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sarahlopod's review
4.0
This review can also be found on my blog.
This found its way onto my TBR after Rachel’s five-star review of it, and I’m thankful I let her guide my decision to read it instead of paying attention to the relatively poor rating it has on Goodreads. First and foremost, it’s important to remember that this is a YA thriller and to adjust expectations accordingly. I wasn’t going into this expecting a new and meaningful favorite; I went into this wanting to read something entertaining, which is what I got.
Tragedy is infinitely more interesting than bliss. That’s the allure of self-destruction. Or so I’ve found.
The reader knows from the outset that one of the main characters will die, but we have no way of knowing how, when, or why. The tension in the novel slowly builds as the narrator unfurls the story of what happened. There were points where I felt things were a bit absurd in how dramatic they got, but by the last 15-20% I was fully hooked on wanting to know what would happen and thought the eventual reveals were really well-done.
“But even if he were my boyfriend, it wouldn’t be my fault that he’s an asshole.”
“I didn’t say it would be.”
“But you were thinking it, weren’t you? Everyone always blames women for the things men do. It’s why men never learn.”
In addition to being a solid thriller, I felt like the underlying commentary here was quite interesting. Without getting into spoilers, I’ll just briefly say that I think this book does a great job of showing the harm toxic relationships can cause while also demonstrating how difficult they can be to leave. There are multiple instances of these, both familial and romantic, and range from outright abuse to dependency. The messages conveyed are important and while the setting has a level of drama that doesn’t quite rise to realism, it’s still easy to see how they can be translated to real life.
That was noble, wasn’t it? To think of others first? I’d always told myself that, but doubt chewed at the edges of my certainty. Maybe the truth was that I preferred death to guilt.
One of my only complaints is that some of the background characters felt interchangeable and unnecessary, but I think the larger cast was necessary for the plot to progress the way it did. For the most part, though, this was a really solid thriller. It fully captured me and ended up being a good read. I’d definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
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This found its way onto my TBR after Rachel’s five-star review of it, and I’m thankful I let her guide my decision to read it instead of paying attention to the relatively poor rating it has on Goodreads. First and foremost, it’s important to remember that this is a YA thriller and to adjust expectations accordingly. I wasn’t going into this expecting a new and meaningful favorite; I went into this wanting to read something entertaining, which is what I got.
Tragedy is infinitely more interesting than bliss. That’s the allure of self-destruction. Or so I’ve found.
The reader knows from the outset that one of the main characters will die, but we have no way of knowing how, when, or why. The tension in the novel slowly builds as the narrator unfurls the story of what happened. There were points where I felt things were a bit absurd in how dramatic they got, but by the last 15-20% I was fully hooked on wanting to know what would happen and thought the eventual reveals were really well-done.
“But even if he were my boyfriend, it wouldn’t be my fault that he’s an asshole.”
“I didn’t say it would be.”
“But you were thinking it, weren’t you? Everyone always blames women for the things men do. It’s why men never learn.”
In addition to being a solid thriller, I felt like the underlying commentary here was quite interesting. Without getting into spoilers, I’ll just briefly say that I think this book does a great job of showing the harm toxic relationships can cause while also demonstrating how difficult they can be to leave. There are multiple instances of these, both familial and romantic, and range from outright abuse to dependency. The messages conveyed are important and while the setting has a level of drama that doesn’t quite rise to realism, it’s still easy to see how they can be translated to real life.
That was noble, wasn’t it? To think of others first? I’d always told myself that, but doubt chewed at the edges of my certainty. Maybe the truth was that I preferred death to guilt.
One of my only complaints is that some of the background characters felt interchangeable and unnecessary, but I think the larger cast was necessary for the plot to progress the way it did. For the most part, though, this was a really solid thriller. It fully captured me and ended up being a good read. I’d definitely recommend it to those who enjoy the genre.
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missemilyv19's review against another edition
3.0
I loved everything about this book.... in theory. I loved the wilderness setting, I loved the unreliable narrator, I loved that it was basically written as a confession letter. I loved it all. And then I read the book.
I will admit, there was something unputdownable about this book. I did fly through it very quickly. The short chapters and easy writing really helped with that.
Having a teenage boy write a letter as to why he killed his girlfriend sounded so interesting. And there's so many things leading you into it that make you that "oh that's why!" But then it all turns out so dull and boring and it makes no damn sense.
A lot of the details that we're told don't add up to anything. The other people in the woods really don't matter, the others deaths don't add up at all. The random dude walking off into the snowstorm is literally forgotten about. It's just all nonsensical. A story for the sake of a story. Which I guess lines up with the narrator.
Overall, this is more like 2 stars but I rounded it up because I was able to read it so quickly.
