DNF at 56%. I started this book last summer and planned on finishing it later in the year, however that never happened. I was originally intrigued by this because of the setting taking place in the Grand Canyon and that aspect of the story I really enjoyed. Unfortunately I don’t care about the characters and the repetitiveness of the story made me lose interest completely.

ZOJE STAGE’S ESCAPIST ADVENTURE GETAWAY THRILLS IN SMALL STRETCHES

A week-long camping trip in the heart of the Grand Canyon is an attractive setting to both backpacking enthusiasts and vicarious hikers alike, considering how the past year and a half has pushed many a homebody into outdoor explorations. Zoje Stage harnesses that need for escape in her new psychological thriller Getaway, which reunites three estranged friends (two being polar-opposite sisters) all seeking to recover their life paths from defining past traumas. But if Neil Marshall’s 2005 horror classic The Descent taught us anything, it’s that a group of women should never embark on a risky adventure when they still have unresolved baggage!

Imogen Blum, an author struck with writer’s block and mild agoraphobia after a shooting at her local Pittsburgh synagogue, reluctantly joins sister Beck (a doctor) and their former high school bestie Tilda (a reality TV star-turned-Instagram influencer who just landed a six-figure book deal) on a camping trip in the Grand Canyon. While Imogen is aware of Beck trying to force a reconciliation between Tilda and herself—after “The Thing” that splintered their friendship in college—the real reason that Imogen joins is her yearning for the outdoors as healing balm.

Thanks to plenty of family backpacking trips through this same demanding yet inspiring national wonder, Imogen and Beck have grown up with a reverence for the Canyon, with Imogen in particular ascribing Judaism’s concept of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, to her interactions with nature. That’s what makes it so upsetting, for both the trio and the reader, when their supplies suddenly start going missing. As Beck stubbornly leads the others further into the Canyon, they encounter a threat that will challenge their survival skills as well as their capacity for empathy and forgiveness.

Between her own experiences camping in the Grand Canyon as well as the unique accounts she has collected, Stage has clearly done extensive research into the backpackers’ lifestyle and ethos. Both seasoned hikers and inexperienced readers will feel as if they have their own personal tour guide through the Canyon, picking their way along the Hermit Trail and steeling their nerves to cross the Boucher Trail. Stage balances the perils of nature with the mundane repetitions that keep a hiker alive, from proper posture for getting packs on and off to carefully counting out iodine tablets for the creek water. Through these personal rituals, the sisters’ emotional connection to the Canyon comes through loud and clear as an echo—as does their determination to grapple with the intruder who ruptures their sacred space.

Though Stage’s other books (Baby Teeth, Wonderland) have flirted with the supernatural in their premises, there is little suggestion that what the girls confront in the Canyon is anything but the very human horror of someone who simply does not belong there. In that, Stage is incredibly effective in depicting first the intrusive thoughts whenever the rare stranger passes by their campsite (but what if a knife suddenly cuts through my tent?) and then the sense of violation when the next morning Imogen witnesses their pack of food cut open and rummaged through with clear intent to steal. Backpackers are supposed to operate by an elevated code of ethics, and yet human selfishness and other murky motives have penetrated what was supposed to be her respite from the evils of the world.

Heightening this isolating tension is the fact that the girls are only a few days into their week-long trip and have completely unplugged, stowing their smartphones back at the starting point. Their only tools for documenting this trip are their own five senses, and a retro digital camera that influencer Tilda can’t resist bringing along, so she’ll have material for future Instagram content. (Though it feels like a missed opportunity to introduce a potential Chekhov’s camera and then not use it to reenact one of the creepiest camping urban legends, in which the owner wakes up to find photos taken while she was asleep.)

