TW: domestic violence, childhood illness, attempted assault.

I have a lot of feelings about this book. I grew up in Alaska and have driven on the Alcan a couple of times in the past. Not as far as the characters in this book, but it was neat to read about places I've visited. Was it perfect? No. I felt like there were some pacing issues, character inconsistencies, and the synopsis on the back of the book doesn't actually represent what the book is actually about, in my opinion. It is presented as this epic road trip story, when the actual road trip only constitutes about the last quarter of the book.

At its heart, this is a coming of age story. It's about first love. It's about figuring out what your place in the world is. It's about family, both the family you're born into and also the people who become your family throughout your life. It's about loss, and how we cope with it.

That isn't to say that Alaska isn't an important part of this story. It is. But it isn't the act of road tripping to Alaska that is important. It's about what Alaska represents to Donna and Will; Freedom, choice, possibilities.

I don't cry often while reading, but this book was definitely emotional for me. That being said, the ending did feel rushed. I wish there was more description in the portion that took place in Alaska. But like I said, this is a character-driven narrative. People who need strong, well-paced plot may not find this to be the book for them. But if you gravitate toward a more contemplative, quiet narrative, this book had some truly beautiful moments.