Review from BookLife:

Nelson (author of Rosemary’s Crush) studies the psychological nuances born out of traumatic experiences in this darkly promising novella, centered on a vehicle crash in the middle of Death Valley, California. When Barry and his three college acquaintances—best friend Sasha and Sasha’s girlfriend, Chelsea, along with Rikki, Chelsea’s friend and Barry’s love interest—embark on a road trip to Las Vegas, none of them foresee what’s in store: an abrupt crash with an unknown animal totals Barry’s car, leaving the group stranded. That development happens almost immediately, thrusting the quartet into a whirlwind of emotional breakdowns and life-threatening circumstances.

The setup is riveting, and Nelson stays firmly focused on his characters’ ever-deteriorating mental states throughout. The friends initially decide to stick it out near the car, sweltering in the blistering heat, until the cooler night arrives. That proves futile, and their decline comes lightning fast: Rikki starts hearing things, Barry is suffering from heat exhaustion, and as the temps climb to well over 100, the group runs out of water. Those high stakes are gripping, but the plot clips along too quickly to allow tension to simmer or readers to connect much with the characters.

Still, 140 Degrees throbs with unsettling energy as Nelson draws on a smattering of flashbacks to develop background for his characters, particularly Barry—he seems like a standard-issue nice guy at first, but Nelson never lets readers drop their guard. As Barry’s behavior deteriorates, and he “succumb[s] to the madness,” he is gripped with grandiose beliefs that belie the novel’s seemingly intimate scale. The story spirals from there, all bloody edges and grisly endings, rolled out in punchy paragraphs that spotlight humanity’s baser instincts. As the group reduces in size, its remaining members are caught in a splintering mix of heatstroke and otherworldly discourse, teetering between reality and insanity. Readers who love a sweaty, bloody spree will find much to enjoy.

Takeaway: Grisly, brutal survival horror novella of Death Valley breakdowns.

Comparable Titles: Max Booth III’s We Need to Do Something, Taylor Adams’s No Exit.

Production grades

Cover: B+

Design and typography: A

Illustrations: N/A

Editing: A-

Marketing copy: B