I can't remember where I picked this up but I think it wasn't that long ago. It was one of those American type floppy paperbacks, weirdly, so I think that made me think it was set in the US until I started reading it. But it is set in Scotland which I was really glad to read. I like UK YA that is set in places other than London, or sometimes Brighton. It's one of my bug bears, actually, but that's a rant for another day.
The main character in the book is Maggie. She's around sixteen years old. She, alongside six other kids in her class, was kidnapped ten years ago by their bus driver. He kept the seven kids in a cave and the other six managed to escape but Maggie didn't. He had her tied up and then he planned to kill the both of them. Instead, she had to watch his suicide over a cliff. She obviously had a lot of trauma and has been homeschooled for the past ten years.
But then she goes along on an Outward Bound type of trip alongside five of the kids who were kidnapped with her - Ben, Stephanie, Lawrence and Seb, Ant - and another girl whose name I've forgotten. Lawrence and Seb are twins. Ant is non binary and has ADHD and I thought this was written brilliantly even though it's only a side bit of plot. Maggie and Ben had been going out but have split up, and he is now going out with Stephanie. Maggie is determined to just ignore them and just get on with the trip. Her dad is a teacher and he is leading them, so even though she's back in the same area as where she was kidnapped before, she's trying to just have a good time.
But immediately strange things happen. Maggie's dad and Ant are carried off in one of the rafts alongside quite a few of the supplies. Maggie wants to follow them downstream but it becomes clear she can't. The rest of the group decide to head to the cabin where the group was to be staying. Maggie has no choice but to follow. But then Stephanie gets injured when a rock falls on her and the others have to stay in the cabin and nurse her. There's a storm rolling in too.
I liked the mystery but didn't love the outcome. I would have given it five starts but I thought the ending was just a bit meh. I didn't buy the motive. I did like the setting though, and all the teens involved. It is told in really believable ways and I could just imagine where everyone was and the wilderness. In all I'm giving this four out of five and would pick something else up by Kirsty in the future!
