I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, but it is a place I’d love to visit someday. However, I will NEVER try to camp anywhere near it after reading this book. 😱

Imogen and Beck, two sisters, decide to getaway with an old friend from high school, Tilda. They grew up backpacking these treacherous trails with their parents and always felt rejuvenated after spending time in this magic place. Over the years, there has been some bad blood between Imogen and Tilda…Beck is hoping she can bring these two together during this trip.

It is clear their reunion isn’t going as well as expected and things quickly turn south when someone ransacks their food pouch. They knew there would other people on these trails, but they’ve never felt violated like this before. They decide to push on thinking no more trouble will come their way…and boy are they ever wrong!

If you want to read about the camping trip from hell- pick this up. I wasn’t absolutely terrified reading this, but I was definitely on edge. I kept wondering, what the heck is going to happen, while reading this story. It does go into a lot of detail about hiking and their camping rituals so if that isn’t your thing you may struggle with this one. The wild ending makes up for the slow beginning. Thank you Netgalley and Mulholland Books for this advance reading copy. Getaway is available 8/17/21.

Do you enjoy hiking off the beaten trail where few others go dare to go and cell service is nonexistent? Me either🤣 And after reading Getaway just the thought of it terrifies me even more!

I am a huge Zoje Stage fan. Baby Teeth blew my mind and Wonderland was so deliciously creepy. My expectations were really high going into this book and in comparison to her other work, this one was just ok for me. It lacked that supernatural/horror/errie vibe that I have come to expect from Stage, so perhaps my feelings of mediocrity stem from that. I would put this book squarely in the thriller/suspense category.

Even though this book isn’t my favorite, I want to take a moment to praise Stage. She is such a brilliant writer and her descriptions are so striking. Take this one, for example:

“Even the distant night had a scent, the musk of the coming hunt, the deep yearning to survive. Everything spoke softly. Everything remained: the gossip of fossils and the whispered bones of millennia. She heard the agave sigh, the succulence held in its bayonet leaves a private song. Everything sang in the Sun.”

Ahhh, if I close my eyes it’s like I am right there! She has this ability to get your hackles up and put you on the edge of your seat.

This is perhaps my most favorite line in the entire book:

“Imogen felt the dread clambering down her spine, a toothy imp who regularly used her bones as a ladder.”

So damn good, right?! I absolutely look forward to the next book by Stage!

I was immediately drawn into this with the descriptions of back country hiking and camping at the Grand Canyon. I loved reading about this and all the ardent preparations, as well as the treacherous switchback trails. When Gale entered the picture, it brought an elevated level of tension. Some of these parts got a little redundant for me and I wish that there had been more to the story and maybe some plot twists. I didn’t care much for the maudlin ending, but it was ok.

Wow! I was really impressed by this book. I requested to read this one because I really enjoyed Baby Teeth by the same author. I was hoping this book would also keep me on the edge of my seat, and it sure did.

The book is written from the point of view of Imogen, a writer who survived a traumatic attack. Imogen and her sister, Beck, have been close friends with Tilda since high school but have grown apart, as we often do. Beck plans a backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon (a very secluded part--no thanks!) to try to rekindle their friendship. As you may deduce, they encounter some evil on what was supposed to be a lovely hiking trip.

Like I said, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The beginning was a bit slow to start, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Once things got moving, they were really moving. It was hard to put this book down. The characters all had their own unique personalities which I loved.

Thank you NetGalley and Mulholland books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Reviews will be posted on Instagram and Goodreads closer to the publication date.

No one can write creepy suspense like Zoje Stage, you guys. 🙌🏼

Beck has convinced her sister Imogen and their former BFF, Tilda to join her on a Grand Canyon hiking trip. However from the very start Imogen has a weird feeling that they’re being followed. After their food is stolen and their camp is ransacked, they confront the robber only to find themselves waaaay in over their heads.

I am SUCH a huge fan of Baby Teeth, one of Stage’s earlier books. However instead of freaky little kid suspense, this one is freaky, unpredictable criminal from Mississippi (why they always gotta be from the South? 🤦🏼‍♀️) on the loose suspense. 😬 I devoured this in two sittings and was honestly furious the entire time I was at work because I NEEDED to get home so I could read the rest of it!

So hypothetically I know there are people out there that “enjoy” hiking. And Lord knows I love a hiking memoir. (Sup, Cheryl Strayed, Jon Krakauer, and Bill Buford?) But this book serves as reason #352 why I will not be starting intense hiking as a hobby.

Did I love this quite as much as Baby Teeth? Not entirely, but this is a super vivid, can’t-read-it-fast-enough sort of thriller which I will always be down to read.

