Across the Desert

I really like the author Dusti Bowling and saw she had a newish book I hadn't read yet, so I got it on my Kindle: Across the Desert. In this book, "Twelve-year-old Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: The Desert Aviator, where twelve-year-old 'Addie Earhart' shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. While watching this daring girl fly through the sky, Jolene can dream of what it would be like to fly with her, far away from her own troubled home life where her mother struggles with a narcotic addiction. And Addie, who is grieving the loss of her father, finds solace in her online conversations with Jolene, her biggest—and only—fan. Then, one day, it all goes wrong: Addie's engine abruptly stops, and Jolene watches in helpless horror as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video goes dark. Jolene knows that Addie won’t survive long in the extreme summer desert heat. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, it's up to Jolene to find a way to save the Desert Aviator."

This was a wonderful book. I loved Jolene's determination even when no one understands her, and I loved the character Marty who came in to the story and made a difference right from the start. The characters were wonderful, and it was an engaging story that I wasn't sure how would pan out. I really like how the author pulled things together in the end and was inspired to hear that some experiences in the story (an addicted parent) are based on the author's childhood.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)