Oblivion Road

by Alex McAulay

Five stranded teenagers must battle for their lives against a group of escaped convicts, and each other, in this shocking survival thriller from the author of Bad Girls and Lost Summer .

Courtney Stanton thinks she's on just another ski trip with her friends -- until a horrific car accident strands them all on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. Frightened but alive, Courtney and her companions discover an abandoned vehicle nearby, and seek help. But the vehicle turns out to be a prison van, with the inmates missing, and the guard's dead body in the front seat.

Soon after, a stumbling figure emerges from the snow, a handcuffed refugee from the van. He says he's been in prison for selling meth, but that he once served in the army. Dare they trust him? He pleads innocence about the guard's murder, warns them about the other fugitives, and promises he will help guide them out of the wilderness. But as the group begins a nightmare trek across the frozen landscape, they start to get the feeling he hasn't told them the entire truth, and someone -- or something -- is secretly watching their every move.

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary, Survival, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2007

About the author

Alex McAulay was born in Seattle, but grew up in Dallas, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. He is the author of four novels, including Shelter Me and Bad Girls, which is in development as a feature film. Alex is a graduate of Brown University, and currently lives in Santa Monica with his wife Lisa.

Reviews

[Misty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the Other Shelf Tours, and I requested it on pure cover appeal alone -- and since we all know how this typically works out for me, I'll just hold out my hand to be slapped now.

I don't know why I don't learn.  I sort of don't know what to say about this book.  It's not that the writing was awful, per se, it's just that I was completely indifferent for a majority of the book.  This is a suspense novel, and it should have been riveting.  These kids are stranded in a brutal environment with an apparent truckload of maniacs on the loose, and horrible, absolutely horrible, things are happening to them -- and I didn't care. 

McAuly never made me feel like Courtney or her friends were real, and even though they were in near-constant danger, I never felt as though they were -- I never had that tension that you should have with this type of book, the tension where you jerk upright and hunch over the book, or literally sit on the edge of your seat in some weird mimicry of the events, as if you may get up and run or fight or whatever the case may be.  Courtney's narration was sort of apathetic and disjointed, which is maybe a realistic shock reaction, but which doesn't lend itself to the excitement of a suspense story -- and this feeling carried over even into the parts where Courtney claimed to be terrified.  I found myself apathetic in the same way, at one point calmly thinking, "Yeah, ___________'s going to die," and moving on like it was nothing.  I should care if a main character is about to bite it.  I have to put this on McAuly -- you can't just say there's terror, you have to prove it.  Make me terrified, make me give a damn.  If brutal, horrific things are happening and I feel nothing more than mild disgust, that's an issue.

There did come a point near the end of the book where I started to feel a little more tension -- when Courtney is finally faced with the decision to confront the situation and be active on her own -- and from then on it was more enjoyable -- but in a 300 page book, to become invested in the last 50 pages is unacceptable.  That's 250 pages of wasted potential.  And even though I felt the tension then, it was too little, too late.  By that point it was too close to the end for me to care who made it out alive, if anyone.  I was over it.  That budding tension should have happened in the beginning and been built upon throughout, so that by the end I was ravenous to know what happened.  That's what a thriller should be. If this hadn't been a book specifically for review, I wouldn't have made it past 50 pages.  I don't even know that I would have made it to 50 pages.  If I don't care enough about the characters by then to worry when they're in imminent danger, then it's too late to make me care at all.

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five friends coming back from a ski trip. A blizzard. An accident. A prison van found on the side of the road.
One night that will change the way you fear...

This was sooooo not my typical read, but I couldn't help be so curious about this book. The characters were realistic, maybe a little too realistic in this case which made it feel more real. More shutter-worthy.
The writing is hauntingly vivid and the plot was creepy, scary disturbing, which makes Oblivion Road a quick, gripping survival thriller that you wont be able to put down!!
For anyone looking for a chill-factor in a read, this one goes out to you!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. I totally did not expect this book to be good (mostly because I saw that it was published by MTV Books), but this book kept me captivated! Coming home from a skiing trip, a group of teens get into a car accident and run off a deserted "shortcut" road, wrecking the car and injuring passengers. Yeah, I know this sounds like a typical setting for a book, but this is where things start to get good. Escaped prisoners, serial killers, amputation, teens going crazy, wolf attacks, emergency surgery..... what more can you want in a book?? A nail-biting read.... loved it.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowhere near as good as I remember. I decided to reread it because, several years ago, I adored it. Unfortunately, that impression didn't withstand a reread.