This is my third book by the author and easily my favorite. What I love about her books is each is so different from the other. I am not the outdoorsy type and reading this just reinforces it! A terrifying and yet thrilling book about backpacking through the Grand Canyon. Of course it's not just about backpacking, a whole lot of crazy twists and turns ensue but I just don't want to give anything at all away. Fantastic writing and an ending I had to read twice! Thank you so much!

🏕Getaway is the tale of sisters Imogen and Beck Blum and their friend, Tilda. Best friends since high school, Imogen and Tilda are now estranged due to “The Thing.” In an effort to have her sister and Tilda reconnect, Beck plans a camping trip into the wilds of the Grand Canyon. The beginning of the book is very character-driven, allowing the reader to get to know the women on a more personal level. The breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon is presented almost as a character in itself. As the trio traverse along, it is soon apparent that they are not alone. Not wanting to give anything away, I’m ending my synopsis here on a cliffhanger.
🏕Ms. Stage has penned a page-turner with three strong female characters. There is deep self-reflection, a bit of humor from time to time, suspense and terror. I was captivated from beginning to end. Having gotten to know the characters well made their choices and decisions more real and relatable. I highly recommend Getaway to those who thrive on gripping, multi-layered thrillers. You can grab a copy 8/17/21.

🏕Thank you to @netgalley , @mulhollandbooks and @zoje.stage_author for my gifted digital galley edition in exchange for my honest review; all opinions are my own.

Two sisters and their best friend set off on a rigorous camping trip in the Grand Canyon. They have lost their closeness to each other, but this is their plan to reconnect. When their supplies start going missing, they wonder if they are being followed.. or stalked.

This was an exciting read and it was hard to put it down! I read it very fast. The pages kept turning. I am finding that while I hate hiking, I enjoy books about hiking or survivalism. This book takes that even further. It was creepy and anxiety-provoking. The ending felt a little abrupt..
I was expecting a little more, but it still worked for me.

“There was a faceless who out there, indifferent to the sanctity he’d shattered. Imogen felt exposed again, like she had the night before, knowing someone had been watching them. There was nowhere to hide. He would take what he wanted.”

Getaway comes out 8/17.

BOOK REVIEW: “GETAWAY” BY ZOJE STAGE – CAMP HORROR?
User Rating: 5
Staci Wilson July 22, 2021
This is literally camp horror, not campy horror. Believe me, Getaway is about as unfunny as it gets—unfortunately, there is no trace of Zoje Stage’s pitch-black humor, which made her first book, Baby Teeth, such a fun, gut-punching psychological deep dive. I have not read her second book, Wonderland, but I understand it falls into the category of horror as well. Even though it is classified as genre, Getaway is a straight-up women’s thriller.

Writer Imogen Blum and her doctor sister Beck are thirty-somethings who couldn’t be more different from one another, and their longtime friend, Tilda Jimenez, now a famed social media influencer, is feeling the friction. Once inseparable, over the past several years, the women have grown apart. But after Imogen witnesses a deadly shooting at her Pittsburgh synagogue and goes into “hermit mode,” Beck suggests they reunite to hike deep into the Grand Canyon’s backcountry. A week away, secluded in nature and sans cellphones, seems to be the perfect plan of attack to heal their collective issues and reconnect with each other.

As the terrain grows tougher, tensions from their pasts twirl up like dust devils. And when their food and supplies begin to disappear in the night, it becomes clear that someone is not only stealing from them but is systematically stalking them as well. Will the women be able to put their tensions aside and team up, or will their wariness of one another be their undoing when they find out who’s on their trail? As bad luck would have it, their adversary is a wily escaped convict who shot a cop on his way out of town and will stop at nothing to stay free. (Trigger warning: there is a lot of racist and rape talk from this bad guy.)

The first several chapters of Getaway are stultifyingly slow; the first half of the book consists of everything you ever wanted to know (or not) about hiking and camping, as well as the pasts of these generally unlikable characters. One bad decision follows another, making for several eye-rolls after the trio is inevitably kidnapped by the lone psychopath. The book is told 100% through Imogen’s eyes, which may have added to the static feel of the story—dividing the chapters into everyone’s alternating POVs would have added a lot to the suspense factor and given the reader a break from Imogen. While suspense and dread should be inherent when it comes to a plot like this, there’s just too much time spent on Imogen’s self-doubt and inner thoughts. Several overly long dialogue passages made me feel as though I was reading group therapy transcripts.

Stage is a good writer, and I do enjoy her prose—which is the only thing that kept me turning each of those 352 pages—but if you’re looking for another Baby Teeth, Getaway disappoints.

https://weliveentertainment.com/we-live-entertainment/welivebooks/book-review-getaway-c-camp-horror/

Thank you to Muholland Books and Netgalley for letting me read this one early. Getaway publishes on August 17.

