“There’s something out there in the darkness.
By morning, bones lie in the snow, picked clean.

Zach knows the moods of the mountains – his mother taught him before she was gone. His father and the other men on the ski weekend think they know better though.

Drinking and boasting, they laugh in the face of the icy conditions.

But Zach understands what danger looks like. Can he survive the wilderness, and all the monsters within it?”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra. Warning Signs was published by Viking Books on 12th February 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free ARC of Warning Signs but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to the team at Viking Books for sending me a proof copy.

I admit it, it’s me. I am the one person who hasn’t yet read Nightwatching, Tracy Sierra’s highly acclaimed debut. I’m not sure how, at the time, the book passed me by. I do own a copy now. As soon as I woke up and saw the hype, along with reviews from blogger friends I trust, I went out and purchased a copy. But as with all of my purchased books, I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. That day will come, and it will come soon, following my experience of Warning Signs. Sometimes you find an author who is a perfect match for your reading tastes. I think Tracy Sierra could be my perfect match.

Twelve-year-old Zach is sweet, kind and sensitive. He feels protective towards his younger sister, Bonnie, and deeply misses his mother, who taught him everything he knows about survival in the mountains. When his distant father, Bram, decides to take a few wealthy investors on a father-son backcountry ski weekend in order to impress them, Zach is told he’s going too. It’s the first time Bram has really shown any interest in his son. Zach optimistically latches onto the hope that this weekend could be the start of a new relationship with his overly critical, cold father. But the men are brash, overbearing and overconfident. They’re not treating the mountains with the respect Zach knows they need. Surrounded by danger at every turn, in the company of men who behave recklessly and always seem to know better, Zach is in even more trouble than he ever imagined…

Oh Zach, you poor kid. My heart broke for Sierra’s beautifully written lead character. A highly intelligent young man who has his head screwed on the right way, but just can’t fathom his relationship with his obnoxious father. No matter what Zach does, no matter how hard he tries to prove himself, it’s never enough for high and mighty Bram. Ugh. Bram made my skin crawl. He’s a terrible father and a terrible human being. One of those people who often chooses to take shortcuts, cheat a little, but always, always comes out on top. The relationship between Zach and Bram is the main focus of Warning Signs. That and the grief Zach is experiencing following the loss of his beloved mother. Through glimpses into the past, we get to see how Zach’s mother cared for and nurtured her two children, teaching them how to survive in the wilderness. Zach’s grief is a palpable thing. He misses her greatly, but he also can’t help but be angry with her.

Warning Signs gave me chills. The atmosphere of the Colorado mountains, the stark isolation, the danger from every angle, the suffocating, deep drifts of snow, the threat of avalanches wiping out everything in their path – it’s the stuff of nightmares. Not to mention the disrespectful, know-it-all men Zach was stuck in the wilderness with. Their reckless behaviour, their lack of preparation. And the unknown creature stalking the mountains near the group’s basecamp.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Warning Signs is a tense, highly atmospheric and deeply emotional novel from a clearly talented author. Zach’s desire to prove himself to his father is heartbreaking. Particularly as the reader is very aware of what a lowlife Bram actually is. I wanted to step in and protect this poor, grief-stricken twelve-year-old lad. I was 100% rooting for him on many different levels throughout the story. Such a well-written, believable character. Oh my heart! Packed full of tension, with so much threat coming at you from every single angle, this literary suspense/survival thriller will get under your skin and stay with you. Gorgeously written characters (even the repugnant Bram!), a superb, claustrophobic setting and an engrossing plot. I loved it! Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Warning Signs. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra was published in the UK by Viking Books on 12th February 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Tracy Sierra was born and raised in the Colorado mountains. She is an attorney who currently lives in New England in an antique colonial-era home complete with its own secret room. When not writing, she spends time with her husband and two children. Nightwatching is her debut novel.