The book’s action picks up when the stranger becomes a flesh-and-blood threat in escaped convict Gale. Their well-meaning attempt at connecting with someone who has already breached their campsite puts the three friends on a terrifying journey that recontextualizes their bonding trip from women versus nature to women versus man. Though Stage’s tendency to write in short, staccato chapters can sometimes create uneven pacing, her instincts are spot-on for crafting high-pressure moments that will have the most chilling effects: When Imogen awakens to Gale nonchalantly holding his hunting knife to Tilda’s throat, the reader stiffens up with the same paralyzing fear.

Despite Imogen’s repeated attempts to regard Gale as more man than monster, he ultimately comes across as a stereotype of the uneducated, offensive hick. Every detail of the girls’ lives, from Beck’s sexuality to Tilda’s ethnicity, is an opportunity for him to spout something bigoted that does little to garner any sympathy.Yet where there is common ground among this unlikely foursome is that Gale, Imogen, and Tilda of them share the experience of a singular event altering the course of their life—not just a loss (of a loved one, of bodily autonomy), but the irrevocable sense that every step hereafter is to not further fuck up their lives. This manifests as either violent or self-depriving self-preservation, trapping them in cycles of survival that often leave literal or figurative victims by the wayside.

As Imogen keenly observes, the real problem trapping them in the Canyon—beyond Gale’s paranoid ability to anticipate their desperate next steps—is the girls’ breakdown in communication. They are so out of sync with one another that they have no hope of organizing an escape plan—in fact, more often they are faced with the awful possibility of sacrificing one of their group for the others to make it out. Yet because the reader remains firmly in Imogen’s perspective, the tension does not always stretch as taut as it could. Stage might have been better served to alternate between Imogen and the others, playing with multiple points of view (as she did to memorable effect in Baby Teeth) to ratchet up the suspense of who might make it out, and what they might have to offer up in order to do so.

Stage’s has cleverly set up an exploration of both meanings of Getaway: longing for a break from the stresses of daily life, contrasted with the desperate attempts to flee an unimaginable life-threatening situation. If you’ve been daydreaming about your own ambitious foray into nature, you would do well to read Stage’s cautionary tale about both keeping your wits about you when crossing perilous drops, but especially being aware of all sorts of people you might meet on the trail.

This was my first book by Stage and I truly enjoyed it. This is a story of friends who decide to go on a trip together in order to mend their relationships and fix any issues that they have between these life long friends. However, you quickly realize that they have decided on a trip that none of them are prepared for and do not have the appropriate tools to go on ( THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING)! I found myself yelling at the book multiple times because the characters were so dumb. Overall, a decent book but not one that I would find myself recommending to friends.

I could not force myself to finish this book. I got about 25% through and kept losing interest every paragraph. Maybe someone who is super into hiking would find this interesting, but it would have been more fun to watch paint dry. I just couldn't do it.

Getaway is rich and complex, and scary as hell. I was creeped out and terrified throughout much of the book, and had a hard time envisioning any outcome that wasn’t devastating. At the same time, I loved the main characters, loved the Grand Canyon setting, and really marveled at the author’s ability to weave together the elements of an engrossing thriller with a moving story about friendship and resilience. (See link for full review).

I initially requested this because I really enjoyed Baby Teeth. While this isn't as wild as that book, it's still enjoyable. I've recently started getting into backpacking so that aspect of it was really interesting to me. It was a bit of a slow start but once the action started, it was a great ride.

I love to read camp themed stories, if they have survival as the main thing double okay for me! When I saw people describing GETAWAY as a literary horror, I requested right away and I thankfully got approved for an arc. Thank you Mulholland Books via Netgalley for the arc.

Three friends rekindle their friendship with a hiking trip to The Grand Canyon. For those who have been to the Canyon, you know how vast, adventurous and intimidating the place is. But Stage somehow with her artful writing has described the canyon like the wonder they are! I would just reread this book just for those alluring descriptions. The mystery part of what happens to those 3 friends amidst an unfortunate encounter is just a bonus factor to keep the thrills of those reading.

Now that I think about it, I think camp site horror will fit well for this book. I have heard so much about the author’s previous works, but haven’t gotten a chance to read them. After reading this book, I think I’ll enjoy her backlist titles too.

