I was invested from the very start, but the author didn't manage to keep me interested throughout the book. It was thrilling enough for me to keep reading, but I didn't get that edge-of-the-seat feeling I was hoping for.

I enjoyed this book, and think my students will as well. There's a nice mix of mystery and thriller to keep students' attention.

Good read and it definitely kept me guessing through the entire book. I didn’t want to stop reading and finished it very quickly.

I've had this one on my TBR for so long and now I sadly don't have any interest in it. Given it a go but isn't piquing my interest sadly, my own fault I suppose for waiting so long!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Thrilling... heart-pulling, suspense and an all-around awesome read, that had me thinking about what I'd choose to do in the same scenario (if it ever happened)! Sometimes you don't really play out all the scenarios when your heart has needs to get to where it wants to be - like home ASAP for your mom who you think needs you.

It was a page-turner and well written story that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Please excuse my tardiness in posting my review. My TBR list is continuously growing and I keep finding so many amazing books being requested + added to my pile! I have so much gratitude for this copy that has been shared with me.

I don't tend to read a lot of YA, but this was really good! Five teenagers stranded after all flights are cancelled rent a car and are determined to get home in a snow storm. Little do they know all the wrong turn of events that will occur. It’s a fast read similar to No Exit. The ending leaves more questions than answers but still a great read!

A great little mystery with interesting characters, twists. Every character has secrets. Perfect to read around the holidays. Very suspenseful. I would recommend this book to my high school students.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Unfortunately, I could not get into the vibe with this book. I don't think this is the thriller for me. It was reading fast...(maybe too fast?) but still felt like nothing was happening to pull me in. I quickly put it down and just haven't been able to pick it back up to finish reading.

I loved this book. This was the perfect easy read that I could easily see making the big jump to the big screen.
It was the perfect amount of thrill and YA to keep me turning the pages way past my bed time.
I enjoyed the element of surprise in this book that kept me guessing.
Anything that could go wrong did go wrong.

Unfortunately this thriller was not very thrilling. I ended up DNF this book. I was not invested in the characters

One Sentence Summary: Five young adults unknown to each other, try to make it home for the holidays....but someone seems determined to stop them! (dun dun dunnnnnn)

Reminds Me Of: Stolen by Lucy Christopher meets Survive the Night by Riley Sager

Three Reasons You Should Read This:
1) This author does a fantastic job with scary/thriller/mystery books for teens!
2) This is a perfect book to read during a snowy day!
3) You will be suspicious of everyone and won't be able to put this down until you find out who is the culprit!

One Thing You Should Know Before You Pick This Up:
I must admit I did feel there were a few loose ends I wish were wrapped up a little more clearly. The last 20 pages or so are adrenaline filled and fast-pasted yet seemed to be in slow motion all at the same time, but when I got to the last page I did find myself wondering what happened to this or that person after the final event.

Content Warnings:
Addiction, Blood, Cancer, Car Accident, Death, Divorce, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Loss of Loved One, Stalking, Terminal Illness

Soundtrack:
Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Seven Devils - Florence and the Machine
No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses
The Quiet Things that No One Ever Knows - Brand New

I liked this one. The concept was interesting. I did feel a bit bored in the middle and felt like there could have been a bit more action or attention-grabbing scenes. Overall and enjoyable read.

Five Total Strangers is the perfect thriller to read over the holidays. It was extremely captivating and I could not put it down.

Five strangers meet in an airport after a massive snow storm cancels all outgoing flights. Desperate to get home, they all decide to rent a car and drive themselves home... how bad could the snow storm really be?

I've had this book on my kindle for forever and I am so mad at myself for not reading it sooner! Mira was definitely an interesting main character, I actually quite enjoyed reading from her point of view even though I didn't always see eye to eye with some of her decisions. I totally understand her position in being worried about her mother, who last year around Christmas lost her twin sister and had a difficult time, however you have to know that getting into a car with complete strangers in a huge snow storm is a bad idea. The mystery component is also very well written as I kept changing my mind on who the bad person could be, right up until the reveal.

Also this didn't take away from the story but as a Canadian living in a really cold place it makes me laugh how everything shuts down and no one knows how to drive once snow starts falling, but if you're not used to it like us then I can see how that can be scary.

The only issue I had with this book was the ending, it felt very rushed to me and a little bit anti-climactic. It felt like the whole book was building up to this grand reveal but the action only lasted a couple chapters. I would have liked to see a bit more action, and more details on what happened after.

Overall, I would still highly recommend this book to all mystery/thriller lovers, especially around winter or Christmas time!

I thought this book sounded like it has such a promising premise. With it's unreliable characters it had wonderful potential. Sadly for me, it just fell a bit flat.
I was expecting more action than was giving. Though I did enjoy the action that was included. The characters really frustrated me, but I see how they all added to the story.
I felt like this one was a bit more character driven than I was expecting. I did enjoy the ending and how everything was wrapped up nicely. I will definitely be giving this author another go.

My favorite part of this book is the entire cast of characters and how they bounce off each other. I can really read anything when the characters interact in such a way that keeps me totally engaged the whole time. But the rest of the story was a little slower than I had anticipated at the start but if the reader is patient it does pay off as things escalate on the back half in a way I was not expecting. And I absolutely love this cover! Quick and entertaining read.

While I really enjoyed the locked-room vibe of this story, I did find it very predictable. But it was definitely entertaining and I enjoyed the adventure.

A far too abrupt ending and no real resolution makes it fall a bit flat, though it does a good job of building tension and throwing in some red herrings until about the last 3-4 chapters. Still, needed a much stronger ending.

I was a little apprehensive going into Natalie D. Richards' new YA novel Five Total Strangers due to the novel's average ratings on Goodreads. There are so many books out there to read and I don't want to waste my time on anything that is not good. However, as I made my way through this book about five young adults attempting to travel home on blizzard-struck highways, I kept asking myself, why don't people like this novel?! I found myself entertained throughout Five Total Strangers (a #1 reading priority for me) and despite a few loose ends (which is why I think readers scored the book down), I still thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.

Mira is traveling home to Pennsylvania when her layover flight is grounded due to a blizzard. Desperate to get home, Mira accepts a ride from her posh seatmate and three other college kids instead of waiting it out in safety until the danger passes. However, Mira is soon to discover that the blizzard isn't the only danger lurking. These five total strangers are about to embark on a perilous journey that will take them down hazardous highways and put them in the path of questionable characters. But what if the real peril is something they never suspected?

First of all, I must confess that I love "road trip" novels. Frankly, any story that takes place on transportation grabs my attention, not to mention those that include a survival element. So Five Total Strangers was right up my alley! I felt like the sixth passenger inside this car, traveling with Mira and her new-found friends. Having never experience a blizzard myself, I was terrified to discover what obstacles the group would encounter next. And that's not to mention the storm that is brewing inside the SUV ... because the snow outside isn't the only danger in this thrilling YA novel.

I think that Five Total Strangers' intended audience - teens - will love this book and won't mind the plot holes. I personally wasn't bothered by the plot holes myself, but I know that they irked some readers. Adult readers who do not need everything tied up for them will also like this book if they enjoyed Riley Sager's Survive the Night or Taylor Adams' No Exit. Also, the novel takes place right before Christmas, so anyone looking for a holiday read that is NOT all merry and bright should check out this one!