Publishing Date: December 11, 2018
Page Count: 384
Source: Netgalley
Format: Ebook
Description from Goodreads.com:
Twin brothers Ty and Cory Bic are on the run. When they encounter a dying deer in the middle of a remote mountain road with fresh tire tracks swerving down into a ravine, they know they have to help. But when they reach the wrecked car the vehicle appears empty, with signs that the driver escaped.
Until they hear a sound coming from the trunk.
Ty and Cory are escaping demons of their own. But what they discover in the trunk puts them in the crosshairs of something darker and more sinister than their wildest nightmares.
Told through a gripping, lightning-fast narrative that alternates between present and past, this unputdownable survival thriller unravels the tangled circumstances that led Ty and Cory to the deer in the road and set them on a perilous course through the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.
Review:
I originally requested this book from Netgalley. Well, actually let me back that up. I originally heard about this book on Netgalley and then I got an email one day saying I was approved for a copy that I have no recollection of requesting... I guess it was just fate. Since I am really bad about reading and reviewing the things I request on Netgalley (and have thus banned myself from using it unless I know it's a book I will absolutely read) I decided to hop on a book tour for it as an incentive to read this book. Unfortunately the book did not live up to the tour hop guidelines for posting promo reviews (4 stars or higher) so, I am flying solo!I do have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised by this book and I am glad that the Netgalley gods sent it to me. I usually don't pick up many books told from a male narrator/MC, because I usually have a hard time relating, but I found it pretty easy to relate to our MC, Corey. I think if it was told from Ty's POV I would have maybe enjoyed it a little more since he seemed to be the thrilling brother, but I don't think I would have related to him as much. Alternating POV maybe would have been nice, but since we are already alternating time lines that may have been a bit much.
I am giving this book a solid 3 stars, because it did a really good job of keeping my interests. I was also pretty happy that I wasn't able to guess what happens in the end. I was constantly guessing and then re-guessing when proven wrong and that doesn't happen very often for me.
Up top for the genre I put that it was a contemporary mystery, which others have tagged it that as well, but some also tagged it as being a thriller and that was very much not the case for me. Like I said I found it to be very interesting, but it didn't keep me at the edge of my seat. The parts of the book that occured "now" were much more thrilling than the ones told from the past, but there was definitely more content from the past so it felt more like a traditional contemporary.
Strangely enough I found this book to be not as dark as I was hoping and expecting. I feel like the author was playing it pretty safe and he really needed to just dive head first if he was going to bring up those topics. Yes, this is a YA, but I have read much darkers YA's and also unfortunately these are the things that they are obviously dealing with in real life. There is no need to sugar coat or be vague. I more understand the vagueness with Astrid since she isn't a main character, and Corey only knows about the trauma from what she has told him, but when it comes to Corey and Ty's past it really needed to be fleshed out more and get grittier.
Overall:
This book kept my interest and kept me reading until the end, but I did feel it was playing the topics brought up a little too safe. I did like that it had me guessing and that I didn't guess correctly (which rarely happens), and I also liked that I was able to relate to Corey so well. I usually have a harder time getting into books with male leads, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I was expecting a much darker book so that was a pretty big let down and is the main reason for it receiving 3 stars. I enjoyed it, but it definitely wasn't enough.
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 3/5
**The books cover, description, and info was all found on Goodreads. A link back has been provided. All other work and ideas are of my own creation. This book was sent to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