I believe McAulay was trying for an objective, third-person tone--showing the readers the horror of the events in the book without letting emotion get in the way. For me, at least, it failed. Don't get me wrong: horrible, terrible things happen in this book, and that is not lost on the reader. However, the writing was overly simplistic. I found that it lacked life. I felt a bit like it was written in the same way I would write a grocery list.

I couldn't connect with the characters much. I couldn't stand that Harris and Jeremy were, supposedly, friends from youth group, but they are not all like the people I know who attend youth groups on a regular basis. Melanie was static, merely "that girl who was mysteriously injured from the accident." Though realistic, Jeremy's descent into madness didn't inspire sympathy or pity in me; in fact, I found it comical. He was such a damn hindrance to everyone's survival I just couldn't even stand it. Reyna was decent, and basically the only one who remained fairly level-headed, because she seemed to be that type of person, the take-charge type. I couldn't stand Courtney. Not the tiniest bit. And honestly, I'm not sure if I'd ever be able to tell you why. Just because she is the main character does not mean she needs to lack a personality. She cusses, she worries, and she fears for her friends. That's really it. I wouldn't be able to classify her as cruel or nice or intelligent, simply because she was all over the place. Compassionate, maybe--but ultimately she coerced her friends into helping JG because she didn't want other convicts to find him and, subsequently, them.

What bothered me most would have to be her inexplicable thoughts regarding such inconsequential things when their situation was so dire. Courtney worries about whether Jeremy likes her back, has a bout of jealousy regarding Jeremy's crush on Reyna, and she worries about dying a virgin. From a speculative point of view, I find it hard to believe she would find these things so significant when her life is in such serious danger. Her thoughts of her family and school make perfect sense, with trying to detach herself from a harsh reality and worrying how her death would affect her parents, but her foolish thoughts of "I don't want to die without ever having sex" or "I don't want to die without a boyfriend" made me hysterically mad. Granted, I have no idea if people would really think things like this in a situation as stressful as the one in the book, but it seems to outlandish to me. It sounds so utterly pathetic and rings with disorganized priorities, and if Courtney doesn't ultimately seize control of her destiny at the end, I could end up complaining that the author thinks women are weak with men to hold them up and guide the way.

I would recommend the book solely on the events of the plot, if they were into a (mostly) fast-paced plot with action and could handle quite a bit if gore.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Five friends, Jeremy, Courtney, Reyna, Harris, and Melanie, just wanted to have a fun vacation. Skiing on the slopes and just hanging out. Everything was fine until the ride home.

Not knowing what happened, Courtney finds herself on a road with a guy, Jeremy, right beside her. The car the teens were in had crashed and flipped into a ditch, but none of them knows how it happened. All of them are fine, rescuing one another, but having someone rescue all of them seems impossible, especially when everything is isolated and a blizzard is closing in on them. The teens are stranded, with no way to call for help or find their way home -- but at least they have each other.

They all lose hope since there is no way out, that is until they see a van. Unfortunately, the van was once home to prisoners who were being transported, and who have escaped, leaving the drivers behind, dead. Surviving through harsh weather may have been hard, but now trying to stay alive with convicts loose seems much more difficult. Of course, not all convicts are bad, right? At least that is what the one convict says when he stumbles upon the teens.

The convict, J.G., says he was in the army and was only in prison for selling drugs and would not kill anyone, especially the guards. Sure, he may have helped Melanie, with her injured leg, and he knows all the medical terms and possibly a way for the teens to go home. But will the teens stick with him the entire time to be saved, or will they regret ever trusting him? Will all of them find their way home or will only a few make it?

Five teens, oblivious of what lies ahead, of what will happen in the end.

Being stranded and having to survive is Alex MacAulay's forte. In true fashion, being trapped and completely lost has to be the least of anyone's worries since there are more dangers that lurk in every corner. Another hit from MacAulay, who leaves his readers at the edge of their seat, wondering themselves if being stranded would be as exciting as this. Fans of BAD GIRLS and LOST SUMMER will not be disappointed.

[Witch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would be the type of book I enjoy. Being caught in the snowy wilderness, alone and desperate to survive, that interests me. But Alex McAulay is possibly the most boring author ever. His sentences are so basic, his characters are so dull. None of the characters had an ounce of personality; in fact, all of them were stock, some even stupid.

