A great thriller with unexpected twists! 3 new friends from New York City who bonded over the end of their individual relationships head upstate for a girls weekend. But when they are stranded in an unexpected location, each woman is revealed to have been holding something back from her friends, and the murder of someone connected to the trio brings everyone's lives into question. The novel is captivating and all 3 narrators add to both the suspense and the eventual solution.

3.5 stars

So what really happened when three teens went hiking for the weekend and only one came back? That’s what you’ll find out during That Weekend, a ya thriller that keeps you guessing. While I don’t want to give too much away, this is a book that you’ll HAVE to finish quickly.

The characterization is high impact and you get to see how these three teens start to spiral down with their lies and distrust. While the surprises and the big mid-way plot twist was great, there was one downfall that haves this a 3.5 rating versus 4. The first half of the book was a little too slow paced with the story revolving around Claire having no memories, it became a little redundant. Thankfully, it picked up full speed after the half way mark.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review review copy.

3 stars

I have enjoyed Thomas's work previously, so I was excited to get this arc!

The novel spans multiple perspectives and time periods, and generally focuses on "that weekend": the weekend when Claire wakes up with a head injury and her two friends, Kat and Jesse, go missing. Claire can't remember much, so she is left understandably concerned about what happened to her but more so her friends: are they alive? Dead? Why?!

I found this a bit slow at first, and that feeling came and went for me throughout the duration of the novel. While I can get over the pacing, a twist at the end grossed me out so much that I know it is the one thing I'll remember about this book in the long-term, and I do not mean this in a positive way. There's a reveal that is just...a lot.

While I do enjoy Thomas overall, this one is not for me. I am dying to know others' responses to that reveal more than anything!

Another twisty young adult mystery/thriller by a contemporary masters of the genre. Claire's plan to spend prom weekend at a lake house with her best friends (now couple) Kat and Jesse seems ill-advised when she catches her boyfriend with another girl. Not wanting to be a third-wheel, especially as she has always loved Jesse, Claire tries to back out, but Kat is insistent. Two days after their arrival, Claire wakes up on a mountainside, hurt and with no memories for the last 48 hours. Everyone, especially Kat's wealthy and respected family, want to know what happened. But no one wants answers more than Claire herself, and she is determined to find them. Enjoyable read for fans old and new.

At my library, Kara Thomas has a market on YA thrillers. For every teen wanting a thriller, I can hand them any Kara Thomas to sink their teeth into, and they will love it. And That Weekend delivers. I will definitely have it on my shelves on release day, and I know it will keep many a teen awake this summer, because they can't put it down.

WOW. I just finished this and knew I had to write a review immediately. I had an ARC from NetGalley. I could NOT put this book down. This really keeps you guessing until the end. It definitely gave me Gone Girl vibes - halfway through I was getting that feeling like, okay, is this all going to be about Claire because I was starting to get a little bored of listening to her (I maybe felt this for a few pages) but then, bam! it picks up and I really could not have predicted where Kara Thomas was going to take us. I really appreciated Kara’s honesty during the writing process so I was looking forward to this. In her acknowledgments, she said she hopes this was worth the wait. It 100% was! The best one yet.

This was definitely an intriguing idea. There were more twists and turns than I could keep up with, and although I liked the complexity, the biggest weakness (to me) was that none of the characters were particularly likable. Because of that, I had a hard time rooting for anyone, and I felt a bit like the MC was morally ambiguous, as well.

That said, I did enjoy the plot quite a bit, and the pacing and tension were solid throughout. It's an engaging book, even if the characters aren't people I'd actually want to spend time with.

4.5/5 stars

That Weekend was intense. I'm talking edge of my seat, can't flip the page fast enough intense. Kara Thomas created a nail biting whodunit with lots of twists and turns you won't see coming - right down to the final chapter.

I read an advanced digital copy of this novel courtesy on the publisher through NetGalley. Review available on goodreads.

I'm just discovering Kara Thomas and after reading Little Monsters and loving it, I couldn't wait to read her upcoming book. I enjoyed Little Monsters a little more but this book definitely had me hooked. I was not expecting the twist AT ALL. Claire was a sympathetic protagonist and I rooted for her to find the truth of what happened. I had my guesses on what occurred in the woods but I was way off. One reveal in the end felt a bit too much and a little contrived but that didn't take away my overall enjoyment of the book.

Actual rating 2.75

This was one where the mystery had me intrigued but then little things would pop up that decreased the overall rating. For starters, I did not like Claire. She was very morose and apathetic. At first I blamed her lack of personality on the head injury since injuries to the brain can affect emotions and personality, but during the flashbacks Claire still acted sullen so it wasn't the head trauma; she was just a stoic character. (The hospital scenes relating to Claire's head injury were inaccurate but I let that slide since this is a work of fiction.) Also, I wasn't a fan of the way she was written. Her voice and thought process came across as a teenage boy and just seemed stilted and odd.

The mystery and suspense had potential but they both were a letdown because there wasn't any suspense and I guessed the mystery from the beginning. The story progressed slowly with Claire not figuring out the answers until the very end so I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing did until the final few chapters. The second twist was something I never expected but I can't say anything more without spoiling it.

Kara Thomas is what I consider a guilty pleasure of mine.

The writing isn't the most powerful but it's easy to read and entertaining!

The mystery is just that as well, entertaining without being over the top and unbelievable. It didn't bring anything new but that twist at the end I admit I didn't see coming !

I had a slight issue with some questions not being answered at the conclusion of the story but hopefully they get resolved by publication time.

