On par with Into the Wild, The Way Out shows how a few bad decisions can turn a harmless outdoor adventure into a tragedy—and how its ripple effects can change lives and communities forever. Fast-paced, yet thoughtful and empathetic, all the way to its devastating conclusion, this psychological thriller will haunt me whenever I step off the pavement into the woods. I couldn’t stop reading it, and I can’t stop thinking about it.” — Bill Gifford, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
"I found The Way Out to be both gripping and at the same time deeply moving. O’Neil masterfully unfolds a chilling adventure story while simultaneously probing the psychology of those who take heightened risks in outdoor adventures, the bonds that hold them together, and the trauma that unfolds when things go wrong. It all makes for a deeply immersive and rewarding reading experience." — Daniel James Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat
"Devon O’Neil takes the 'wilderness survival story' to a new place. The Way Out begins with an adventure gone bad but then broadens into a moving story of families and community. It is also about truth-telling—contradictory accounts of backcountry trauma and how people remember, forget, and 'learn to live with.' Though he might have written a quick version, O’Neil waited until people were ready to talk—years, in some cases—and the result is nuanced, thoughtful, and gripping, a book that will last." — Ted Conover, author of Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America's Edge and Pulitzer finalist for Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing
“A thoughtful, sorrowful page-turner about a tragedy that engulfed a Colorado town steeped in alpine sports and the ethos of risk and adrenalized adventure. It’s a tough story to tell, and O’Neil, a true mountain athlete who wisely interrogates the very things he loves, is just the right person to tell it.” — Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook
"Devon O'Neil has crafted an extraordinary work of narrative nonfiction that reads like a thriller but cuts deeper than fiction could. The Way Out begins with a relatively simple question—'You wanna ski a lap?'—and unfolds into a devastating exploration of tragedy, survival, and the secrets that can tear a community apart, combining investigative rigor, immersive reporting, and the narrative power of a master storyteller. This is more than a story of survival, it's an unflinching examination of how we live with the unthinkable—and whether the mountains we love are worth the price we sometimes pay as a consequence." — Amanda M. Fairbanks, author of The Lost Boys of Montauk: The True Story of the Wind Blown, Four Men Who Vanished at Sea, and the Survivors They Left Behind
“O’Neil probes the pain of loss and the pain of survival through a once-in-a-decade winter storm and its generational aftershocks. The hearts of the book are the skiers, snowmobilers, rangers, teachers, school kids, and search & rescue volunteers. From this cast, O’Neil draws the best anatomy of a mountain community I’ve read... a deep examination of death, adolescence, and the rewards and tolls of living with nature. I can’t stop thinking about these people and their packs full of flaws, burdens, and joys; The Way Out will go on my shelf next to The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air.” — Jon Billman, author of The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America’s Wildlands
"The Way Out is an uplifting story of family, community, survival, and the aftermath of loss that I simply couldn’t put down." — Roman Dial, author of The Adventurer's Son: A Memoir
"Sifting through the shards of a ski trip turned tragic, Devon O'Neil casts an unflinching gaze at outdoor adventure's cost and refuses to look away. Both harrowing and uplifting, The Way Out is impossible to put down." — Michael Wejchert, author of Hidden Mountains: Survival and Reckoning After a Climb Gone Wrong
"A gripping exploration of the fine line between recreation and risk that defines life in Western mountain towns and the disastrous effect that seemingly simple choices can have when even the most experienced outdoorspeople venture forth into the backcountry." — M. John Fayhee, author of Smoke Signals: Wayward Journeys through the Old Heart of the New West