A couple of details bothered me. One was that wolves don't act in the way McAulay presented them. A healthy wolf pack will not attack a group of humans, especially those with a fire going. Even in blizzard conditions. In these times where wolves are endangered, I'm disappointed that these stereotypes of wolves are still encouraged. Shame, shame on you, Alex McAulay.

However, the book picked up towards the middle. Though McAulay's sentences are boring, he can really write realistic panicked and numb behavior. There were also graphic gruesome scenes that I actually enjoyed, though they felt like desperate attempts to appeal to the male audience.

But realistically, no teenager can do what was done. In the end, the setting was the only redeeming part of this book.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great literature, but a good, quick read. Honestly, it reads like a slasher film. (No, don't go that way!) I might have given it more stars, but the slasher film/suspended reality feel wasn't quite for me. Things were entirely too predictable and overly coincidental. And what was up with the weird wolf behavior?! The first few chapters got me sucked in, but it started to lag about halfway through. Fans of horror and suspense (who can suspend belief a bit!) or those who just want a fast & easy read should really enjoy this one.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book I read for my independent reading is, ‘Oblivion Road’ by Alex Mcaulay. The author decided to write this book because he loves writing about suspense and what a person would do in order to survive. The reason for choosing this book is because my younger sister recommended it to me. She told me that is was a great fictional survival novel that dealt with teenagers. This book is focused around survival in the wild in a blizzard and surviving a psychopath who should be imprisoned. This book is about five teenagers who get stranded on a Colorado road during a snow storm due to an accident. These friends were coming back from a ski trip and the driver claimed that he accidentally hit a deer which caused them to crash off the road. The teenagers then had to survive their injuries and the weather as well as a prisoner on the loose. Two of the teenagers walked up the road to seek help but instead found a prison van with the guard dead and the prisoners gone. They then met one of the prisoners who claimed that he’d help them get out of the situation because he used to live around that area and he knew where the next town was located. One of the books main messages is to never trust an inmate. The major themes of this story are loss of innocence, finding hope after tragedy, losing hope and heartbreak of betrayal. Courtney lost her innocence by the end of the book when she took someone’s life in order to save her own. Renee was always optimistic about the situation; she always had her hopes high and never showed fear. Jeremy was the guy who lost hope very early in the book. He was considered a pessimist. He never looked at the bright side of things, even though this book had no bright side. Courtney and Renee were heartbroken when they were betrayed by the prisoner they should not have trusted in the first place.
In Colorado, Courtney was coming back from a ski trip with her friends, Jeremy, Reyna, Harris and Melanie. They were on an unpopular road where Jeremy claimed to have hit a deer and crashed. Jeremy had asked Courtney,
’You don’t remember?’ She shook her head, but it hurt her neck, so she stopped. ‘No. I mean, sort of.’ Her memory of the event was slowly coming back. She remembered they’d been returning from a ski trip at Quail Ridge Run outside Pagosa Springs. They had spent a weekend there at a condo owned by Jeremy’s father. It was now the tail end of Christmas Break and they were supposed to have left earlier in the day but they’d stayed late. The boys had wanted one final run on a slope, a double diamond that had scared her. (Mcaulay 4)
This car accident strands these five teenagers on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. This road was then closed down, they assumed, due to the snow storm. No one was traveling on the road therefore; no one was out there to help them. These teenagers had to get out of this situation on their own. The accident had hurt Melanie pretty bad and she was unconscious for a while. The group decided to split up. Courtney and Reyna would travel up the road to find help of any kind and Jeremy and Harris would stay back to watch Melanie. While Courtney and Reyna walked up the road they discovered a prison van with the guard shot dead and the inmates missing. The girls realized that they no only had to survive the weather and wild animals; they had to look out for prisoners who could be drug dealers, rapists or even murderers. The two girls went back to their crashed car to tell their friends about what they discovered. Later that night, a prisoner came crawling out of the woods asking for help. The teenagers contemplated whether to help him or no and after a few minutes they decided to help the inmate. They warmed him up by giving him extra clothes and after a while he told them that he wasn’t the one who killed that prison guard back at the van. He said that there were five prisoners in the prison van including a very violent man that was on the loose. This prisoner, who called himself J.G, told the teenagers that he wasn’t a murderer, he was a drug dealer. J.G said, “’Don’t worry. I was in for drug possession and dealing. Crystal meth. Three strikes and you’re out. It was the same with one of the others guys. The other two had beaten up their wives or some domestic crap like that. Leonard was the only one who’d killed anyone” (Mcaulay 78). He told the teenagers that they should be worried about the inmate, Leonard Bell who actually did kill the guard. J.G told them that Leonard was a psychopath who killed and ate his own family. J.G said,
’A couple years back, Leonard Bell killed almost his entire family. His mom, his dad and his two younger brothers. Cut them right up, and then ate part of his sister. But he let her live and she went insane. He’s a stone-cold psychopathic serial killer. He was being taken to Maitland Correctional with me and the other unlucky suckers in that van.” (Mcaulay 78)
These teenagers and J.G were terrified of this Leonard character. They surely did not want to run into him on their way to Pine Valley. J.G also stated, “’You don’t know him. Some people have special talents for things. Leonard’s talent is killing people, hunting them. If you underestimate him, you will get slaughtered like a pig. This is a man who massacred his own family, who ate human flesh” (Mcaulay 230). He also had the advantage by stealing the guard’s rifle. J.G promised the teenagers that he’d help them travel thirteen miles to the next town, Pine Valley to seek help. Do these teenagers dare trust this inmate or do they realize that he’s lying through his teeth?
The book, “Oblivion Road” was an excellent survival book in my opinion. I enjoyed the book because the author wrote in third person and that was different for me. I usually never read novels in third person, they are usually always in first person. The author also did a great job with the characters. I really loved the way the author wrote the beginning because the characters where still friends with each other trying to figure out how to get out of that situation. Then when the situation kept getting worse for these teenagers, the author explained how they all lost hope in surviving and how their personalities changed drastically. For example, at first Jeremy was afraid of the situation but he still had control over himself. By the end of the story, he was completely different. Jeremy always had a pessimistic attitude and he stopped caring whether he survived or not. On the other hand, Courtney in the beginning was scared of the situation and she always felt like she had to be the leader of the group. By the end, Courtney became a brave soldier who could survive anything. Both Jeremy and Courtney’s personality changed significantly and I loved the way the author proved this. The ending of the story surprised me. I had no idea the book would wrap up in that way. The ending reminded me of the ending of a book Ted Dekker would write, who is my favorite author. I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults. The only reason I wouldn’t recommend this book to children is the fact that there is murder and I feel that murder is a little scary for children. This book was phenomenal.

