Tracy Sierra knows how to write thrilling novels set in snowy landscapes, as fans of Nightwatching well know. That breakout debut featured plenty of psychological terror as a mom with two young children tried to escape a home invader during a blizzard. Once again, the tension never stops in Sierra’s latest novel, Warning Signs, as 12-year-old Zach faces an avalanche of both physical and psychological perils during a backcountry ski weekend with his scheming, narcissistic father, Bram.
Zach desperately yearns for his father’s love and approval, but Bram writes him off as a crybaby. Sensitive, observant Zach is mourning the untimely death of his mother, who loved the outdoors and once worked with a mountain rescue team. Every year she brought Zach and his younger sister to Pantheon Hut, where Zach finds himself now. Consequently, he knows the area and is well-versed in safety and survival skills—unlike his strong but careless father. Zach is also aware that his father’s outward charms are only a thin veil for what Zach calls “his Underself.”
This backcountry weekend, to which Bram has invited investors in his company and their sons, quickly turns into a nightmare. Zach and his father encounter multiple strange things, including a bizarrely bloodless elk carcass. Zach quickly becomes wary of the adults, who make deadly decisions, putting the entire group at risk. He also worries that some sort of wild predator is on the loose after he hears strange sounds, including an “inhuman howl.”
Bram is perhaps too much of a stereotypical villain; nonetheless, Sierra’s writing is as crisp as an icy snowfield—and equally full of slippery, treacherous slopes, allowing details to build to a wild crescendo as Zach realizes he can count on no one but himself. The wilderness scenes and situations are particularly compelling, along with touches that seem to suggest the supernatural.
Before she died, Zach’s mother had warned, “When you’re older you’ll see that there’s plenty of ways to dig yourself into a hole before you realize you can’t escape.” Zach always keeps her wisdom in mind, and readers will stay on edge until the last page is turned. Warning Signs is a gripping thriller filled with high-altitude surprises.