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meltingpages's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was good! It wasn't anything groundbreaking or crazy, but it was pretty entertaining. I loved the atmosphere and in general, thrillers where a group of people are isolated, especially in the wilderness is definitely my thing. I was definitely invested in the characters from the beginning and knowing that something was going to happen to at least one of them definitely added to the tension.
When things started to go down hill for me is when the end reveal started to happen. The book definitely took a turn that I wasn't expecting and didn't necessarily like. With the synopsis mentioning a murder, I definitely was expecting something totally different than what actually happened. It really felt a bit unrealistic, especially with the big reveals at the end. Drugs and drug usage played a large role in this book and I wasn't expecting that, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the synopsis so if that isn't your thing I would maybe skip this one.
When things started to go down hill for me is when the end reveal started to happen. The book definitely took a turn that I wasn't expecting and didn't necessarily like. With the synopsis mentioning a murder, I definitely was expecting something totally different than what actually happened. It really felt a bit unrealistic, especially with the big reveals at the end. Drugs and drug usage played a large role in this book and I wasn't expecting that, as it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the synopsis so if that isn't your thing I would maybe skip this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
eemillers15's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mysterious and creepy atmosphere? Always a win for a thriller!
Friends Liz, Helena, Maggie, and Joni take a yearly vacation together. This year, Liz picks hiking in the secluded mountains of Norway. While on the trip, we learn more history about the 4 friends and how their friendship may be built on more lies and secrets than what any of them believed. Simultaneously, the mysterious mountains have hidden a disappearance of a local and the secrets surrounding her disappearance will have everyone guessing.
I always love a good atmospheric thriller.
This could have probably been 100 pages shorter and there were definitely unnecessary chapters, which caused pacing issues and lulls in the story.
I definitely didn't see many of the twists coming and the story kept me guessing! Overall, definitely a solid thriller!
Thank you to #Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam and G.P. Putnam Sons for an eArc of this story! All opinions are my own!
Friends Liz, Helena, Maggie, and Joni take a yearly vacation together. This year, Liz picks hiking in the secluded mountains of Norway. While on the trip, we learn more history about the 4 friends and how their friendship may be built on more lies and secrets than what any of them believed. Simultaneously, the mysterious mountains have hidden a disappearance of a local and the secrets surrounding her disappearance will have everyone guessing.
I always love a good atmospheric thriller.
This could have probably been 100 pages shorter and there were definitely unnecessary chapters, which caused pacing issues and lulls in the story.
I definitely didn't see many of the twists coming and the story kept me guessing! Overall, definitely a solid thriller!
Thank you to #Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam and G.P. Putnam Sons for an eArc of this story! All opinions are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Murder
itsalina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Gun violence
awebofstories's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Grade: B
Four British women head North to backpack in Norway as a girls’ getaway. We have Liz, the leader and most put-together of the group. Maggie is a struggling single mother with a heart of gold. Helena has a carefree lifestyle of career and fun. And the fourth, Jodi, is a world-famous rock star. However, these women bring more than just their gear to this trip, where they battle the elements and each other.
It was the Norway aspect that drew me to this book. Norway is a dramatic, breathtaking country, and Clarke brought the landscape to life. Clarke states in a note at the end of the book that the location of this novel is fictional, but it seemed completely realistic to me. I also really enjoyed the fact that the climate and environment are a force in the story. While they aren’t the main antagonist, they are fascinating in the role. The weather and the environment take no sides and have no bias or ulterior motive; it just "is," and there is nothing anyone can do to control it. I feel as if the bulk of the tension in this book came from the natural world.
The pacing of this novel works well. I never felt that the forward motion of the narrative stopped, although there were a few places where I noticed that it had slowed for a chapter or two. As with any thriller, there are some twisty moments, and the ones here did not disappoint. The twists were not overly creative, but they were unexpected and made sense in the grand scheme of the plot.
I found the characters of this novel to be the weakest link. It isn’t that they were badly written or unrealistic, but more in what they brought to the story. All four women are at a point of some crisis in their lives. While these moments come to everyone, it was just too coincidental that all four women were going through some trial at the exact time of this girls’ getaway. I would have liked to see one of the characters be, well, okay in life to provide some balance. There were also moments where the women just made incredibly stupid decisions, and I did feel that the plot relied on these moments a bit too much.
This book is written from multiple viewpoints. This is a popular technique in modern novels, but I don’t feel it works especially well here. For one thing, there is no tonal difference between the narrators. There were times when I would forget who I was supposed to be focusing on. All the viewpoints were written in the 3rd person. I feel it would have been more effective to write in 1st person with voices different enough to differentiate one from another or skip the entire format of multiple viewpoints and tell the story in the 3rd person omniscient viewpoint.
While this book had some flaws, I can’t deny it was fun. While it falls firmly in the “popcorn thriller” category, it is the kind of delicious popcorn that will keep you taking handful after handful.
