That Weekend by Kara Thomas

The Quick Cut: A teen girl who wakes up alone and injured is left wondering what happened on the mountain the weekend of prom after her two friends are discovered as missing.

A Real Review: It is hard wired into every human being to survive. Whether we are face to face with a bear or just haven't eaten for a few hours - when push comes to shove, we will do what we have to in order to make it to the next sunrise. This isn't usually something we put a lot of thought into, but once danger enters our lives, we all wonder how far we would take that. For Claire, it's an active question after she wakes up hurt and can't stop asking what happened to her friends Kat and Jesse. Kat convinced Claire to still go to the grandmother's cabin after breaking things off with her ex boyfriend. Rather than being two couples at a cabin away for the weekend, Kat ended up a third wheel to the best friend couple Kat and Jesse. Then, Claire woke up cold and bloodied when a man and his dog found her on the trail. She can't remember anything that happened. She's taken to the hospital and questioned about what occurred, but no one can seem to find Claire's two friends. What happened on that mountain and what part did she play in Kat and Jesse's disappearance? I have a great appreciation for a good thriller. So often, they end with cliches and overused plot concepts that make me wonder why I spent the time reading in the first place. This particular story really captured my interest and made me just as curious as Claire to know what the heck happened. Amnesia might be a common trope, but the way it was used here was realistic and didn't infect every part of the plot. It was used in a smart way that explained why she didn't remember the details, but knew enough to go looking for them. The rest is a woven tale of details about what did happen that unfurl as the truth comes out. Claire is left wondering what she did to survive on that mountain when her two friends didn't. She questions if she did something bad or potentially caused their disappearances alone. I love the way her storyline ends as well. Right until the last page, she does what she has to in order to figure out her role in what happened. I can relate to the search for truth while also hoping you didn't cause any pain to those you care about. One of the best aspects of this story is the realism. So often in books, characters are written as perfect or with few flaws when the truth is that it's usually those who appear perfect who have the most issues. Everybody lies and sometimes the people you lie to the most are those who supposedly know you the best. Life is also complicated, so sometimes finding out what really happened in an unknown situation can take a lot of digging for understanding. Once you reach the end and find out the truth, many times it changes how you perceive others in your life as well. This book encapsulates all that in such a visceral way. An enjoyable thriller that makes you wonder about the truth until the end. My rating: 5 out of 5