The Secrets We Bury

by Stacie Ramey

In an effort to escape his family, Dylan decides to hike the Appalachian trail - but he never expected to run into love Dylan Taggart is on the run. His family is trying to put him in a school for psychologically challenged students, and he gets it - he has anger issues. But Believers Charter School is a complete overreaction. So he decides a six-month hike on the Appalachian Trail is the perfect place to hide out until he can legally drop out of school.Dylan wanted independence, but being alone on the trail is more than he bargained for. Then he meets a mysterious hiker named Sophie, and the two begin to develop a bond he never expected. But will love be enough to escape what they're both running from?

• ISBN10: 1492654221
• ISBN13: 9781492654223
• Publish Date: 6 March 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Sourcebooks Fire
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

If I had know there were so many characters in this book dealing with grief and loss, I would have read it so much sooner. There was so much grief and loss, but also a ton of love, growth, understanding, and most importantly, healing.

•Pro: I loved being in Dylan's head. His character had this voice, that I could not get enough of. I found him so real and interesting.

•Pro: Let's face it. This was the closest I will get to hiking the Appalachian Trail, and I must say, what a wonderful trip Ramey took us on. She did such a good job conveying the difficulty and the wonder of trail life, as well as educating us on the ins and outs of hiking the trail.

•Pro: Ghost and Rain Man were such fantastic characters. I loved getting to know them, and was so invested in them early on.

•Pro: Grief, grief, everywhere! So many characters carried heavy hearts, and they needed each other and their time on the trail to provide some relief from the pain of their losses.

•Pro: When Dylan talked about his dad, I couldn't help but smile. Their relationship was so special, and I loved that Dylan felt he had someone on his side, when his dad was there.

•Pro: I learned so much about Processing Sensory Disorder from Dylan, and really liked the way he shared the things he did to alleviate his discomfort as well as the ways it affected him and those who were part of his life. It was awesome to see him pushing through some of his difficulties, when he was on the trail. He acknowledged it was hard, but he did it and hopped some major hurtles while he was hiking.

•Pro: This hike was transformative for Dylan. He made a lot of mistakes and angered a lot of people, who were important to him, but he also learned how to see things in a different way, and how to be a better friend, cousin, and son.

•Pro: Yep, there was a little romance, and you know I adored it. So sweet and awkward, but so genuine.

•Pro: I shed some tears, both happy and sad, but was most overjoyed with the forgiveness that multiple characters needed and received.

There are moments in life that are as perfect as the first line in a good book. Or the last line. They're waiting for you to notice them. This is one of those moments.

Overall: A breathtaking journey along the Appalachian Trail, which showed how "trail magic" can help bring one peace, clarity, understanding, and restoration.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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