I will admit, there was something unputdownable about this book. I did fly through it very quickly. The short chapters and easy writing really helped with that.
Having a teenage boy write a letter as to why he killed his girlfriend sounded so interesting. And there's so many things leading you into it that make you that "oh that's why!" But then it all turns out so dull and boring and it makes no damn sense.
Spoiler
He thinks she cheated on him in Peru. She treats him like absolute shit. He legitimately cheats on her in the woods. He's told that she admitted that she knows she treats him like shit. He's also told that he was a literal PROJECT for her to "fix." And then in the end, it's a twisted mercy killing?A lot of the details that we're told don't add up to anything. The other people in the woods really don't matter, the others deaths don't add up at all. The random dude walking off into the snowstorm is literally forgotten about. It's just all nonsensical. A story for the sake of a story. Which I guess lines up with the narrator.
Overall, this is more like 2 stars but I rounded it up because I was able to read it so quickly.
purplejumping's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning was not as well written, but I fell in love with the book by the end. The haunting story will stick with me for a long time.
runningonwords415's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers at Penguin Group for providing an advanced reader's copy to this novel through NetGalley.
This novel is a booklover's dream! Mystery, sex, and good ole Mother Nature! It's hard to find a Young Adult suspense novel nowadays that is truly suspenseful, but Kuehn grips the reader from the first chapter, and the twists just keep coming. I appreciate the male perspective; there's something authentically honest about Ben's point of view that not every female narrator can pull off. As a lover of the outdoors, I really enjoyed the landscape descriptions riddled throughout the novel; the native Californian in me gobbled up the lush details of the camping trip scenery. At the heart of this novel, though, is a story about suffering - emotional, physical, mental - and the tough choices that one is presented with on their path to healing. There were some ends that were left untied, with one character in particular, but nothing that didn't distract from the overall plot. Recommended for teens 14+
This novel is a booklover's dream! Mystery, sex, and good ole Mother Nature! It's hard to find a Young Adult suspense novel nowadays that is truly suspenseful, but Kuehn grips the reader from the first chapter, and the twists just keep coming. I appreciate the male perspective; there's something authentically honest about Ben's point of view that not every female narrator can pull off. As a lover of the outdoors, I really enjoyed the landscape descriptions riddled throughout the novel; the native Californian in me gobbled up the lush details of the camping trip scenery. At the heart of this novel, though, is a story about suffering - emotional, physical, mental - and the tough choices that one is presented with on their path to healing. There were some ends that were left untied, with one character in particular, but nothing that didn't distract from the overall plot. Recommended for teens 14+
ashleyreadstoomuch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
awkward_bee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sandrareilly513's review against another edition
2.0
Ben struggles to find his own self-worth while saving his classmates from imminent danger during a school-sponsored hiking excursion in this YA adventure. Ben is a small-town kid who has never left his hometown thanks to a harrowing, desperate act as a child that has left his mother widowed, permanently injured, mentally unstable, and an alcoholic. He feels beholden to her to help make her life simpler in any way he can. Despite becoming codependent on his very self-reliant and confident girlfriend, Rose, Ben is ready for her to move on from him as he feels he will never be more than he already is now. This hiking trip is his chance to prove he has more to offer Rose, and the world, but when everything begins to go wrong it will be up to him to save their lives.
Thoughts: I hate to say this, but I was not a fan of this story. I feel it started as an interesting suspense/thriller and became an adventure/survival that wasn't quite as interesting. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge adventure/survival fan, but the characters also began to wear on my nerves and the lack of real communication and the continuous poor decision-making was frustrating for me. There is a demographic of my HS students that might find the fast pace and rule breaking interesting enough to hold their attention, but with the abundance of adult content (several descriptive sex scenes) and language, I would keep the appropriateness level at grades 12+.
Thoughts: I hate to say this, but I was not a fan of this story. I feel it started as an interesting suspense/thriller and became an adventure/survival that wasn't quite as interesting. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge adventure/survival fan, but the characters also began to wear on my nerves and the lack of real communication and the continuous poor decision-making was frustrating for me. There is a demographic of my HS students that might find the fast pace and rule breaking interesting enough to hold their attention, but with the abundance of adult content (several descriptive sex scenes) and language, I would keep the appropriateness level at grades 12+.
apare's review against another edition
This book has terrible characters and the way the narrator is talking is incredibly annoying. Not sure how I made it this far with such an egregious story but I have to end it here. Upset I wasted my time thinking I was going to read this, this is the first book I haven’t finished in a very long time. Sorry to all who chose to read my rant
taylorreadsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Digital ARC provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
Review to come.
Review to come.