YA THRILLER: 49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards

49 MILES ALONE

by Natalie D. Richards

Sourcebooks Fire, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276007

Source: NetGalley--eARC from publisher for review

Ages 14-18

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Four days alone in the desert. Except they're not as alone as they think. A year ago, Katie and her cousin Aster survived a night that left their world and easy friendship fractured. Desperate to heal and leave the past behind them, they tackle four days of hiking in the Utah backcountry. But the desert they've loved for years has tricks up its sleeve. An illness, an injury, and a freak storm leave them short on confidence and supplies. When they come across a young couple with extra supplies on the trail, they're grateful and relieved―at first. Riley exudes friendliness, but everything about her boyfriend Finn spells trouble. That night, after some chilling admissions about Finn from Riley, Katie and Aster wake to hear the couple fighting. Helpless and trapped in the darkness, they witness Riley's desperate race into the night, with Finn chasing after. In the morning, they find the couple's camp, but Riley and Finn? Vanished. Katie is sure Riley is in trouble. And with help a two-day hike away, they know they are the only ones who can save her before something terrible happens. The clock is ticking and their supplies are dwindling, but Katie and Aster know they have to find Riley before Finn―or the desert―gets to her first.

REVIEW

49 Miles Alone sends cousins Asher and Katie into the Utah back country alone to hike 49 miles through canyons and desert. The girls' strained relationship makes the journey awkward as they navigate the challenges that come their way. Katie struggles to come to terms with the awful thing that happened to her; Asher wants to help but has no idea how to help her cousin heal. Things quickly start to go wrong, making the trip into more of a nightmare than an adventure. Asher gets sick and injures her ankle. A storm comes along and soaks everything. An encounter with a young couple leads to more trouble. Can Asher and Katie repair their relationship? Can they survive their hike? And what about the couple feels so wrong? Mixed in with Asher and Katie's alternating voices is the point of view of a third hiker, lying on a ledge after a bad fall. Where does she come into play? Each chapter highlights where on the 49 mile journey Asher and Katie are on their journey. The tension rides high right from the beginning chapters after the party that leads to the fracture in Asher and Katie's relationship. The tension only increases as the trip goes terribly wrong. YA readers who enjoy an intense survival story will likely enjoy this one. CONTENT: As far as content goes, rape is mentioned and referred to in flashbacks throughout the story. In addition, there is quite a bit of swearing. If those things don't bother you, I recommend the book as a compelling read.