Girl in the Woods audiobook

Bravely and poignantly written, this important memoir beautifully depicts Aspen Matis' journey from utter recklessness to salvation. Thanks to Goodreads' First Reads for the review copy. This was my unsolicited review.

Changed my life. ;) Although of course I'm biased.

"Girl in the Woods" is a memoir by Aspen Mattis, a girl who decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail by herself after she is raped on the second day at college. Her rape sends her into a tailspin, which is easily understandable. She feels like there has to be something that she can do it in order to feel like herself and feel safe again. She decides that a trip on the PCT it is the best way to do that. I love hiking but the thought of hiking that much is incredibly daunting to me. Aspen goes into a lot of detail about the reasons that she decided that it was best for her to step away from college and try to hike from Mexico all the way up to Canada. This is a story about picking up the pieces and finding yourself.I love memoirs especially when they are written by people who do things that I could never never fathom doing in my own life. I love to live vicariously through those authors. This is definitely one of those books where you do live vicariously through the author because they give so much detail about everything that they have to face on this journey. This book in a lot of ways reminded me of "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, another one of my favorite books. Aspen is definitely running from a lot of different things when she takes on her hike but the hike helps her come to terms with some of the more difficult things she had to face in her short time at college. I liked how honest she was with the reader. You feel as if you are reading somebody that you know's innermost thoughts and they are holding nothing back.This is definitely an extreme version of someone trying to find themselves and I don't think that the way that Aspen does it is necessarily going to be for everyone but this is such an important book for anyone who has gone through something where they think that they're never going to recover. I read it very quickly because I could not tear myself away from the pages. This was a great memoir and I definitely recommend it to readers looking for a good adventure story and a story of redemption!

I've taken my time reading this book, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because it gave me much to think over after each session. It's not the best written book, nor is Aspen/Debbie immune to the flaw of getting on your nerves at times. But when you reach the end of this book, you reach a place of understanding that only comes from the most honest of writers. Within the pages of this memoir, Aspen opens herself up to the harshest of scrutiny, and it's to be nothing but admired. It's not until the end of this book that you realise the enormity of the story you've just read. This girl walked from Mexico to Canada, often times alone, in a journey of self discovery. The place she arrives at when she finishes is different even from what she envisaged, and that's what makes this book so good. This is not a story told in hindsight. It's a story that unfolds, changes, changes again, and then again. I am absolutely stunned by the fact that people walk this type of journey all the time. I can hardly comprehend that. The generosity of those who help these hikers all along the way is humbling; just incredible. Overall, this an excellent memoir. I would have liked a little more clarity on some of the details of her life post walk, but other than that, I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.

I couldn't put it down, and I had the vague recollection I had read parts of it before. I don't think her mother was overbearing, but she overcompensated as so many mothers have for generations. I think the author did not whine (you can tell i've skipped thru some reviews), but she was social inadept and overprotected. that is not a war crime. She wrote a good book. She had tremendous courage, and her relationship was interesting. I felt towards the end; is this all true; but still spunky young girl; good writer. Sure Cheryl Strayed wrote Wild; but there's a lot of room int he world for books by people who have had traumatic events and overcome them. i won't go on, but I will read her next book with great interest and i wish the author well!

This is a story of adventure and healing told with stunning clarity. Aspen Matis writes in harrowing detail of being raped on her second night of college and then, in unflinching prose, tells the story of her walk from Mexico to Canada — nineteen years old, a girl alone in the woods. What I loved most about this memoir was the author’s incredible honesty. She doesn’t tailor her story to look like a saint, which is likely why a few people have criticized her book. But if, like me, you see beauty in truth, then you’ll love this memoir. Be prepared to hold your breath throughout it— I laughed, I cried—it’s a wild tale, told gorgeously.

This was a tough book to rate. The 4 stars are for this young woman’s bravery in speaking out about her rape, refusing to hide what happened or to be shamed by it. The 4 stars are also for Matis’ amazing talent as a writer. Her descriptions of the changing landscape and climates along the PCT are phenomenal and immersive. I also really connected to her interpretation of how important it is to her health and emotional well-being to walk in nature. To use the adjective she used in the book, Matis is indeed an f’ing writer.As a memoir, however, this book fell short for me. When I read a memoir, I’m expecting the author to shed new light on something monumental in her life and to share something meaningful that she learned from the experience. GIRL IN THE WOODS never quite hits that mark. It is a narrative of a young woman who really hasn’t yet learned what she needs to learn -- about a traumatic event, and about herself in a much broader sense. It is told through the self-focused prism of “absolutes” that is common for a person in her late-teens to early 20s (that’s not a slight, it’s a biological reality; we have all been there). While that does provide interesting psychological insight in-and-of itself, I found it frustrating to read. While Matis mentions many of the thru-hikers and trail angels she encountered during her five-month 2,700-mile trek, she doesn’t really seem to think about or explore who they are as people or what compels them to do the things they do. In neglecting that opportunity, she short-changed herself and her readers of something that could have been truly enlightening. I found myself wishing she had waited a few years before publishing, had allowed herself to gain the kind of perspective only time can provide.My hope is that Matis continues to grow as a woman and a writer, and continues to reflect upon and examine her journey and keep learning from it. I look forward to reading her future work for that reason.

