Just Get Home
an intense thriller perfect for book clubs
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4.1 • 7 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
"Breathtaking... so much more than a thriller." —Josh Malerman, bestselling author of Bird Box and Malorie
"Hits the thriller trifecta: a natural disaster, danger around every corner, and compelling well-drawn characters." —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author
A one-more-page, up-all-night story about two strangers who need each other's help to survive the night after a devastating earthquake shakes Los Angeles.
Beegie is riding the bus when the quake hits. The teenager was heading back to her unhappy foster home, but then she’s thrown into a broken world. Roads crumble, storefronts shatter and people run wild.
Dessa, a single mom, is enjoying a rare night out when it strikes. Cell towers are down, so without even knowing if her three-year-old daughter is dead or alive, she races to get back across town.
As danger escalates in the chaotic streets, Beegie and Dessa meet by a twist of fate and an act of violence. The two form a fragile partnership, relying on each other in ways they never thought possible, and learn who they really are when there’s only one goal: just get home.
“A flat-out thriller [that is] also smart and insightful on timely, important ideas…. Heartbreaking and complicated in the best way… This is addictive reading that changes you as you turn the pages and stays with you long after you’ve finished.” —Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A powerful earthquake in downtown Los Angeles leaves buildings and roads collapsed and phone service gone in this heart-pounding tale of urban survival by Foley (Hugo & Rose). Dessa, a single mom on a rare night out, desperately braves the chaos to somehow get home to her toddler daughter, Olivia, in Van Nuys. Along the way, Dessa witnesses the rape of Beegie, a tough 14-year-old girl in conflict with the most recent of her abusive foster families when the earthquake hits, but can't find a way to intervene. Beegie later interrupts a violent attack on Dessa and, as they travel together, they become invested in helping each other. Though Foley occasionally leans into using women's trauma as voyeuristic entertainment, she gives both Dessa and Beegie agency within complex lives and the nuanced emotional strength required to live through difficult circumstances. Crisp pacing helps suspend disbelief about the lack of rescue services from unaffected surrounding areas. Readers will breathlessly root for Beegie, Dessa, and Olivia, who has a key part to play at the climax.
