Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]

Jan 09, 2015 Michelle rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is the story of a woman in her early twenties taking an ill-advised trek across the west coast to cope with the death of her mother, her failed marriage, and a whole slew of other issues. It should really be called Wild: How I Ran Away From All My Problems and Still Managed to Have Casual Sex with a Stranger.

And no, no, no… before anyone goes there… I’m not slut shaming. You want to sleep around, girl, go for it! I support you and your wild, w Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail is the story of a woman in her early twenties taking an ill-advised trek across the west coast to cope with the death of her mother, her failed marriage, and a whole slew of other issues. It should really be called Wild: How I Ran Away From All My Problems and Still Managed to Have Casual Sex with a Stranger.

And no, no, no… before anyone goes there… I’m not slut shaming. You want to sleep around, girl, go for it! I support you and your wild, wanton ways. But when you make it sound like it is a problem that you’re desperately trying to overcome because it has caused you nothing but grief and ultimately destroyed your marriage, I can’t feel too sorry for you when you bring a pack of condoms with you to hike across three states.

When you’re following Cheryl Strayed up the Pacific Coast Trail in the great, wide, wonderful wilderness you get to spend a lot of time in her head through the magic of storytelling. This was the major issue I had with this book because, surprise, I really couldn’t stand her. She’s maybe the least sympathetic “character” I’ve ever read. She’s so self-absorbed she could give Narcissus a run for his money. All of the drama she endures is largely self-inflicted but, for all her self-analysis, she can’t seem to figure that out. Instead she operates under a “fuck up, lament, rinse, repeat” model and uses this so-called enlightened journey as an opportunity to wallow in her own vanity instead of finding a productive outlet for her emotional baggage. At the end she gets an ice cream cone and pats herself on the back for triumphantly accomplishing her feat. Meanwhile, you’re throwing the book across the room wondering where 300 pages of your life just went. Is she really “found” in the great outdoors? No, not really. But hey, at least she has that bitchin’ tan and calves of steel to show for it!

Also, descriptions of hiking … not nearly as much fun as actually hiking. There are some briefly touching flashbacks of her mom that I enjoyed although, even in those instances, Cheryl Strayed is still mostly an asshole. ...more

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Jun 21, 2015 Valerie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, adventure, non-fiction, memoir, spiritual, biography-memoir, popsugar-2015-challenge

This is a very honest book about a young woman who had lost her way, due to the tragic loss of her mother at too early an age. Cheryl sets out to find herself, pull herself away from the edge, and resolve her feelings by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail; or 1100 miles of it. In a very real way, this book, her memoir, is a metaphor for her life. Along the trail, she faces desolation, loss, loneliness, betrayal of herself by herself, and she suffers tremendous physical and emotional pain. She also f ...more

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Jan 14, 2015 Emilia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, travel

wow...
I mean..
wow. this book was sooo much what I expected - and so much more! I was angry, I was touched, I was tired and nervous. I was guessing what the outcome might be, and then surprised when things went totally different way...
loved it!!!

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Mar 17, 2016 Dawn Husted rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I bought this book to give me a chance to see another part of the world, in this case, the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). I’m a huge lover of hiking, and don’t go nearly often enough, but even if you don’t like hiking, you’ll enjoy this memoir. I laughed, I cried, and I held my breath during the chapter when I feared the worse. Cheryl Strayed doesn’t hold back in regard to her inner thoughts, her bold actions, her devastation over her mom’s death and having to make choices that not many ever have to ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Sherry BK rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars

I just hiked a portion of the Superior Hiking Trail. This book was inspirational and entertaining. After I complete the SHT, I just might go for the PCT!

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Jan 26, 2016 Katrina marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

saved for 2016 reading challenge: A New York Times bestseller, a book from Oprah's book club ...more

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Jun 03, 2023 Tina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: at-the-library, nature, non-fiction, true-adventures, inspirational, voyages, made-into-movie, thought-provoking, growing-up, reflections-of-life

Epic!
An amazing, incredible journey.
Heartfelt and wonderfully inspiring.
We can do anything!

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Jan 31, 2015 Katrina marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

saved for 2015 book challenge: possibly a book that became a movie, a book by a female author, a book a friend recommended, a book based on a true story, a memoir

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Jan 06, 2015 Hannah Norman rated it liked it · review of another edition

I liked this book, but not for the reason I think I was supposed to. Instead of seeing this as an empowering story of a young woman going out on her own on a grand adventure, I saw this as a type of parody. Here goes a young girl without any experience on a dangerous trek completely unprepared. The fact that she survived without injury is humorous in itself! With that, the writing was great and the story was interesting.

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