[Sarah B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, but the repetitiveness of using the character's names constantly bugged me!

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Survivalist Tale in the Colorado Back-country, Best Enjoyed by a Younger Audience
3 / 5 stars

Five teenagers survive a near-fatal car crash on the way back from a ski trip on a deserted Colorado back-country road. The group must survive in the vicious wintry conditions with varying degrees of injuries and no help on the way. Two girls set off to scope out the road ahead, hoping to find other people or shelter; instead, they are met with the horrifying discovery of a prison van which has also crashed. The driver is dead and the inmates have escaped.

Oblivion Road is a thriller aimed at a young adult audience. I found the writing style to be overly simplistic, which may be a turn-off for adult and adept teenage readers. A couple of sittings are enough to knock off the entire novel. It fits into the thriller genre in a very satisfying way, continuing to build the suspense seemingly effortlessly. The finale had me strung up in anticipation, yet I felt a little let down at the same time. Let me explain (no plot details, no worries):
The novel is a thriller, but more specifically, a survivalist thriller. McAulay does a fantastic job layering in the suspense for about three-quarters of the novel; however, at the end it becomes unbelievable for me, it seems to lose touch with reality. I believe the tension of this novel (and many other survivalist thrillers without fantasy elements such as zombies), is grounded in a heavy dose of reality which is interwoven with believable but fictitious events. At the point where the fiction is stretched past believability the tension fades. This is the best way I can think of to express what I found to be the ultimate let-down of the novel.

The premise of the story line is original and unique, which appeals to me. I like how although the characters are stuck within their environment, the pace of the plot is not equally as idle. The characters themselves are fitting to the novel. They have the quality of “average-ness” that I am looking for in a survivalist story, which as I explained above is not a demerit in my view. I feel neutral about Courtney as the narrator. I do not feel that the story would have been told much differently had it been from Reyna’s point of view. An element that I feel adds to the novel is the sense of disbelief and shock expressed by Courtney throughout, it is a consistent part of her story that is integrated in a natural manner with her thoughts and actions.

