Survival Instincts: A Novel

It’s just supposed to be a mother/daughter weekend at a cabin in the woods. Anne is trying to reconnect with her twelve-year-old Thea and invites her mom, Rose, along for the trip. Thea has been distant and angry lately, as she’s recently found out her mom’s been lying to her about her father her whole life but hasn’t gotten the courage to ask her about it. She plans on doing it this weekend, but then everything takes a drastic turn when a man with a gun drags them to an abandoned cabin in the woods. He has some secrets of his own, and everything is going to become a lot clearer over this weekend. Rose, Thea, and Anne will have to use all their survival instincts if they want to get through this weekend alive.

What a fun ride! Rose was probably the biggest surprise to me, even though I understand how far a mother will go to protect her child. I loved how the story weaved together, all those loose threads coming together at the end. This story also deals with the consequences of our actions or, as is sometimes the case, of our inaction. The nature vs. nurture debate is also present here. I had a hard time putting it down, less because of the thriller aspect but more because of the psychological aspect. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, then I would definitely recommend you pick up this book.