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purplepierogi's review
3.0
the goodreads review mob was so critical of this woman and her life choices!! yes, it's truly a miracle she survived being wildly, wildly unprepared and alone on the Pacific Crest Trail, but what an adventure!
kerinl's review
3.0
I thought I would love this book after reading the passage " It hadn't occurred to me that my mother would die. Until she was dying, the thought had never entered my mind. She was monolithic and insurmountable, the keeper of my life. She would grow old". I soon became irritated with the main character and her behavior following the death of her mother. I would recommend "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson for anyone looking to read an excellent book with a similar theme.
katykelly's review
4.0
I've had this on my Kindle app for ages, only being spurred on to read it because I like to see films only after I've read the original book first.
This isn't one you are going to laugh about, it's not one with witty lines or even a lot in the way of plot. But it's not that sort of book - it's a memoir, a study of grief, a story about a woman setting herself a challenge and struggling through to complete it.
And it achieves this. Cheryl's mum dies young, unexpectedly and in a rather difficult and painful way. Her daughter's life, family and outlook is immediately shattered, and only after going off the rails somewhat does Cheryl see a way to try to move forward, try to put her grief into perspective and keep living. She decides to walk the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) that stretches through a good proprtion of America, solo and with little money. Just a giant backpack full of supplies that soon gets nicknamed Monster, and that strong men even have trouble lifting off the ground, let alone Cheryl.
And so begins her rather epic few months on the PCT, alone with her thoughts (and a few books), occasionally meeting other hikers, and narrating for us her thoughts and experiences. It's a slow-moving book, with glimpses at Cheryl's past, her mother's death and what happened after that. She's honest about it, and her pain is hard to ignore - life just isn't fair.
I did find this hard going at times, as it is a fairly slow read, but I did pick up the pace halfway through. I found the concept of the hiking exhausting but was totally in awe of her determination and grit. And the luck she had, with so many people helping her and offering their assistance - my belief in the generous nature of people did get a bolster.
I could also relate to the need for solitude, time to think and the desire to test yourself.
A very engaging and empathic novel overall, one I now look forward to seeing on the screen.
This isn't one you are going to laugh about, it's not one with witty lines or even a lot in the way of plot. But it's not that sort of book - it's a memoir, a study of grief, a story about a woman setting herself a challenge and struggling through to complete it.
And it achieves this. Cheryl's mum dies young, unexpectedly and in a rather difficult and painful way. Her daughter's life, family and outlook is immediately shattered, and only after going off the rails somewhat does Cheryl see a way to try to move forward, try to put her grief into perspective and keep living. She decides to walk the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) that stretches through a good proprtion of America, solo and with little money. Just a giant backpack full of supplies that soon gets nicknamed Monster, and that strong men even have trouble lifting off the ground, let alone Cheryl.
And so begins her rather epic few months on the PCT, alone with her thoughts (and a few books), occasionally meeting other hikers, and narrating for us her thoughts and experiences. It's a slow-moving book, with glimpses at Cheryl's past, her mother's death and what happened after that. She's honest about it, and her pain is hard to ignore - life just isn't fair.
I did find this hard going at times, as it is a fairly slow read, but I did pick up the pace halfway through. I found the concept of the hiking exhausting but was totally in awe of her determination and grit. And the luck she had, with so many people helping her and offering their assistance - my belief in the generous nature of people did get a bolster.
I could also relate to the need for solitude, time to think and the desire to test yourself.
A very engaging and empathic novel overall, one I now look forward to seeing on the screen.
yaydonna's review
4.0
Interesting, she's an inspiring woman to say the least. Quick read, but a lovely journey nonetheless.
willdriveforsnacks's review
1.0
I really didn't enjoy this book. I was hoping for an uplifting story over overcoming struggle and the first 6 chapters were extremely sad and made me put the book down and not pick it back up. too sad and depressing for me. I was looking for something happy.
mermaidread's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
mullinscl9657's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
This was a good book about healing. It makes me want to go on a very long hike.