All in all, I have to rate the novel as middle-of-the line for me. It might be better enjoyed by a younger teenage readership with a tolerance for the darker themes and at times violence that goes along with a story of survival.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book made me think of those teenage horror flicks I used to watch as a young adult. Every scene in the book I could picture on the big screen. It's one of those that I would be gripping my husband's hand next to me as I sit on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next ball to drop, trembling with anticipation. The author created such a suspenseful, tense storyline that kept me up until 1:00am on a work night, because I HAD to know how it ended!

I loved this book! I will admit that I figured out what was going on about midway through, but I didn't know for sure, so I was furiously turning the pages to see if I was right! The author's pacing of the story was spot on and kept me intrigued page after page. I love how the chapters ended on a cliffhanger, so I had to continue reading to see what happened next! Hence, the staying up until 1:00am part!

I'm not going to recap the book as I think the synopsis is spot on and covers it all perfectly. I love suspenseful novels and this one definitely fit the bill. This is the first book I read by this author and I will definitely be looking for his others. This is a great young adult book, with some fairly gruesome scenes, so be forewarned!! It reads very quickly and easily and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Recommended!!

Jennifer
http://www.crazy-for-books.com

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex McAulay weaves a fast-paced tale of terror. During an ice-cold January in Colorado, five high school friends are heading home from a weekend ski trip when their SUV veers off the road and crashes into the dense forest, stranding the teens in a blizzard miles from civilization. With no cell phone service and little food or water, best friends Courtney and Reyna brave the knee-deep snow and trudge a few miles up the road. But instead of finding help, the girls discover an abandoned prison van with the guard shot dead in the front seat. Terrified, they hurry back to their friends and the crushed SUV, where they all take refuge for the night. But hours later, when they see a handcuffed man in a prison jumpsuit crawling out of the forest, the teens are forced to make a life-or-death decision: save the potentially dangerous prisoner or let him freeze to death? The author excels at building suspense and providing nonstop action, constantly escalating the stakes in this fight for survival. "[Courtney:] felt glad to be alive, but oddly detached. She guessed the emotions would hit her later." This is the print version of a popcorn flick-shocking and entertainingly Kick-A** Book!!!! 2 Thumbs Way Up!!!!! Go out a7 get this book it is another Keeper to read over agian. :o)

[Timothy]

Oblivion Road
Alex Mcaulay
Pocket Books, MTV books
New York
293 pages

Reading this book was an amazing experience! The book begins with two people finding out that they got into a car accident, and finding out what to do next. As they meet up with the other people who were also involved in the car accident, they think of ways of getting out of the woods covered with snow. At first, it seems hopeless that these characters would get out alive because of the injuries that they have.

This book takes a turn the moment Courtney, and the others find a prisoner who also got into a car accident in a road elsewhere. After that, it became a game of who to trust, and whether the children can trust the prisoner to lead them out of the woods. The prisoner, J.G talks about a crazy prisoner on the loose in the woods named Leonard, when at the end, its the Leonard who is the person who talks with the children. Courtney faces challenges throughout the book to survive in the woods, and there seems to always be an obstacle that stops them.

I would recommend this book to everyone who needs a good book to read, and who loves a book that brings the reader on a roller coaster ride.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very strange book and if I hadn't been on a plane, I probably wouldn't have finished it. While returning from a ski trip, five teenagers are in a vehicle accident. Unfortunately, the driver had taken a little-traveled road where there is no cell reception and it's unlikely they'll be found anytime soon. Since one of the teens is severely injured, three of the teens go looking for help only to discover they are in more danger than from the cold - a prison transport van has crashed as well and it is empty accept for a dead guard. One of the prisoners finds them and asks for their help in exchange for his survival skills. The teens don't trust him, but they know they're in over their heads - thus begins a tense journey to get home.

This isn't a happy book in any way, shape, or form, but it is slightly more realistic as a result. I enjoy survival novels, but the depictions of what is necessary for survival are quite horrifying. I was left with a sick feeling in my stomach at the end and even thinking about it now makes me unhappy. I suppose its affective writing, but it is certainly not my cup of tea.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I have no idea how to write a review for this because everything I want to say will give it all away. What I can tell you is that Alex McAulay did a great job with keeping the plot moving so quickly that every time I thought about stopping, something would happen. Some sudden twist that I should have seen coming, but I never did.