A horror/thriller set in the Grand Canyon with three female hikers. Why not?! I went into this one knowing only that and I’m so glad I didn’t read the blurb. I loved Zoje Stage’s book, Baby Teeth, so I had to get my hands on this one as soon as possible. I really enjoyed this book and I like Stage’s writing style a lot. The ending wasn’t my favorite but it didn’t take away from my overall feeling of this book.

If you need more of a blurb than that I will tell you a tiny bit more. Sisters, Imogen, Beck and their friend Tilda have been buddies since they were kids but they don’t often see each other. After Imogen survives a traumatic event, Beck suggests they reunite for a getaway hiking trip deep into the Grand Canyon. As the hikes get harder, supplies mysteriously go missing, and tensions arise they are pushed to their limits to survive.

NEW BOOK ALERT...although it wont be out until August. But hear me out! Zoje Stage wrote the fantastic and creepy novel Baby Teeth and this new book, Getaway, is giving me really sinister vibes and what better story than a dark thriller?
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I have it bookmarked on my Goodreads shelf and will be anxiously awaiting later this summer when its published.
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"Imogen and Beck, two sisters who couldn't be more different, have been friends with Tilda since high school. Once inseparable, over two decades the women have grown apart. But after Imogen survives a traumatic attack, Beck suggests they all reunite to hike deep into the Grand Canyon’s backcountry. A week away, secluded in nature . . . surely it’s just what they need.

But as the terrain grows tougher, tensions from their shared past bubble up. And when supplies begin to disappear, it becomes clear secrets aren’t the only thing they’re being stalked by. As friendship and survival collide with an unspeakable evil, Getaway becomes another riveting thriller from a growing master of suspense and “a literary horror writer on the rise”
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I havent seen this on @netgalley but you can request it via @this_is_edelweiss like I just did! Fingers crossed it gets approved! 🤞🏻
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Are you reading any good thrillers/suspense right now? And if you're a writer, what are you writing? I have to start working on a new manuscript! Those first few (hundred) pages are so daunting!
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A tale that will make you never want to camp or hike! I thought it was well paced and the story progressed well. It could have been boring since so much of it took place in the same place but it was very atmospheric. I did feel like the relationship between the women could have been fleshed out more. They’d talk briefly about something deeper but then change the subject. That might be an authentic dynamic in real relationships but in a book I felt I wanted more. I also found it hard to believe that someone was at a mass murder and also targeted by the random felonious drifter on a hike. At least have to think that was very very bad luck!

The deal: After some rocky friendship patches, Three ladies reunite on a backpacking trip where things go awry in classic thriller fashion. (PS - I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this review)

Is it worth it?: If thrillers are your thing, probably? I thought it dragged and some of the backstories felt a bit overwrought. Zoje Stage’s “Baby Teeth” is exceptional (and genuinely scary) though, which explains why my expectations were through the roof.

Pairs well with: throwing in at least two more twists, this would make a fun entry into the Netflix canon of slasher-y thrillers. Otherwise, just go watch Midsommar for the 200th time to scratch that “pals on an ill-fated trip” energy

C

Zoje Stage is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I still recommend Wonderland to everyone, and this has been one of my most anticipated reads since I first saw the PM announcement. I was beyond excited to be approved and couldn't wait to dive in.

Following a traumatic incident, Imogen agrees to go on a hiking trip to the Grand Canyon with her sister, Beck, and childhood friend, Tilda. Three women who once shared a close bond, their lives have gone down separate paths. As the trail becomes trickier, tensions run high and they rely on their individual strengths, but nothing could've prepared them for the evil waiting around the bend.

I loved this book. So. Much.

As an avid fan of Alone and survivalist narratives, this had so many high notes. We get the tension from the environment: a physically challenging journey, the presumption, but never guarantee, of safety on the trail, the cut-off communication and separation from society. We get the fear of the unknown, the first slivers of doubt that develop when events diverge from what we expect. We also get the emotional tension between the women. No spoilers, of course, but the internal moments of struggle and reflection are as strong, if not stronger, than the physical barriers these women encounter. I couldn't get enough of Imogen's insightful commentary about the nature of their relationships, how time can put band-aids on bullet holes instead of mending traumas, and how moments of greatest clarity come when the stakes seem piled against us.

Stage's writing is at once beautiful and heartbreaking, destructive and reformative, and I think many readers will relate to the fantastic circumstances in which these characters find themselves.

At its heart, Getaway is a gripping study of strength and survival, but it is also a story of love, friendship, and finding a way to be okay when everything around you seems to be crumbling. I couldn't think of a better read to come out of the pandemic, and this is definitely going to be one that I re-read often.

Huge thanks to Mulholland and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Review to be posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

No Way, No Day.

