Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

Reviewed by Hope M.
Grade 11

As I was considering what new book I should read, Be Not Far From Me grabbed my attention. I skimmed through the plot summary on the inside cover of the book and thought it might be an interesting story. However, upon reading the first few pages, I realized this was not going to be a page-turner. In comparison to the summary, the actual story was dull, illogical, and to be honest, uneventful.

The tale centers on Ashley Hawkins, a poor teenager who has a love for running and aspires to develop a future with that passion. She also appears to be deeply knowledgeable of nature. The story begins with a hike that Ashley, her friends, and her boyfriend take in the Smoky Mountains, just out for a night of drinking and partying. However, when Ashley finds her boyfriend cheating on her, she races off randomly into the darkness. Only when she plummets into a ravine does she stop her mad dash. The rest of the book is her attempt to escape the forest with a gruesome injury on her leg. Ashley must put her survival skills to the test, and when her own mentor didn’t make it out alive, what chance does she possibly have?

Although the plot sounds exciting at first glance, I found the novel to be quite boring. Because Ashley was by herself for roughly 95% of the story, there wasn’t as much dialogue as I prefer in books. Additionally, it never felt like there was a climax. Even though different circumstances arose, the tone felt the same the entire time I was reading, giving the story a very uneventful vibe. The fact that Ashley, who is apparently gifted in the ways of nature and KNEW the dangers of leaving the trail, couldn’t remember how foolish it would be to do just that is pretty far-fetched. I understand that being cheated on is a traumatic experience, but it still didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone unless you enjoy reading something that's almost all description with little social interaction. As I mentioned previously, the novel was really a “straight line” in terms of excitement. While I think a good lesson was provided at the end, I would tell anyone who is considering this book to leave it on the shelf. Once you’ve read the plot summary, you’ve read the whole book.