I had seen the movie, but enjoyed the book even more. A journey of self-reflection on the Pacific Crest Trail. ( )

The story was engaging, and she got herself into a lot of really dangerous scenarios that made for exciting storytelling. But the writing was awkward in many places...I listed to it as an audiobook, and often found myself thinking that had I been reading it, I may not have seen in through because of the quality of the writing. The audio narrator also had an older-sounding voice, which was really distracting given that the story was told from the perspective of a woman in her 20's, doing a lot of reckless things. If you've already read "A Walk in the Woods," Bill Bryson's memoir of his time on the Appalachian Trail, this is a good counterpoint to it. If you haven't, read that instead. ( )

I liked this memoir a lot. Hiking the PCT just to do it is something I can imagine doing, although I would probably have prepared better. The author has a lot of pain and confusion after her mother's death, her family disintegrates, and her marriage dissolves. The physical challenge of the trail and the solitude are just what she needs to start healing, maybe. Entire days without seeing another human sounds wonderful to me at times. ( )

"Wild" is a journey within a journey about a woman who seeks to find herself by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Reeling from grief over her mother's death, unable to forgive herself for her excessive indulgences that lead to her divorce, the loss of closeness from her family, unable to complete her undergraduate degree, and a chance encounter with a book called "The Pacific Crest Trail" lead her on journey to cover 1,100 miles of the PCT on a solo hike. She is underprepared for this hike but continuously pushes through to reach her goal, making most readers believe they, too, could take such a journey.

On my bucket list is to hike that other trail...the Appalachian Trail, so I could relate to this book in many ways. However, I will be old when I eventually hike the AT, wishing I had done it when I was Cheryl's age when she did the PCT. There were many things she did that I could easily see myself doing as well, especially being underprepared for what exactly is involved with such a huge undertaking. It also confirmed for me why I would love to do something like this...all the interesting people you meet along the way.

I also like that she did this on her own and highlights both the advantages and disadvantages of being a solo female hiker. The story is engaging and a quick read. Oh--and the sex is better in this book than in 50 Shades.

I'll end this with some of my favorite lines in the book:

"I think it's neat you do what you want. Not enough chicks do that, if you ask me--just tell society and their expectations to go fuck themselves. If more women did that, we'd be better off."

( )

"Wild" is a journey within a journey about a woman who seeks to find herself by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Reeling from grief over her mother's death, unable to forgive herself for her excessive indulgences that lead to her divorce, the loss of closeness from her family, unable to complete her undergraduate degree, and a chance encounter with a book called "The Pacific Crest Trail" lead her on journey to cover 1,100 miles of the PCT on a solo hike. She is underprepared for this hike but continuously pushes through to reach her goal, making most readers believe they, too, could take such a journey.

On my bucket list is to hike that other trail...the Appalachian Trail, so I could relate to this book in many ways. However, I will be old when I eventually hike the AT, wishing I had done it when I was Cheryl's age when she did the PCT. There were many things she did that I could easily see myself doing as well, especially being underprepared for what exactly is involved with such a huge undertaking. It also confirmed for me why I would love to do something like this...all the interesting people you meet along the way.

I also like that she did this on her own and highlights both the advantages and disadvantages of being a solo female hiker. The story is engaging and a quick read. Oh--and the sex is better in this book than in 50 Shades.

I'll end this with some of my favorite lines in the book:

"I think it's neat you do what you want. Not enough chicks do that, if you ask me--just tell society and their expectations to go fuck themselves. If more women did that, we'd be better off."

( )