Gripping from Start to Finish by Christina Nelson

When four college friends graduated from the University of Northwest Oregon, their lives stretched before them, full of promise and vows to stay connected. But life has a way of derailing well-laid plans.

Now they haven't spoken in twenty-five years. But against all odds, three of them have found themselves back in the same place--at their alma mater, wondering how they got there. When they discover their fourth friend, Hope, has died, Jenna, Ireland, and Vicky decide to embark on a wilderness adventure to honor her memory--and for secret reasons of their own. Jenna wants to show her husband that she's more than a helpless, overweight, middle-aged empty nester. Ireland wants to get back to the nature she loves and hide from the charges being pressed against her. And Vicky wants to show she cares for something besides her ministry--and put off the disaster waiting at home for as long as possible.

They never bargained for the dangers they face in an unforgiving wilderness. Now they'll have to work together if they hope to make it home alive. While the three women fight to survive the elements, their toughest battles may be with themselves. 

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Meet Christina Suzann Nelson:
She is a member of Oregon Christian Writers and ACFW. Her essays have been published in the Cup of Comfort series. Nelson lives in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with her husband and four children. This is her first book.

My Take:
This book grabbed me from the beginning. It starts with a chapter each, about three different women, who roomed together in college, and now 25 years later, they are getting ready to go to the Emery House reunion, although all a bit reluctantly. Their lives are very dissimilar, and yet, not so unalike. Each woman is trying to escape her own inner struggles - empty nest, marriage problems, career difficulties...  They head off to their college reunion, in hopes of maybe finding themselves and the glue that kept them together - Hope. But Hope has died, and life is now looking even more hopeless. They haven't kept in touch these past 25 years like they should have, and their comradeship is not what it used to be. Each anxious for the weekend to be over, but not sure what they will do next.

Individually, they each decide to take a survival trip to the mountains, not knowing the others will be going too. Can they get along long enough to survive? And yet, have enough "alone" time to figure out their lives?

Not too far in, the story took a totally random twist! I was seriously not expecting that! I could hardly put the book down in anticipation of finding out what was going to happen next.  As I got deeper in, the twists kept happening. This is truly a book of survival, not just physical, but spiritual, a survival of the soul. These woman have to learn not only to depend on each other, but to depend on God, and figure out what they are really living for. I thought it was inspirational! 

There is just a bit of confusion at times, because the book is written in first person, with each character telling it from her point of view, so it is important to really pay attention to who is speaking at the time. That's probably the only draw back. 

I was blessed with a copy of this book courtesy of Kregel Publication. I was not asked or required to review positive and all opinions are my very own.