Dylan wants and feels like he needs to get away from the life he is currently living after the death of his father. He feels like his mom doesn't understand him and wants to send him to a special school that he refuses to go to. To get away from all this, he decides to walk the Appalachian trails until he is 18. This adventure ends up being far more than he ever thought it would be and ends up teaching him a lot of things along the way. 

Overall I did enjoy this book, at times it did drag especially in the beginning when we were just trying to figure out why exactly Dylan wanted to getaway. I did get why he wanted to get away and why he wanted a chance to just be alone and to make his own choices, but I also understood why his cousin and his mom were so worried for him. The adventures and the trials that Dylan faced were ones that were hard on him but because he was alone he found ways to work through them and did things for other people for a change. We really got to see him change and face some of his fears throughout this book. His friendship/relationship with the girl he meets was one that needed to happen for both of them as they ended up helping each other deal with things that had been putting off. We also saw how sometimes you can help people even when they don't want it by just noticing things and being there. 

This was my second book by Ramey and while they've both been okay books and have shown me different parts of life.

This was interesting, but something was missing from the overall tone. It wasn't as satisfying in terms of ending but I'd be interested to see what the TAG group thinks of it.

This is another author, back to back, who I've liked their work before but then I read their newer work and it just ain't good. It felt like I was reading a book from the perspective of a fourteen year old when the main character is supposed to be seventeen. It was poorly written and just not a book I enjoyed unfortunately.

I loved this book from the very first page. The characters are so easily lovable and so easy to root for. I loved how happy this book made me at times and others it made me sad. The emotion it pulled while reading is just wow!

Don't get me wrong...the premise is certainly intriguing, and I was curious enough to request a copy. Yet when I started reading it, I quickly realized how utterly bored I was when I was reading The Secrets We Bury. The story was moving so slowly that I quit reading this book 10% in.

Dylan Taggert is running from his problems. He doesn't want to think about the past, his emotional/behavioral concerns, or the fact that his mother is trying to send him to a special school that will help better handle his emotions. Dylan simply wants to be left alone to make his own choices. Like many teens, he feels that he knows what is best for him and that his mother simply cannot understand everything that he thinks and feels. I remember that struggle all too well as I tottered on the line between youth and craving independence as I moved towards adulthood. It's not a time in life I would want to repeat, so I was empathetic to Dylan's situation. I wanted to fully understand the family drama and why it inspired the choice he made to run away. Also, as a teacher who has worked with students with a variety of special needs, I understood Dylan's emotional responses and atypical behavior. While Dylan wants to outrun the labels that have been placed on him by educators and doctors, he soon discovers we can never truly escapes ourselves.

Dylan only has a few months until he turns eighteen and his mother can no longer force the school issue. Dylan decides the perfect solution is to leave his home in Connecticut and travel to Georgia where he will begin a six month hike on the Appalachian Trail. I have to admit that this plot point was the entire reason I picked up this novel. I have always been fascinated by the Appalachian Trail and would love to hike portions of it. I couldn't wait to live vicariously through Dylan.

While Dylan is seeking solitude and time to sort through his thoughts, he ends up finding that the trail has a social network all its own. Hikers pick up trail names along the way and often become someone outside of their normal lives as they spend time on the trail. Dylan learns a lot about the trail culture including benefitting from trail magic in his first few days of hiking. It's in these first days that he meets an older man who is called Rain Man and a girl his age called Ghost. Rain Man is a legend on the trail and is rumored to have some of the best dehydrated food ever eaten. Dylan meets him by chance and the pair strike up an unlikely friendship. Rain Man becomes a father figure of sorts for Dylan during his hike. Ghost, on the other hand, is a bit more elusive. Like Dylan, it is obvious that she is running away from something, but she doesn't talk much and she doesn't let anyone get too close. Dylan finds Ghost to be oddly fascinating and he finds himself looking for her more often than not.

Dylan (aka Wild Thing) and Ghost (aka Sophie) eventually are thrown together by stubbornness and mother nature. The pair bonds over their situation and a tentative bud of friendship blossoms.

The emphasis on the different forms of family has stuck in my mind since I finished reading this one. There are so many types of families and hopefully many of us are lucky to experience them. Dylan learns that the love and loyalty of the family you are born into is hard to ignore - even after you have done things that seem to have burnt the ties that connect you down to the last thread. Forgiveness lurks at the edges for all true families if you are only willing to search for it. In addition, friendship forges a type of familial bond that is also cemented with loyalty and affection. The friendships that are created on the Appalachian Trail often last for a lifetime. These networks of hikers look after one another and help when one of them is in need. Dylan goes from being a solitary being to finding that he is connected to so many who are better for their time with him. 

I wasn't expecting to be so connected to Dylan and Sophie. I figured this would be another contemporary romance with a side of family drama, but it was truly so much more than that. Romance is present, but it takes a backseat to survival on the trail and two broken teens trying to find a way to piece themselves back together. 

