Aspen Matis

Have you ever read a book where you sorta know you shouldn't rate it five stars because it is misleading to others, yet you LOVED every minute of reading it? No? Well that's what happened to me with this book.

Let me share the flaws first so you are forewarned.

1. This book is like a COPY of Wild by Cheryl Strayed. If you liked Wild, you will like this one. If you hated, Wild, back away slowly. Basically the plot is "girl hikes Pacific Coast Trail and finds her inner strength". Sound familiar.

2. I hated the author pretty much the entire time I read the book. Ok, hate may be a strong word, but I think she has a narcissistic personality disorder. Or something. Her judgement is sorely lacking. Even for a 19 year old.

Ok, so you are forewarned.

But on the flip side, the girl can write a story.

I was pretty much riveted the entire time. Her descriptions of the outdoors were beautiful and vivid. But they didn't overwhelm the book. I just thought her writing was very engaging and accessible. I could have read the book in one sitting, no problem.

And okay, I love a good tale of outdoor adventure. I just do.

EDIT: Ok, I really couldn't let this book stand with a five star rating. After a few days passed, I just realized that even though I loved reading it, the book is truly not original, and the writing, while completely engaging, isn't really enough to merit the rating either. But it is a very entertaining read, so if historically I gave out stars for the entertainment factor alone, it might have earned the fifth one.
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