Intriguing suspense story with a bit of a wilderness aspect which creates a unique setting. Mindy Mejia became a must-read author for me after Everything You Want Me to Be and I had been eagerly awaiting her next novel, which did not disappoint! I love how Mejia writes her flawed characters in such realistic and endearing ways that you feel for them, despite all the reasons in the world not to, and Maya is surely an example of this.

I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well-written characters. This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I would recommend this story to all thriller and who-done it lovers.

When I began this book, I thought it was a mystery/thriller about a boy who's been living in the woods and what happened to him. Really this is a story about losing a parent, and the way that can really shape everything after. There were a few moments in the book I could not believe, but overall, I just had to surrender to where the story was going. This book turned into a really interesting thriller that strayed out of the normal traumatized person/their helper storyline and into a book that is really hard to define.

I enjoyed well enough. My issues are with something a "professional" institution did/let side. It was a lot irritating as well as how Maya a "professional" acted with Lucas. I couldn't help but cringe with how she pretty much blew all professional ethics.

I think that we should crown Mindy Mejia one of the queens of hidden secrets. This is the second book I have read by her and I love the way she carefully reveals the secrets, lies, and truths. There are twists, turns, and I didn't know where I was going (or coming from), but I loved it. This book is moody and tension could be cut with a knife. All in all, this is a solid read.

A well-plotted suspense that leaves the reader wondering what is around the next corner and feeling like they are left alone in the middle of the wilderness.

Twists and turn all throughout this book!! Couldn't put it down at all. I cant wait to have the opportunity to read more of Mindy's books.

Omg.... LOVED THIS!!

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review


Why did it take me so long to read this!! This has some great twist and turns and well it's got the outdoors and camping I will read anything with an camping vibe! Read this in just an afternoon I just couldn't put it down.
This has all the making of being a great movie!

What the book is about "There is a place in Minnesota with hundreds of miles of glacial lakes and untouched forests called the Boundary Waters. Ten years ago a man and his son trekked into this wilderness and never returned.

Search teams found their campsite ravaged by what looked like a bear. They were presumed dead until a decade later...the son appeared. Discovered while ransacking an outfitter store, he was violent and uncommunicative and sent to a psychiatric facility. Maya Stark, the assistant language therapist, is charged with making a connection with their high-profile patient. No matter how she tries, however, he refuses to answer questions about his father or the last ten years of his life

But Maya, who was abandoned by her own mother, has secrets, too. And as she’s drawn closer to this enigmatic boy who is no longer a boy, she’ll risk everything to reunite him with his father who has disappeared from the known world."

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." -Robert Frost

Expectations can be a difficult thing to manage. After her breakout hit Everything You Want Me To Be, author Mindy Mejia found herself primed to release another hit novel. I really enjoyed her last effort, so I was eager to read Leave No Trace. Like any followup novel, expectations were high. Fortunately for us, Mejia more than rose to the occasion. I'm pleased to report that Mejia's latest not only met my high expectations but also presented a story that is decidedly different from her last book.

A decade ago, Josiah and his son Lucas Blackthorn hiked into the brutal terrain of the Boundary Waters and never returned. Search teams canvased the dense forests and glacial lakes. They finally found a campsite ravaged by what appeared to be bears. The Blackthorns were both assumed to have perished, and the family was forgotten.

Flash forward to the present day. Josiah has been found on the border of the Boundary Waters, ransacking an outfitter store. He won't speak and acts violently towards the police. He is quickly transferred to a psychiatric hospital where language therapist Maya Stark is tasked with getting Josiah to communicate. Maya has a history with the facility predating her time as an employee. She also was abandoned by her mother at a young age, so Maya attempts to find common ground with the silent Josiah. He refuses to budge. As she delves deeper into the psyche of her patient, Maya is forced to face the traumas of her own past, a trauma that could threaten both of their lives.

Immediately I was struck by how different Leave No Trace is when compared to Mindy Mejia's previous novel. The novel was advertised as a "suspenseful thriller", but I found it to be more of a slow-burning character study. The novel sees Mejia drop the alternating POV's of her previous work in favor of a more chronological timeline. By focusing mostly on Maya's perspective, Mejia lets the readers discover and grow with her characters. There is a mystery here, but it serves more to move the character's story than to lace the narrative with suspense. With Leave No Trace, Mindy Mejia cements herself as a versatile author who can enthrall readers through rich characters, riveting plots, and masterful prose.

Having read Mindy Mejia's "Everything You Want Me To Be", I approached her latest novel with high expectations and am happy to report those expectations were met and then some. "Leave No Trace" is an astounding work of storytelling with quirky yet authentic characters, a plot that expertly walks the line between brisk and hurried pacing and just enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

Maya is a heroine many would say has more guts than common sense, but her level of self-awareness surrounding her family's past and her own mistakes, makes her both likable and relatable. I loved the contrast between her loner personality mixed with her ability to form connections with her speech therapy patients at the mental hospital where she works. She keeps people at arm's length but still feels an intense desire to help those most in need, especially Lucas Blachthorn, her newest, quasi-celebrity patient.

As Maya slowly works to gain Lucas' trust, she finds herself putting her career and even her freedom at risk to help Lucas who is desperate to find his missing father. Both have secrets they hold close and pasts to overcome but an unexpected connection they share may be the one thing that tears them apart.

Leave No Trace is an awesome sophomore book by Mindy Mejia. I adored her debut, and she does it again, while having a completely new feel. It was so...winter in Minnesota. You could just feel the setting, and I loved that about it. I will continue to be a fan of Mejia and will read anything she puts out!