One Last Gripe: I was frustrated with Dylan and Sophie for putting their parents through such concern and heartbreak.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: I loved learning more about the culture that surrounds the Appalachian Trail.

First Sentence: Compulsively stirring my coffee in Nowhere, New Jersey, I recognize I'm going to have to do a lot of explaining when Emily gets here.

Favorite Character: Dylan

Least Favorite Character: I didn't have one.

I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets We Bury is a unique story of friendship, discovering one’s self, and falling in love. I can honestly say I have never read a book like this one before. The read was super quick and fun to read. I breezed through the chapters and finished the book in two days (while I was busy visiting my sister). The story is simply so pure and deep, full of everything people need to talk about at some point in their lives.

Dylan, the main character, struggles to communicate with others due to his sensory dysfunction. His mother wants to send him to a school for psychologically challenged students. Instead, Dylan decides to hike the entire Appalachian Trail until he turns eighteen, when he can make his own decisions. The story is so much more than Dylan’s sensory dysfunction. Dylan is figuring out how to live his life on his own while interacting with others outside of his small circle of family and friends. And he does all of this while hiking in the middle of the wilderness.

While Dylan was the main character, every character that came into the story had a purpose throughout it all. I think each character really got their time of depth and exploration, from the guys at the bar (and later in the story) to Rain Man and Ghost. I fell in love with all of them. They helped Dylan discover who he was and to navigate the trail.

Rain Man, a trail vet, and Ghost, a lonely girl, had stories of grief similar to Dylan which really resonated with me. Everyone deals with grief in their own way, healthy or not. Dylan fully dives into his own grief while on the trail which helps those around him. Tackling grief, at any mental stage, is tough. With Dylan’s heightened emotions and senses, it is even tougher. The way his journey was told brilliantly illustrated this.

The Secrets We Bury made me want to start planning a hiking trip to the Appalachian Trail even though I have only been hiking a few times in my life. This story also helped me through figuring out my own grief and fall in love with the world around me again. I highly recommend this beautiful story to anyone who loves contemporary, is dealing with grief, or loves nature. And even if you don’t like any of these things, read this book.

This book's strength is explaining a disorder and it's characters as they cope with life and interact. Dylan has a lot of grief and sensory deprivation to boot. His behavior is off the charts in some areas, but there are reasons why. Metting Sophie isn't something he expected, and it's different. There are some other people to meet as well, but you should read about them. The mystery was okay, it takes a back seat to the rest of the book the way I see it. 

My copy came from Net Galley. My review, opinions, and thoughts are my own, left of my own free choice.

This book just wasn’t for me. It might have been a thing where I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of story, but I couldn’t get into it and I was a bit bored for most of it.

Going into this I didn't know what to expect. I hadn't read anything by Stacie before, and there hadn't been too much buzz about The Secrets We Bury. However, given the setting (the Appalachian Trail!) and the mention of secrets, I decided to give it a try. 

As it turns out, I'm SO GLAD I did because The Secrets We Bury blew me away! I loved this book way more than I had anticipated, and I'm now on a mission to read all of Stacie's past books.  

The Secrets We Bury introduces Dylan, an almost eighteen-year-old who's on the run from his family, his past, and his problems. From the first page Dylan's voice grabbed me. It was refreshing as well as unique, and I appreciated the bluntness, honesty, and care conveyed through it. 

As the book progresses, we learn that Dylan has Sensory Processing Disorder, which affects the way in which he responds to his environment, because of his diagnosis, Dylan has never felt completely at peace with the world around him. He knows he sometimes he says and does the wrong thing, that sometimes he lets his emotions get the best of him, but he can't help it, and now that he's suffering from a major loss, Dylan doesn't know what to do but run away from it all. I thought that Stacie did a fantastic job of developing Dylan's diagnosis. I could understand why he acted the way he did, and why he felt the need to run. What I loved even more, however, was how much the Appalachian Trail challenged and eventually changed him. Dylan's journey gave him a sense of purpose, especially when it came to protecting his two newest friends as well as surviving on his own. I think anyone will be able to relate to Dylan's coming-of-age, of finding a home in an unexpected place. I know I did. Additionally, I loved seeing Dylan's relationships with The Ghost and Rainman develop over the course of the book. The relationships brought layers of emotion to the book that made it what it was. Without The Ghost and Rainman, I don't think this book would be nearly as fantastic. 

