Title: Just Get Home
Author: Bridget Foley
Publication: April 13, 2021
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 272
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
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 3-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. 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.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
As a big fan of disaster movies, I had never read a book about a natural disaster, so when I saw Just Get Home I figured it was the perfect time. The movie follows two characters, Beegie and Dessa as their paths cross after a terrible earthquake in Los Angeles. Dessa trying to get home to her daughter, comes across Beegie a few times and the two end up traveling together in hopes of making it where they need to go.
Right from the jump I love Dessa. She’s a single mom who is doing what she needs to do to raise her child. Beegie is an orphan who hates going back to her foster home. These are two unlikely allies that come together to survive a real life booby trapped city. There’s some really dark situations that are brought to light in this story. Aside from the obvious death of many people from buildings falling and other earthquake related things, Dessa and Beegie show incredible strength that as a reader I’d hope I had in their situation. These characters had deep backgrounds that we got to witness through flashbacks and memories. Foley has a great writing style that made me want to keep reading without taking a break. Darn my human body for needing sleep. The pages flipped fast and I never hit a lull where I was bored. I loved the characters and I loved their back story.
I’d strongly recommend this book for anyone who loves strong women characters. Dessa and Beegie are incredibly strong and I love watching them survive this crisis and risk their lives to save each other over and over. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if they would make it home and I loved hearing their backstories. If you are looking for an intense read, check it out.
STAR RATING: 5/5
Pick up your copy of Just Get Home by Bridget Foley on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or check your local bookstore. Also add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads or leave feedback for the author when you are finished.
