Enjoyable Read.

First thing first: this is a young adult novel. That’s not shade, but I didn’t go into it knowing that and it made the novel a little weird to get into. Not bad weird, just a little odd, like, oh right, these kids are younger than me. It starts out with three friends going on a camping trip only to discover their fourth partner isn't coming. They pick up a girl along the way and the four of them head out into Yosemite, unprepared for the time ahead.

It’s a fun study into our main characters as we see into the past relationship between Colin and Ceo. And then the fun really kicks in when the you know what hits the fan in the form of a blizzard, some poorly timed confessions, and an ax. It’s a solid read that’ll keep you turning the pages till the end just to know who makes it out alive. ( )

FROM AMAZON: It was supposed to be epic.
During a late-night poker game, tennis teammates Colin, Ceo, Grahame, and Rhody make a pact to go on a camping trip in Yosemite National Park. And poker vows can't be broken.
The first sign that they should ditch the plan is when Rhody backs out. The next is when Ceo replaces him with Ellie, a girl Grahame and Colin have never even heard of. And then there's the forest fire at their intended campsite. But instead of bailing, they decide to take the treacherous Snow Creek Falls Trail to the top of Yosemite Valley. From there, the bad decisions really pile up.
A freak storm is threatening snow, their Craigslist tent is a piece of junk, and Grahame is pretty sure there's a bear on the prowl. On top of that, the guys have some serious baggage (and that's not including the ridiculously heavy ax that Grahame insisted on packing) and Ellie can't figure out what their deal is.
And then one of them doesn't make it back to the tent.
Desperate to survive while piecing together what happened, the remaining hikers must decide who to trust in this riveting, witty, and truly unforgettable psychological thriller that reveals how one small mistake can have chilling consequences.

Tennis buddies plan a camping trip. One bails and a girl is invited to take his place. The girl is a stranger to them and almost bail herself. Due to forest fire that is controlled, the foursome take a different route and soon find themselves in trouble.

The premise sounded intriguing and I thought this would be a suspenseful novel with mysterious undertones, but all I got out of this was four teenagers bickering and mostly over this girl (and who is she anyway?) When a snow storms hits and a possible bear attack, they scramble, fight some more, get lost and so did I. Didn’t care for the kids, the situation or the climax. ( )

It was supposed to be epic. During a late-night poker game, tennis teammates Colin, Ceo, Grahame, and Rhody make a pact to go on a camping trip in Yosemite National Park. And poker vows can't be broken.
The first sign that they should ditch the plan is when Rhody backs out. The next is when Ceo replaces him with Ellie, a girl Grahame and Colin have never even heard of. And then there's the forest fire at their intended campsite.But instead of bailing, they decide to take the treacherous Snow Creek Falls Trail to the top of Yosemite Valley. From there, the bad decisions really pile up. A freak storm is threatening snow, their Craigslist tent is a piece of junk, and Grahame is pretty sure there's a bear on the prowl. On top of that, the guys have some serious baggage (and that's not including the ridiculously heavy ax that Grahame insisted on packing) and Ellie can't figure out what their deal is. And then one of them doesn't make it back to the tent.

Desperate to survive while piecing together what happened, the remaining hikers must decide who to trust in this riveting, witty, and truly unforgettable psychological thriller that reveals how one small mistake can have chilling consequences. ( )

I finished this last night, after the last third of the book really sped up and kept me awake until I was done!
I finally think I've come across a YA book that guys will actually like. It's set with mountain-climbing as the main activity and Yosemite as the backdrop; the author, Stephen Wallenfels, is big into the outdoors and mountain-climbing, and through the dialog and writing, it shows. The book is described as a thriller, although it's low on 'thrill' content, plus there's a complicated 'relationship scenario' going on in the story that directs a lot of the plot, and that took me by surprise. The book goes back and forth between what's going on for the different characters but centers mostly around one of them, and flashes back to some events between them at their private school. There were a few times that those lost me a bit and I wanted to stay in the present, but that's because I wanted to keep pushing up that mountain. I also wanted Wallenfels to push more at the suspense and thrill content because I think he could and should have. But maybe that's because I always want a bit more blood in the snow!
Instead of an ARC, I was generously sent a finished hardcover with that gloriously simple red and white cover design! I'm super grateful for that (BookishFirst) and am glad I got to have an early read of this YA novel. I'd love to hear if the boys pick this one up! You won't find me climbing Yosemite any time soon... ( )