Besides the plot of the book, this was hard to follow - I had to reread a lot to understand what was going on.

Plot-wise, this was too OTT for me. You’re telling me these women went on a hike and ended up with beef with a drug cartel? I just think it could’ve gone a number of different ways, and it was just lazy.

It got 2 stars because I did want to know what happened, but as soon as the cocaine showed up, I immediately rolled my eyes.

The Hike

3.5 ⭐️

Four childhood besties make it a point to take a vacation together every year. Joni, the rockstar, Helena the happily single and childless one, Maggie the single mom, and Liz the doctor all put their lives on hold for a week of bonding and adventure. However, constant bickering and being chased through the trails is not what the had anticipated. With no food, water, shelter, or map these four friends must climb the most treacherous exit and hope to escape with their lives.

This was a quick and easy read! It wasn’t your typical thriller in that I needed to keep reading and know what danger lies ahead next. For the first half of the book I found myself wanting to keep reading for the character development. I found myself dissecting each character and seeing how they could put one another is harms way. However, when it came to the second half I had to know what was happening next!! Every time I thought I had figured out the hunter I was proven wrong time and time again. I can confidently say I didn’t see any of the twists coming in the last half of the book!

Thank you to Lucy Clarke and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this!! Publication date is August 28, 2023

I DNF a lot of books around the 30% or 100 page mark these days, so any book that keeps me reading and makes me eager to return to the book immediately moves to the top of my rankings. This was a fun, propulsive, atmospheric thriller with some wonderfully developed characters and a significant amount of dread. It was, in a word: FUN. And honestly, what else are you looking for in your thriller experience? 10/10 would recommend for reading on a beach, or on a lounge chair at a mountain resort. Maybe I wouldn't pack it on a back packing trip, but otherwise...

It was fun to read! I had a hard time picturing the scenes but there was so much complexity in the relationships and I really liked it

Someone said this was very “popcorn thriller” and I can see that.
I think this would translate well to film! I think there was so much conflict, information, issues, that it seemed unlikely to resolve the way it did in the end without … idk… more time?
I think it was interesting and I read it in one sitting but I wasn’t sold on the ending- however, I think some will be opposite and love it!


Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

What a suspenseful, page turning good time! I was on the edge on my seat and didn't know how it was play out until the very end!

The perfect book to throw you headfirst into summer adventures. This thriller wasn’t at all what I was expecting… and that’s why it’s so fantastic. Imagine walking on a remote trail in the mountainous woods. Hearing the crunch of sticks under your feet and nothing but sounds of the animals and desolate wilderness around you. Sensing that someone may be watching. That eery feeling I’m describing? That’s how you’ll feel through it the entirety of The Hike.

A group of longtime friends take an annual trip. Usually they bask on a beach but not this year. Liz is going through a trial separation and what she needs is an escape. A challenge. So she drags her friends to the mountains to hike to the top of a mountain. Despite warnings in a multitude of forms, they begin their hike. What they find on the trail is completely unexpected. And it’ll change everything.

When I say what they find on the trail is unexpected, I truly mean it. This book takes turns you won’t guess and you will truly feel like you’re on-edge in the wilderness. I grew to love these characters, crying tears for them and wishing for their safe return. If you’re itching for an adventure with a thrill and some emotions too, this is a great pick.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read THE HIKE. I really struggled to get into the story. It was very slow and it didn't hold my attention. I still plan to read Lucy Clarke's future novels.

- A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me an ARC of this book -

*Small spoiler*

3.8 stars rounded up to 4

This book made me want to go to the nearest REI, buy hiking gear, and go camping...which says a lot if you've read what these characters went through.
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This is the first novel by Lucy Clarke that I have read, and I doubt this will be the last. I will admit that I was a teensy bit hesitant when I started this book because it started off slow. All too often we see books that have groups of friends out in the stark wilderness and it ends up having little imagination to its plot and characters, and ultimately becomes a worn out story trope. This book was none of these things.

I was pleasantly surprised with the extensive character development and the lengths that the author went to really help the reader envision these characters, their relationships to each other, and their own different personalities. I found myself reading the book while simultaneously playing it like a movie in my head.

Lucy Clarke does a decent job of interweaving imagery of the mountains of Norway, as well as creating a solid amount of depth in her characters that make the story believable and interesting.
Another thing I appreciated was her subtle writing in instances that would lead to eventual plot twists. For example, did not see the Joni/Liz twist coming. When I got to that point in the book, I verbally said "you have got to be kidding me". It's such a breath of fresh air to read a book and can't predict how it's going to turn out. Big applause for that surprise nugget.

The only negative that I can think of was that I felt as though the ending was a *bit* rushed and didn't leave quite a substantial impact on me as the reader.

Overall, it was a good book that kept my interest. Would I say it's worth 5 stars? Probably not, but definitely a solid read that I can see gaining popularity and traction when it is released.

Thank you for allowing me to read this novel prior to publication.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a great page turner. I had to keep going so I could find out what happened next.
The friendships were very relatable. Didn’t see the twist and turns coming. I would absolutely recommend this one.

