The Ritual by Adam Nevill

 

The Ritual by Adam Nevill - 418 pages

Four old university friends reunite for a hiking trip in the Scandinavian wilderness of the Arctic Circle. No longer young men, they have little left in common, and tensions rise as they struggle to connect. Frustrated and tired, they take a shortcut that turns their hike into a nightmare that could cost them their lives.

Lost, hungry and surrounded by forest untouched for millennia, they stumble across an isolated old house. Inside, they find the macabre remains of old rites and pagan sacrifices; ancient artefacts and unidentifiable bones. This place of dark ritual is home to a bestial predator that is still alive in the ancient forest. And now they’re the prey.

As the four friends struggle for salvation, they discover that death doesn’t come easy among these ancient trees..

This book was spooky enough, but I feel it could have been more so.  The story seemed to lag in the middle and the ending for me was not what I was hoping for.  However, the idea of this book is good and I did for the most part enjoy it.  I will definitely seek out another of his books.

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett - 421 pages

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern-day Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed - 336 p.

   Wild is a story of a single woman trying to find herself on the Pacific Crest Trail, or the PCT. I went between thinking that Cheryl Strayed is one heck of a woman or one complete idiot. This book illustrates she is both, but the "one heck of a woman" wins out. From rattlesnakes to bears, to dehydration and ice hikes, this story is insightful, funny, and tense.

101 Essential Tips: Hiking

101 Essential Tips: Hiking by Hugh McManners a DK publication, 72 pages.

Hiking is a wonderful form of outdoor exercise. This little book contains 101 tips on how to make an enjoyable start in a lifelong pursuit. The book is broken into six sections from “Preparing to Walk” through “Personal Safety”. Though I would have liked to see more in the sections on knots, I found the book to be a good read.