I haven't read a thriller in a long time, and this book had me at the edge of my seat. There was so many things lingering in the back of my mind. Are Courtney and her friends going to make it out alive? Is this escaped convict the type of guy you can trust? What's going to happen to them as they try to seek help? When I read a book that is based on survival, it always makes me question what I would do in the same situation. In the book, I really liked what J.G. (the convict) said. Now I'm sure I'm not quoting this right, but it was something on the lines that everyone wants to think they'd act like a hero until the reality is there. That line really sets the stage for this book.

Basically if you're in the mood for a read that will keep you in suspense where you're dying to know what's going to happen next - this is your book.

[brigette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel sooo betrayed.

WTF J.G.? I totally believed him, and was actually starting to like him. Guess he got what he deserved in the end though...

Courtney and her friends Reyna, Jeremy, Harris, and Melanie were on their way home from a ski trip on winter break, when they got into a car accident and came across a van that held prisoners. The guard was dead and the convicts escaped. Trying desperately to get home, they eventually find one of the convicts laying face down in the snow and decide to help him.

Such a good book. I read it in a few hours, so it was a quick, fast paced read, and I LOVED every second of it. It was thrilling and had my full attention the entire time.

Oblivion Road..such a good title for it too.

I wish I could say that if I were in this situation I would be as strong as Courtney and Reyna, but I'd be totally lying if I did. I mean, yeah, I watch enough discovery channel and National Geographic to MAYBE survive in the woods for a few days..but wow. Not this. I'd be dead, and probably by my own hands.

Captivating book.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that this reminds me of? That story about the football team who were stuck in some mountainous terror (avalanches, perhaps? I can't quite remember) and had to resort to cannibalism to survive. Or, if you haven't heard that story, then maybe William Golding's Lord of the Flies will ring a bell. The antagonist here is one heck of a psychopath--murdered his family, then ate part of his sister. But that's what I liked, that it was dark, scary, and kept me guessing. While the pacing of the story was quite slow, I enjoyed the storyline. Who knew this could happen when you get stranded in a forest in the middle of a blizzard? Certainly, I didn't expect to be stranded in the same place where two convicts were closeby and both happened to be murderers. So creepy.

But then again, I'm familiar with Alex McAulay's work, having read Bad Girls. I can't remember what it was about, but I knew it had a similar theme: the fight for survival in a messed up situation. This premise could actually turn into a horror movie. Actually, maybe there's already a movie like this out there.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay, four teenagers find themselves stuck in the middle of nowhere. They soon meet a prisoner that escaped from a jail car that promises to lead them out of danger. When they met the prisoner, JC, he was found next to a dead police that was escorting prisoners to another jail. The four teenagers had no choice but to believe him, although it is obvious JC is telling a lot of lies. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, as you keep reading about the most unexpected events.

I think the author does a good job describing the setting, and describing the hopeless situation they're in. Also, every character's feeling is clearly shown. You can make good predictions about what will happen next. Just when you think you got the whole "mystery" in hand, unexpected events will happen leading you to make a whole new prediction. This book is definitely worth reading, because it is an adventure, and it can happen to you.

[Paige Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oblivion Road was published on November 17, 2007 by Alex McAulay. This book is a thriller and is very drama filled as teenagers are trying to escape the cold, harsh mountains. When reading the book, you can tell who is talking to who and the tone of the characters when it is their point of view. It is very intriguing because you want to know what happens next so you just keep reading to see what will happen to all of the characters as they're stranded in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. Personally, I loved the book because I enjoy thrillers and drama because it is fun to watch it unravel throughout reading. The theme of this book is to always stick together no matter the situation because you can end up in a very bad position. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery, thriller, and drama. I don't think I could compare McAulay to any other author because he writes in his own style and it is very interesting to read.

[Casey W. (A Passion for Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read this for awhile now and was excited when I finally got the chance to. I Loved it! This is one book that won't disappoint it's readers. There are surprises from beginning to end.

It was extremely hard for me to put down. It seemed as though every time I turned the page, another unexpected twist would occur. I couldn't figure out what would happen to the teens, so I was on the edge the whole time. Honestly, it would totally suck to be caught in a situation like that, especially when you add some escape convicts on top of that...Yikes!!

Courtney and Reyna are two very brave and courageous girls. They never gave up, even after everything they had to endure. Their will to survive was unbreakable.

Packed with action, mystery, and suspence, this is a must read novel!

