REVIEW: The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

The Mountain Between Us (Move Tie-In Edition)
by Charles Martin
Publisher: Broadway Books
Release Date: Aug 15th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Pages: 336
Buy at: Amazon, Book Depository
Add on: Goodreads
Find the author at: website
Extras: More Info, Author Bio
Rating: ★★★★ (4 out of 5 stars)

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba. An atmospheric, suspenseful and gripping story of two people finding love while fighting to survive. When a blizzard strands them in Salt Lake City, two strangers agree to charter a plane together, hoping to return home; Ben Payne is a gifted surgeon returning from a conference, and Ashley Knox, a magazine writer, is en route to her wedding. But when unthinkable tragedy strikes, the pair find themselves stranded in Utah’s most remote wilderness in the dead of winter, badly injured and miles from civilization. Without food or shelter, and only Ben’s mountain climbing gear to protect themselves, Ashley and Ben’s chances for survival look bleak, but their reliance on each other sparks an immediate connection, which soon evolves into something more. Days in the mountains become weeks, as their hope for rescue dwindles. How will they make it out of the wilderness and if they do, how will this experience change them forever? Heart-wrenching and unputdownable, The Mountain Between Us will reaffirm your belief in the power of love to sustain us.

I picked up this book when I saw there was to be a film adaption starring Idris Elba and Kate Winslet. I’m a true believer in the fact that the book is almost always better than the movie! While I haven’t seen the movie yet and can’t speak to which is better, I’m really glad I got a chance to read this book first. Here’s a little synopsis.

This story is about a doctor and a magazine writer whose paths cross when their flight gets canceled and they decide to charter a small plane together. We follow them on this harrowing journey in which they must rely on one another, complete strangers, to survive in an unimaginable situation. Our main characters Ben Payne and Ashley Knox show true grit as they deal with dangerous surroundings, debilitating injuries, and retaining mental strength.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I loved the setting, the characters, the page-turner plot. I’m not usually a fan of stories with such survival-centered themes, which is why I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this book didn’t feel like a typical survival story. It focused more on making us reflect on love and life in general, and what we as humans value and take for granted. While most of the story takes place in present tense, one of the more interesting aspects was that in some chapters Ben records messages to his wife in which he goes over what’s happening currently and what happened in the past. I loved learning more about Ben, his upbringing, and everything that made him the man he was. Another thing I enjoyed was that the story didn’t focus heavily on romance, though you can definitely feel the sparks between Ben and his wife, as well as Ben and Ashley. I loved their witty interactions. I don’t want to give anything away, so you’ll have to read the book to find out more about that.

There are a couple reasons why I couldn’t give this book a full five stars. The first being that it took me about a month to finish. Usually I can finish one (or two) books in a day, so the fact that it took me so long is something that makes me pause. It could be because it was a heavier read. And the second reason is that while the ending was utterly shocking, some aspects of it didn’t quite make sense to me. That being said, this book was a solid four-star read.

While I wouldn’t say this book was scary, it had an edge-of-your-seat plot which is perfect for October! I highly recommend The Mountain Between Us. It was a fantastic story that made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. Go read it (before watching the movie)!

*I received this book free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warning: {Recommended for ages 13 and up. Deals with adult themes, such as marriage problems, talks of sex and lust, death, and scary situations. No language that I remember.}

Will you or have you already seen the movie? How about the book? Comment below! Thanks for visiting Will Bake for Books. ♥