This is my second book by author Zoje Stage; in 2018 I read Baby Teeth which was good and offered plenty of things to discuss with fellow readers. You can read my review HERE if interested.

Getaway takes place in Colorado with (3) - 30-something women. There are sisters Beck and Imogen and Tilda, a close college friend. Beck is a doctor, Imogen is a struggling writer who sufferers from anxiety after a traumatic event and Tilda a former American Idol participant and an influencer. Imogen and Tilda had a falling out and had parted ways but Beck would like to see the friendship mended so the women agree to embark on Grand Canyon backpacking trip. The sisters are skilled hikers from childhood but Tilda is not. Pretty early on there is an uncomfortable vibe that something or someone is lurking close by. The women find their campsite ransacked and food missing. Things then get creepier and much worse when a lone male on the run shows up.

This story took a while to hook me. I loved the outdoorsy details which made the locale so vivid at times but, I also had a few scratch my head moments as some of what happens seemed unlikely considering two of the backpackers were experienced. Despite a few roll-my-eyes moments overall, this was a tension filled thriller once the story finally got going. I think this is one of those thrillers that will have even greater appeal to those who love hiking the more difficult and remote ranges.

Rating - 3.5/5 stars
https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2021/10/book-review-getaway-zoje-stage.html

I finished this book last night and I'm still not sure what to think. I read Baby Teeth by this author and really enjoyed it but this one kind of drug on for me a little. I did enjoy that she made the villian very sympathetic which was a weird feeling for me at first! I do not understand the choice they (won't say who to avoid spoilers) made at the end of the book. I get it, but I don't think it's realistic to squish all of it down.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tense and entertaining book! Two sisters and their friend head to the Grand Canyon for a hiking and camping trip. They are there to try and repair their strained friendship by spending some time together. Early on they realize someone is watching them. After confronting the man stalking them their trip becomes terrifying. I have spent time in the Grand Canyon so I loved the descriptive writing about it. I enjoyed the author’s book, Baby Teeth, but I liked this one even more. The harsh environment and fear was so palpable in this one and I was completely engrossed in the story. I highly recommend giving this book a read.

And there it is! A Zoje Stage book I can 100% get behind! I started with Baby Teeth, well written but not my cup of tea. Tried again with Wonderland and it was just too "out there". Apparently the third time really is a charm! This is an excellent edge-of-your-seat thriller! Three long-time, but estranged friends reunite for a Grand Canyon hike. Weird things happen. Who do you trust? Is someone out to get them? I don't want to give too much away, but READ THIS!! Very fast-paced and great characterization! I also have to mention the hiking and camping description. As a girl who prefers to "camp" by overlooking nature from my hotel room, the author paints a very vivid and realistic picture of the whole experience and I almost felt as if I actually hiked the Grand Canyon! I can now honestly say that I look forward to another Zoje Stage book!
Thank you to #NetGalley, Zoje Stage and Mulholland Books for this ARC!

I still think that "Baby Teeth" was Zoje Stage's best book. I will admit, though, that "Getaway" was so much better than the previous novel, "Wonderland."

This is the 3rd book I've read by this author. It was my least favorite. I'm not saying it wasn't well written, it was. I wasn't interested in the premise of this book. The backpacking trip. And then the villain in this book wasn't very good. I couldn't relate to any of these characters either. But honestly don't let this keep you from reading this author. I think she's fabulous and Baby Teeth and Wonderland were great!

The Grand Canyon is a bucket list destination for many serious hikers, but few would choose it - picturesque as it may be - as the ideal place to kick the proverbial bucket. Yet the three central characters of Pittsburgh-based author Zoje Stage’s latest thriller, “Getaway,” stare that terrifying possibility in the face as a get-away-from-it-all girls’ trip turns life-threatening.

