I loved this book! Aster and Katie plan a hike tin the Utah desert to help heal a rift between them. They are cousins--one from Ohio and one from Utah, and they have hiked in the Utah desert every year since they were children. This hike does not go as planned. Along the way they meet another couple, run out of water and, because I am not going to spoil any thing, two people are badly hurt. Along the way Aster and Katie solve all the problems that were between them. I was completely surprised by the ending. I highly recommend this for someone who wants a good read. It is especially good for young adults, and I will certainly purchase it for my school library. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc and no pressure for a positive review.

Ramona Thompson

Thank you to NetGalley, Natalie D Richards and Sourcebook Fire for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short and easy binge read. It’s full of action and adventure out in the desert - what else could you want? I loved the characters and the setting. It’s a perfect beach read.

Heart-pounding stressful relentless suspense. It was a bit much for me, haha. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Short and Sweet Review
Aster and her cousin Katie are about to spend four days hiking in Utah. A year ago Katie and Aster dealt with an event that fractured their friendship. Now they plan on using the four days hiking to heal and rebuild their relationship. While on the trail they deal with illnesses, storms, and a couple who aren’t as nice as they seem to be.
A year ago at a party Katie was raped (I don’t think there’s a content warning for this) and since then everyone tiptoes around her, Aster doesn’t know what to say and Katie wants everyone to know she’s stronger than she looks. When they first start hiking you can tell there’s some awkwardness between them. Throughout the hike the girls deal with Aster being sick, and a storm that stops them from getting to some supplies at the halfway point. When we get to the middle of the book we meet Finn and Riley, they have supplies and are willing to share with the girls. When they witness the couple have a fight and Riley races to get away from Finn, Katie knows that they’re in danger if they don’t get away from Finn. The girls spend the next two days trying to find Riley and get out of the desert. We have the POV of Aster and Katie and also of someone we don’t know. We later learn that the unknown pod belongs to someone who has also come across Finn and Riley. This book isn’t too long so I didn’t like that Finn and Riley were introduced halfway through, I think the whole thriller aspect would of had more of an impact if they came into the story earlier. I did like the setting of the book, I personally would not be able to be out in the desert for four days doing a 49 mile hike. I do have to hand it to the girls, they were out in the desert, with limited supplies at one point, fighting illnesses and the weather, and also trying to out run a guy who seems shady. I think the reveal of the unknown character also could have been better, it was a bit lackluster. The ending was wrapped up a little too quickly and I wasn’t satisfied with it.
Overall, this was a good book. There were somethings I didn’t like and things I did like and I think they balanced each other out. I would recommend this book, its short and it makes you want to figure out what’s going to happen.

Nicely paced thriller with alternating narrators kept me reading to find out what was going to happen next!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

Entertaining story from an author I really appreciate. Unfortunately it lost my interest a few times, especially in the middle. I'll still happily recommend this to young adults who look for fun thrillers.

this book was really good and had lots of suspense and drama. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC to review

Eleven months after a traumatic night changed their lives and their friendship forever, cousins Katie and Aster are setting out on a four day hike through isolated Utah backcountry in an attempt to heal and leave the past behind. Plagued by bad luck and running low on supplies, they're relieved to come across a young couple on the trail who is happy to share their surplus provisions. At first appearance, Riley is friendly and outgoing, while Finn is quiet and withdrawn. After a fight in the middle of the night, Riley takes off into the desert with Finn chasing after her. Certain that Riley is in danger, Katie and Aster follow on their trail, determined to find her, or call for help, before Finn can get to her first.

49 Miles Alone is a pulse racing thriller of a survival story. Facing danger from the elements, illness, and injury, in addition to the strangers they come across on the trail, Katie and Aster have to use all their strength and wits to make it through the treacherous conditions on their hike. Their journey is told by alternating between their POVs, with brief interruptions from a mysterious third POV. I liked how each chapter heading showed an update of how far they were into their 49 mile journey. I think Richards did a masterful job in portraying Katie's trauma and Aster's guilt surrounding the pivotal night nearly a year prior to their hike. The build up to the twist was clever, the foreshadowing subtle enough not to give it away early on, though I did start to piece it together shortly before the reveal.

If you enjoy thrillers and survival stories, I think that you would enjoy 49 Miles Alone! However, if mentions of rape and sexual assault are triggers for you, I would exercise caution as they do figure heavily into the overall plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I just cannot get into this author`s writing style.

This book should have been captivating - it had all the tell tale signs, but the writing was so boring and the were way too many details that just dragged the story down.

DNF.

