Bad Call Blog Tour: Review

Bad Call
Author: Stephen Wallenfels
Genre: YA Mystery/Survival
Release Date: December 19, 2017
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Description:

It was supposed to be epic.

During a late-night poker game, tennis teammates Colin, Ceo, Grahame, and Rhody make a pact to go on a camping trip in Yosemite National Park. And poker vows can’t be broken.

So the first sign that they should ditch the plan is when Rhody backs out. The next is when Ceo replaces him with Ellie, a girl Grahame and Colin have never even heard of. And then there’s the forest fire at their intended campsite.
But instead of bailing, they decide to take the treacherous Snow Creek Falls Trail to the top of Yosemite Valley. From there, the bad decisions really pile up.

A freak storm is threatening snow, their Craigslist tent is a piece of junk, and Grahame is pretty sure there’s a bear on the prowl. On top of that, the guys have some serious baggage (and that’s not including the ridiculously heavy ax that Grahame insisted on packing) and Ellie can’t figure out what their deal is.

And then one of them doesn’t make it back to the tent.
Desperate to survive while piecing together what happened, the remaining hikers must decide who to trust in this riveting, witty, and truly unforgettable psychological thriller that reveals how one small mistake can have chilling consequences.  

 

Bad Call is a young adult survival/adventure story that fans of the genre will surely enjoy. I was under the impression that it was going to be more mystery/thriller as well, but that part fell flat, which left the book lacking for me. Don't get me wrong - the story is well done with complex characters, an interesting plot with lots of action and deadly survival scenarios. I just personally wish there would have been more thriller included. It would've made a big difference in my experience. On top of the great descriptions and vivid imagery, the author wrote the book in my favorite style - first person with the bonus of multiple characters' points of view. I love when stories are written this way because it allows the reader a deeper connection with the characters and you can usually invest more into the story. I think the author picked the perfect writing style for the novel and it made a huge plus for me personally. Although this one wasn't quite what I was hoping for or expecting, it was still a good book with lots of great aspects. I recommend it to fans of YA contemporary, action, adventure, and survival stories.

I wrote freelance in the health and fitness industry for twelve years before re-committing myself to my first love - writing fiction. After publishing several short stores for kids, I wrote and published my first novel, POD (namelos.com | Penguin/Ace), a YA scifi survival story set in Prosser, Washington and Los Angeles, California.
 
My second novel, BAD CALL (2017 with Disney/Hyperion) is a YA survival thriller set in one of my favorite stomping grounds, Yosemite National Park.
 
My third novel, TANUM CREEK BRIDGE (2018 - Disney/Hyperion) is another YA survival thriller set in the Pacific Northwest.
 
I grew up in the northeast and enjoyed backpacking and later, during my college years in California and Montana, rock climbing and wilderness survival.
 
My favorite books to read (and write) are centered around real characters dealing with extraordinary circumstances and how they rise to meet those challenges.
 
My passions are my family, reading, writing, cooking, racquet sports, and the environment--particularly climate change. The basic rule in wilderness survival is shelter first. (Author bio and photo taken from Goodreads.)

Links:
http://stephenwallenfels.com/  

*A huge thanks to the wonderful people at Disney-Hyperion for sending me a copy of the book for review!*