Spoiler Free Review

Rating:

• Trigger warning(s): Gore, Animal Cruelty, Torture, Child Abuse

“The difference between a hero and a victim? The timing.”

Fast, flashy and thrilling, this book is set in Colorado and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and unable to stop reading.

Overview

Darby Elizabeth Thorne, a bleary-eyed art student, sets off in a snowy weather to see her mother before her surgery. Unsurprisingly, after a few hours of drive, her car – not at all suitable for driving anywhere in a snowmageddon – refuses to go any farther. But luckily for her, there is a rest area nearby. Or is it?

Trapped in a rest area with four strangers, all she can think of is her mother in Utah and the fight she had with her on Thanksgiving, but when she steps out to try to get a signal and sees a child’s hand coming out of a cage in a car, all other thoughts fly out of her head except that she must save the child. To do that, she has to find the kidnapper and detain him/her until the CDOTS and snowplows arrive. But she can’t do it alone. Between enlisting a stranger as an ally, hiding her cards from the kidnapper and finding weapons, Darby has her work cut out for her.

Review

This book is full of plot twists, but as far as mystery goes, there wasn’t too much in the book. The kidnapper is revealed early on in the book and most of the book is about survival. The main character makes some stupid choices (like forgetting her charger at the dorm) but in my opinion, they were as good as can be expected in the given circumstances. A lot of things happening in the book favor the villain, which was unrealistic. Also, despite the weather, there was too little mention of characters getting cold. Maybe it was just adrenaline, but it bothered me slightly.

Characters

I loved the characters, especially Jay. I loved how she stayed brave throughout and Darby’s knack for survival was commendable. Darby’s determination to save the child was more admirable than anything. I was upset with her for suspecting Lars since the beginning because he wasn’t good looking.

Would I Recommend it?

Overall, it wasn’t a favorite but definitely a good book. Would recommend.