*I won this book in a BookishFirst contest*
Bad Call was a very apt name for this book. There were so many "bad calls" made by the four main characters in this book. Ceo, Grahame, and Colin were supposed to go camping in Yosemite for the weekend but their fourth camper Rhody bailed on the trip last minute. He is replaced by Ellie, a girl Ceo met at an acting camp, and the other guys on the trip aren't too pleased. The feeling is mutual when Ceo reveals to Ellie the details of the camping trip. Things only get worse when their original plan is foiled and they continue on their trip but in a totally different part of the park. Things go south very quickly when the campers realize that the storm descending on them rapidly is way worse than they anticipated, there is a hungry bear roaming the area and their camping gear is faulty and unsatisfactory for the weather they are facing. Will they make it back in one piece or were they doomed from their first "bad call?"
The story was told in short chapters each told from the perspectives of one of the four teenagers (Ceo, Grahame, Colin and Ellie). The story skipped periodically from the storyline in the present to moments or events that took place in the past. The first half of the book was a little slow but the length of the chapters made it much easier to move forward through the parts that required a more detailed backstory and character development. The second half went much faster. The action leading up to and following the climax was very exciting and the ending was unexpected but it was satisfying. I was personally not a fan of Ceo, who I felt was an entitled bully, or Grahame, who was egotistical and a major jerk. I liked Colin but found myself cringing every time he caved to Ceo. I pitied him for not standing up to Ceo more but I also admired him for being loyal to his friend. Ellie was my favorite because no matter how bad things got, she stuck to her principles and wouldn't let any of the guys disrespect her in any way. This book reminded me in many ways of The Edge starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin released in 1997, which was ironically mentioned in the book, and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended to 16+ for inappropriate language and some gore. Recommended to reluctant readers.
Bad Call was a very apt name for this book. There were so many "bad calls" made by the four main characters in this book. Ceo, Grahame, and Colin were supposed to go camping in Yosemite for the weekend but their fourth camper Rhody bailed on the trip last minute. He is replaced by Ellie, a girl Ceo met at an acting camp, and the other guys on the trip aren't too pleased. The feeling is mutual when Ceo reveals to Ellie the details of the camping trip. Things only get worse when their original plan is foiled and they continue on their trip but in a totally different part of the park. Things go south very quickly when the campers realize that the storm descending on them rapidly is way worse than they anticipated, there is a hungry bear roaming the area and their camping gear is faulty and unsatisfactory for the weather they are facing. Will they make it back in one piece or were they doomed from their first "bad call?"
The story was told in short chapters each told from the perspectives of one of the four teenagers (Ceo, Grahame, Colin and Ellie). The story skipped periodically from the storyline in the present to moments or events that took place in the past. The first half of the book was a little slow but the length of the chapters made it much easier to move forward through the parts that required a more detailed backstory and character development. The second half went much faster. The action leading up to and following the climax was very exciting and the ending was unexpected but it was satisfying. I was personally not a fan of Ceo, who I felt was an entitled bully, or Grahame, who was egotistical and a major jerk. I liked Colin but found myself cringing every time he caved to Ceo. I pitied him for not standing up to Ceo more but I also admired him for being loyal to his friend. Ellie was my favorite because no matter how bad things got, she stuck to her principles and wouldn't let any of the guys disrespect her in any way. This book reminded me in many ways of The Edge starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin released in 1997, which was ironically mentioned in the book, and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended to 16+ for inappropriate language and some gore. Recommended to reluctant readers.