The Hike was a story of 4 friends who met for an annual girls holiday. This year, Liz chose to do a difficult hike through the mountains of Norway. The POV shifts between Liz, Maggie, Joni, and Helena, each of whom are dealing with their own life circumstances. It’s also interwoven with external characters that own & operate the lodge… not all of whom seem to be trustworthy.

I personally love books that shift from one POV to another. I like being able to put the pieces together from different perspectives. I like being able to choose which characters I like and which ones are not-so-likeable.

I won’t give away any spoilers, but this was an enjoyable read. The challenges of the wilderness and other situations that arise out the girls’ friendship to the test, but ultimately it’s a tale of survival, loyalty, and being able to LIVE (in every sense of the word).

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. I was so excited to receive a Lucy Clarke book…and it fell short for me.

The first 30% of the book is all set up. We meet the four “friends” who are going on their annual girls' trip together and all the creepy characters in the lodge at the foot of the trail. In my opinion, these four women don’t treat each other very well. The only likable character, I thought, was Helena, who despite her faults, was the only one who was fiercely a friend.

The next 50% of the book is the hike. Just them hiking around and talking. Conflicts arise. Arguments are had.

There was no mystery in this to me. There was no suspense. I didn’t have any sense of urgency to find out what happened.

The multiple points of view are helpful but the person in which they are written is odd. The chapter title would say the character's name and be from their point of view, but the tense is third person, not first. The Leif sections are in a weird tense. So, instead of being consistent with the women’s chapters of “Helena walked…”, his were “Leif opens the map…” It felt off.

The spoken parts of those from Norway weren’t written consistently. Some characters spoke English very well then later would speak in broken English. Sometimes they would say “yes?” and other times “ja?”. I’m unsure if this was on purpose or because I had received an uncorrected proof and the errors weren’t caught yet.

This was an absolutely phenomenal story! I got sucked in from the very beginning, and as the friends started on the trail, I couldn’t put the book down. I NEEDED to know what happened next! I typically avoid books told from so many perspectives, but it was not confusing or distracting in this book. I appreciate that there was enough mystery and suspense to keep me interested without trying to “solve” things myself. I enjoyed letting the story unfold. I also liked that each of the characters played the part of the hero at some parts and a villain in others, which made the story more realistic and honest. Five stars!

There are no words. When I tell you that I was up past midnight because I couldn’t go to sleep without knowing what happened - but I was also freaking out, not wanting to read what happened…and the amount of times I audibly gasped…just wow. Having been to Norway and climbed Prekistolen, that is what I was picturing the entire time, which just added to the book and made it all the more real in my opinion (even though the actual location of the story is fictional).

The storyline had a slow start for me. I wasn’t really a fan of any of the characters, and wasn’t sure how the timelines would overlap, but it all made perfect sense in the end. Speaking of - I did not see the ending coming AT ALL. I appreciated that we were given an epilogue of sorts for all the main characters and not just one.

I can’t go as into detail as I would like for fear of spoilers, but I would recommend this book 10 times over.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for letting me have the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Four longtime friends visit Norway for a hiking expedition as part of their yearly tradition of taking a girls only holiday. Each woman has personal problems they're struggling with and have reached a crossroads in life. The trip is meant to be a wildernees adventure, an escape from their problems, a chance to consider the choices before them, and an opportunity to reconnect with each other and renew their bonds. The trip quickly escalates from thrilling holiday to a perilous test of endurance as problems plague the group from day 1, their mistakes and poor decisions add up at an alarming rate, and an ever present sense they're being watched haunts their every move.

The sense of dread and impending tragedy slowly but surely builds as we move thru the story and get closer to revelations about the tragic event in the prologue. The remote, moody setting works well to amplify the suspicion and paranoia the women experience as they struggle to figure out who is trying to help them and who poses a threat. Norway's dense, disorienting forests and vast mountains and valleys create an ominous backdrop as the friends realize they're in over their heads and not prepared for all that the wilderness will throw their way.

As usual, Lucy Clarke writes convincingly about complex, tangled female friendships, with all the highs and lows, struggles, weaknesses, regrets, insecurity, and jealousy. Adverse circumstances magnify both the fractures and strengths of these women's bonds and Clarke captures the nuances of their flawed but believable relationships so very well. Several of the women have wonderful character growth, as they find an inner reserve of strength they didn't realize they possessed, and I absolutely loved that aspect of the story.

