Ski Weekend made several "must reads" lists so I was excited to read this YA thriller. This was ultimately a DNF unfortunately. The story was just way too predictable and a bit stale. The characters weren't anyone a reader would care about and there wasn't much action for a story like this. It read a bit "immature" to me even for a YA novel.

Saw lots of positive feedback here but unfortunately wasn’t my cup of tea. Felt a bit teeny-boppy and “done”.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

6 teenagers and a dog (Champion) on the way to a Senior ski trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains decide to take a little known shortcut on a snowy night. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty. Samantha (the loner), Stuart (the little brother), Lily (the nerd) Gavin (the bad boy), Hunter (the jock) & Brittany (the cheerleader) end up stranded in a snowbank with no cell service.

No one knows they took a shortcut. Will they be rescued or will they have to rescue themselves? During the next few days (as the snacks dwindle, the temperature drops, the storms roll in and they run out of gas) life-changing decisions are made and secrets are revealed as they struggle to survive.

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to share it with my students.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC. I am not typically a YA reader but the description of this book had me hooked. 6 teens and a dog, stranded on a snowy mountain in a broken car with nobody around for miles. This book had many twists and turns and figuring out who would survive this horrible situation. The only downside was the characters were very surface level, stereotypical types. The nerd. The jock. Etc. All in all, a quick fun read.

I ended up having to dnf this book at about the 45% mark. I personally had a difficult time enjoying this one because of the characters and how their personalities were depicted. I was surprised this was a 2021 release because it felt more like a book from the early 2010’s and how female characters would bring down other female characters and male characters being misogynistic was the norm. Overall I was interested in the concept of this one but the experience with it left a lot to be desired.

Sam isn't looking forward to her senior year ski trip. She's mainly going to keep an eye on her brother, Sam, and his best friend, Gavin, who are known for getting into her trouble. The three of them, along with a few others and a dog, never even make it to the ski resort because they are in an accident that sets off a catalyst for the entire weekend.

Lots or twist and turns!

Ski Weekend is a gripping, nail biter story of six teens and a dog that head off for what was supposed to be a fun ski weekend. Instead, it turns into a journey of survival.

Six teens, one dog, a ski trip gone wrong . . .
Sam is dreading senior ski weekend and having to watch after her brother and his best friend, Gavin, to make sure they don’t do anything stupid. Again. Gavin may be gorgeous, but he and Sam have never gotten along. Now they’re crammed into an SUV with three other classmates and Gavin’s dog, heading on a road trip that can’t go by fast enough.
Then their SUV crashes into a snowbank, and Sam and her friends find themselves stranded in the mountains with cell phone coverage long gone and temperatures dropping. When the group gets sick of waiting for rescue, they venture outside to find help—only to have a wilderness accident leave Sam’s brother with a smashed leg and, soon, a raging fever. While the hours turn to days, Sam’s brother gets sicker and sicker, and their food and supplies dwindle until there isn’t enough for everyone. As the winter elements begin to claim members of the group one by one, Sam vows to keep her brother alive.
No matter what.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

The synopsis had me all excited. It seemed it would be a great read with people from so many diverse backgrounds stuck and trying to survive.

I enjoyed some parts like the ending, in the middle when they have honest conversations, the scenes where they actually go out and try to survive, and the build-up to what would happen or who would actually survive.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC. Being a skier, I enjoyed the book. I’m not generally a fan of YA books, but this was sweet. At least the ending was. They endured so many challenges in the mountains.

This is the author’s DEBUT NOVEL (very happy for you atty.!) and wow! just wow! I usually don’t read young adult novels but this one really got all my attention. The characters were written well. They aren’t written as whiny i-hate-the-world kind of teens. I love how the characters are so diverse!
The story was easy to follow and was weaved nicely.
I also listen to the audio book and the narrator did an amazing job in telling the story. She really belted out some emotions here and there!

This YA survival thriller had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. I can see why it has won so many awards. Fair warning if you read it before a ski trip- you might want to wait until you get back!

Six teens and a dog go on a ski weekend but how many of them will return? When Sam, her brother and 4 friends go on a ski weekend, the last thing they expect is to crash in a snowbank with little food and no cell phone reception. What would you do to survive?

Thank you SparkPress and Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks for my copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I listened to this book and it made it that much more scary to read!

The wilderness has transformed from a non-sentient place into something terrifying-a stalking predator that lives and breathes and kills.

Six teens and a dog head out to the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a senior school ski trip! Instead of riding with their peers in the school transportation they take their own SVU because one of the participants isn’t a senior.To make matters worse they have the newest driver behind the wheel.What could go wrong? The snowstorm becomes so bad that the road has been shut down and authorities are making people turn around.. The group isn't ready to give up on their weekend of fun and decide to take a detour. That’s when their troubles begin.
The cast:
Sam is a senior and her brother Stuart is a sophomore. She has always seen herself as Stuart's protector since his diagnosis of scoliosis which has caused him to have multiple back surgeries. Although her concern is touching she can be overbearing. Sam is also an animal lover and volunteers at the shelter and assists with medical procedures. This medical training is useful during this trip.
Gavin is Stuart’s best friend and all around jock. His role in Stuart’s life is to help him live it to the fullest despite his disabilities. He spends a lot of time at their house because things with his own family are tense. Gavin and Sam have unresolved feelings for each other.

