Five Total Strangers

One of the main themes of this novel is the importance of trust and honesty . Notably, Natalie D. Richards introduces the theme via the protagonist’s dishonesty: On the first page, Mira allows Harper to believe that Mira is a college student rather than a high school senior. Mira’s deception is passive and unmalicious, but it contributes to the dangerous situation she later finds herself in by encouraging Harper to offer her a ride. It also hints at Mira’s unreliable narration, injecting distrust between Mira and the reader.

The lies and secrets build as the group drives to Pennsylvania. The first lie to emerge is who actually paid for the rental SUV. Everyone believes Harper rented it, but they later learn that Brecken paid the majority of the bill. It further emerges that Brecken helped Harper because he overheard a phone call Harper took from her mother revealing her father’s arrest for a financial issue at work. Though told to protect another person (Harper), these lies and secrets cause distrust among the five strangers in the SUV. Other understandable deceptions likewise prove to have dangerous consequences; Kayla’s desire to cover up her drug use is reasonable, but her obvious lie that nothing has gone missing from her bag further heightens the