Let me begin by saying this is not the worst book I have ever read, however, it is also far from the best. Luckily it was a short read so I didn't feel too badly for sticking through it rather than a DNF.

My biggest gripe seems to be the common understanding amongst the other reviewers as well: the main character is awful. I have read plenty of books whose main character is flawed; that in itself is expected, and also encouraged. Nobody is perfect. But man, Allie really didn't have a single redeeming quality, in my opinion. She does experience a character transformation, however, it ends up feeling extremely hollow by the end of the book.

I have an opinion about any book that attempts suspense. There has to be a back-and-forth/give-and-take rhythm to the action taking place. If bad fortune continues to befall the characters, over and over, without any reprieve, the suspense doesn't have as much effect and the tale becomes stale. There were some instances of luck or fortune, but they just didn't have a big impact in relieving stress.

The author's writing definitely needs work. It was quite stilted, and the inclusion of French language every other page did nothing for me. Some sentences did not make sense or seemed to use incorrect vocabulary.

I think the use of LoTR references was supposed to be cute and relatable as pop culture, but I ultimately found it annoying and cringed every time Grandfather spoke up.

My favorite character was Tychee and she was about the only aspect of the story worth reading about.

What pissed me off to no end is that the mystery driving the narrative was NOT ADDRESSED at the end of the book. I was so livid. I can't get more specific without revealing spoilers, but damn am I furious that the author didn't care to explain this.

Allie is a privileged eighteen year old girl, she has a privileged life as the daughter of a film director with endless possibilities within her grips from choice of colleges and an affluent life with her boyfriend.
Allie carries the burden of emotional scars from her mothers tragic death, alienating her family while growing up.
Allie begrudgingly agrees to go on holiday in a remote cabin in Canada. A turn of events leads Allie and her family stranded. Allie not only faces survival but also events that lead her to confront her tragic past and the sequence of events that follow. This is a story of survival, evolving wholly and facing the fears of not only of situations in front of you but also ones that lay beneath the surface.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a real page turner, that keeps you engaged throughout.

⭐⭐🤏🏻 Stars

This is a hard book to review...

<b>PROS</b>
-- Author has a very readable way of writing. 👍🏻
-- Well paced (@5 hours total read time). 👍🏻
-- Loved the setting. 👍🏻
-- Likable side characters. 👍🏻
-- Intriguing plot that kept me engaged throughout. 👍🏻

<b>CONS</b>
-- Allie...good god was this character completely unlikable. Entitled. Bitchy. Blamed everyone else for her actions. 👎🏻
-- It left me confused about what this book was trying to be? (see below) 🤷🏻‍♀️
-- The synopsis and the beginning of this book hint at a "supernatural" side to the plot. Yet, that is never developed.
-- SO many questions are never answered. 👎🏻
-- HUGE plot lines are left unresolved. 👎🏻
-- Is there going to be a second book?? 🤷🏻‍♀️
-- Don't even get me started on that ending. 🤬

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This is an interesting story about a girl who loses her mother in an accident. Years later, she's still angry and hasn't made the best of her years without her mom. When her father and family arrange a getaway to go hiking away from civilization, she's less than pleased.

Allie is not a terribly likeable character. She's selfish, self centered and spoiled. She's angry about her life, entitled and a little frustrating to read. I thought this adventure away from civilization would humble her but at the 200 page mark, I was still hearing about her $30,000 watch and her BMW and how people like her don't die the woods. Ugh.

But I did like the changes she made, how fierce and loyal she became. I love that she scrounged and popped protein even though it was not what she typically did and I liked how she connected with her family as they struggled. All in all, this was good but the MC was hard to like and kept me from loving it.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

DNF

The idea of this story was very appealing. And while I’ll admit I’m hard to impress, I struggled to find any redeeming qualities at all. I found the writing overwrought, as if the author had gone back through the original text with a thesaurus, and the characters juvenile and 2D.
I really wanted to try, but I just couldn’t bring myself to spend more time than I already had reading this. Shame, because it has a lot of potential.

I'm honestly not to sure how I feel about this book.... It's well written with decent characterization. It was also a quick read and held my attention.... My only issue is the last 1/3 of the book is a bit fantastical compared to the rest, it just seemed to veer off towards the end. I'm curious if there's a sequel in the future, because the author definitely sets it up like there may be. Anyone who's likes survival and a strong women character will most likely like this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I love survivalist type books. This one about a privilege teenager who learns a lot about her self while trying to survive is an excellent one. The main character is mesmerizing and the plot interesting.