An extremely satisfying story of courage, love, and moving through that magical bubble which appears so infrequently. It's a bubble where two disparate lives intersect at just the right moment. Often these fail to develop, but this one not only develops, it survives the frailties of both Sam and McKenna. Plenty of tense moments and very accurate descriptions of the geography of the trail ass well as the folklore/socializing encountered on it. I particularly liked how the ending was so realistic. ( )

I'm a sucker for an Appalachian Trail story. This young adult tale was quite an adventure
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At first it took me some time to really get into the story but the further in I got the more interested I became. Sam annoyed me when he first showed up but then he grew on me. I would love a sequel to this book. ( )

The Distance from Me to You by Marina Gessner is an exhilarating journey of self-discovery for lead protagonist McKenna Berney. A six month hike on the Appalachian Trial for the recent high school grad leads to romance but it is what she learns about herself that makes the novel such a wonderful read.

Having grown up hearing her father's stories about hiking the Pacific Northwest Trial, McKenna is determined to undergo a similar hike before beginning college. She and her close friend Courtney have been planning their trip for the past year, but at the last minute, Courtney backs out after reuniting with her boyfriend. Undeterred and determined to go through with the 2000 mile hike, McKenna keeps the change in plans from her parents and strikes out on her own.

McKenna is pretty mature for her age and she has extensively researched her upcoming hike and she has carefully planned her daily hikes and stops. However, her trip is off to a bit of rocky beginning after she overestimates her abilities and underestimates the initial segment of the rugged terrain. Quickly regrouping, she soon hits her stride and she basks in the solitude and splendor of the trail. McKenna also seizes the opportunity to unplug from modern technology and greatly limits her use of the cell phone she brought along for safety's sake. Despite her ability to take care of herself, McKenna is a little naive and in spite of her forethought and preparations, she is unable to plan for every contingency which leads to some ill-thought out decisions along the way.

On the trail, McKenna crosses paths with Sam Tilghman, a runaway who is hiking the trail after running away from his abusive father. He successfully hikes to his brother's house in Maine, but upon discovering his brother is following in their father's footsteps, Sam decides to hit the trail again. He and McKenna hike independently for part of the trip but eventually a romance begins after they decide to become travel partners. Their different strengths help compensate for their individual weaknesses but trouble ensues when McKenna allows him to talk her into going off trail.

The Distance from Me to You is a marvelous adventure and Marina Gessner brings the Appalachian Trial vibrantly to life. The romance between McKenna and Sam is very sweet but it is the valuable lessons they each learn that makes the novel such a worthwhile read. McKenna learns the hard way to trust her instincts and she emerges from the journey with the strength and self-confidence to make some tough decisions about her future. All in all, a very compelling and fascinating contemporary young adult novel that readers of all ages will enjoy. ( )

Not like my usual and preferred readings, but okay. Really could have done without all the relationship stuff which made for dull, eye-rolling reading. But, I did like McKenna's battle with the elements (and herself), her perseverance, her determination to survive any challenge...and her eventual maturity.

**I received a free advanced copy of The Distance from Me to You from First to Read.** ( )