Challenge Corner discussion

The world is not tame.

Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone - and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg

Day two (view spoiler)[ The comparison of herself with Duke's dad was kind of very unnecessary and ridiculous. Sometimes i feel like the author is trying to flesh out other character's although we should, in my opinion, be solely concentrated on Ashley and her ordeals. (hide spoiler)]

Day Five (view spoiler)[ I don't really like Ashley, she comes across as a know-it-all and it's quite unrealistic that she chopped off her whole ass foot. Nonetheless, i do hope she is able to run when she gets out of that mess. (hide spoiler)]

Day Eleven (view spoiler)[ In my opinion, Ashley is holding up great for being stranded in the woods by herself for almost two weeks now. It must have been hard to find her childhood hero's dead body but maybe it will give her some clues/motivation needed to escape the same faith. (hide spoiler)]

Day Fifteen (view spoiler)[ The people who found her must be freaked out seeing her all dissheveled and her foot hanging off of her. Nonetheless I do hope that she gets well enough and finds the energy to go back for Davey. (hide spoiler)]

27% - (view spoiler)[I'm glad I heard what it was about on Booktube before starting this book. I always hate cheating in books and this time was no different. The fall was brutal. I would be terrified if I were her. She's so resourceful though. I can't wait to find out the end of the book. (hide spoiler)]

25% (view spoiler)[
Wow, so Duke was a complete jerk to Ashley!!! I knew it was coming (it even says it in the book's summary), but I still grimaced at him cheating on her. However, again I knew this was coming, I felt like her response seemed unnatural for her. As a science-type person, she should've been reasonable enough to not just go sprinting off into the woods at night. Especially because in a huge state forest! That just seemed so illogical and could only go badly for her. I guess she had been drinking, so she wasn't making the best decisions… At least she has knowledge of the outdoors and hiking. That is definitely going to (and already has) come in handy! (hide spoiler)]

50% (view spoiler)[
Reading about Ashley's leg infection is really getting to me! This book is so much more intense than I anticipated. I haven't read something that made me cringe (unless because it was awkward) like this in a long time! I am not excited to read about her leg getting cut off. She doesn't have access to sterile medical tools, so I can't imagine the amputation will go smoothly. (hide spoiler)]

75% (view spoiler)[
Oh my god… I was legit cringing as I read about Ashley cutting off half of her foot. I am actually surprised she only cut off the foot since I thought the infection had already spread higher than that. However, I guess she doesn't exactly have the tools to amputate that much. It was still really awful to read >.< I have a strong stomach, but I have a weakness when it comes to foot injuries (like the Achilles tendon). (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[
I found the book got a little boring after about 25% through. I guess the novelty of reading about Ashley being lost in the woods wore off. Basically just wanting to find out if she made it or not is what kept me reading at the same pace. I also don't see what Ashley's obsession with Davey Beet. I found his story and death a little tragic, but she was oddly obsessed with him from a young age. I didn't really understand what that added to the story. (hide spoiler)]

46% (view spoiler)[ I can anticipate the self-amputation coming soon since she's only four days in I believe and there's like 15 days before the end... I didn't expect things to go this south so soon. (hide spoiler)]

73% - (view spoiler)[I'm crying reading about her finding the boy she loved dead in a tent. It's heartbreaking. I wonder what happened to him. It's so sad.

The moment where she killed that mama opossum was hard to read. (hide spoiler)]

78% (view spoiler)[Her eating a tick and then swallowing a fish (alive) when she could have killed it and cooked it with a fire felt very far fetched. It was just there for the shock value and I'm just rolling my eyes because of it. (hide spoiler)]

Finished - I liked this book as it's like nothing I've ever read before. (view spoiler)[I agree that after a while, the novelty wears off and I just wanted to get to the part where she was found. I found the ending good but the last bit didn't make a lot of sense to me. Going back alone to get Davey's body was very unrealistic as I imagine in real life, a group of people would have gone into the woods with her to get his body back to his family. (hide spoiler)]

Super late but finally got to this one...

Part I (view spoiler)[It was clear what was going to happen with her boyfriend, what a shitty friend he turned out to be. It goes to show that no matter how much you know, when emotions are high we don’t always think clearly. Thus her running blindly out into the woods without even stopping to grab her shoes or socks. (hide spoiler)]

Day 5 (view spoiler)[Holy crap that was hard to read. She cut off part of her foot..... ate bugs, worms etc but damn she hasn’t given up yet. I’d still be lying in the same place she fell. (hide spoiler)]

Part II (view spoiler)[This girl is a trouper that’s for sure. All she’s had to endure and yet she knows how to handle herself. Still I’m like saddened by those baby opossums left alone. Is it weird that I would probably have taken them, maybe maybe to eat down the road but I’d feel responsible for them lol (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[Gah I don’t know if I should be blown away by her and yet I can’t help but feel murderous that her ex is now shacking up with Natalie, the chick he cheated on her to begin with. Is it wrong I want him to be left in the middle of the woods....?? Really great story about survival in more ways than one. (hide spoiler)]