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.

Katie and Aster have been close cousins for most of their lives, especially after each of them lost a parent, and backpacking in Utah has been a huge part of their relationship. All that changes drastically after Katie is raped at a college party and Aster feels responsible because she left the drinking scene and was not there to protect her cousin. A hiking trip is supposed to help restore them to “before,” but nothing about this trip will go as planned. Natalie Richards includes great detail about adventuring with a pack on your back that holds everything you need to set up camp, caching supplies, and navigating lesser marked trails through the desert. For some, this may dissuade them from ever trying this rugged type of hiking and others will be thrilled to think of adventuring this way, even when unexpected hail storms beat down on the girls, supplies run out, and illness and injury further complicate the trip. In addition to these very possible complications to backpacking on challenging trails, Richards introduces some scary characters and scenarios and allows the villain to remain unclear until the very end. Readers will swing from Finn being the bad guy, to thinking maybe it is the solitary trail runner, or maybe the older man selling drugs from a ramshackle tent. And who is the young woman trying to tell her story mixed in with the chapters told from Katie or Aster’s perspective? Is it Rylie, the terrified girl who is camping with Finn or someone else entirely? Great descriptions of the stark beauty that is the Moab desert, twisting plot lines, and insight into what can happen in the minds and hearts of victims of trauma are only part of what makes this a great read for grades 8 and up. Text contains profanity (no F-bombs) and the names of Jesus and God are used several times when not actually talking about them. Katie’s rape is never described in detail, only with her remembrances of certain sounds and the actual bruises, but it’s affects on her are clear. Excellent choice for those looking for action adventure.

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.

Two young women go for a hike in the aftermath of one of them being sexually assaulted. Understandably, she’s become nervous around men. The situation becomes even worse once they happen into a couple. But is Riley as innocent as she seems?

This was a taut thriller that had really high stakes, which kept me reading late into the night.

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I really enjoyed reading this book, but I do think it’s problematic that it basically told a woman to ignore her intuition. Of course she was afraid, and rightfully so. Because although it’s true that all men aren’t bad, it’s also true that most women would rather be stuck alone in the woods with a bear instead of an unknown man.

Her instinct told her to stay away from a specific man. It ended up with him not being a problem, but I still believe that women should always follow their instincts. We’re right a lot more often than we’re wrong, after all.

If you're a fan of stories of surviving in the wilderness you will enjoy this one. 49 Miles Alone takes place in the remove desert of Moab. I live in a desert and I'm familiar with how unforgiving and extreme the desert can be. This book did a great job at depicting those extremes and dangers. I could visualize myself out on the trail with the characters.

At times I felt the story was a little slow moving and repetitive, but overall there were some really good twists. I feel at times the story didn't flow smoothly, but it was still a very enjoyable and adventurous read!

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire | Sourcebooks Fire for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I love a good survival story, and this one constantly kept me on my toes. I love the cover, and I would recommend this to a YA audience who likes survival thrillers.

I love this author! She writes mystery very well. I loved the setting for this book and that the characters were hiking/camping. While the trauma that the characters experienced added to the story, I felt like it was a little overshadowing at times. I did suspect the twist before the reveal, but it was still a good twist and the ended wrapped up well.

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the ARC to this book!!

Following Katie and aster on a 49 mile hike and the crazy ish that follows them definitely kept me on my toes! (And weirdly made me want to go on a hike like that don't ask me why...)

I liked the book however, it just felt like it was missing something for me. The 3rd party chapters felt mildly confusing and while I'm sure it was the point, it just left me feeling disconnected. The author tried to confuse us on who the bad person is until the last like chapter, but I wish maybe we had learned who it was sooner and had more of a dramatic ending.

Overall it was a good book but not the best I've ever read.

At first there were vibes reminiscent of the movie Fall, with a female character working through trauma through engaging with the outdoors alongside a friend (in this case a cousin). Things shift towards humans being the real danger in the outdoors with misleading pieces and a quick wrap up at the end. I do appreciate that Katie’s recovery journey was multifaceted and included sleep clinics, therapy, a chiropractor, and therapist. A solid read with content warnings for sexual assault off page.

Wow, what a gripping book this was told from multiple points of view. Cousins Aster and Katie decide to hike the Utah Desert for four days. All goes well until they meet Riley and Finn. Aster feels something is off about Finn. When they take off, they find Finn outside their tent at night. The girls hear Riley and Finn fighting, and they girls think Riley is in trouble. The next morning Riley and Finn are gone. Katie wants to find Riley, but when they see just Finn they run away from him. The girls see vultures circling. Is that a body on a ledge? When something happens to Aster, Katie goes for help. Where are Riley and Finn?

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. What a thrill ride! Cousins Katie and Aster were once close. Then something horrible happened and now they are trying to repair their relationship by hiking in the backcountry of Utah. The trip doesn’t go easy for them and they may have found help in a young couple. While Riley is likeable they can’t say the same about Finn. That night the couple argue and in the morning the cousins can’t find them. Fearing that Riley may be in trouble they set out to find them. But can they do it before it’s too late? And can they mend their relationship? Natalie Richard’s sets up a beautiful depiction of the Utah desert, my home state! The book is adventurous and full of danger and will keep you hooked! Along with Katie and Aster’s pov you have a third pov from an unidentified woman and figure out who she is and what happened will have you consuming the book!

Review: Oh my gosh! What a ride this book was! I have loved every one of Richards’s books and this one was no exception. It had me squirming at certain parts. And I really felt for Aster. She just couldn’t catch a break! The ending was a shocker to me and that is the sign of a great thriller in my book! I can’t wait to read more of her books! This one comes out July 2nd! Make sure you preorder your copy today! I know I will because I need a physical copy of this book for sure! Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for my advanced copy!

I have read almost all of the books by Natalie D. Richards and this one did not disappoint. This is a top favorite book so far this year. I love her characters. The story of this one is unique and I loved it so much

I love a "lost in the wilderness" type book, and this one about two cousins doing a short-ish through hike that goes very wrong was absolutely perfect for this genre. The twists were creepy enough to get me thinking and wondering, but not too scary for me to sleep at night, and I was turning pages so quickly to find out what happened!