The Great Indoors

by Ginny Hogan, Mae Whitman (Narrator)

Alice's journey begins as all good journeys do: hitting on the sales guy at REI. After a tumultuous breakup, a quick career transition, family upheaval, and a sobriety journey that didn't fix her life quite as much as she expected it to, Alice decides that the only way to solve all her problems is to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. But as she begins preparing for the months-long quest, she realizes the answers she's seeking might not be on top of a snow-covered mountain. Especially since she just learned there was snow in California.

Mae Whitman narrates this backpacking adventure unlike any other from the brilliant and witty mind of Ginny Hogan. Alice's so-called "journey" takes an unexpected turn that’s less about trails and more about what happens when you realize that people can know how to test water for uranium and still have social anxiety.

If you've ever believed that achieving a lofty goal would somehow untangle the complexities of your life, The Great Indoors is a hilarious reminder that sometimes the best adventures happen right at home.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Humor, Mental Health

4 pages, Audible Audio

Published September 19, 2024

About the author

Ginny Hogan is an NYC-based stand up comedian/humor writer. Her DMs are open on literally every platform, and she always welcomes hellos!

Reviews

[Lynnsey Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 stars bumped to 4 solely because of Mae Whitman's narration. I love everything she does! I chose to listen to this audiobook because she was the narrator and was obviously not disappointed. The story itself was cute! The main character was funny and self-absorbed and shallow for much of the book, but there was always the hint of something deeper amid the jokes. In my opinion it took an abrupt and weird turn to a more serious tone in the last couple of chapters in order to show character growth. Overall it was a fun read!

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5 stars
Excellent narration! (And I quit five different audiobooks before this because the narrators were so flat, they were sending me directly into a coma.)

The main character was both entertaining and annoying. Quite childish at times for someone in her thirties, but the story was fun.

Alice is on a path of self-discovery as she senses there is something missing from her life and she feels numb to it all. So (obviously) she wants to hike the Pacific Crest Trail to find her new self. The plan doesn't go so well, to put it midly.

It kept me entertained while I had to do some mind-numbing tasks for a couple of hours.

And the lack of a romantic plot was a nice surprise. I was anxiously waiting for a love story to come and solve all her problems, like in a Hallmark movie... But no. And it was great!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, but lacked depth. I was both entertained and annoyed by the story.

Alice is a 30ish New Yorker who recently went through a breakup and needs a change. She decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail to give her life more meaning. Unfortunately she isn't really outdoorsy. Can she find meaning in her life without turning it upside down?

The best part of this book was the narrator. Mae Whitman did a great job bringing Alice to life. I thought the story was just okay. Alice definitely needed to grow up and become less selfish, which she did to a degree. I enjoyed listening to her escapades, but got annoyed often with her. I'm glad she finally matured and appreciated what she had.

[Chantelle Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars (Audible Plus Catalog). Respectable 3.0 star story.

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. The narrator seemed a bit immature, but I did find it funny.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Enjoyable, and even more so with Mae Whitman’s narration.

One note:
This is so much about the character’s sobriety journey that to suggest it’s about anything else feels like a bait and switch. I kinda wish they said that up front. Not because I wouldn’t have read it - it’s a good story regardless. But because it constantly felt like the author was trying to slip it in there.. but not really - it’s not subtle at all.
So just say it. It’s listed in the description, but as the 4th or 5th thing going on here. It’s not - it’s #1.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and quick read. Interesting spin on a hiking book where the bulk of this story is the narrator preparing to hike the Pacific Crest Trail versus actually doing the hike. After getting sober, she decides a hike will transform and fix her life and we read the lead up to it instead of the hike itself. Not quite enough overall depth but I did like that there was growth by the end.

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
i liked the autism rep, it reminded me of wild and the narration was good but wasn’t as engaging and found myself comparing.

it was a fun and interesting enough quick audio book read on a service i already pay for (audible premium plus)

[Lynn G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous and moving.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible

[Rachel Nicole Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute and I really liked the narration :)

~Xo,
Rach

[A Wanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, funny, endearing, and maddening.

[Katie Malcolm Carter]

Audiobook - it was cute but wish she had actually hiked some

[woo lit sooie (Kaylyn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a relatable story as a single woman in her 30s. I freak find myself questioning things about my life and where I'm at currently. I love that this was real and raw. I mean if someone doesn't have a period in their life similar to this story, are they even human? Haha, but really, it was enjoyable and surprisingly one of the better stories I've read this year.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very appropriate listen to start a new year, and I love Mae Whitman.

[Breelyn Wright · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was free. I still want a refund.

[Amanda Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the main character enters into her 30s, she begins to question her worth. She’d already accomplished a year of sobriety and it hadn’t been intrinsically transformative. I related to her in many ways since I quit drinking in my early 30s and questioned a lot of the same things. It was easy to connect to her experience which definitely influenced my enjoyment of this quick read. The narrator was perfect and the length was great. So it was a 5 for me.

[Juan Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ Reflection ⭐️

Many things can cause emotional and spiritual struggles, but only a few have the power to heal us.

For me, walking in nature completely changed the way I think. And for the heroine of this book, it was the beginning of her journey to overcoming alcoholism.

Small actions, big changes.
What practices bring healing to your life?

[Cherri-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. Just ok. I expected more of a big revelation for Alice but instead it felt more like reading the unfinished journal of a young millennial who still has a lot more maturing to do. The story itself was well written and I did enjoy the narration but something about it still felt so unfinished like there should be a part 2.

[Brenda Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has a really wry take on life, and drops nuggets of humor cloaked in seriousness and naïveté. So many times I’ve endeavored to take on a major project in hopes it would change my life, only to be disappointed later, another incomplete project under my belt. What a blessing to see this as a search for meaning and connection. Well done.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars For a short story, this packs in a lot of humor and self reflection. I liked the story overall, despite it lacking some depth due to the short length. If you’re looking for easy entertainment, you’ll enjoy this read!

[Brenda Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice read about the decisions and changes people encounter. The main character realizes that she must do something challenging to get out of her current rut. She reminds us that, in doing so, oftentimes, we bite off more than we can chew!

[Casey Hitchcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick boost of inspiration.

This was a good short story to listen to on New Year’s Eve! It was cute, quick, and inspiring. Not fully what I expected in the end, but it really makes you reevaluate.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.25 stars rounded up to 4 because of Mae Whitman’s narration. Cute story that could have been better with a less obnoxious (admittedly funnily so at times) main character and further development of the other characters.

[Amy Dakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and thoughtful. It lacked some depth, but I think many of us can relate with the need to do something drastic in your life. I also think many of us can relate to not realizing all the good you have in life. Not a wow, but it was enjoyable and relatable.

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason I’m giving this 3 stars is because it was genuinely funny. The story wasn’t good. It was almost inspiring but it wasn’t. The MC made me cringe multiple times! But it was funny. Also, I’ve always liked Mae Whitman so there’s that too.

[Marla Hampton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay for a feee audible. Just reminds you there are always people who are not the outdoorsy hiking type. And even though we may want to change maybe we just really do not know what we are trying to change so we go extreme and change something’s we really have no desire to change

[Mi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was refreshingly funny in a sarcastic, witty and adorably genuine way. I really liked Alice. I totally get the way her thoughts spiral and branch into hilarious, terrifying pondering moments. A surprisingly inspirational read that made me crack up too many times to count.

[Lynn Hayward-Bisbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book about learning to appreciate what one already has. Very insightful.

[Nikohl Maw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love listening to Mae Whitman, but the story is just okay.