 | Be not far from me Author: McGinnis, Mindy | |
| Price: $9.83 | ||
Summary:
Lost in the Great Smoky Mountains, rising high school senior Ashley Hawkins must fight for survival without any tools, growing in awareness that the world is not tame, and neither are people.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: UG Reading Level: 5.90 Points: 8.0 Quiz: 508835 |
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 12/15/2019 Ashley is more than comfortable in the remote outdoor landscapes near her home in the Smoky Mountains. She's smart, aware, prepared, and completely mindful of the cruel power of nature. But at a drunken campout with friends, she discovers her boyfriend with another girl, and her emotions get the better of her. She bolts from the safety of camp—barefoot, in the middle of the night, without anything but the clothes on her back. When she wakes, she realizes that she is badly injured, far from the path, and utterly lost. What follows is a painful, dangerous, powerful journey back home, wherein she discovers previously untapped reserves of strength and self-preservation. Recalling the advice of a camp counselor she idolized who has gone missing, Ashley slowly makes her way through the brush, struggling against hunger, cold, loneliness, regret, lack of shelter, and a potentially lethal infection on her bare foot. A harrowing and life-affirming journey of transformation from the edgy imaginings of McGinnis (Heroine, 2019). - Copyright 2019 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 01/01/2020 Gr 10 Up—Seventeen-year-old Ashley is comfortable in the Tennessee wilderness, having grown up camping, hiking, and hunting in the Smokies. Her mother left when she was young, and while her father could not always afford to buy food or clothes, he did teach her survival skills. In Ashley's own words, she's on everyone's apocalypse-survival team. One summer night, Ashley and her friends hike into the wilderness to throw a party deep in the Smokies. In their remote small town, friendships are based more on geography than common interests, and Ashley quickly becomes annoyed by and insecure about the actions of some of the people at the party. When she stumbles upon her boyfriend having sex with his ex-girlfriend in the woods, Ashley takes off running. Drunk, devastated, and shoeless, Ashley sustains a serious injury before passing out. When she wakes, she realizes that she is lost in the wilderness without any supplies, and it will be days before anyone realizes that she's in trouble. She begins the journey to find her way home, contending with infection, starvation, thirst, and wild animals along the way. McGinnis is known for writing tough female protagonists and gritty realism, and she holds nothing back in this latest novel. Ashley is angry, vulnerable, smart, and compelling, and her journey is marked by setbacks, terror, and plenty of gross-out moments. VERDICT This captivating, fast-paced novel is Hatchet for an older crowd. Highly recommended where adventure and survival fiction are popular.—Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