I always look forward to my next Lucy Clarke novel, anticipating the vividly described setting, complicated relationships, twisty mystery and stunning conclusion I know awaits me. I flew thru the pages of this book and finished it in less than a day. I enjoyed it all: the slow burn early chapters where we get to know each of the main characters, their adventure evolving from a fun girl's trip to a fight for survival, and finally the intense, breathtaking final showdown.

The Hike is an entertaining, unpredictable thriller from the first page to the last and sure to be a winner for both current Lucy Clarke fans and those who enjoy survivoralist thrillers with flawed but relatable protagonists.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me a copy to read and review.

Wow, was this GOOD!? The Hike is my first Lucy Clarke book and I am not sorry at all!!

Four life-long friends. One wild vacation. They usually do the “sand in the toes” type of holiday, but this year, one of the girls has something a little different in mind. An adventurous hike up a beautiful mountain in Norway! Not all are 100% on board, but hey, they agree because, you know, friendship.

This “off-the-grid” setting is perfect for a nail-biter! Four women alone in the woods? No cell service? Ya, something's gonna go wrong.

It’s a slow building suspense with heart-pounding moments and twists and turns edgier than the mountain trails.

These are the things that kept my pages turning:

● flawed yet likable characters
● friendships & all it’s baggage
● multiple pov’s
● short chapters
● survival mode: on
● twists and turns
● dark secrets
● unsolved mysteries exposed

It's a must-read for sure!

'The Hike' is a book about four women who have been lifelong friends and decide to go on a hiking holiday in Norway. Anything and everything that can go wrong on this trip, does!! Just when you think it can't get any worse, it again does. I found this book a bit unbelievable and frustrating at the decisions these women were making but at the end of the day it was still an enjoyable read. I just had to remind myself for anyone who doesn't hike, it is quite possible for a series of things to go array. While there may have been parts I didn't quite enjoy, I would still recommend this book to anyone look for a fun read. Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I really enjoyed this women-centered thriller! I will say it started off pretty slow and that almost caused me to stop reading it, but once it got about half way through, I did not want to stop reading! It had some twists and turns that I was not expecting. I did figure out who died because of what characters had chapters in the afterward, so if you do not want to be spoiled, do not look ahead! The minor characters that were brought back at the end of the book made sense for the story, but because I was not into the beginning, I could not recall anything about them by the end. That would be my only dislike for this book!

I received The Hike by Lucy Clarke in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Puntam Books and NetGalley for this wonderful opportunity.

The Hike is a tale of four lifelong friends meeting in Norway to hike Blafjell mountain for their annual girls trip. The women are completely unprepared to not only climb this mountain but for every trial that meets them along the trail. Blafjell tests their physicality, friendship, and sanity.

I enjoyed the slow burn of The Hike. Clarke took time to build the characters and their backstories. I felt connected and could relate to these women at every level.

The atmosphere and setting was beautifully written. As an outdoor enthusiast I wish I could visit Blafjell!

I really wanted to love this book. But all in all I felt let down. I think I had an expectation for the supernatural to play a bigger part in this story. The whole read I was waiting for something more to happen but it never did.

Fast, enjoyable read about four friends in their thirties on their annual girls' trip, this time for a challenging mountain hike instead of relaxing on the beach. All four women bring secrets and their emotional baggage along with them. When the trip turns dangerous, will they stick together to survive or will their secrets tear them apart? Fast-paced, this new novel by Lucy Clarke will keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!

Lets start with the basics, at its core, this is a good mystery. Approaching the intensity of what it means to be outside and in the elements. This for me felt at times claustrophobic, because, although the wilderness plays a big part in this story, it can be extremely condensing. I felt cornered at times.

This is also my first read from Lucy Clarke, so I am curious about her previous works. However I will say this. I am no stranger to the fact that no story is an original story, but what makes it original is the approach.

