The Journey: No Matter How Far You Run, Your Demons Always Follow is a work of fiction in the literary drama subgenre. It is best suited to the mature adult reading audience owing to some instances of explicit language and sexual violence and was penned by Mark T. Rasmussen. In this tense and dramatic character-led tale, we follow the turmoil of Raiden, who finds himself facing a major crisis of self during his forties. As Raiden undertakes an epic road trip to do some serious soul-searching, a series of shocking events force him to face up to the truth: he’s soon to be a father, no matter where he runs.

Literary dramas usually rely solely on the central character as to whether you truly click with them or not, and not all readers will find protagonist Raiden endearing from the start. For those who stay the course in this dark, intense, and deeply interesting novel, Mark T. Rasmussen rewards readers with a fascinating tale of transformation that sees Raiden move from being a lost soul running from all the pressures and responsibilities of life to an individual forever changed by the people he meets during his crisis-fuelled times. Aptly titled, The Journey is a work that seeks to ask those deep questions about ourselves that we may fear and holds up a mirror to both the darker aspects of life and the joy that is still to be found - if we know how. It was an excellently penned and emotionally accomplished novel that I enjoyed a lot.

The Journey: No Matter How Far You Run, Your Demons Always Follow by Mark T. Rasmussen is the story of a man on a journey to find himself. Raiden was scared. Not ready for the big change that being a father would bring into his life, he took one last sip of a bitter tea, packed his bags, and left his home in search of something he didn’t even know. Raiden had one aim in mind; to get away from Toronto and get to Mexico where he could restart his life. However, he had no idea that this adventure was exactly what he needed to find himself and rebuild his life from the ground up. As Raiden meets new people along the way and experiences life-changing events, he gets to truly understand what it means to live and how you can never outrun your demons. They always find you wherever you are; you just have to man up and face them head-on.

I was not expecting to enjoy this novel as much as I did. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t put it down. Raiden’s character is relatable. I could find little pieces of myself in him as he struggled to understand why some changes can push you to the edge of your tolerance. Despite being overwhelmed at times, Raiden is a solid character that readers can form a bond with. I usually have a hard time enjoying novels written in first-person narrative, but this novel was fun from the beginning. Mark T. Rasmussen did a great job of conveying Raiden’s emotions purely and evocatively in The Journey. It made Raiden more human and relatable. The ending was wholesome and not predictable at all. I thoroughly enjoyed it!