The Secrets We Bury contains a relatively cut-and-dry plot. It's character driven rather than action driven; however, never once did I feel bored or in need of excitement, because I was just so fascinated, so committed to the characters and their stories. The setting especially worked well here. Stacie did a fantastic job of bringing it to life. She also brought so many aspects of hiking/camping culture that I had no idea about. I especially liked seeing the sense of community that came with the Trail. They were one big family - not always a happy one, but a caring one for sure. And yet again, I - a person who outright despises camping - want to go camping now because of a book. As mentioned before, this book focuses a lot on self growth. There was a slight mystery to be had within this, as it wasn't crystal clear what exactly was making Dylan run. That aspect kept me especially hooked. I had my theories, and I was dying to know the truth. I also appreciated that while there was a romance, it wasn't a huge part of the book. I think it made it all the more sweater when something romance related did occur. 

Highly moving as well as beautifully written, Stacie Ramey has a quiet yet strong story to be found within The Secrets We Bury. 

*This review will be posted on Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf on March 13, 2017. At that time the link provided will go live. This review has already been cross-posted to Goodreads and will be added to Amazon & BN on the release date.*

The Secrets We Bury was the first book I have read by this author, and I definitely plan on reading more of her books! This book was an interesting and entertaining book that kept me hooked from the first page. 

One of my favorite things about this book was that it focused on such a serious subject, mental health. The main character, Dylan, was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, which is something I have never heard of before. It was really refreshing to see the disorder expressed in such an honest and normalized way. I don't have any personal experience with dealing with mental health, but I felt like the author handled the subject in an honest and accurate way. The author made it easy to relate to Dylan and his mental health and to really understand what he was going through.

Dylan was a really awesome main character. He was just so authentic and honest. He was very aware of the flaws he had, and he wasn't afraid to admit that he had those flaws. I loved how he described what it was like to be misunderstood and how I really understood what he was going through. Dylan grew a lot in this book through the different things he experienced, and I loved going on that journey with him.

The romance in this story was well done and very thoughtful. I really felt the connection between the couple, and I was rooting for them SO HARD. They respected and understood each other so much. I loved how well they fit together. I would read more books just about them!

I also really liked the hiking element of this story. I thought it added such a unique and intriguing plot to the story. I don't know much about serious hiking, but it was clear that the author did a lot of research on the topic or has a lot of personal experience with hiking! I feel like I am an expert hiker now!

Overall, this was a really fun and memorable story. If you are looking for a unique YA contemporary romance, I would recommend checking out this book!

4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Dylan is on the run; he only has a few months until he can decide for himself that he's not attending the school for psychologically challenged students where his family wants him. Though he lacks survival and hiking experience, Dylan decides the Appalachian Trail is the perfect place to hide. A few months of hiking until he's 18 is nothing, right?  

Most people that know Dylan would say his issues would get in the way of hiking the Trail, but Dylan finds himself at home and able to think of others for the first time. Dylan isn't the only one hiding on the Trail, though, and others need the serenity as much as he does. When it comes to survival in his carefully, yet unpredictable world, will Dylan be selfish or put the needs of others before his own. 

THOUGHTS: Readers that like a character-driven novel will root for Dylan as he tries to remain anonymous. As more details are made available through his hike, readers come to understand why he's in the situation he is. Readers looking for a realistic adventure with a bit of mystery and a subtle love interest will devour Ramey's newest work to see if Dylan can make it.

The Secrets We Bury by Stacie Ramey is a young adult novel  that sensitively deals with topics of grief and sensory disorders.

 Six months shy of his eighteenth birthday, Dylan Taggert runs away from home to avoid being sent to a school for students with a variety of psychological issues.  Dylan has a few different sensory problems in addition to not being able to read other people’s emotional cues. He also has a few phobias, difficulties staying on task and inappropriate reactions when he cannot handle situations. So, Dylan has decided the solution to his problems is a six month long hike on the Appalachian Trail. With the help of his cousin, Emily, who is also his best friend, Dylan sets off on his adventure where he meets an enigmatic young woman, Sophie and a well-liked, experienced hiker named Rain Main.

 Dylan is quite aware of the problems that his issues cause with the people around him but he seems incapable of controlling his disruptive behavior.  He knows that running away is going to have an adverse reaction with his mother, but he just cannot deal with going to this new school. He faces many challenges on his hike but he surprisingly manages to power through these issues. Dylan’s confidence in himself rises with each obstacle he overcomes and he is surprisingly comfortable with his solitary journey.

 Dylan is immediately captivated by another lone hiker he runs into. Despite his difficulty reading other people’s emotions, he does accurately assess what some of her actions might indicate. His curiosity about her sometimes leads to intrusive decisions but he is self-aware enough to realize he is invading her privacy. Once they are formally introduced, Dylan is continually surprised by his out of the ordinary his reactions to Sophie.

 The other hiker that Dylan meets on his trek is an older man who has vast experience on the Trail. Rain Main (his trail nickname) is an affable hiker who is quite welcoming and very wise.  Despite Rain Main’s cheery disposition, Dylan is a little uneasy once he discovers some troubling information from other hikers about Rain Main’s situation. He is very determined to reach Rain Main but he encounters some difficulties as he strikes out on a mission to reach him before it is too late.