Before writing my review, I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley, Lucy Clarke, and Penguin Group Putnam, G.P Putnam's Sons for gifting me the ARC of this book! I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!! It was a privilege to be able to read THE HIKE before publication!

THE HIKE is the first novel I’ve read from Lucy Clarke and I really enjoyed it, overall!! There were parts I liked a lot, but other parts, not so much. It took me quite a while to get into the book — definitely a slow-burn. I’d say that around the 40% mark, though, things began picking up — and how!!

Just as a bit of a backstory, four long-time friends set out on a hiking trip in Norway. The author’s descriptions of the landscape and Norwegian setting were quite good. I could easily picture how beautiful it must have looked for our four protagonists. And I did like the four friends— Maggie and Helena definitely more than Liz and Joni, however.

There was lots of suspense, and the short chapters and changing perspectives worked so very well to help move the story along. There were also some unexpected developments, perhaps far-fetched, but still incredibly entertaining!!

So, if you like suspenseful stories about friendships and secrets, with a beautiful (sometimes eerily mysterious) backdrop and a couple of twists thrown in for good measure, you should add THE HIKE to your TBR list. I look forward to reading more from this author, for sure!!

we follow 4 friends on their annual vacation. each year it rotates who picks the location, and this year, Liz picks hiking a mountain in Norway. the girls planned a 4 day hiking/camping excursion and we follow them on their journey.

I felt the beginning was a tad slow, but that the characters were very well developed. once things got moving, they moved. I found myself wanting to pick this back up.

thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank goodness I would never get a wild hair to climb a mountain! This book was tense in the best way. The major plot points were foreseeable, but it didn't matter because you could feel yourself right there with the characters.
Thank you for the ARC!

Four lifelong girlfriends take an annual vacation together to renew their friendships and play catch up.    Where they go is a rotating choice between them and this year it’s unlike all the other places they have visited. They’re going on a wilderness hike.
   What they discover on this journey is more than their lack of physical skill. It’s the discovery of long festering resentments between them. They eye each other and their life choices with much criticism. Each woman has her own set of problems and in spite of their closeness does not choose to share them. How they resolve their bitterness is a result of their facing this arduous trek.
   This hike also has an element of excitement unrelated to the ladies that provide the readier with unexpected surprises.

I loved this book!! (And I love both covers!) It's set in the mountains in Norway, which sounds amazing. The first 25% is a little slow but after that it is straight up SUSPENSE. This book took a lot of turns I was not expecting!
The characters are a friend group of 4 women who are all extremely different from each other. Each chapter switches between one of the friends POV's. I really loved the characters.
I love hiking so maybe that's what caught my attention, but I definitely recommend this book!

I had such high expectations for this book! I loved Lucy Clark's other book! But this one took me a lot longer to get into, but once I did I loved it! The story follows a group of friends hiking on Norway and a killer may be hiking the same way!
It was fascinating and well paced once they arrove at the base of their hiking trail. It was overall a good read!

Liz, Helena, Maggie and Joni have been friends forever. Friends for so long that they go on a girls trip every year. When Liz picks hiking in Norway as their annual affair, the rest of the group is somewhat skeptical...they always end up on a beach with cocktails. But friends to the end, they make the trek and begin a 4 day hiking experience that will change them all forever.

***

A pretty basic concept (4 women, 1 trip that changes everything), but perfectly executed. Unlike Clarke's One of the Girls, the pacing and revelations of this novel were much better. Without spoiling too much, the slightly contrived subplot ends up propelling the plot in ways that feel necessary. So while I didn't necessarily love the twist, I understood its purpose. All in all, one of my favorite Clarke reads.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC!

Lucy Clarke books never disappoint! Nicely drawn characters, beautiful imagery, and a intriguing plot made this a one day read for me.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

I give this book 3 stars because while it kept me engrossed, the ending was flat. I feel like this could have gone in a different direction instead of being a typical drug ring thriller. Idk.. I struggled with the lack of originality in that part of the plot.

3. 5 stars!
4 high school best friends embark on a harrowing (possibly haunted?) mountain hike in Norway. Liz, the mom of twins, a successful doctor, and the girl next door. Helena, the carefree single girl, and boss babe. Maggie, a single mom whose whole life revolves around her daughter. And Joni, the rockstar friend who hasn't been on a holiday with her friends in years because of her busy tour schedule. Multi-POV of the four best friends and another supporting character.
The book really didn't hook me until about 25% of the way in. But I think a lot of that time was spent establishing all of the different characters' backgrounds. There were A LOT of twists. And a lot of red herrings. I'm all for twists but sometimes it just felt like, "Really? Again?" The big main plot point/point of conflict fell a little short for me. That might just be a personal preference.
Also, I don't know if I just hit a reading rut or if it was this book. But I stopped reading on pg. 192 and didn't pick the book back up for WEEKS. However, once I picked it back up, I did finish it in a day.

Overall, this was a good read. I think it just felt like there was a lot going on at times.