This is a pretty messed up book! As you can tell, I am kind of in a thriller reading mood, so I knew that there had to be more going on than just 5 strangers riding in a car together, but as you learn more and more about the situation as the reader and Mira is still clueless, I got so anxious! And the reveal?! Intense!

Good on paper, but the execution failed to impress me. Here goes the trifecta of disappointment for me - firstly, the motive for "the bad person" feels like a lazy writing. When going this way (and I am really full of this motive), how about studying the subject more? Also - has the bad person a plan??? Secondly - getting the place in the car. There is a hole of the size of the truck in the logic of both choosing the characters (some very conveniently flawed people are there) and for them having the need/want for this ride - especially if the bad person is recognizable very soon (the third literary sin).

The saving grace is Mira's caring for her mom's feelings, as this rings somehow true.

Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards is a young adult thriller read. Being the second book by Natalie D. Richards I have come to enjoy her action based thrillers but do not find them without a few flaws each time.

In this book we meet eighteen year old, Mira, who has been living in California and wants to travel to spend the holidays with her mother in Pittsburgh on the east coast. Of course with Christmas holiday travel along the east coast you just may run into some delays with snow impacting the area and that is just what happens to Mira during her journey.

Stuck in New York due to a snowstorm in the area Mira wants to find another way to get to her mother knowing that this holiday is going to be a tough one for her mother. Mira finds that the girl she had met on the plane is in the same situation and Harper plans to drive the rest of the way with her friends, Brecken, Josh and Kayla. While these strangers seem to know each other Mira can’t help but be a little wary of going but she doesn’t seem to have any other options.

Five Total Strangers certainly is a parent’s nightmare, your teen to just hop into a car with people she doesn’t know with of course a snowstorm that “can’t be that bad”. As a reader it is obvious the storm would be that bad but I was still curious as to what else would go wrong for the young protagonist. In the end I did find that this one was one of those books that seemed a bit obvious to me leaving me to rate a little lower at three and half stars. However, loving an action packed escape I would read this author again in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I couldn't put this book down until I knew what happened. The story of 5 strangers in a car during a snowstorm had me feeling so claustrophobic. I was just as paranoid as Mira, constantly guessing which characters could or could not be trusted. After the reveal, I felt that the book wrapped up a little too quickly, but it is definitely a read that will keep teens at the edge of their seats.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of exciting twists and turns and I was eager to keep reading. It wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be for YA. It suspenseful and fun to see how it all played out and I really enjoyed this fast read.

This is a young adult story about five total strangers who decide to ride home together in a rental car when all flights are cancelled due to a snow storm during Christmas time. All of the young adults have important reasons for why they need to get home as soon as possible, and while they are navigating the slippery roads during blizzardy weather, hazardous and mysterious events begin taking place. This brings an uneasiness to the plot and all of the characters begin doubting and questioning one another.

This had a good plot with some interesting characters and a very stressful setting, but there were a lot of unnecessary things that took place throughout the story that just made it seem to drag on forever and become unbelievable. It was also very predictable to me as well. Sometimes, this is an annoyance for me; other times, it is a pleasure. However, in this instance, it was an annoyance. I predicted it pretty early on and wished the story would just get to the point.

I honestly don't understand the bad reviews on this one. I sat at the edge of my seat for the ENTIRE book. I usually read before bedtime, and let me tell you that it was a BAD idea with this one... I was so stressed I needed to cool down before going to sleep🤣

Even if I did predict who was responsible, I was stunned that I had it right. I really enjoyed this really eventful ride with these 5 total strangers.

Many thanks to SourcebooksFIRE for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, sourcebooks fire & Natalie Richards for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review. I was super pumped for this one. But I feel like it fell a little bit short at times and it had me saying are you serious more times then not. Mira flys home for Christmas a year after her aunts death, she hitches a ride with 4 other strangers from her flight after she cant fly home due to weather. a bunch of road bumps cause them to end up in the middle of nowhere without any working phones. the ending was a bit predictable but it was an overall quick read. 3.5 stars

Fantastic story about our main character Mira trying to get home for Christmas, until her flight is grounded due to a snowstorm. She accepts a ride from her seat mate on her prior flight, and her and four other people embark on a ride that no one will ever forget. Roads are a mess, car pileups. Someone in the car might be lying.... and no one knows each other. Great storyline. I loved it.

This book was terrifying! It was so suspenseful and chilling. Maybe a little too scary for me but I am a wimp. I found myself holding my breath in way too many spots.

A solid YA thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. A nice change from the traditional holiday-themed books out there. YA readers will definitely be drawn into this quick read from Richards. Highly enjoyed it!

This book was kind of a let down. I have been so excited to read this but what I was looking for just wasn’t there. It wasn’t as exciting and didn’t hook me like I wanted. I found some parts of this book to be boring and too drawn out and those outweighed the parts that were more thrilling.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I've really enjoyed Natalie D. Richards books before, so I was excited to read this one, and it was pretty intense, and I loved it! I loved Mira's story of just trying to get home for Christmas-but a serious of events making that less and less likely.

There was a bit of a dichotomy in this book, because there's the whole Christmas spirit where things are light and joyful. But then there's the, trying to get home in a very bad storm, and things keep getting worse, and it's intense in a bad way for the characters, but great for us readers!