Having read Mindy Mejia's previous book, Everything You Want Me To Be it was a simple decision to read Leave No Trace. As before, I was not disappointed in the quality of the writing and suspense that is hanging throughout the story. The reader is drawn into the intrigue from the outset and you will not want to put the book down until you reach the final page.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can't say that I absolutely loved this one, but I give it a solid 4 stars. I flip-flopped between liking Maya and becoming frustrated with some of her actions, specifically directly dealing with Lucas. I liked the unique storyline and definitely loved the setting, but I'm not sure that it was as suspenseful as it could have been, considering that it's categorized as a suspense thriller. I was excited to read this because I absolutely adored Everything You Want Me to Be. Although this was good, I don't think it even compared to the thrill of her previous novel.

I liked the concept of the book, but the execution fell a little flat for me. It was quite coincidental, maybe just a touch too much so. The setting was really atmospheric and haunting though.

Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia was an interesting read. I previously read her novel, Everything You Want Me To Be. Both novels have story lines that are just left of the beaten path. The concept feels original and the characters are fresh.

Leave No Trace also has a unique setting of the wild wilderness of Minnesota. Whenever an author dares to leave a big city behind in favor of a more uncommon venue, I am very appreciative.

I enjoy Mejia's writing style. She has the ability to be concise and write a fast moving novel, while still giving the reader the immersive experience they desire.

The only negative I can give this book is that it did start to feel predictable. I'm a huge fan of thrillers and mysteries - I read a lot of them. It's not often that an author can completely dupe me in where the story is headed. I had this one figured out somewhere around the mid-point. However, I do enjoy Mejia's writing that this didn't lead me to abandon the book. I read it for the pleasure of reading, not for the exciting thrill of what may happen.

If you have not yet discovered this author, then now is the time! This is her third book and I really enjoyed the previous one “Everything You Want Me To Be” so I was looking forward to this one. This is not a series but, in my opinion, it is a case of the author getting better as they go along. This story had me spellbound from start to finish. First, the setting is the Duluth area of Minnesota, which I have visited and is as beautiful as the author makes it sound. Of course, technically, I live in North Dakota but Minnesota is within walking distance of my house, so this story feels like it’s in my backyard. Maya is a deliciously complicated character who works as a therapist in a mental hospital, so there’s the psychology aspect that I love. The story has a mystery woven in to it and a very unusual relationship between the main characters. One important thing for me in making a story good is the secondary characters. I look for characters that are distinctive and unique, not just there so the main character can have a conversation. This author hits the nail on the head here for me. From Maya’s boss to her father to the security guard, they all bring something to make the story better not just fill a space. Finally, I love the way that in this book the Boundary Waters themselves are a character and really enriches the story. I don’t think this particular story would be as effective if it was in any other setting. I look forward to a lot more wonderful books from this author in the future and am so glad that I have had the opportunity to read her books. Get a copy now!

Glad to amend my review to reflect new information. We purchased Leave No Trace for our library and it has been well received. Circulation statistics report that this title and genre are continuing to trend. Will be purchasing more from this author and thriller genre in the future. Thank you!

It took me several stops and starts to make it through this novel. Once I got about halfway through, I was interested enough to finish it, and it had a very interesting second half. The characters were a bit flat, but I wound up empathizing with both Maya and Lucas.

3.5 stars. Fairly riveting mystery/psychological drama. A young boy and his father disappear into the wilderness, then the boy, now a young man, reappears years later with deep psychological issues that render him unable to tell the authorities what happened. A therapist is assigned to work with him and this is the story of how she helps to unravel Luke's mystery as well as questions about her own past. I liked the survivalist parts of the story but thought many of Maya's actions were... Well, the author did a good job of trying to make them plausible in the context of the story, but still.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

Rating: 4.25/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: compelling, emotionally-driven, poignant read; Mindy Mejia really knows how to get inside her characters' heads and pull them apart for readers; this was a complex look into mental illness and familial loyalty--and how each, in their own ways, can tug a person in very different directions

HUGE thanks to Mindy Mejia, Atria/Emily Bestler Books Publishing, and Netgalley for sending a free egalley of this title my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.


---"Then why don't we shine?" Lucas asked, pulling me out of my head. I slid my hand up to touch the agate pendant, making sure it was still there before grabbing the oar and setting my jaw against the fire that was going to start raging in my side.

"Maybe we're not far enough away to see it."---


This was a super compelling, poignant read. Mindy Mejia knows how to get inside her characters' heads and really pull them apart for readers to better empathize with and understand. There was a lot of discussion surrounding mental health--particularly the stigmas--and familial loyalty. I would strongly urge readers who are easily triggered--especially by things like suicide or other sensitive disorders--to keep in mind the subject matter.

The prose is gorgeously written and super easy to visualize. While there were moments I felt a bit confused by what was occurring in the story, Mindy Mejia made sure to tie up any and all loose ends throughout the course of the journey. The fact that I was enthralled from page one--and felt like I was in the midst of a race to the finish--attests to the author's ability to draw an audience in and keep them wanting more.


---My mother couldn't bear the weight of her life and committed suicide.

Josiah Blackthorn was afraid of ceilings and escaped into the wilderness.

Lucas raged against a society he didn't know or want to understand.

I saw my mother in a rock and she told me to cave someone's skull in.

Pick the crazy person. Draw the line. See, it's easy until someone hands you the pen.---


There were so many beautifully chaotic moments in this read--from the get-go, these characters crawled beneath my skin and made their homes there, only letting loose once I'd reached the final page. On top of that, Mindy Mejia knows how to maintain an element of surprise. I never knew, from one moment to the next, what I would be experiencing next, which is just the way I like my suspense/thrillers!

I definitely recommend this to lovers of complex, compelling mysteries/suspense tales! The "romance" is a little hard to understand at first, but this poignant read is sure to leave you thinking after the finish! Don't let the title fool you, Penguins--this read will definitely leave a trace!