It's interesting how much I could relate to Aspen Matis while reading this book. (Keep in mind a huge chunk of this will be about me to get to my point. Or try to anyway). ***Potentially triggering*** Growing up, my mother always took care of me which is amazing and I love her for it, but as I got older she was still doing things like picking out my clothes for me, brushing my hair, etc. When I was young, my shoelace came untied and I had no idea how to re-tie it. My teacher ended up having one of the other students tie my shoe which was so embarrassing. And up until I was 14(? I think) I had no idea how to put my hair up in a ponytail. If it came undone at school I had no idea how to fix it, and my hair has always been really thick and it's all puffy/tangled if I wear it out so I hated not having it in a ponytail. When I was old enough to start shaving... well okay, no, first of all when all the other girls started shaving, I still wasn't which people thought was funny. When I DID finally start, my mom was shaving my legs for me. Finally when I was in high school I managed to convince her to let me take care of myself a little bit. She did. To this day I'm still not sure why she did all of that. She was very strict too and wouldn't let me do things like hang out with friends for a few hours after school or have sleepovers, etc. I think she was just being protective and not realizing that she was OVER-protective.(I'm making her sound like a bad person. She's not. Honestly I think she's the most amazing woman on the planet - she's kind, generous and loving and I'm 100000% happy that she's my mom. She just took care of me a little too well sometimes.) By the way, I've never talked about this but Aspen proved that you can grow up into your own person and that you really shouldn't be ashamed of your past - so here it is and out goes my shame. (Thank you Aspen) I too was raped, when I was 20. I was in a psych ward because of depression and self-harm. The nurses, etc. do "checks" every 15-20 minutes to see how everyone's doing. When a male and female are in a room alone together, someone is supposed to be supervising constantly. Emphasis on "supposed to be" seeing as that didn't happen and they weren't even doing the checks as often as they should. So the guy who was in the room with me started taking advantage of me and I had no idea what to do so -sort of similar to Aspen - I kissed back (and a few other things that I won't go into detail about) hoping that if I gave him just a little bit of what he wanted he'd leave me alone after. He didn't. Just like Aspen, I was basically told that it didn't happen. When the police got involved, the guy who did it literally told them that something happened "but that [I] wanted it" and yet no one believed anything happened. I was yelled at by the nurses and treated like a delusional child by the police officers. I've hated myself and felt dirty since then, and honestly still blame myself. I get it. I get what it's like to not know how to be your own person. I get what it's like to be told you're lying (especially about the most traumatizing thing in life). I get what it's like to hate your body, and how that gets so much worse after a sexual assault. And how sex doesn't feel good/right after that - the few times it happened for me anyway. I get what it's like to just not feel capable of doing certain things. I get it. But I also get that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." For Aspen, that was taken literally (and she later finds out that by doing so, she was also taking a huge step emotionally/mentally). Aspen did an amazing job with this book. Yes, I completely understood how she felt because I'd been through some of the same things. But for anyone who hasn't, she manages to describe things in a way that anyone can understand. Well okay, obviously not fully because it's much different to read about it than it is to go through it but she still paints a very good picture. In "Girl In The Woods" she let us into her mind, into the darkest corners that most people don't let see the light of day. She describes her journey so well and you find yourself cheering her on. This is the kind of book that you end up feeling a strong connection to the author because of how open, honest and real it is. In my third book, "The Darkness And The Light" I tried to create that connection. To let the reader feel what I feel (uh not literally, I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but you get the idea). And while I feel like at some points I succeeded, I don't think I captured life in the same way Aspen did. And I admire her for doing so in such a great way. So, my long and rambling point to all of this is basically that Aspen Matis is an amazing writer. That she teaches you to try, to take control of your life and yourself, to make yourself your first priority. That she's so strong and encourages you to find that same strength within yourself. Oh, and that you really need to read this book.

