This book had a slow start but really drew me until it was difficult to put down. It explores the importance to some people of money and popularity over family feelings and safety when in dangerous situations. The dynamics of the group when lost on the ski slopes was well portrayed and the relationship between Bram and his son was brought to a dramatic ending.

I was offered the chance to read this book as I’d read and enjoyed a previous book by the author and so accepted. If I’d read the synopsis first I’d have probably not read it as it doesn’t come across as the type of book that would appeal to me.

I am so glad I didn’t read that synopsis and went in blind. What an absolutely fantastic book this is. I really enjoyed it. The limited number of characters, the setting, a narcissist and the bravery of a young boy all come together to make this book an excellent read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book wasn’t my normal choice of reading but I loved every moment of it and hated having to stop reading to do anything else!
I know nothing about skiing, or mountains or the danger of avalanches but this book was so well written I felt like an expert whilst reading. It’s a thriller, an adventure story, a story of survival and at its heart a story of love. Highly recommended

Twelve-year-old Zach and his father, Bram, are on a father-son ski trip in the Colorado backcountry with some other men, taking advantage of an annual cabin reservation that Zach's mother, Grace, kept before she died. Grace has taught Zach about how to survive in the wilderness - how to make out the warning signs of avalanches, dig a snow shelter, or deal with a sudden encounter with a bear. She also taught him how to manage his abusive father's erratic, violent moods. But when disaster strikes, Zach is thrown back on his own resources like never before.

Warning Signs feels, in some ways, like the mirror image of Tracy Sierra's gripping debut, Nightwatching, which was told from the perspective of a mother trying to protect her two children. Here, we spend all our time in Zach's head and the on-screen cast is entirely male. Unlike Nightwatching, this takes some time to build pace. The first third of the novel is a deliberate slow-burn, but it's still unbearably tense to read because of the way Sierra depicts the relationship between Bram and Zach. She vividly captures Zach's sense of needing to think two steps ahead of his father, trying to avoid his anger and scorn. Then, when the plot kicks in, Warning Signs becomes unputdownable. I did have some reservations about the revelations in the final third of the novel, as I felt that a narrative that had been a restrained but brutal exploration of domestic abuse became too thriller-esque, undermining the novel's credibility. The way Zach's little sister, Bonnie, is used as a motivation for him to survive is also quite sentimental, as Bonnie never develops a personality of her own; I know Zach devalues his own life because of the abuse from Bram, but did we really need this narrative prop? Nevertheless, this is another impressive literary thriller from Sierra that showcases her knowledge of the backcountry, leading to a realistically terrifying mountain survival story. Can't wait to see what she writes next.

I really enjoyed this immersive story about a 12 year old boy trying to survive a skiing trip with his narcissistic father, a murderer and a monster!
Lovely to be able to read such a well written story not full of bad language as seems to be the norm these days.

Twelve-year-old Zach is forced into a ‘father and son’ skiing trip with a group of his father Bram’s would-be investors. Bram is a controlling and abusive man with a seemingly amicable exterior.

Having spent so much time escaping to the backcountry with his mum and sister, Zach is a skilled survivalist and skier, whilst his father and some of the other adults are clueless.

After an avalanche, the survivors eventually manage to get back to the cabin to wait for help. However, in their rescue efforts they have found an extra body. There is also a dangerous animal on the mountain leaving corpses stripped to the bone.

Bram is not the only danger on the mountain and Zach must face a battle of survival on multiple fronts if he’s to ever see his little sister again.

A brilliant thriller from Tracy Sierra.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, immersing the reader in a treacherous, snow-covered nightmare as 11 year old Zach is forced to field threats, both natural and unnatural, from all sides.

This was such an original premise for a novel and having loved Night Watching I was not disappointed with the follow up! The same tension and sense of peril is maintained with similar aplomb in Warning Signs and it was a true page turner.

Some of the characters did seem almost impossibly awful - one in particular! - but I’m sure people that ruthless and mercenary sadly do exist.

Zach is a wonderfully drawn character, albeit very precocious for his years, and I was fully invested in his journey. His fierce love for Bonnie shone through and was a welcome departure from the cruelty and narcissism of the other characters.

4.5 stars - I’m excited for the next offering by this author!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.