Title/Author: The Hike by Drew Magary

Publisher: Penguin Books

In a nutshell (Publisher):

When Ben, a suburban family man, takes a business trip to rural Pennsylvania, he decides to spend the afternoon before his dinner meeting on a short hike. Once he sets out into the woods behind his hotel, he quickly comes to realize that the path he has chosen cannot be given up easily. With no choice but to move forward, Ben finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a world of man-eating giants, bizarre demons, and colossal insects. 

On a quest of epic, life-or-death proportions, Ben finds help comes in some of the most unexpected forms, including a profane crustacean and a variety of magical objects, tools, and potions. Desperate to return to his family, Ben is determined to track down the “Producer,” the creator of the world in which he is being held hostage and the only one who can free him from the path.

At once bitingly funny and emotionally absorbing, Magary’s novel is a remarkably unique addition to the contemporary fantasy genre, one that draws as easily from the world of classic folk tales as it does from video games. In The Hike, Magary takes readers on a daring odyssey away from our day-to-day grind and transports them into an enthralling world propelled by heart, imagination, and survival.

Verdict: A fantastic, absorbing read!

My thoughts:

Ben goes on a business trip in Pennsylvania, checks into a hotel, then he decides to take a short hike, which leads him into the woods behind his hotel. And that’s when his hike took a bizarre turn, one that he’ll never forget.

In his journey, we meet man-eating giants, bizarre demons, colossal insects and one very unforgettable Crab. Or maybe two? And a witch (I think she is) too *wink*

Sounds crazy? Because it is 🙂

When I saw this on a kindle sale, I was so tempted to read it because of its cover and story. But like all books, I wanted to first check out the reviews. And my, they varied, which intrigued me even more. So I decided to give it a try.

And regret I did not! I totally enjoyed this! In fact, I LOVED it. I really didn’t expect myself to like it this much! The plot was brilliant, pacing on point, and of course, this novel wouldn’t be as good without Crab! Our dear ol’ Crab! I laughed and chuckled throughout, although some parts, gory and gross as they may be, it didn’t taint the story one bit! And Cisco, oh Cisco! What Ben would have done without Cisco!

I was so invested in the story and the MC’s revelations, that I cried towards the end. And the ending was, wow! Very unexpected but oh, so, darn, good! And who would’ve thought a story as insane and as wild as this, it had many quotable passages. I highlighted many. One of them was this, when Ben’s dad was speaking to him:

“No, I mean I’m fucked up. But I got my reasons. I know I never did anything good for you, Ben. But just remember that everything bad can be made good if you know how to use it.”

This is definitely one of my top reads so far! BUT, I must say, it might not be for everyone; you either hate or love it. It’s Try a sample maybe? Then decide for yourself. As for me, I’m glad I took the risk 🙂

My take-away message from this book? Life is what you make it! Find your way and rock it!

I’d highly recommend this to ‘adventurous’ readers.

Have you read this book? Did you enjoy it? If you haven’t, do you intend to read it? Please share with me your thoughts!

Last but not least, thank you for stopping by! HAPPY READING and may the power of GOOD BOOKS be with you ALWAYS!