I’m all for hiking (though I wouldn’t do it in this heat!) and I love the Grand Canyon, but the decisions made by Imogen, Beck, and Tilda in Zoje Stage’s “Getaway” had me scratching my head.

When sisters Imogen and Beck, and their friend Tilda go hiking through the Grand Canyon they expect that it will be a way for them to reconnect after growing apart. Little do they know that they are walking into a death trap, literally.

After a day of hiking, some of their supplies disappear. Then, they notice someone following them. Instead of hightailing it out of there, they decide to keep at it, and that my friends, is their first mistake.

If only I found this book to be gripping, but detailed descriptions about hiking took their toll page after page. Bad decisions thereafter, had me rolling my eyes and shaking my head. In the end, I simply decided that I was the wrong reader for this novel.

Another buddy read with Kaceey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter

2.5*
You know how sometimes everyone just loves an author? And though you’ve had a less than stellar previous experience you jump back in because you know for sure it will work this next time. A terminal case of FOMO.

Yes, that’s me!🙋🏻‍♀️. And as you guessed, I tried…I conquered…and no, it still didn’t work!😫

Imogen, Beck, and Tilda are about to embark on a hike of a lifetime down the Grand Canyon. Going in the off-season to ensure privacy (really didn’t know there was such a thing when it came to hiking in National Parks). A time to reflect on their lives and friendships and hopefully emerge from the canyon stronger.

Only they realize they are not alone on this trail. Their food and belongings have been rifled through. Items critical for their survival…missing.

Is it more unsettling not to know who’s responsible? Or come face to face with the culprit?

The storyline was painfully slow and the first half of the book consisted of everything you ever wanted to know about hiking/camping. (Not my cup of ☕️).

Once the hike finally started and we were moving forward (excuse the pun😜). I settled in for what I hoped was going to be a good ‘ole creepy read.

Unfortunately, my eyes started rolling🙄 and didn’t stop till the end. The premise sounded so good. I really thought I was going to have an edge of my seat thriller. But these women just made one bad mistake after another and I lost all interest in their “getaway”.

If this book is on your list, I hope it works out better for you.

A buddy read with Susanne

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books.

I LOVED Baby Teeth, one of my favourite books of all time. So when I saw Zoje was accepting reviewers for her latest book, I jumped at the chance & this book did not disapoint.

I loved the setting. Imogen, Beck & Tilda are hiking through The Grand Canyon and the fear is real. At parts the girls have to cross a ledge that's only a foot width. Zoje does an excellent job of conveying the perilous nature of the hike to the reader, I even felt nervous reading it about the sections of the hike that were going to be risky.

Just as the reader is feeling fearful for the physical safety of the main characters, something even more unsettling begins to occur when their belongings go missing & they know it's not an animal.

I genuinely had shivers down my spine. The writing leaves you feeling on edge, you just don't know what's coming next. There is brief bursts of freedom and hope where you think everything is going to work out well for the characters until the inevitable crash when reality hits.

I loved the writing, the setting was perfect and definitely unique. The characters were great and Zoje is still one of my favourite writers, I'll always pick up any book by her. Even if you weren't a fan of Baby Teeth, I'd definitely suggest picking up Getaway as it's a totally different vibe.

4 stars!

Next on my list of Zoje's books: Wonderland🎉

Thanks to Zoje Stage, Mullholland Books & NetGalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Zoje stage., does it again. This is the best of her three books. Three women go for a seven day hike in the Colorado mountains. The two sisters and the friend , have history. What can happen in seven days to change your lives forever. It’s just a getaway

So many dynamics in this story made for quite an interesting story. A real page turner with so many scary moments on this hiking trip. Friendship makes many turns as these women complete a journey that is truly life hanging. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for review

This is a taut and suspenseful book. We follow two sisters and a mutual friend as they go on a hiking expedition in the Grand Canyon. The first half deals with the main character Imogen, who is suffering from PTSD after witnessing a mass shooting and an earlier personal violent attack. Her sister Beck invites an old friend, Tilda, hoping she and Imogen can mend a break in their friendship. We get a clear picture of what their relationship was and is and it provides some good tension. The bulk of the story is about the man they encounter who may or may mean them harm and what happens when a seemingly safe trip becomes dangerous.

This is a quick read, and the story flows. All the characters are well written, including "Red", the man they run into during their hike. The descriptions of the hike make the reader feel as if they are there, which is fun for someone who has never been on a hike of any kind. I liked how the villain, Red, is presented as a person and not just some villainous archetype. It makes the lines blur between wanting him to leave them alone but also sympathizing with his situation. While this book has some creepy moments it is by no means horror in my opinion which the author's other books are described as but it is a suspenseful thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.