Whew! That was a page turner. I read this in one day and the hair on the back of my next stood up more than once. MAYBE I am a bit of a chicken, I'll admit it but Lucy Clarke knows how to write suspense. The book is fast paced and suspenseful. When I felt like I figured it out, there was a twist. She also did a great job of fleshing out the different characters and their motivations. Even when I was surprised by what happened, their actions made sense when looked at through the perspective of the character she had created. To me, that is one of the markers of a good character development, when you have shown us enough of their personality that even though I don't understand their decision, I can see why they made the choice. I felt like I knew this friend group and the supporting characters and at times, I felt like I was right there on that mountain with them watching it all play out.

p.s. I am extremely glad I decided to wait a week to read this until after our camping trip last weekend.... Now if I can just forget the feelings she described so well before I am on another in two weeks 😳

I loved it!
I the short chapters made it such a page turner, I just had to know what was going to happen next.
I was on the edge of my seat through most of it, it was definitely a page turner.
I enjoyed the multiple POV, the setting and the surprise twists.
Definitely would recommend this book!
4.5 stars

I loved this book!!!! A thriller set in the mountains of Norway, what more could you ask for? Liz and her three best friends take an annual trip together every year, usually to the beach, but not this year. Liz convinces them to spend 4 days hiking a Norwegian mountain. The stunning beauty of the landscape is enough to take your breath away, but the shocking isolation of it all leaves them feeling a bit uneasy.

Lucy Clarke does a fantastic job with character development, with each chapter featuring a different POV between the four women. While this isn’t a heart stopping thriller, more of a slow burn survival story, it was right up my alley. Highly recommend!

This book is out April 27th, 2023

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review posted on Instagram 4/18/23

Four childhood friends gather for an annual retreat. But as we learn more, the women couldn't be more different and are all at pivotal points in their lives.

They've done highbrow beach resorts and glitzy, cocktail-fueled escapades, so when one suggests a multi-day, primitive hiking retreat in the dramatic and remote Norwegian forest, not everyone is immediately on board.

What ensues is a heart-pounding, breathtaking thriller that encapsulates the profound beauty and depth of the imperishable female bond.

The Hike was a great book! I liked that each of the four friends had something they needed to talk about in their personal lives with their friends and something about each of them that bothered somebody else in the group. The mystery behind what happened to the lost hiker and also what's going on with each of the girls and their difficult hike all played together well. There was a lot of character development so it took till about halfway in the book to get to more of the thiller parts. The second half of the book goes fast with a couple of twists that the read might not see coming.

Liz, Joni, Maggie, and Helena are childhood friends and every year they take a girls trip to reconnect. Liz decides she wants a change of scenery from the typical oceanside trips to a hike up the Norwegian mountains. The other girls are hesitant, not only because they aren't hiking type of girls, but the mountain Liz plans to climb is very dangerous, and rumored to be haunted. But the girls decide to go along with Liz and when they end up at the lodge, everyone cannot stop staring at Maggie. Why? Well, she looks exactly like a girl who disappeared during a mountain hike exactly one year earlier.

I don't want to give away more to the story but this is my first Lucy Clarke novel and I can see what the hype is all about! The Hike was a slow build but I loved the development of the characters as well the setting. I'm glad to say I didn't see the twists/surprise ending coming and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and publishers for providing me a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke

What an adventure this book was, Liz, Maggie, Helena and Joni have been friends since high school, they have gone through life together facing ups and downs and maintained their friendship through it all.

Liz had the choice of vacation this year and she decided she wanted to go on a hiking adventure, she found peace in walking and wanted her friends to feel the same. None of them knew their lives would never be the same after this trip and that in taking this trip the immersed themselves into something none of them had a clue about.

The dynamics of this group shows the highs and lows of long term friendships and how they get through the rough spots.

This was a good mystery/suspense book, although the flash backs were not clearly marked and confused me some by the end I was able to understand why they were done that way

This was not my first Lucy Clarke book, and I hope to read more by her in the future. This book was a page turner for sure! A few surprises, and a few things I figured out on my own! I definitely recommend! #netgalley

The Hike is my first book from Lucy Clarke, and can I just say wow!

From the first page, you'll be immersed in the lives of a small group of girlfriends embarking on their annual retreat. Only this year will be different. Instead of rest and relaxation, they'll be hiking in Norway. But little did they know how much the trip will bring out inner feelings and secrets could possibly tear them apart.

While dealing with their inner struggles and discoveries, they'll stumble upon a mystery years in the making.

I have to say, after reading this, if any of my friends ever mention a backpacking trip, I'm just gonna turn and walk away…