I Never Get Lost in the Woods

by Aaron Jepson

A shovel hitting dirt—an unmistakable sound that broke the tranquility of the woods bordering her Montana home. When Sandra Lewis went to investigate, she saw them—three young men burying a body in a shallow grave. She knew she had to tell someone. She was likely the only witness, the sole link to justice for the victim. But there was just one problem. Sandra was physically unable to speak to anyone, about almost anything. Autism had stolen that from her.

For her entire life, she had been trapped by a brain that prevented others from knowing that, on the inside, she was intelligent and capable of making an impact on the world around her. But now, she was forced to make a stay hidden and controlled by anxiety, self-doubt, and silence . . . or find a way to break free. Sandra knew that her decision could risk her life and endanger the only family she had left.

I Never Get Lost in the Woods is a story of resilience, courage, and the unquenchable desire of a young woman to overcome the labels and barriers of her disability and assume control of her own destiny.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Disability

340 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2023

Reviews

[Becky Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love a good thriller and you’ve ever been curious about what it’s like living with autism, this is the book for you. The fact that the author himself has autism with limited speech is enough to make this book both inspiring and deeply compelling. On top of that, the story itself is fast paced, exciting, and features a super cool main character who doesn’t let anything stop her. I may be a little biased, but I think everyone should read it. If nothing else, this book will challenge everything you think you know about autism.

[Loring Wirbel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This captivating mystery by Aaron Jepson is a multifaceted version of miraculous. The most explicit and obvious miracle comes in the identity of its author, a person on the autism spectrum who has only limited verbal skills, yet has written a book brimming with rich descriptions and observations. If readers spend too much time on the superficial miracle, though, they might miss at least two layers of equally miraculous features of this debut novel.

First, Jepson has given us an apparently local murder mystery taking place in Whitefish, Montana, that turns out to have unexpected global connections. Perpetrators and victims alike have intricate connections with each other that enrich the story without making it the slightest bit gimmicky. We learn in the writer's notes that the novel went through a significant revision to remove many details of global human trafficking chains, so that action is not bogged down in detail. One gets the feeling that a longer novel could itself make for an interesting read, but Jepson is probably correct that a tighter novel with short, arresting chapters will avoid making the reader chase down details from coverage of international crime syndicates. Somehow, Jepson has preserved the infrastructure of describing dishonor among criminals over large regions and decades of time, while keeping the reference material in the background.

A second level of miracle comes in the form of Jepson's description of autistic thought processes, made all the more amazing because he writes through the eyes of a young, nonverbal woman. Nothing seems forced or artificial in the way Jepson takes on the experience in consciousness of a young woman. And he asks us to abandon all presuppositions of what experiences on the spectrum might look like. For example, many assume that the brain is trying to move the person with autism closer to the world, while intuition and emotion might freeze the person into ritual and avoidance of other humans. Jepson tells us it's not so simple - sometimes it's the executive oversight of the brain that leads to caution, and the emotions encourage engagement with the world. These roles are fluid and changeable over time, he says, one of the factors that can increase stress for the person with autism. There is also an assumption that many with autism experience a perceptual firehose of sensation, and ritual behavior is used to filter and throttle down perceptions. This can be true, but Jepson has his protagonist Sandra find a special perceptual richness in the natural world, in animals and things of the Earth, while the actions of humans are deliberately rejected because they are often superficial and filled with nonsense.

Jepson makes the story come alive not only through the believeable protagonist Sandra, but through co-stars and bit players who are fleshed out in detail, and whose motivations often ring true. If there are a few stereotyped or melodramatic moments here and there, they are not greater than one might find in a typical murder mystery. This one, however, is written with uncommon empathy and flair. Here's hoping we will hear more from Jepson in the future.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The highlight of this book for me was Sandra, the main character. An autistic character, written by an autistic author, of course she was perfect! Representation of the autism community was definitely done beautifully here in a thriller that doesn't waste any time in getting going. There was a nice steady build up from beginning to end, with a nice wrap up ending to the story. There were so many different layers to this book (with most chapters switching to a different aspect of the story), but no loose ends were left. All of the characters were well developed and I really felt I could visualize them well. Loved it all around!

[Char Brandl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding in every way. Not only is the main character autistic with limited ability to speak, but the author is also autistic and uses typing as his main means of communication. This mystery is tightly written, with intriguing twists and turns; clear, concise description; and a fascinating array of characters. One of the best I have ever read.

[Katie Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

such a great book to read to learn more about what autism means to those who have it. the protagonist tells anecdotes about what all of their therapies were like and how those systems didn’t allow her to completely flourish, especially in communication. her journey of finding a way to communicate is inspiring to read as an SLP and definitely informs my practice moving forward! a great read

[Marquerette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinity/10!

[Haley Bibbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just didn't hit me in the way I like.
It's written well, but it was harder to get through at times than other books.
Nearing 3.5 stars, but kept for an overall three.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this...it read like a Reacher novel, but with the autism aspect, it was softened. I loved finding out in the Afterward that the author is autistic, too.

[Faith Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore this book. Main perspective is of an adult female with autism that has limited communication skills. However, she has complex thoughts and strength beyond what people believe.
The writing itself almost feels a little juvenile that feels perfect. The plot is a consistently building thriller. There are bits of betrayal. It is multi perspective and written very well.
The plot twist near the end was slightly hinted at but catches you off guard.

Possible triggers: mention of human trafficking, violence (g*ns), mention of suicide, death and murder