Five Total Strangers was a pretty fun read. Mira is on her way home for Christmas and gets stuck in a snowstorm roiling Pennsylvania, and faced with having to spend Christmas Eve in an airport, she elects to join four other young people in a rented car in an effort to get home. That, of course, is a mistake although she couldn't have known that. Naturally things go wrong. And it appears that everyone in the car has a secret- and one of those people may have a connection to Mira that could prove deadly
This was a pretty fast read for me. It starts out pretty quickly- not a lot of padding here- and I liked that. Mira befriends Harper on her flight, and so when things get rough and Harper offers her a ride, she takes it. From there things go from bad to worse and soon Mira has no idea who she can trust. Harper vacillates between being super confident to unsure of things, and before long Mira is flustered. The storm and the icy roads play a huge role in the story as our itinerant travelers are soon forced to abandon the main highway for back roads, with predictable results.
I thought things got a little unrealistic at times, especially a particular subplot that seemed to be flirting with horror almost. I was not sure where that was going. Also, at a certain point wouldn't you just get out of the car and call the police? I mean, there are so many coincidences and odd happenings and then I'd be like, nope, I'm outta here. But it's a YA thriller of sorts and I was entertained, as well as curious as to who these other travelers actually are and what role they have to play in the main mystery.
So on balance I would recommend this if you want a fast and fun YA nailbiter. It's a nice read for a cool evening, particularly a snowy one, with a warm beverage to heat you up.
I agree that it was fun and fast. The logistics bugged me because the geography was WRONG wrong wrong and I know that is a silly thing to focus on, but like you said- call the police or get out of there, and they could have, but the author played a bit fast and loose with PA road maps, so. Definitely entertaining though!
ReplyDeleteThis definitely sounds like a great winter thriller, although the unrealistic bits might drive me a little crazy!
ReplyDeleteGood review. Nothing beats a warm drink, a comfy chair, and an entertaining book.
ReplyDeleteWhen you started describing it, it sounded like it could also be the start of a fun, funny, Christmas "Breakfast Club" kinda book lol. Glad it was fun and entertaining though!
ReplyDeleteYeah you're right, I would have wondering why she didn't call the police. I'm curious about the secrets now!
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of the take on locked-in-a-room, and I have enjoyed Richards previous books. Glad to hear it was entertaining.
ReplyDeletethat setting really just sounds like my type of book. But then you mentioned why not just call the police? lol. but I'm still quite intrigued.
ReplyDeleteHello! It looks like a very interesting book. I like when the characters are connected in some way but you are right, if it gets too unbelievable then it's ruined. If I can I will still give it a try :)
ReplyDeleteThis definitely sounds over the top, but in a fun way. I'm glad you enjoyed it, even if it wasn't perfect😁
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous...this is one I really want to read and it's still in that library limbo of "being processed". Hopefully they'll get it on the shelves soon! Great review. :)
ReplyDeleteI would have needed a solid reason why calling the police wasn't an option...that's why I rarely read teen thrillers. They seem to stretch believability too much. Well, at least you had fun with it! Did you guess the whodunnit?
ReplyDeleteYay, I'm so glad you reviewed this, as I trust in your tastes when it comes to snowy thriller/horror! I have an ARC of this to read and I actually think I'm more excited now after hearing about how over the top it gets...sometimes that's just what I'm in the mood for :)
ReplyDelete~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
Sounds like it could have done without that one subplot but otherwise seems like a fun thriller.
ReplyDeleteI've only read one book by this author, but I really liked it (One Was Lost). I own another that I hope to read someday soon, and I do want to check this out. Good to know you kind of have to suspend some disbelief, but it seems like a fun one for this time of year.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I love snow covers-it always catches my eye!
ReplyDeleteI’m drawn to any books with snowy settings!
ReplyDelete"I thought things got a little unrealistic at times, especially a particular subplot that seemed to be flirting with horror almost. I was not sure where that was going. Also, at a certain point wouldn't you just get out of the car and call the police? "
ReplyDeleteLOL -- Ok now I have to read it.