Hunter- is a jock but also an African American cowboy! He is the one you want you want with you when stranded because he is an Eagle Scout!

Brittney- is the cheerleader princess that has an eating disorder and appears to be only into her looks and social status.. Her current obsession is Gavin. The group learns there’s more to her than just beauty and popularity.

Lilly is the brain of the group and best friend to Sam and girlfriend to Stuart. She’s never far from her textbooks!

Find out what happens when these six teens get stranded in a snowstorm together. Will their bonds grow closer or will they turn on one another in the name of survival.

This was a great YA novel ! It felt more like a survival than a thriller to me. The characters were authentic and I reallyI enjoyed the banter between them and their moments of tenderness.

Three reasons you should read Ski Weekend
You are a fan of the Breakfast Club trope ( princess, nerd, misunderstood loser, jock, and bad boy)
You are an animal lover
You enjoy a good Love Triangle

Ski Weekend - Rektok Ross

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and SparkPress and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Six teens, one dog, a ski trip gone wrong . . .

Sam is dreading senior ski weekend and having to watch after her brother and his best friend, Gavin, to make sure they don’t do anything stupid. Again. Gavin may be gorgeous, but he and Sam have never gotten along. Now they’re crammed into an SUV with three other classmates and Gavin’s dog, heading on a road trip that can’t go by fast enough.

The tagline of this book really jumped out at me but unfortunately I felt like the book didn't live up to my expectations. The plot was an interesting idea but it just didn't really speak to me. Even though this book wasn't for me I could see this being enjoyable for other readers - just maybe not fans of thrillers.

Rating: 3/5

2.5/5 ⭐️

I didn’t love this one but I liked the moments of reflection/revelation while facing a hard decision. It’s obvious we all have a flight or fight response when facing such decisions.

The plot kept the story moving at a fairly quick pace. This reader kept reading to see if they would get out alive and if her brother would make it back home. The ending was realistic and kept with the theme of survival no matter what. However, some of the conversations seemed a little out of place and forced while being kept in the van fighting for their lives.The characters were diverse and you could see that there was history behind the relationships but these were not very well fleshed out where it made you feel empathy for the characters, except for perhaps Sam’s desire to protect her little brother. If you want a book to read that is about survival and comparisons to the Donner family this is the book for you. If you like books with character development and some depth, unless you can overlook that I would skip the Ski Weekend.

I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publisher, Spark Press, in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one! The ski trip turned horror story kept me hooked, and the complexities of the characters kept me involved. Even though this isn't something I'd usually read, it ended up being something I really enjoyed.

Before I start the legitimate part of this review, I've gotta address Champion. He was the best!! Absolutely adorable, a spot of light in the darkness of this book. He was such an adorable puppy, and I was hoping he survived the entire time.

That aside, I really liked the characters. They weren't perfect, no, they were barely likeable. But this was a beautiful part of the book. It was realistic. They weren't the perfect people, they were the people we'd all turn into when stuck in a horror situation. They were compelling, and it made this so much more interesting.

Finally, I really liked the setting! It kept me on my toes the entire time, there was so much that could happen. I did find the ending to be slightly unrealistic and a bit too happy, but I did respect the authors willingness to kill characters off.

Although thrillers aren't my thing, I really liked this one! It was the perfect mix of suspense and drama, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for future books from the author.

Thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing a free copy!

Ski Weekend is an intense experience - the story moves quickly and in an unpredictable manner. The characters are well developed, which only intensifies the suspense throughout the book. A great escape - especially as the temperatures drop.

Ski Weekend is a survivalist YA thriller that will keep your pulse racing and pull on your heart strings. A homecoming queen 👑 , two jocks 🏈, an overachiever 🤓, a loner and his sister, and a rescue dog 🐕 named Champion all travel together through the Sierra Nevada Mountains for their senior year ski trip. What was supposed to be a fun weekend winter ❄️ getaway quickly becomes a cold and deadly nightmare. This group of friends have to shake off their high school labels, face their new reality, and do the unthinkable in order to have a chance of survival.

This book is fast paced but realistic and each character has a very well developed back story that ultimately showcases their strengths and weaknesses and how they fit into this survivalist narrative. I enjoyed subtle moments of honesty that they shared, especially when being vulnerable when discussing race, religion, and eating disorders. The isolation and fear they experienced leapt off the page, and I was rooting for each one to make it. The ending was well written and while it may not have been a happy ending for all, it did provide closure.

Thank you NetGalley and SparkPress for the ARC!

This was a good book. It reminded me of the movie that got put out on MTV with a similar premise. There was a great round up of characters. Problems to be solved, and thrill, especially considering it mostly happens in the same place. This was a good book!