Book Review: The Descent: The Official Movie Novelization by Christian Francis

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Descent: The Official Movie Novelization by Christian Francis

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Media Tie-In

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Titan Books (October 7, 2025)

Length: 224 pages

Author Information: Website

‘Tis the season for spooky reads, but also for the rewatching of scary movies that still get under my skin no matter how many times I’ve seen them. Every year around Halloween, I like to settle in with some of my favorite horror films, and The Descent is one of them. It’s a movie that never fails to creep me out, so when I heard about the official novelization from Titan, I jumped at the chance to relive the terror on the page.

For the uninitiated, The Descent follows a group of six adventurous young women who reunite for a caving expedition deep in the Appalachian Mountains. A year after suffering a devastating loss, Sarah is still feeling fragile from the personal tragedy, but her best friend Beth is hoping that a trip across the ocean into the Tennessee wilderness will be a much-needed healing experience. On the itinerary is a weekend of laughter, friendship, and adrenaline-fueled exploration through the area’s vast and impressive cavern systems—just like old times.

The night before their spelunking trip, Sarah and Beth meet up with the others: Juno, their childhood friend from secondary school and the fearless leader of the group; Holly, who is Juno’s young and eager protégé looking for a new challenge; Rebecca, the team’s mother hen and voice of reason; and her kid sister Sam, a smart and capable medical student. But beneath the surface of camaraderie, there are clearly tensions that haven’t been forgotten. By the time the women set out the next morning, the bonds of friendship that once held them together are already starting to fray and are about to be further tested. For when they descend into the caves, which turn out to be an uncharted system of ancient and twisted tunnels, things quickly go awry. A sudden collapse seals off their only way out, trapping them far beneath the surface with something else that inhabits the caverns—something that watches them in the dark, waiting and hunting.

The Descent novelization by Christian Francis is for the most part a faithful adaptation of the film—if anything, it might be a little too faithful, as in the story practically follows the movie beat for beat. This book will likely appeal to readers who prefer their novelizations to stick closely to the source material, almost like a scene-by-scene transcript. Personally, though, I would have liked to see a bit more expansion, particularly into the characters’ inner thoughts and motivations. This would not only have left the story’s trajectory untouched, but the insights and gains into emotional depth—the kind that the film format simply doesn’t have room to explore—would have been a major enhancement.

However, this is a case where the written word actually struggles to match the visuals you see on screen. Of course, if you’ve seen The Descent, you already know what you’re getting into. But if you haven’t, the novelization might not be the best place to start. The frights of the film come largely from what you see and hear, like the mysterious shapes hiding in shadows or the unsettling sound effects. On the other hand, much of those tensions are diluted on the page. Francis does an admirable job describing the action and the claustrophobia, but doesn’t quite manage to convey the visceral fear and dread.

In the end, The Descent: The Official Movie Novelization sits squarely in the middle of the pack when it comes to media tie-in fiction. It’s not the best novelization I’ve ever read, but it’s far from the worst, and it is helped by my love of the original film. It certainly reminded me of why I enjoy it so much. Final verdict? A solid companion piece for fans of the movie, but if you’re new to The Descent, you may want to experience it on screen first.