Riley Vasquez is haunted by the brutal murder of the couple she was babysitting for.

Max Cross is suffering under the shadow of a life-altering diagnosis he doesn’t dare reveal.

The last thing either of them wants is to spend a weekend away at a therapy camp alongside five other teens with “issues.” But that’s exactly where they are when three masked men burst in to take the group hostage.

The building has no windows. The exits are sealed shut. Their phones are gone. And their captors are on a killing spree.

Riley and Max know that if they can’t get out, they’ll be next—but they’re about to discover that even escape doesn’t equal freedom.

The Good Things

• Suspenseful YA thriller by one of my favourite authors.
• First two thirds is a really intense hostage situation gone wrong. It had me on the edge of my seat! I couldn’t believe how much good plot and character development was squeezed into such a short amount of time.
• Last part is an investigation. Slower paced, but still shocking with the twists and turns. I was constantly second guessing my theories.
• Main characters both have mental health issues (one of which I don’t see written about often in books but can’t name because spoilers). Dealing with stigma of their diagnosis is a decent part of the story.
• The fact that the kids were dealing with some serious mental health issues really added to the suspense.
• Super short, straightforward and quick read, but well balanced. Incredibly suspenseful. Everything is wrapped up well.

The Not-So-Good Things

• I don’t have any real complaints. It was really good.
• I would have enjoyed seeing more of Sloane. She was such a sassy sister and exchanging entertaining quips with Max.

As expected, Kelley Armstrong has delivered a fantastic thriller. It was so suspenseful and well written! I couldn’t believe how much was packed into these pages. I loved it a lot.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

TW: Hostage situations, kidnapping, murder, PTSD, anxiety, depression, death of a parent (in the past) View Spoiler » schizophrenia « Hide Spoiler

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Bec

Bec is an Aussie blogger and reader who loves all types of novels. Fantasy, sci fi, and historical are my usual go-to genres. If I’m not binge reading, I’m usually gaming, trying to take decent photos for bookstagram, or freaking out about silly things.

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