I know, the first thing you are going to say is, "Sara. Come on now, Cheryl Strayed did this with Wild and it was so good they made it into a movie" and I'm going to tell you SHUT UP. I say that because I fully understand why Wild was as popular as it was and that's because it came at a time where us card carrying vaginas needed a woman to show us what being a true adventuring, independent woman was. Unfortunately, I really hated that book because Cheryl wasn't like-able. Just a series of terrible choices because her mom died. I mean, I get it, your mom dies and that's awful but to leave a really great guy for a drug addled loser and then hike off into the woods and be fully shocked at how hard life is? Shut up and move over. Here we have Aspen, who growing up as Debby really struggled. Her parents loved her but they didn't parent her well. Her two older brothers had it better but her mother treated her as a mute. Not just a mute but a mute fully incapable of caring herself. A passage close to the front of the book reads, "Through middle school, I didn't shave my legs or use deodorant. Girls began to ask about my hairy legs. One day in eighth grade, I found deodorant in my locker with a note written in girlish handwriting, unsigned. It told me I smelled. It was true. I was hurt. But after that I still didn't simply commit to wearing deodorant daily, instead passively subjecting myself to adolescent years of whispered disdain. Basic hygiene was a terrible struggle. Anything my mother didn't do for me, I didn't do for myself."She goes on about how she wasn't allowed to dress herself and any attempt to do something on her own was shut down immediately by her mother who, for whatever reason, wanted to control literally every aspect of Debby's life. When it comes time to go to college, Debby picks Colorado College. Far away enough from home but in the woods she loved as child. She sees it as a fresh start, finally free of the oppressive home that held her back. She remembers how her parents met- on the second night of college, and she holds this is a fairy tale of sorts. But for her, the second night of college turns her into a rape victim. Not just a rape victim, but one who questions herself, who is let down by the college and even worse- shamed by her own family. She reaches out to her mother who gives her icy silence and treats it as nothing. She reaches out to her brother, the one she's closest to, and he asks her what she had done to bring it on basically. Stunned and frozen, she decides that she is going to drop out of college and hike. She has big plans to hike the PCT and be a thru-hiker (one end to the other) and she is looking at The Kickoff as a new beginning. Like the first night of college. She wants to find herself and be more. Her parents reluctantly agree to help her financially though it's obvious they have little faith that she'll make it very far. One of my favorite passages reads, "Looking into my reflection above the sink, I dreaded what I already understood to be true: I wouldn't reinvent myself at Kickoff. Just being some place new couldn't just suddenly imbue me with new confidence. Fleeing to the desert didn't transform me into the poised and lovely woman I wished I were. I was here- on the PCT at last- and I was suddenly aware of how uncomfortable I still was in my body. I was awkward in Newton and at college, and here on the trail I remained just as uncool. This place wouldn't change me. Nowhere could." Amen. Seriously. She figures this out at the very beginning of her hike and this is something a normal person (looking at you, Cheryl Strayed) doesn't figure out until some mid way point in the hike. So much of this book spoke to me because I get it, I felt like I really understood the author. She was so much easier to relate to. She was more of an average 19 year old girl setting off on an impossible journey and I found myself rooting for her. Don't even get me started on how damn happy I was when Dash comes along. But I won't go into that because it ruins the ending for you. But Debby is DAMN LUCKY to have survived because shortly before Oregon she gets a weird infection, thinks it's no big deal. She reluctantly has to go home to have it taken care of and as it turns out, it could have been fatal. But it's that trip home that reminds her of what she left behind. Her overbearing mother suffocating her. She does return to the trail because she is adamant she will finish and I was thrilled. So much of this book is absolutely amazing. It is far and above, a thousand times better than Wild. It just is. I know I'm in the minority on my dislike for Wild but whatever. I just really enjoyed this book. I also have to say, I learned far more about the PCT from this book versus Wild so there is that as well. It almost makes me want to hike it. BUT, let's be real, I'm pro nachos and ice cream. I would never make it.

A stunningly beautiful book, an astonishing writer. Matis takes us along with her step by step, keeping us on the edge of our seats. I lived her physical journey with her, it took my breath away. I feared for her as if she were my own daughter, and felt elated and proud of her in the same way. Her inner journey to become independent and “grown up”, to understand the rape wasn’t her fault, to tumble into new, young love, and to know she’d survive when it didn’t work out. At some point I googled her and was astonished to learn how young she was when she wrote this book - her writing is polished and extremely mature. I hope she sells some of her visual art at some point, also - it’s beautiful! I’m buying her second book right this minute. Matis is an incredible human being, a fabulous writer.

Nineteen years old, confused, traumatized, and searching to find the person she is meant to be - Aspen Matis decides to take off on a personal journey that involves walking from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail, a journey of nearly 3,000 miles on foot. Along the way Matis learns many things, including how to trust again, how to become at ease with herself and how face the future with hope. This is a powerful memoir that follows Matis from spoiled rich kid to her traumatic experience in college to matured young adult woman who could come to reckoning with her demons and truly begin to be happy with her life. Matis' story is at time very graphic, and there are times that the reader might want to shake the girl she was. But there are also moments of celebration as the reader can see the progress Matis took along her journey. Matis proves that she is a talented storyteller with "Girl In The Woods." Her writing is full of emotion and her descriptive account of her journey along the Pacific Crest Trail is fascinating. There are some comparisons to Cheryl Strayd's book, "Wild," which is also a story of a woman's journey along the PCT, but Matis' tale is uniquely hers and hers alone. I think anyone who has taken this trip will have their own story to tell, and Matis does so with a great deal of grace and forgiveness. This memoir is appropriate for young adult readers and those who are interested in strong female-led stories.

All of these books about going out into the wilderness and hiking are making me have wanderlust...