That Weekend by Kara Thomas
Pub Date: June 29, 2021 by Delacorte Press
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SYNOPSIS
Three best friends, a lake house, a secret trip – what could go wrong?
It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it’s clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past forty-eight hours.
Three went up the mountain, but only one came back.
Now everyone wants answers – most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but after that… nothing. And now Kat and Jesse – her best friends – are missing.
That weekend changes everything.
What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory, but as she’s learning, everyone has secrets – even her best friends. And she’s pretty sure she’s not going to like what she remembers.
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Content Warnings: Death, Domestic Abuse, Child Abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Incest, Mentions of Suicide
DISCLOSURE
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. Kara Thomas and I are mutuals on social media. All opinions are my own.
Initial Thoughts 🧠
It’s getting really hard for me to form my thoughts on this. I feel like Kara and I are one-upping each other every time she writes a new book. To be honest, I’m not winning! I’m always left in awe and slack-jawed every time I finish.
As for That Weekend, I went in totally blind except for the synopsis. I believe that’s the best way to go into this book and any Kara Thomas book for that matter. As a fan, I know what to expect but Thomas still managed to surprise me in the best way possible. This book really had me on edge and I couldn’t put it down!
A real page-turner with a compelling plot
I’ve learned my lesson not to read Kara Thomas’ books very early. It sucks when you read a really good book but you don’t have anyone to talk to because it hasn’t been released yet. True story, that happened to me with Little Monsters.
Anyway, for this one, I was going to wait until Week 2 of June but Kal of Reader Voracious slid into my DMs asking if I’ve read this yet. I haven’t read it yet at that time so I told her that I will read it on that same day. It took me less than 24 hours to finish this book.
The story starts right off with Claire waking up as she gets rescued by EMTs in the mountain. Moreover, she had no recollection of the events from the last 48 hours. The story was told in a dual and non-linear timeline. One in the past, and one in the present. I totally enjoy books told in this manner, especially when executed properly because I feel like it adds to the overall reading experience.
It’s easier to live with anger at someone than to deal with the pain of missing them.”
THAT WEEKEND BY KARA THOMAS
I was hooked from the very beginning because of how gripping the narrative was. Also, It’s hard not to root for Claire because as a reader, I also want to know everything that happened. I easily related to her character being the sleuth that I am.
That Weekend dealt with heavy topics and I think it was well-written in a way that didn’t rub off as being glorified. Another thing I really enjoyed was the shocking revelations that left me stunned.
Overall Thoughts 💡
I really tried my best not to drop any spoilers as I didn’t want to ruin your reading experience. Trust me when I say that you want to go in this without knowing anything.
That Weekend might steal Little Monsters’ spot as my favorite Kara Thomas novel. I’m not concluding anything yet, but it just might. Kara Thomas’s writing style is captivating and her delivery of plot twists and revelation truly packs a punch. Plus, she knows how, when, and where to drop them.
The book is fast-paced and the tone is riveting, plus the ending really left me in shock. I think the only issue I had was the lack of character depth outside of Claire. Kat and Jesse were fine but the others just felt a little flat. Then again, the book was mostly plot-driven. It didn’t really take away my overall satisfaction with the book.
Do I recommend this? Absolutely! That Weekend will leave you on the edge of your seat with its compelling narrative and execution.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Let’s Chat 💬
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Yeeeeeeees Inah! Happy to hear you enjoyed this. I see Kara’s still out there leaving us breathless every time. I absolutely cannot wait to be able to read this as well!
You have to talk to me once you read this one!
I must read this book! I read one book by Kara and really loved it. I love that the author keeps you on the edge and guessing. I love doing YA mysteries on audio so I’ll put this one on hold.
Kara is absolutely one of my fave thriller authors! If you haven’t read Sadie by Courtney Summers yet, you have to listen to the audiobook because it’s so good!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for bumping this book up on your reading list so I wasn’t alone in my amazement for too long! The sheer PAIN of being the only person to have read this book was too much. Great review and I think this is my fave book by Kara too.
I know how it feels because I read Little Monsters very early and I had no one to talk to HAHAHA