 The Secrets We Bury is an engaging young adult novel that tackles some very difficult subject matter in a thoughtful and informative manner. Despite his numerous quirks and sensory dysfunction, Dylan is a surprisingly charming and likable character who undergoes a tremendous amount of personal growth during his adventures on the Appalachian Trail.  Stacie Ramey does a wonderful job bringing not only Dylan but also the Trail and the people he encounters vividly to life. An absolutely heartfelt  story that will appeal to readers of all ages.

I've read a few books lately that had hiking at the center of the plot, but it wasn't until this one that I actually got inspired to research a hike of my own. The Secrets We Bury by Stacie Ramey follows Dylan, seventeen-year-old who has run away from home and decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. Dylan believes that his mental issues are what caused his father's death, and afraid of having to attend a school for special kids decides to flee and pursue his own journey until he is eighteen.

Along his journey, he meets a girl his age, Sophie, who seems to be running away from her own problems just like he is. They also meet Rain Man, a seasoned hiker who, like both Dylan and Sophie, has experienced a devastating loss. Throughout the story, Dylan learns to connect, and even care for, others, while getting out of his own head and facing his fears for the safety and well-being of his new companions.

I really enjoyed this story. I read it in a few short hours, and thought the plot was solid. I really enjoyed both Dylan and Sophie as characters, and respect both of them for the journeys they took and what they learned along the way. I would have loved to have seen this story told from both Dylan's and Sophie's point of view. I really appreciated seeing the relationship between Dylan and Sophie develop without any of the typical tropes that many YA novels have: yes Dylan saved her but that's not why she liked him, and they bonded on a level much deeper than physical attraction and desperation.

My only real issue with this book was the ending. I feel like everyone was so nonchalant about Dylan saving the lives of two people and coming home, and that things would never actually play out this way in the real world.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for access to a digital arc of this book! The Secrets We Bury by Stacie Ramey releases March 1st so be sure to pick up a copy!

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a unique take on the teenage "runaway". I liked reading about Dylan's adventure and enjoyed seeing things through his eyes. I thought it gave the reader a great chance to see things from a child with high functioning autism. I enjoyed how he connected with and cared about other characters and how we got to see him grow through the book. Overall, a very good read.

I found this one unique and interesting!The book is really well written and Dylan's mental health issues seem very realistic.It's intense and sad.This book is about family, loss, love, and growing up.It's not your typical stories, this one is so much more! I loved reading about Dylan's story and his growth through his adventures. It was a well written and captivating story!

I am in love with this book! I read it in one sitting and I highly recommend reading it.

Not a fan. Full review on Goodreads.

This book was really interesting! The book is told in the present with Dylan hiking through the Appalachian Mountains. There are also plenty of flashbacks that lead up to why he is hiking the trail. Dylan has a lot of mental health issues. The book is really well written and Dylan's mental health issues seem very realistic. It's so well written, you can kind of feel some of the chaos in Dylan’s mind. I appreciated the way he grew throughout the book and how difficult it could be for him at times to not only trust himself, but to truly try and change. I really loved his relationship with his cousin and his dad. They understand who he is and accept him completely. His relationship with the other hikers on the trail especially “The Ghost” are really wonderful. This book is about family, loss, love, and growing up.

Received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review from SOURCEBOOKS Fire via NetGalley.

I have already emailed my school librarian to buy a copy of this book! I loved it! What an interesting take on a survival story.  Dylan Taggert has issues, emotionally expressing himself and other psychological issues, and he is running away from something that has happened involving his family.  His cousin is his lifeline and she reluctantly encourages him when he tells her his goal is to hike the Appalachian Trail...alone.  As Dylan begins his adventure, the author introduces the reader to some of his quirky behaviors that are a part of who he is.  The reader understands Dylan's stress and discomfort in social situations as he travels the trail and through the flashbacks she presents to the reader within the story.  As Dylan starts to interact with more people and become aclimated to the trail, there begins to be a shift in him.  Once he meets, "The Ghost", who saves him from a near bear experience, he finds himself caring about someone other than himself (and that someone is a girl!).  Through the course of the story Dylan also finds himself interacting with "Rain Man" who knows "The Ghost" and seems a bit concerned about her peculiar behaviors.  The author puts three characters together who are all dealing with different levels of loss and carrying the burden of their secrets with them.  She writes vivid experiences on the trail and develops the character of Dylan fully.  He is on a journey alone but finds himself changed based on the challenges that he is facing.  There are so many different emotional levels to this story and it was heartbreaking at moments. I loved reading about Dylan's story and his growth through his adventures.  Well written story about loss, friendship, survival and the paths we all choose to follow for ourselves when we don't always have full control of what is ahead of us.