fleshed-out while delivering realistic emotional tension.
Dixon is talked into climbing Mt. Everest by his brother Nick. Together, they would be the first Black Americans to scale it. From page one, we're tossed directly into their arduous climb. At first attempt, this was a little sudden for me to take on with no character knowledge, and I set the book aside as a DNF. When I came back at a time when I was more ready for it, though, Dixon, Descending absolutely sucked me in.
This is not an easy read. Outen brings her narrative to life so well that there was one scene in particular that I found really difficult to get through emotionally. While that probably means this isn't a great choice for your next beach read, it also makes the journey you take through Dixon's emotions and recovery all that more convincing.
January 3, 2025
3.5 This is a tricky one to review because of the structure: it’s split between the main storyline of brothers Dixon and Nate who decide to climb Mount Everest; and the aftermath of the climb focused on Dixon’s work as a child psychologist with his students, in particular two boys who have a bully-victim dynamic.
I loved all of the mountain and brother sections—some of the strongest, most visceral climbing writing I’ve come across. On the flip side, I wasn’t expecting the jump forward in Part II that makes the reader wait to learn what actually happened during the climb, in Part III. I tried to understand what parallels the author may have been trying to draw between these two storylines but honestly it felt weak to me and like I was reading two separate books. I’m not clear on what to take away from the book as a whole.
This story has a lot of heaviness and sadness so be prepared for that. Overall I enjoyed much of it even if I felt some weaknesses took away from my overall experience.
I loved all of the mountain and brother sections—some of the strongest, most visceral climbing writing I’ve come across. On the flip side, I wasn’t expecting the jump forward in Part II that makes the reader wait to learn what actually happened during the climb, in Part III. I tried to understand what parallels the author may have been trying to draw between these two storylines but honestly it felt weak to me and like I was reading two separate books. I’m not clear on what to take away from the book as a whole.
This story has a lot of heaviness and sadness so be prepared for that. Overall I enjoyed much of it even if I felt some weaknesses took away from my overall experience.
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