We did get these letters that were written by some unknown character to Mira-but they were pretty creepy. We to got to see this "relationship" develop, from when they first meet, to right before this book starts, and it just added so much tension to the story!

Between the storm, the accident, the gas station incident, and someone stealing their stuff, tensions continually mount in the car. And it all builds up, and I loved how it ended! I mean, there were a limited number of suspects, and there had been a moment or two when I suspected him, but wow, I didn't expect that ending! It was fantastic!

Loved reading this book, I just really enjoy Natalie D. Richard's mysteries!

If you are looking for an action packed book to read during a snowy day, this is it! This story is extremely atmospheric and the suspense amps up from the first page to the surprising revelations. I found myself shaking my head at the poor decision making skills of the main character but loved going along for the ride. I also loved the "road trip on Christmas Eve during a blizzard" setting. Not a deep story but very entertaining.

I received this book from Netgalley for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book- it was just creepy, wintery, mysterious, and psychologically twisted enough without being too scary...I could not put it down! YA is usually hit or miss for me, but the author did a great job of making all of the characters relatable, honest, and thrilling. I was definitely on the edge of my seat, and loved the premise of Mira getting into a car with a bunch of strangers because she's desperate to get home. All of the strangers agree to ride together, for their own reasons, and things quickly escalate from there. It was definitely a crazy ride...until the very end!

4 out of 5 stars for Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards. A HUGE thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book...all opinions are completely my own!

This book was a nice mix of creepy and snowy - sounds odd I know, but I like that it was wintery themed and yet still fit that October creep vibe I was looking for. It’s not ‘in your face’ scary or gory at all, more psychological and a bit of a guessing game. I enjoyed it, especially toward the end where things really picked up.

I felt that, through most of it I wasn’t exactly scared so much as curious. It’s definitely more psychological in nature, and feeds off of fears any of us would have in the situation the main character finds herself in. Toward the end I pretty much knew what was going on, but I was still interested to see how it worked out.

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys more of a psychological thriller versus an all-out creepy/scary book.

Note: There is quite a bit of language and also drug use mentioned in this book.

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I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free. All opinions expressed on my own.

This book was nothing special, but I think that's because I have read too many YA thrillers for them to excite me anymore. However, it was enjoyable and very readable, plus there were a few great scenes!

This was a great who did it story! I honestly am not sure why the reviews are only a 3.5 on good read because this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole entire time. WHAT A RIDE! I was nauseous and scared all the way until the end!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards. All opinions are my own.

I was really excited about this book. I had previously read No Exit by Taylor Adams and this sounded like a YA version of said book. Not only was this a creepy read, but the ominous feeling of the characters driving in bad weather kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I genuinely didn't see the end coming and was thrilled about that. I highly recommend this for thriller loves, although it may seem too juvenile for most adult readers.

Hello!

I really think when I do my monthly wrap up , I am going to be hitting a personal record (which for the last month of the year) will be really cool! Recently, I noticed I had a bunch of borrows left on my Hoopla account, so I borrowed a bunch of graphic novels (including the last Giant Days, the one that is like a year later, but honestly I do not know if I am ready for that, like emotionally to say goodbye to these amazing characters) but I also borrowed some audio books. I knew I still had a bunch to do this month, in the way of work and getting ready for the holidays (wrapping gifts, mailing things, decorating, etc..) so audio books are perfect for all of that. One of the audio books I listened to (in nearly a day, I finished all but one hour of the book) was Five Total Strangers, I was addicted to this book, I needed to know what was going to happen next, I could not put it down.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Mira, is flying home for Christmas but during one leg of her flight the weather gets way to frightful outside and the plane experiences some turbulence. After they are safely on the ground and inside the airport, Mira learns that all the planes are grounded and she will not be making it home for Christmas. Mira, is worried but not in panic mode yet, as she is waiting in a line, the girl who was sitting near her on the plane offers to give her a ride home (even though it’s hours away), she tells Mira, she is going to rent a car and drive! Mira, declines at first but when she gets on the phone with her step-dad she learns that her mother and step-dad have separated and she knows she needs to be there for her mother. Mira, rushes to find this new ride home, and luckily catches the ride however, its not going to be just Mira and her plane friend. Its going to be five people, five people she has never met, but as long as she gets home things will be okay. But once the group gets out the road things are dicey, the snow is worse then they thought and there are accidents everywhere, its going to be a very long drive and Mira is not entirely sure everyone in her new travel group is here just to get home.

I was riveted by this book. At first I was honestly a little unsure but things picked up so quickly and we were in the thick of things before I knew it. Mira, was in the car, and the weather was crazy and the people seemed to have no idea of who the other was but they all agreed to get in the car with one another for different reasons (and it was wild). I honestly, never expected the twisty part of this story and I kept shouting out loud who I thought it was and I was always wrong (I got it right once but I immediately changed my answer because for some reason I was like noooo that is so not right). I absolutely enjoyed my time with this book! I know there is another thriller book about a long winter drive and now I really want to pick that one up as well (so if you know the title to that one please tell me, I have been unable to find it again since I read this book)! If you have Hoopla and are able to definitely give this a try, or just put it on your TBR cause it is a wild ride!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review