The Other Side of Lost

May 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-As a child, Mari and her cousin Bri made a pact to hike the John Muir Trail for their shared 18th birthday in Kirby's The Secret History of Us. Since then, Mari has refocused her life on creating the ultimate social media image and Bri has passed away while pursuing her hiking dream. As Mari realizes the detriment her false life has brought her, she vows to quit social media and attempt the hike Bri trained years for instead. But the John Muir Trail is not for beginners and Mari might have encountered a challenge more difficult than she ever imagined. Kirby writes a classic journey through grief and adolescence in this coming-of-age novel. Full of adventure and heartfelt introspection, this work provides ample opportunity for thematic and symbolic analysis while maintaining a compelling plot inhabited by unique, if slightly underdeveloped, characters. Teens will find plenty of truth in Kirby's depiction of creating and cultivating a social media presence before walking the nearly 211 miles with Mari on her adventure. A compulsively readable title with a deep understanding of the trauma both grief and social media can bring. VERDICT This is a must-have for where Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone and similar young adult contemporary novels are popular.-Abby Hargreaves, District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2018
Seeking a bond with her estranged cousin, a social media maven turns to nature to reconnect with herself.Teen Instagram influencer Mari has felt lost since her cousin's death. Bri was her best friend, her family, her everything. But as Mari rose to fame, the duo grew distant, and Bri's sudden death--a hiking accident while preparing for the backpacking trip the two had always talked of taking--means they will never be able to repair their relationship. Tired of feeling inauthentic and performative, Mari publicly quits social media on what would have been their shared 18th birthday and, thanks to supplies from her aunt, takes Bri's hiking gear and impulsively begins a trip along the John Muir Trail. Along the way she befriends a dynamic group of peers who instantly take her into their fold, providing the companionship--and, with one, romantic connection--that she sorely lacked in her previous life. Despite the physical pain of hiking with new boots, a full pack, and absolutely no training, Mari decides she's ready--no, needs--to hike as far as her body will take her. Mari's emotional journey is predictable and tidy, but her first-person narration is compelling and her determination, inspiring. The book follows a white default.Mari's story may not chart any new territory, but readers will be glad to have made the journey with her. (Fiction. 14-18)

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June 4, 2018
Everything in Mari’s life is for show. She’s a popular social media presence, and her fans love her Instagram and YouTube posts—whether they’re inspirational quotes, yoga shots, or charming moments with her boyfriend, another social media star. The truth is, he’s not really her boyfriend, and Mari is incredibly lonely. Turning 18 reminds her of Bri, the cousin she grew up with, and how they’d grown apart before Bri’s death from a hiking accident. When Mari gets real about her sadness on YouTube, her star falls, and she decides to follow Bri’s old plan to walk the John Muir Trail—all 200-plus miles through the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s not a hike for neophytes, but Mari has Bri’s pack, provisions, itinerary, even her boots, and she soon makes friends on the trail. The telling is at times oversimplified—with Mari’s troubles chalked up to her parents’ divorce and Bri idealized—but Kirby (Moonglass) skillfully evokes the extreme beauty and challenges of the hike and the importance of making friends who like you even when you’re dirty, tired, and honest. Ages 14–up. Agent: Leigh Feldman, Leigh Feldman Literary.