Stage, the author of previous novels “Wonderland” and “Baby Teeth”, presents readers with a heroine carrying not merely a backpack, but serious emotional baggage. Imogen Blum is a novelist suffering from writer’s block and living under the weight of a series of traumas in her life. Most recently, she witnessed a shooting at her local synagogue, resembling in all but name the tragedy at the Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation that shook Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood in 2018. We’re led to believe that Imogen’s synagogue attendance beginning about a month before the shooting represented an effort to connect with people after years of closing herself off from personal relationships of any kind. Being a witness to the senseless act of cruelty in a sacred space forced her further inward.

So when her sister Beck invites her to spend a week hiking the Grand Canyon, a chance to reconnect with nature seems like exactly what she needs to begin moving past her grief, even if a former best friend will be tagging along. Tilda, who in the years of estrangement from Imogen has become famous, is a living, breathing reminder of one of Imogen’s traumas. Tilda and Beck have maintained their friendship through the years, but an unknown event years in the past - something in the book’s early pages only referred to as “The Thing” - shredded the friendship Imogen had with Tilda. It’s a monster under the bed that the women will need to confront if they have any hope of surviving when a completely different kind of monster shows up on the trail.

The trip seems to provide its own kind of therapy for Imogen, sometimes even in the nightmarish moments. In the early days, long unvoiced hurts and resentments come out, and later in the book, she’s forced to almost relive prior events through eerily similar situations the trio faces. She is forced to finally define what she wants to live for when her life's in jeopardy.

The insight Imogen admirably displays in “Getaway” as she battles her demons proves to be the novel’s greatest strength, but also its main stumbling point; It’s hard to believe that anyone would choose a moment when death seems imminent to calmly and even a bit sarcastically dissect old emotional wounds. The focus on character development in the book’s first third that proves so satisfying later grates and slows down the pace in the middle of the novel when the tone doesn’t pivot sharply enough to suit the dangerous situation that develops.

When some of the book’s middle sections occasionally prove to be less than thrilling, what will pull readers through are the complex and distinctive characters Stage has created in Imogen, Beck, and Tilda. All three have different takes on the past they share. They frequently disagree and some unhealthy dynamics have calcified over the years. In short, they feel like real women with authentic and deep-rooted problems. But of course, if they are to overcome their issues on this trip, they’ll first need to work together to survive it, and all three rise to the occasion. Though somewhat uneven, “Getaway” delivers chilling moments against the stunning backdrop of the Grand Canyon and an unexpected, but totally empowering women supporting women message.

Amazing premise of three women out on a long and difficult hiking trip. They notice someone stole their stuff, and they think it was someone that maybe was desperately in need of food, but soon realize it is something more sinister. I thought the pacing was great and I HAD to know their fates. I found some of the women's choices very unbelievable. Thriller fans will definitely enjoy this though!

It was supposed to be the ultimate girl’s trip. Hiking into the Grand Canyon in the off-season to reunite two adult sisters with their best friend from high school. It was the perfect Getaway. But then some of their supplies go missing. They suspect someone might be following them into the canyon. Someone with bad motives. Is it payback for a secret from their past?

The plot is slow to start. However, it is very cinematic. I think it would make an excellent thriller movie. As a book, I, personally, was as bored by reading all the hiking/camping details as I am by actual hiking/camping. By the time the pace picked up, I just didn’t care anymore and didn’t empathize with any of the characters. That may just be me. If you like an outdoorsy setting, Getaway may be perfect for you. So, I’ll give it 3 stars (sort of an average of my thoughts and your potential enjoyment of the book).

Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Getaway is one fast-paced, suspense-filled, addictive vacation gone wrong thriller. When two sisters and a friend go on a hiking trip at the Grand Canyon, they couldn't predict the terror to come. The girls have a complex relationship already and were hoping this trip would bring them back together. It already isn't going well when someone steals food from their pack. And soon enough, they realize they aren't alone. Someone is stalking them. The tension is palpable in this novel. I felt terrified myself. If you're looking for a great read that won't let you put it down, this is the one. Getaway is a whirlwind of a thriller!

