Scan barcode
A review by bibliorama
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Enjoyment - 2
It was a quick audiobook to get through which is why I decided to finish it rather than dnf. There were some moments at the beginning where I had hope and could see some foundation for a good time, but as the book drug along that dwindled.
Start - 3
The start was the best part for me because I was excited and interested in the premise. It's why the logistics of taking a ride during a blizzard with strangers doesn't bother me. I think that's a cool setup that could lead to some fun character interactions. The writing also was fine in the beginning as well.
Characters - 1
These characters aren't developed past the intial impression Mira has of them, and we don't really learn much about their backstory. When we get the miniscule amount of backstory for each it doesn't change the characters in any meaningful way, nor does it really enhance what we already know about them. Mira stays at the same emotional level pretty much the entire time, she started out regretting her decision to take the ride and it stays like that for the rest of the book. I liked her being a painter, and what we learned about her mom and aunt. She just has an extremely repetitive inner dialog.
Atmosphere - 2
The only part of the Atmosphere that I enjoyed was the snowy environment. I love extreme snowy/freezing settings that force you to survive against mother nature, but the snow really only affected this story by making it hard to get to Mira's destination. There was a lot of plot armor for this Honda. I mean running up against the rail of a bridge and almost being a part of a pile up, to the extreme gas mileage this car must get considering they were driving in what felt like circles for forever. They would stop driving and pull over to do the most random stuff that rarely felt like the logical option. It also never felt tense. The majority of the "tenseness" was Mira saying she felt like she was being watched over and over again. Even though that feeling initially came out of the blue and when she'd look around no one in the car was ever watching her.
Plot - 1
I could get over the intial premise which is already pretty unrealistic. I was down to see what kind of chaos would ensue from that initial scenario of taking a car ride with strangers during a blizzard, but man this missed the mark. It was so repetitive and barely anything happened. I wanted the drama to be with the people in the car, but the majority of the plot was just dealing with driving in the snow and the author telling us about "feeling off" and "I'm just being paranoid." The stuff with the gas station dad/son duo and the yellow hat guy was also just not interesting. It felt so forced just to add drama when in reality I didn't want them, I wanted the characters in the car to do something rather then just complain. Plus the yellow hat guy makes no logistical sense. This had the ability to be something really good that just fell flat.
Ending - 1
Wasn't a mind blowing twist and felt pretty basic. The resolution and ending also happened very quickly. The buildup outweighed the payoff and it wasn't balanced at all.
Style - 1
This is told in first person which I'm fine with. The repetitive writing as I've mentioned is just what killed it for me. The writing also doesn't stand out in any way, which wouldn't be an issue except I was grasping at straws for something to entertain me.
This is for the audiobook only. The narrator imo was not great. The way it was read fet monotonous and lacked emotion. Especially considering the last audiobook I read was also a YA thriller where I did like the narrator, this is just not it.
Overall - 1.5
It was a quick audiobook to get through which is why I decided to finish it rather than dnf. There were some moments at the beginning where I had hope and could see some foundation for a good time, but as the book drug along that dwindled.
Start - 3
The start was the best part for me because I was excited and interested in the premise. It's why the logistics of taking a ride during a blizzard with strangers doesn't bother me. I think that's a cool setup that could lead to some fun character interactions. The writing also was fine in the beginning as well.
Characters - 1
These characters aren't developed past the intial impression Mira has of them, and we don't really learn much about their backstory. When we get the miniscule amount of backstory for each it doesn't change the characters in any meaningful way, nor does it really enhance what we already know about them. Mira stays at the same emotional level pretty much the entire time, she started out regretting her decision to take the ride and it stays like that for the rest of the book. I liked her being a painter, and what we learned about her mom and aunt. She just has an extremely repetitive inner dialog.
Atmosphere - 2
The only part of the Atmosphere that I enjoyed was the snowy environment. I love extreme snowy/freezing settings that force you to survive against mother nature, but the snow really only affected this story by making it hard to get to Mira's destination. There was a lot of plot armor for this Honda. I mean running up against the rail of a bridge and almost being a part of a pile up, to the extreme gas mileage this car must get considering they were driving in what felt like circles for forever. They would stop driving and pull over to do the most random stuff that rarely felt like the logical option. It also never felt tense. The majority of the "tenseness" was Mira saying she felt like she was being watched over and over again. Even though that feeling initially came out of the blue and when she'd look around no one in the car was ever watching her.
Plot - 1
I could get over the intial premise which is already pretty unrealistic. I was down to see what kind of chaos would ensue from that initial scenario of taking a car ride with strangers during a blizzard, but man this missed the mark. It was so repetitive and barely anything happened. I wanted the drama to be with the people in the car, but the majority of the plot was just dealing with driving in the snow and the author telling us about "feeling off" and "I'm just being paranoid." The stuff with the gas station dad/son duo and the yellow hat guy was also just not interesting. It felt so forced just to add drama when in reality I didn't want them, I wanted the characters in the car to do something rather then just complain. Plus the yellow hat guy makes no logistical sense. This had the ability to be something really good that just fell flat.
Ending - 1
Wasn't a mind blowing twist and felt pretty basic. The resolution and ending also happened very quickly. The buildup outweighed the payoff and it wasn't balanced at all.
Style - 1
This is told in first person which I'm fine with. The repetitive writing as I've mentioned is just what killed it for me. The writing also doesn't stand out in any way, which wouldn't be an issue except I was grasping at straws for something to entertain me.
This is for the audiobook only. The narrator imo was not great. The way it was read fet monotonous and lacked emotion. Especially considering the last audiobook I read was also a YA thriller where I did like the narrator, this is just not it.
Overall - 1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Stalking
Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Nothing was too graphic if any of those warnings give you pause. Here were the two most uncomfortable injuries to me a character cuts their hand on the blade of a windshield wiper and a car runs over the leg of a character. While these scenes do have some detail given over the injuries, it wasn't over the top or overly descriptive. This is still a YA book and even with the tags I listed, I think a teen reader wouldn't have much issue with what's covered.