Four British women head North to backpack in Norway as a girls’ getaway. We have Liz, the leader and most put-together of the group. Maggie is a struggling single mother with a heart of gold. Helena has a carefree lifestyle of career and fun. And the fourth, Jodi, is a world-famous rock star. However, these women bring more than just their gear to this trip, where they battle the elements and each other.
It was the Norway aspect that drew me to this book. Norway is a dramatic, breathtaking country, and Clarke brought the landscape to life. Clarke states in a note at the end of the book that the location of this novel is fictional, but it seemed completely realistic to me. I also really enjoyed the fact that the climate and environment are a force in the story. While they aren’t the main antagonist, they are fascinating in the role. The weather and the environment take no sides and have no bias or ulterior motive; it just "is," and there is nothing anyone can do to control it. I feel as if the bulk of the tension in this book came from the natural world.
The pacing of this novel works well. I never felt that the forward motion of the narrative stopped, although there were a few places where I noticed that it had slowed for a chapter or two. As with any thriller, there are some twisty moments, and the ones here did not disappoint. The twists were not overly creative, but they were unexpected and made sense in the grand scheme of the plot.
I found the characters of this novel to be the weakest link. It isn’t that they were badly written or unrealistic, but more in what they brought to the story. All four women are at a point of some crisis in their lives. While these moments come to everyone, it was just too coincidental that all four women were going through some trial at the exact time of this girls’ getaway. I would have liked to see one of the characters be, well, okay in life to provide some balance. There were also moments where the women just made incredibly stupid decisions, and I did feel that the plot relied on these moments a bit too much.
This book is written from multiple viewpoints. This is a popular technique in modern novels, but I don’t feel it works especially well here. For one thing, there is no tonal difference between the narrators. There were times when I would forget who I was supposed to be focusing on. All the viewpoints were written in the 3rd person. I feel it would have been more effective to write in 1st person with voices different enough to differentiate one from another or skip the entire format of multiple viewpoints and tell the story in the 3rd person omniscient viewpoint.
While this book had some flaws, I can’t deny it was fun. While it falls firmly in the “popcorn thriller” category, it is the kind of delicious popcorn that will keep you taking handful after handful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
amburrella's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
This book was an incredible read! I have never really delved into the mystery and thrillers genre until recently and it isn't because I dislike it, I've just never been exposed to it. I could not put this book down. Every chance I got to read this book I would, and there were multiple times this week I would fall asleep trying to finish just one more chapter.
The cast of characters are all flawed and diving into their own personal issues on this trip, and being forced to deal with the eventual unraveling of how all their problems are connected. The side characters are interesting, leaving the hairs on the back of your neck standing with what their motives could be. The plot twists are well placed, the pacing of this book goes so well with the tensions rising as the characters climb the summit. The ending is bittersweet; the revelations to their problems being realistic in that they can't be solved overnight. Life issues take time to work out and mend. I truly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend for those looking for an intro into the mysteries and thrillers genre such as myself.
This book was an incredible read! I have never really delved into the mystery and thrillers genre until recently and it isn't because I dislike it, I've just never been exposed to it. I could not put this book down. Every chance I got to read this book I would, and there were multiple times this week I would fall asleep trying to finish just one more chapter.
The cast of characters are all flawed and diving into their own personal issues on this trip, and being forced to deal with the eventual unraveling of how all their problems are connected. The side characters are interesting, leaving the hairs on the back of your neck standing with what their motives could be. The plot twists are well placed, the pacing of this book goes so well with the tensions rising as the characters climb the summit. The ending is bittersweet; the revelations to their problems being realistic in that they can't be solved overnight. Life issues take time to work out and mend. I truly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend for those looking for an intro into the mysteries and thrillers genre such as myself.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse and Murder
missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition
3.5
A solid 3.5. It didn’t become a page-turner that I expect from most mysteries/thrillers until the 75% mark.
At times, the writing style made it hard to distinguish between any of the women except for Joni, especially in the beginning. I also noticed the frequent use of very specific words such as “sluice” which took me out of the story a bit.
It took me awhile to piece together the different storylines, but I thought it was clever and done well. A bit too much exposition in the beginning, but once you get past that the storyline does pick up. I did empathize with Joni, but I was still annoyed at her most of the time. I was not expecting the ending and my jaw dropped.
I would recommend this book to mystery fans and especially to those looking to get into the genre.
At times, the writing style made it hard to distinguish between any of the women except for Joni, especially in the beginning. I also noticed the frequent use of very specific words such as “sluice” which took me out of the story a bit.
It took me awhile to piece together the different storylines, but I thought it was clever and done well. A bit too much exposition in the beginning, but once you get past that the storyline does pick up. I did empathize with Joni, but I was still annoyed at her most of the time. I was not expecting the ending and my jaw dropped.
I would recommend this book to mystery fans and especially to those looking to get into the genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Violence
Minor: Grief and Pregnancy
eperetz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.75
This book was incredible, I highly recommend it. It was tense and intriguing enough without actually setting me on edge or making me jumpy like some other thriller/murder mysteries. I found the characters to be fascinating and multifaceted in a way that gave them a lot of life and invested me further into the plot. Great book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Grief and Pregnancy