Five Total Strangers

Natalie D. Richards delivers a tense, fast-paced YA thriller in Five Total Strangers that takes the concept of "stranger danger" to a whole new level. The story follows Mira, a high school senior trying to get home for the holidays during a brutal snowstorm. Her original flight is canceled, and she reluctantly accepts a ride from Harper—someone she barely knows—and Harper's three other passengers, all complete strangers. What begins as a desperate ride home turns into a nightmare. The roads are dangerous, their belongings start mysteriously disappearing, and Mira realizes that one of the passengers might not be who they say they are—or worse, they may be targeting her. Richards masterfully creates a claustrophobic atmosphere where trust erodes mile by mile. While some character development felt a little rushed and the twist wasn’t entirely unpredictable, the book shines in building suspense and paranoia. The icy, remote setting was the perfect backdrop for a psychological unraveling. Recommended for fans of snowy thrillers, unreliable narrators, and stories that keep you second-guessing every character’s intentions. 🚗❄️

Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards had an intriguing premise and a few gripping moments, but overall, it fell short of expectations. The idea of being trapped in a snowstorm with strangers had potential for a tense, suspenseful thriller, but the execution didn’t quite deliver. While some scenes were genuinely intense and kept me turning pages, the pacing felt uneven, and the characters lacked depth. It was hard to connect with them or fully buy into their decisions. The mystery aspect was predictable, and the twists weren’t as shocking as they were likely intended to be. The writing was solid but didn’t elevate the story beyond a standard YA thriller. If you enjoy fast-paced, easy-to-read thrillers and don’t mind some cliché moments, this might be an okay pick. However, if you’re looking for a deeply immersive or truly surprising story, you might be left wanting more.

Wow great book it kept me on my feet would recommend it

You know the feeling, somones there, near you watching you. You turn all around but there is no one around but you can feel it rising up the back of your spine like an icy chill. By the time it reaches your neck and the hairs are standing up all of your body it might just be too late. Mira is a kid desperate to reach her grief stricken mother in Pittsburgh. Flying in a snowstorm to be with her mom knowing that she needs to be there she encounters a record breaking winter storm. Flights delayed, multiple car pileups, and snow that could send a polar bear running for his den. She doesn’t know anyone or how she can get to her mom but knows she has to no matter what. Taking a chance with a fellow friendly passenger from her flight a group forms and they decide to take on the storm. Unfortunately it is not long into this trip that Mira starts to get that spine-tingling, hair raising suspicion that not all of these passengers are on this trip for the right reasons. This was an edge of my seat thriller with many twists and turns throughout. I enjoyed the descriptions of the feeling of dread you can get when strong snow storms hit. Living in the Midwest we know to hunker down when it gets to be that time of year but I also know that feeling of no matter where I am i need to get home. I enjoyed the relationships that formed and reformed and how the author was able to keep me guessing. I do feel that there were some story lines that maybe weren’t as put together as they should be but for a quick read this was a winner. I love blizzard stories and love the snow. That being said being stuck in a snowstorm in a car in the middle of nowhere is terrifying to me. This was a great quick read and I will definitely be reading more of her future works.

Right off the bat, the inconsistencies were making me nuts. The back of the book mentions Philadelphia airport. Then they seem to land in Newark, NJ. But when they do, the main character describes the crowded airport as having half the population of Pennsylvania. (Did PA drive on over to NJ for no reason?). But it’s later confirmed that the car was rented in Newark airport. Which state did we start in?? Also the mom…in the beginning of the book she’s a post-op nurse. Then later is described as an ER nurse. Well which is it? The snow seemed inconsistent also. It would sound like snowmageddon, then be described by a character as “a few flakes”. Speaking of characters, none of them were fully developed. they all had little to no backstory. And none of their stories were ever explained or wrapped up. Not even the main character or the main villain. Why did the villain do it? And moreover, HOW did they do it? This was all planned, presumably. But how did this person predict a blizzard and secure strangers on the fly to drive them across the state? And the dude with the yellow hat. Never explained. Never wrapped up. Also they did A LOT of standing around outside in a blizzard. Seemed they did that more than they actually drove. And just because I’m a native Pennsylvanian, the little things were really bothering me. The route they took was ridiculous. Don’t even know why the poconos were mentioned, as they shouldn’t have been anywhere near there. The brochures at the rest stop wouldn’t be only summer themed…skiing is a huge winter tourism activity. And we don’t generally have so many ditches lining the roads as this author would have you think. I know she’s from Ohio, but it almost felt like she had only ever read about PA on the internet.

Livro excelente, vc engole as páginas…

友人に勧められて読んだが、状況にリアリスティックがなく共感できなかったことから、残念ながら２☆です。

It was an ok read, nothing gripping or exciting. Could have been a lot better with a few more twists and turns.

Another book where we sunk into the storyline like a familiar comfortable armchair. As thriller fans this book choice was THE perfect fit for us. What’s not to love …. It’s Christmas Eve ( we love Christmas ) It’s snowing VERY heavily They are stranded There is danger ⛔️… Packed full of red herrings this twisted thrilling ride through the mountains will keep you in suspense, the mood is ominous and increasingly so as you turn the pages, you literally feel the tension and the danger mount. As the weather worsens and they aren’t covering any distance belonging begin to go missing and the sense of mistrust, suspicion and paranoia grows exponentially. Our main character Mira literally has no idea who to trust, and the fact the dialogue is interlaced with hand written letters from someone who is obsessed with her adds a whole extra level of mystery and intrigue . It’s main appeal is it’s got this fun vibe to it, which again reminds us of our early love for goosebumps and Point Horror from our teenage years , which makes us love this title all the more. It feels like coming home and it’s like waving goodbye to a friend when you turn the last page… But fear not… this talented author has a great back catalogue of titles that sound equally exciting and are now being added to our 2021 wish list …

This book had me and lost me so many times that I was kind of over it by the end, found it to be predictable and they threw in so many things meant to throw off your trail when it just felt like added things for no reason. Unfortunately my least favorite read of the year so far