Whew! This was such a nail biter, and I could not put it down. So much tension! Those who love mysteries, thrillers and survival stories will enjoy this one.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This author's books are hit and miss with me. They always start out well enough but I lose interest in the middle and struggle to the end. This started out more promising than the last but it turned into the same *hiking gone wrong* book that I read a few weeks ago, literally down to the trauma that led them to this little reconnection rendezvous. I've seen this a lot lately. A trope will be on trend and I'll get burnt out on it. I can never tell if it's a coincidence or bandwagon.

Regardless, the writing is still good and if I hadn't accidentally read this trope so much lately, I'd have really enjoyed it so it doesn't deserve a low rating.

This pulse-pounding story set in the beautiful desert near Moab, Utah, is an exciting hiking adventure with threads of mystery, relationships, survival (physical and spiritual), #metoo, friendship, and perseverence.

When young adult cousins Aster and Katie, who have explored Utah every year since they were nine, set off on a 49-mile hike, tension fills the air. Months ago, Katie was assaulted while at a party, which Aster attended too before heading home alone, leaving a drunk Katie behind. Now they need to reset their relationship while hiking cliffs, switchbacks, and canyons in the hot desert. Along the way, the two meet another couple on the trail, Finn and Riley. But something is definitely off with them, After camping nearby and hearing the couple fight and run off into the night, the cousins set off to put distance between them and the couple. But soon they realize they're not alone on their hike, and, running low on water and food and dealing with the elements, they must depend on one another and find inner strength to survive. Meanwhile, a side story adds to the mystery and helps bring it all together in the end..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Katie and Aster are on a 4-day, 49-mile hike in the Utah desert. They’ve done this before and are thoroughly prepared. The story shifts between Katie and Aster’s POV and a mysterious woman on the trail who is badly injured. Katie and Aster face serious obstacles and unexpected troubles that threaten their survival.
I was on the edge of my seat as the girls faced dangers on the trail. I loved the descriptions of the desert and the ominous elements of the story. The conflict between the girls makes sense, given what happened to Katie. They are both on edge for different reasons and have difficulty agreeing on things. But they must work together to get through this and survive.
Terrific book, recommended to fans of survival stories in grades 8 and up.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

49 miles alone
Four days hiking in the Utah desert, to heal a fractured friendship, Aster & Katie fight an injury, an illness & a freak storm! The two cousins are also short on supplies & realize they are not alone in this backcountry. This book is full of suspense and lots of adventure! I could not put it down!! 5 stars Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

In 49 Miles Alone, cousins Aster and Katie are hiking in the desert and end up fighting for their survival in this YA thriller. It deals with some heavy topics and trauma that is behind. It is a slow burn but the story is intriguing and has an interesting premise but did not stand out among YA thrillers/mysteries for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I wasn't sure what the author was trying to accomplish in this book. I did enjoy the read but was not one of the better books by this author.

📚 Book Review 📚

Title: 49 Miles Alone
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Trigger Warning: off-the-page sexual assault, main character is a sexual assault survivor

This story follows two cousins, Katie and Aster, as they tackle a 49-mile hike in Utah. A year prior, Katie was a victim of sexual assault, and they are both still coping with what happened and how it effected their once close relationship.

I get what the author was trying to accomplish here, but it didn’t work for me. I didn’t find it suspenseful at all, the plotline involving the ancillary characters was strange, and all the bickering and tension between Aster and Katie got old quick. This one just fell very flat for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

*Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for this advanced copy. Pub date: 7/2.

Another fantastic thriller from Natalie D. Richards! Two girls, cousins and longtime friends, have been estranged for nearly a year, ever since something happened at a college party to change their close relationship. Now, graduated from high school, in an effort to repair things for both of them, Katie and Aster are going on a four-day 49-mile hike through the Utah desert together, something they used to regularly do while growing up. Katie has changed drastically since that party-- she's more afraid and hesitant, no longer the self-confident friend Aster's always looked up to. But Aster is also different, harboring a deep guilt, and when right away things start to go wrong on the hike, they'll have to work hard not only to repair their friendship but just to survive at all. They're not the only people out in the wilderness--some are harmless, but some are very much not.

Excellent buildup of suspense, set in a very accurately depicted desert wilderness; a good story of strong girls finding more reservoirs of strength, recovering from trauma and benefiting from the healing power of nature to renew their friendship. Trigger warning for mention of sexual assault.

Fans of stories about outdoor survival will enjoy 49 Miles Alone. The stunning cover image perfectly teases the reader for what's to follow. The Utah desert is vividly and beautifully described. It nearly makes you want to intervene and go on a little adventure of your own. However, it is abundantly evident that peril lurks around every corner.

I was super excited to read this book! Both the plot and the setting sounded like something I’d love. Well, sadly, this just isn’t the book for me. I wish there had been a mention of the rape in the synopsis. Constantly referencing it over and over throughout the first few chapters was triggering for me and I’m not usually triggered. I think it was the multiple zipper references. I had to DNF and move on.