THE BITTER END, by Alexa Donne, Random House Books for Young Readers, Oct. 15, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A winter storm traps eight teens with a killer in The Bitter End, a YA thriller by Alexa Donne.
The trip of a lifetime might be the death of them all.
The students of LA’s elite Warner Prep can’t wait for their Senior Excursion—five days of Instagrammable adventure in one of the world’s most exclusive locations. This is not your average field trip.
Which is why eight students can’t believe their bad luck when they end up on a digital detox in an isolated Colorado ski chalet. Their epic trip is panning out to be an epic bore . . . until their classmates start dropping in a series of disturbing deaths. The message is clear: this trip is no accident.
And when a blizzard strikes, secrets are revealed, betrayals are exposed, and survival is at stake in a race to the bitter end. —Synopsis provided by Random House Books for Young Readers
If The Bitter End sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The whole kids from an elite school getting stranded on a school trip only to discover a murderer in the midst is not a new idea. However, Alexa Donne’s pacing, plot and overall storyline make it stand out amid the crowd.
The Bitter End is told from multiple points of view and two time periods, which is a little confusing to begin with, but makes more sense as the story progresses. In fact, this setup really helps move the narrative forward and helps to keep you guessing all the way until the end.
Now because this story features really rich, entitled teens, you can expect some debauchery — allusions to sex, drug use, drinking, bullying and violence. The book wouldn’t work without it, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re sensitive to any of these things.
The Bitter End feels cinematic in a made-for-tv way. It’s a fast-paced mystery that’s not exactly deep but is enjoyable nonetheless.
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