Review: 49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards

49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a great YA thriller about two cousins on a 49 mile hike through the Utah desert.   This is a trigger warning but it is also something that happens in chapter 1 and not mentioned in the synopsis.   It is a theme in the book that I think is important too mention.  The cousins are trying to heal their relationship after Katie was sexually assaulted a year ago at a party that she and Aster went to together.  Aster left the party and feels guilty about what happened.  Katie knows it wasn't her fault, however she is still angry and has PTSD about the incident.  Aster would like her could from before the incident back and can't understand why Katie isn't the same person she used to be.  The book alternates between their point of views, and Aster's is probably realistic, but it is still lacks compassion for what Katie went through and what her triggers are.  Katie is using this trip to try to get back to that person pre-incident, but she is terrified of so many things and has alot of triggers.  Katie also has a hard time talking about that night and explaining why she freezes sometimes and she lives in a constant state of terror and pain.  If you have ever talked to a victim of SA, please be gentle and patient, they went through something horrific that you can't imagine.  It is not something they just get over after a year.

As the girls set off on their 49 mile hike with their packs and a plan, things quickly take a turn for the worse.  The map is off by miles, Aster develops a cold, she gets injured, they run into a bad storm ruining some of their gear and supplies, and finally they run into a couple acting strangely.  Katie is terrified of Finn and is sure that he has done something terrible to his girlfriend Riley.  They are low on supplies, but they don't want to leave Riley in the desert if they can help her.   The girls put together what they know and things don't add up, but when Aster is catastrophically injured, Katie must go find help and steer clear of anyone who might be out to hurt them.

There were a few unrealistic moments, and I felt like for experienced hikers Katie and Aster weren't prepared for this hike supply wise.  They didn't have some of the basic tools I would expect them to have.  I get what the author was trying to do, and perhaps this will resonate better with a younger reader.  Overall this was a quick fun read, perfect for the more mature YA reader.

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