Rabid: The Pacific Crest Trail. 'Cause therapy ain't working.

by Libby Zangle

Libby Zangle, the heroine of Rabid, fled her mildly-dark past to tackle the second-most-dreaded trail in the United States: the Pacific Crest Trail. (The Continental Divide Trail is scarier.) There, she faced the icy winds of the Mojave Desert and the brutal heat of the snowless High Sierras, the choking smoke of Oregon and the vicious marmots of Washington. Rabid is a semi-fictional account of the weird and wonderful world that Libby found on the Pacific Crest Trail, a world where time is measured by distance from Mexico, where poop is a casual conversation topic, and where hikers are stalked by the worshipful followers of their trail blogs. Darkly humorous, Rabid tells of the beautiful, high-energy, technology-permeated, sometimes-overcrowded, modern thru-hiking experience.

Genres: Adventure

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 22, 2014

Reviews

[Laurie Rolnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hahaha! Loved this!

I am a hiker and backpacker who was underwhelmed by the overly emotional Wild and the sense that the author didn't actually change as much as she would have us believe. This book is so fun as a parody of that book, but is also a more realistic picture of backpacking. I helped build the PCT and felt that Wild didn't do it justice, somehow it seemed I was the only reader to realize she didn't come close to finishing... so I just laughed out loud to read the ending section of Rabid, titled Bonus: The Entire State of Washington! Actually I laughed out loud a lot during this read. It was clever, thoughtful, and I felt a more realistic picture of the backpacking life. Plus an awesome hysterical parody. Plus part of the funds go to the PCT. The people who gave it one star obviously are clueless and don't understand parody or humor, or backpacking, you can tell that from their reviews, plus most of them didn't actually read much of it, they admit. So be a grown-up and make your own decisions. I personally found this book to be more thoughtful and insightful and entertaining.

[Calbraith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into it thinking this would be both a good travelogue of the trail and a bit of a parody on Wild. Unfortunately, I found it scattered and so full of animosity towards 'Wild' and those that enjoyed it, that it just became boring to read. I understand that fan's of Wild may be annoying to thru-hikers (especially since the author only completed a portion of the trail), but I think the book would have been better if the author had concentrated on her own hike and been less obsessed with being sarcastic about someone else's. I'm all for sarcasm, but in large doses it can become stale and uninteresting.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get past the first chapter. I understand the concept of parody, however, this book was just silly. The way she talked about the wind and the effects of walking up hills made it feel like she was trying too hard to be funny. At times it seemed like she was talking to a classroom of children. I have a wild sense of humor, and I know how to laugh at comedy, but this book had no humor. I do think the author could be a talented writer if she stopped using excess sarcasm, and stretching too far in an attempt to make something funny. Sadly, her attempts to be funny turned into child-like silliness and it made the book extremely hard to read.

[Susie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short and sweet review:
Libby Zangle comes across as a moron in both her writing style and trail adventure. This woman should definitely NOT quit her day job! I had to painfully slog through the book and finally dropped it less than half way through. I have read a lot of trail books and this one sad to say, is one of the worst I've read.
Better luck next time Libby.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very good. Typos galore. She jumps around from coherent thoughts to her imagination running wild- and half the time you can't tell the difference between the too. The background story is so sketchy, you don't truly understand it. Or what happens after the trail. This book needed and editor to tie it all together. Think rough draft sent straight to the printer.

[lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A trail book written in the stream of consciousness mode. Tried to give it a chance and made it a third of the way through before asking my self, Why? Have to say this is at the bottom of the list of the bazillion trail books I have read!

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like sarcasm and deprecating humor, but this is too much. It reminds me of the kid that doesn't fit in with anyone at school and puts everyone and everything else down as a coping mechanism.

[Ezra Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was hysterical! Great addition to the outdoor literature. Read "Wild" first, then read this one to cure yourself.

[Brent V. Llanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read after Wild

It's quite hilarious if you read Wild beforehand so you can understand the references she makes (fun off). It's very similar to J. Marten Troost's travelogues.

[Theresa Burlingame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious

Thought it was a great book. If you've read Wild and hike you'll find yourself literally LOL. I will be recommending to friends.