[Airaology · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Disturbing book. It's about a few friends on the way for their road trip when something happened and they crashed. In the middle of nowhere and it's SNOWING, hello gangrene or some other ice related disease! And not to mention there's a bus with a psychotic prisoner. Oh yeaah, make it TWO prisoner, one slightly less psychotic. And the main character met this psychotic-unpsychotic guy. Only problem is, they cannot decide which is which? He claims he wants to help them and get the hell out but HONESTLY, DON'T YOUR PARENTS EVER TELL YOU NOT TO TALK TO STRANGERS?!
I wet myself to sleep. Honestly think this is a good book if you are stuck in the woods alone. Heh. It's got suspense and a chilling air because I'm not a big fan of MTV books but i like this one very much. A book that should be made into a movie.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stranded in the dark hours of predawn in a crumpled SUV in the middle of a blizzard off a desolate road, Courtney sees what is obviously an escaped, handcuffed convict moving toward them. A van from a correctional facility was seen partially covered in the snow earlier. The convict falls over in the snow. There is much disagreement as to whether they should help him and whether they should let him lead them to find help. One of the 5 passengers is injured more than the others and needs desperate medical assistance.

Some horrific scenes. How long can this go on? How long can they go on?

[7706cloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about a girl named Courtney who is in a car crash with other people in a blizzard. when she is keeping watch and hoping for help, she finds a man who she suspects is someone from the prison van she earlier saw with one of her friends. she has to decide if she can trust him and be rescued or let him die right in front of her. i love, love, loved this book because it was so suspenseful. i could not put this down, every time i tried, five minutes later i would find myself drawn to the book, to find out what happens next. i would recommend this book to readers who love a juicy, mystery book that is impossible to put down.

[Ashley - Book Labyrinth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost rated this a 4 because it really kept me guessing and I kept reading even though I have tons of class work I should be doing instead. The characters weren't that interesting, but I did feel a connection with Courtney to a certain extent. J.P. completely surprised me, and I would have liked a different ending to a certain extent. Maybe a bit more closure. But generally it was a good book, if only for the fact that I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. It really did make feel a sense of dread and coldness.

[Alexa Brown]

this was an extemely odd book! i really wasn't sure what to make of it at first, and i'm still not sure now! i think i liked it...i mean it kept mt attention, that's for sure! it was totally not the type of book that i usually read, yet i somehow managed to read it all in one sitting. i started it at like 11 pm and i read straight through until like 3:30 am...i guess that means it was good. it was certainly addicting and impossible to put down, it just was so far off from what i normally read that it makes it hard for me to decided how i feel about it!

[7706lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oblivion Road is an amazing book about the journey of five kids who get into a car crash, during a blizzard. They aren't exactly sure where they are but what they do know is a van of convicted felons is also on the loose in the same area as them. Oblivion Road is a good mystery book and has a lot of gory scenes. Those scenes were really all I disliked about this book, the plot was unique and interesting and the characters all had unique traits and relationships. People who like murder mystery books and want something a little different from the usual ones would enjoy this very much.

[Diana]

In this book, Courtney Stanton plans to go on a ski trip with her group of friends. In the middle of the trip, they land in a car accidnet. Now they are stuck in an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. Fortunately, they are alive, adn they discover an abandoned vehicle. The vehicle turns out to be a prison bus, but the inmates appear to be missing. In the end Courtney Stanton is still stuck in the snow, and she continously dreams of going back home.

[Jaci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally read this book for the sole reason that I found it at Dollar Tree and was in dire need of something to read while on vacation. For only a buck, I wasn't expecting much but I must say I was pleasantly surprised :) It had a great, and in my eyes, realistic story line. I really liked the characters and found it to be very interesting. It was a quick read and I loved this twist ending! Not perfect, but it was overall a pretty enjoyable book.

[em(ily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four and a half stars!!
After reading Bad Girls I was definitely super excited to read another one of Alex McAulay's novels. Oblivion Road was a suspenseful and interesting read. I couldn't put it down and finished it only hours after starting it. Though not as attention grabbing and suspenseful as Bad Girls, it's still very good. Very excited to read his other works!

[7706momo · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was so descriptive (graphic in a way) it almost made me stop reading. the plot is confusing and has many turns, which made me want to keep reading. I recommend this to anyone who likes horror. DO NOT judge this book by its cover or main character! it is more horrifying then it looks. Very good book though.