Imogen and Beck want to recreate the peace they felt when hiking The Grand Canyon as children. Dragging their friend Tilda along, they set off for a week of camping under the stars and hiking the tough terrain. With no one else around to bother them, they would have the bliss of nature to themselves.
But the girls are not alone. When their supplies disappear, panic sets in. Its hard to hide in the wide open space of The Grand Canyon. Its either run, and hope the make it out, or face their stalker. Unfortunately, the girls have no idea what they are up against.

If you read the authors note, you will find that Zoje Stage is familiar with camping in The Grand Canyon. Her love for the Grand Canyon is expressed beautifully in the first part of the book. They way she describes the colors, the path and the river makes me want to see it for myself. But then again, the way she describes the hike and the pain of straining muscles, makes me just want to read about it.lol
Getaway is a suspenseful and terrifying read that snagged me immediately. I was pulled in by the scenery, held by the drama and then hooked by the terror. The minute Imogen found their food stolen, I knew it was going to get bad really quick. This is why I stayed up way too late to keep reading.
This is one of those books that grab hold of your worse fears and runs with it. I know every time I go camping, I worry about who is lurking around at night. Luckily, I sleep in a camper with locks.

Imogen has experienced some terrible trauma in her life, some as a young woman, then more as a young adult. She was just outside the synagogue when the Tree of Life shooting occurred - she huddled behind a bush and watched and heard her friends slaughtered. This experience has understandable colored the rest of her life and she's struggled with depression, withdrawing into herself. Her sister, Beck, convinced her to go on a week long hiking trip in a remote section of the Grand Canyon. The sisters grew up as avid campers and hikers and are seasoned outdoors women. It will be a getaway meant to refresh and cleanse their souls. They are joined by their best friend growing up, Tilda, who has remained close with Beck but drifted away from Imogen over the years. Three ladies camping in the wilds of the Grand Canyon - what could go wrong? They encounter an evil there that forces Imogen to re-examine herself, who she is, who she wants to be and what exactly she has to live for.

This was the first book I've read by Zoje Stage, but it definitely won't be the last.. I would categorize this book somewhere between horror and a thriller. Once I got started, I really couldn't put it down. I'm not so outdoorsy myself, so even the concept of a week long hiking and rough camping trip created high tension for me. Add in an unexpected interruption to this girls trip- food goes missing, then crucial supplies, and the tension went through the roof. I was terrified. I really loved Stage's writing - the imagery that she used to create the beautiful backdrop of the Grand Canyon. I could see it in my mind and it was breathtaking. It was clear to me that she did a lot of research on the area, and what it takes to hike and camp there. I also really loved the relationships that she created. The push and pull between the sisters with Beck dominating Imogen and ignoring her valuable instincts. The three way friendship dynamic that stretched back over most of their lifetimes. And I enjoyed Imogen's growth throughout the story, as the trauma at hand helped push her to overcome the traumas she had suffered in her past.

Thank you to Mulholland Books, Netgalley and Goodreads for an advance copy of this book. And thank you to @redreadreviews for buddy reading this book with me - we've been looking forward to it for weeks!

Getaway is the story of three friends who go backpacking in the Grand Canyon. That’s all I needed to know before requesting this book. I love to hike, and though I’ve never been backpacking, the synopsis sounded terrifying.

Imogen, Beck, and Tilda are high school friends (Imogen and Beck are sisters) who have fallen out a bit. Backpacking in the Grand Canyon sounds like a great bonding experience until things start to go wrong.

The first half of this book was fast paced and exciting. I loved the hiking aspect and was anxious to see what would go wrong for our three characters. The only problem I had with the second half of the book was that my expectations were wrong. The synopsis says “as friendship and survival collide with an unspeakable evil”. This led me to believe that this book was a horror novel. It’s not. It’s a thriller. It says in the synopsis that it’s a “riveting thriller” and a “psychological thriller”. The synopsis clearly states that it’s a thriller. If you like thrillers, hiking, and backpacking then you’ll probably like this book.