I also feel like Claire is let down by a lot of the people in her life! Poor thing. Her mother seems distant, her friends are trash and the guys she falls for are also complete trash.

DNF @ 58%. I was really enjoying this one, the beginning had me hooked and I was eager to see what would happen next and how the whole thing would play out. I really enjoyed Claire, I thought she was a great main character. The thing that kinda put a sour taste in my mouth was about half way through the book there was a 6 month time jump and I didn't like how that made somethings in the story play out, I also don't really enjoy time jumps in stories to begin with but I felt it was super out of place with a mystery/thriller type book and it really didn't feel needed or really add anything to the story and because of that I found myself not really wanting to finish this one.

Overall, the first 50% was great and if you don't mind time jumps you'll really enjoy this one but for me it made me not want to finish the story.

Kara Thomas is the queen of thriller novels and some of her novels top the best of list for me. This one just didn't do it for me. The ending of this novel just felt like it didn't fit the breadcrumbs, clue, and trail left for us. I was really disappointed in this one.

*Check your trigger warnings everybody, because this one has some dark twists.

Claire is a high school senior on a weekend camping trip with her two best friends when she wakes up alone on the side of the mountain, with a not-insignificant head injury and no memory of an entire day. Her friends Jesse and Kat have vanished without a trace.

I loved this one. The story was unexpected without being unbelievable, the pacing was perfect, and we actually spend time with Claire and the trauma of what has happened with her instead of all the focus being on the mystery aspect. Yes, there is the "convenient amnesia" trope, but it was forgivable here. One of the frustrating things about YA is that there will be teens doing ridiculously illogical things to move the plot along, and it is all justified because there are "teens". This book managed to avoid that--Claire's actions are reasonable responses to what is happening and it makes the reading experience so much more enjoyable.

Never fear though, we do have some of the tried-and-true YA tropes! A love triangle, a rich girl/poor boy romance, and some good-old-fashioned teen backstabbing are all present, but they are essential parts of the story rather than gimmicks thrown in to attract more readers.

This is the first book that I have read from this author, and I am so frustrated with myself. I have TWO other books of hers that I have had sitting around forever without reading. There are just not enough good YA mystery/thrillers out there and I'm surprised this one hasn't been getting any of the hype that I've seen for books like Sadie or The Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because the execution was not quite as flawless as Sadie, but overall still one of the top YA mystery/thrillers that I've read.

*eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you SO much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book! OH MY GOODNESS this was a wild ride. For some books, not knowing the full premise of the story helps to make the twists and thrills hit a little harder and this is one of those. I read this in one sitting and I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it. I was constantly on the edge of my seat unsure of what characters to trust. I think this will be the perfect YA beach thriller and I cannot wait to recommend to everyone I know! This was my first Kara Thomas novel but it will NOT be my last!!!!

Trigger warnings for child abuse/domestic violence

That Weekend follows Claire after she wakes up bloody and alone on a mountain trail. Her two best friends, Kat and Jesse, are missing and she’s the only one who could have answers as to what happened to them. The only thing is, Claire can’t remember the last 48 hours leading up to their disappearance. In the author’s usual style there are family secrets, crazy twists and small town settings.

This was an ‘okay’ story to me. It fell a little flat, but that could be because I have pretty high expectations when it comes to Kara Thomas. I’ve kept up with her releases since The Darkest Corners and have loved them all, but this one was just ‘all right.’ The last 10% of the novel did a lot of things, readers will either be left shocked by the revelations or disappointed by them. Overall, I’m glad I had the opportunity to read That Weekend, but I’m ready for whatever Thomas puts out next.

I received a copy of Little Monsters at YALLfest in Charleston, SC a few years ago, and I absolutely fell in love with Kara Thomas’ writing. I have consumed every book of hers. Waiting until July, when That Weekend is released was going to absolutely impossible. I literally squealed when I got the email from NetGalley that I was getting an early copy.

I immediately downloaded and started reading. I devoured the book in less than 24 hours. I’m still in shock how the story unfolded. Thomas is the queen of twists and turns that are impossible to predict, and this book was giving me major V.C. Andrews vibes.

Claire has just broken up with her boyfriend Ben after seeing him at a party with Anna Markey on his lap and then following her upstairs. Her best friends Kat and Jessie rescue her from the party. But being with Kat and Jessie doesn’t offer her the comfort she’s looking for. Now that they are together, things will never be the same. Instead of going to prom, the four of them are supposed to be sneaking up to Kat’s family lake house. Claire does not want to spend the weekend as the third wheel, but Kat insists on her going. Now Claire is in the hospital. Kat and Jessie are missing, and Claire has no recollection of what has transpired over the last 36 hours. Did she kill them? Were they kidnapped? Are they still on the mountain? How can she not remember anything? What happened that weekend? Everyone wants answers, including Claire.

Every book Kara Thomas has written has kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. That Weekend is no exception to this rule! The twists and turns keep you guessing. Even when you think you know what happened, another chapter later and you’ll be second guessing your predictions. Absolutely fabulous read!

This is a whodunnit book that keeps you guessing until the end.
Girl hits her head and can’t remember anything, thinks maybe she could be to blame.
Not knowing who she can trust and missing her two best friends, she becomes obsessive in her need to know what happened.
I definitely stayed up all night reading this page turner but sadly was disappointed with the ending, it seemed long and drawn out, very unsatisfying.
I still recommend this book, I just suggest that you stop reading after you read who the culprit really is in the last few chapters of the book. Don’t read all the extra details.