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.

Thank you to Natalie D. Richards, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Publishes July 2, 2024.

Katie and Aster have been close cousins for most of their lives. Both have experienced the grief of losing a parent and Katie has additional trauma she is dealing with from her past. Hiking has always been an outlet for the girls to connect and find peace. They find excitement in conquering challenges of a desolate, desert terrain, but nothing can prepare them for what dangers lie ahead. This upcoming trip to the Moab desert was supposed to help them restore, but unfortunately nothing is at it seems and their plans encounter grave circumstances and complications. They turn to help from a young couple they run into and while Riley seems very unassuming and safe, Finn is anything but. I was hooked after the first chapter and found it very difficult to put down. Once you get past the "zero miles" chapters, I found myself putting on my detective hat and trying to figure out exactly what is going on. The reader gets the viewpoint from Katie, Aster, and a mysterious other women who is somewhere along the trail and significantly injured. Overall I found this to be an excellent story of survival, resilience, and not only dealing with trauma, but recovering as well. I enjoyed the red-herrings, twisted plot lines, and the tension that was thick enough to cut with a knife. The ending was satisfying and wrapped the whole story up like a gift. This is an action-packed, tension fueled read and should be on everyone's TBR July 2, 2024.

If you ever wanted to go backpacking, you might want to think again after reading this book! I couldn't put it down!
The book revolves around 2 cousins, Katie & Aster. The two were once close, but after an incident occurred to Katie, the two have drifted apart. This trip is supposed to help them resolve issues. Things appear to go well until they are caught in a rainstorm which damages some of their food reserves. Once they are able to put on drier clothes they keep going. Later on in the evening, they meet a couple, Finn and Riley, that at first seem friendly. That is until the shouting begins and Riley runs to Katie & Aster terrified that Finn will do something to her. Katie gives her their SAT phone to call her help and Katie runs off with their only link to the outside.
However, things are not as they seem when Aster is seriously hurt by a falling boulder on her foot. It is when Katie goes to get help that everything spirals out of control.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When cousins Katie and Astor decide to take a challenging hike in the Utah backcountry, it's not just to celebrate graduation from high school and a return to their childhood vacations, it's a chance to repair their friendship after a brutal trauma Katie survived the year before. Trigger warning: the aftermath of rape, as well as remembered glimpses of the attack itself.

The two girls have hiked together for years, and both look forward to the challenges and the peace of the harsh desert landscape, but the desert has more in store than heat, scorpions, snakes, and dangerous terrain. Nothing in their hiking pasts can prepare them for dangerous humans and bad luck; it's Katie's hyper-awareness and wariness that will save them now.

Very fast-paced and suspenseful, this novel about survival and recovery is deeply rooted in backcountry hiking wisdom. I enjoyed the girls' competence and the way they found a means to use their skills to ultimately rescue themselves. This is a high-energy, edge-of-your-seat headlong-dash of a New Adult novel. Brace yourself and block out an evening to speed through it!

Thanks NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the ARC.

I'll be honest. It is a very interesting mystery. I wish I could've been more invested in it but I just didn't fall in love with the story. I think overall amazing. I just couldn't fall in love with the mystery.

Cousins Katie and Aster reunite for a big hike months after an attack and rape of Katie, for which Aster feels responsible. The cousins work through the strained relationship and shared trauma as they attempt the perilous trek through the Utah desert. Aster begins to spot bad omens early on, and a few ominous and dangerous incidents start to add up quickly. A chance meeting with a young couple seems to be a stroke of good luck, they have extra food to share and the girl, Riley, seems friendly. In the night, the couple have a fight and run off into dangerous terrain. Katie and Aster, worried for Riley's safety, cautiously hike on with a potential predator in pursuit.

This was a quick and exciting read, with twists and turns galore. The situations seem a bit improbable (so many chance encounters with danger on the supposedly infrequently traveled trail). The relationship between the cousins is a strong thread throughout. I can see teens picking this up and enjoying it.
3.5

I i reviewed an ebook arc of good book through NetGalley from the author Anna Sourcebooks Fire Team.

I gave this book 4 stars.

This book is about two cousins who decide to go on a 49 mile hike in southern Utah. They are trying to reconnect and understand eachother again after an awful tragedy almost a year ago. While the hike itself is very hard and dangerous at parts, a lot more happens than the 2 girls expect, and they have to make choices that could be life or death.

I do recommend checking trigger warnings if you have some.

I really liked the relationship between Aster and Katie. They grew up together and understood eachother more than anybody. After the tragedy they had a disconnect and hasn’t communicated almost that whole year. I also appreciated their personalities and how they each dealt with different things that came up.

I loved the ending and the pace of the book. I wasn’t sure where it was going but I enjoyed the journey. I do enjoy survivor type outdoor books.

A great wilderness/suspense novel. I was constantly on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out the mystery. Very fast paced. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there was another twist I didn't see coming. Natalie Richards captivates the audience with her ability to tell a story. A truly great read.

This is a book you can't put down. From page 1 it is a riveting roller-coaster ride. You just can't stop turning the pages.
The story flips mainly between the two main characters. Usually this causes me trouble keeping everything straight but the story is told sequentially - just with different narrators. And they did a great job ratcheting up the suspense.
I loved all of the descriptions of hiking in the Utah backcountry. There were so many things that I didn't know about that kind of hiking and it gave me a greater appreciation of the beauty and danger of this type of hiking.
I wish I could give this story a 10 star rating. I loved it!
Enjoy!

A travel blogger who's trailer living goes missing and her sister is retracing her path via social media. She ends up traveling with a total stranger and there are so many twists and turns. I enjoyed going across Australia in this entertaining
story

49 Miles Alone by Natalie Richards I know this is a young adult novel. Being an old adult I think I would have enjoyed it more without the rape being a motivator for doing the hike. I believe teen angst would have been enough making it a more enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley.

Just a solid read. Highly recommended! Need a physical copy of this gem asap! I would give this book a 4.5/5!

Aster and Katie are cousins who bonded after each losing a parent. A year ago Katie was the victim of rape at a party, and both girls are learning to deal with the aftermath. They decide to hike 49 miles in Utah desert to try and heal. But on the way they run into disasters, nature and human ones. After running into a couple one night, they see the girl run off and the boy run after her. By morning they are still missing. Aster and Katie have to figure out what happened, get help if necessary, and keep themselves safe in the middle of nowhere. Whoa, this book was intense, but I think teens will really like the action parts of this book. It moves quickly. I like Natalie Richard’s flow, and I never guess the twist. Definitely recommend this for a beach read. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.