We Became Wild: A Novel

by H.D. Carver

Reeling from the death of their best friend, two girls hike the Pacific Crest Trail in her honor in this fierce young adult debut.


Seventeen-year-old Lottie Mitchell is a liar. She might also be a horrible person—because someone good wouldn't have caused the death of her best friend, Val. Messina, Lottie's other best friend, has her own secrets to worry about—she's running from her terrifying, abusive stepfather. When the friends learn that Val had planned to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, they set off into the desert with Val’s ashes and her beloved copy of Wild to fulfill her dream. The only problem, aside from being woefully underprepared for the treacherous terrain and the fast-approaching fire season, is that without Val playing peacekeeper, Lottie and Messina are at each other's throats. The secrets they carry are heavier than their packs, and they’re going to have to find their trust in each other—and themselves—if they’re going to survive.


We Became Wild is a gripping, feral story about grief, friendship, and what it means to be a woman alone in the world.

Genres: Young Adult, Travel

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 23, 2026

About the author

H.D. Carver grew up in North Texas, a reluctant reader who didn’t fall in love with books until she was eighteen, when her senior English teacher reached out with the right one. She now lives outside Los Angeles in the wildland–urban interface with her family of artists. When she isn’t writing, she can be found wandering trails, bookstores, or the stacks at her local library, always in search of the magic that comes from getting lost—either in a book or in nature.

Reviews

[Stephanie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
This is the story of three friends that are grieving the loss of their best and sister Val. It’s told from each of their POVs. There is Lottie, who doesn’t believe she is worth caring about so she self destructive and hard to love. She is basically taking care of herself. Then you have Messina, who suffers from paralyzing anxiety. She has an abusive step father and she wants to run away but doesn’t have anywhere to
run. Last you have Gabe, Val’s brother, that is in love with Lottie. He has lost his mother and his sister but he is a good person with a weakness for Lottie. Lottie discovers that Val intended to hike the PCT on her own that summer. She decides to take the trek and plans to take Val with her. Messina decides to join as she is avoiding home. Val doesn’t plan to prepare but Messina has Val’s copy of Wild and is able to convince Lottie to at least steal some supplies based on a list Val made.
They don’t treat each other well. Together they struggling thru grief and horrible home lives and insecurities and guilt. On top of that they are dealing with the elements, extreme heat, a relentless sun and lack of water.
I really enjoyed this. I read it in one setting. Initially, it seems the characters are unlikeable but you learn their situations and start to feel empathetic. The girls make some frustrating mistakes on their journey that almost cost them their lives and your thinking what are they doing but it all works. You are pulled from page one til the end. One thing, I haven’t read Wild and I wonder if it would have made a difference? The book is referenced quite a bit as Val has annotated her copy and the girls talk about highlighted quotes. I’m interested to read it.
I really enjoyed Gabe. He was a bright spot in this book.
I’m really excited to read more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

adventure!
Emotional
#WeBecameWild #NetGalley

The story is told in different points of view, Lottie who is Val's friend starts off. She has a bad life. She does love a stray cat, Grimace so she has some affection in her life. Started with her since the book starts with her sharing first.

Then there's Val, who doesn't have her own chapters shared since she's passed away. But we "meet" her in the other's sharing.
Val loved the Book Wild by Cheryl Strayed (haven't read it yet) and she'd planned to hike the Pacific Crest Trail all the way to Three Sisters Oregon.

Then there's Gabe, Val's brother, who tells parts of the tale as well. He is truly mourning his sister and feels deeply in love with Lottie. His grief is deep of course.

Then there's Messina who rounds out the cast of telling her side of things. Her home life is also bad. Her Stepfather is angry and abusive.
She now carries Val's beloved book, Wild, around with her. Val had written in the book, like a journal.


This book was emotional with the loss of Val, and just the home lives of the girls Both were already traumatized just existing until they turned 18 in hopes they'd move out. Then Gabe and Val's dad's grief. Along with the girls grief.
Couple that with a brutal trail, and all the pitfalls and life threatening things that could happen along that trail. I shuddered at the wildlife since they can be quite deadly.

They meet people along their journey, the girls and Val's ashes, honoring her wish to hike the trail, and Gabe finds out they left so he joins them partway along the trail as well.

I liked how real the emotions were, I had a hard time connecting with any of them but they all felt real like real people.
I liked how realistic things happened along the way, real dangers..
I liked how the girls interactions changed during the hike.
I would definately recommend this young adult book to people who want realistic fast paced emotional books.

I read this one as quickly as I could. I will be reading more from this author and I will pick up Wild and read it as well. Since it's mentioned in the book so frequently, I wonder if the story would have affected me more had I read it all ready?


And just for those who dont like "strong language or swearing" warning those words are in the book.

4*** highly recommend



“I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.”

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars

I’ll be honest, I did not like this book at first. I thought all the characters were unlikable, and I was not particularly interested in reading their stories. But as I continued to read the, story became more interesting, and the characters all grew on me.

We Became Wild follows teenagers Lottie, Messina, and Gabe after the tragic death of their friend and sister, Val. After discovering that Val intended to hike the Pacific Crest Trail that summer, Lottie and Messina take their friend’s ashes and set out to hike in her place. But the adventure does not go as smoothly as they hoped. Each girl is carrying their own emotional baggage, and their issues might derail the plan before they reach their goal.

One of the issues I had with this book (and the reason I did not like the characters at the beginning) is that the reader is led to believe that Lottie and Messina are friends who do not always get along, but are friends all the same. This is not the case. At one point, I said to myself that I do not believe that these two are friends. Lottie and Messina are so awful to each other in the beginning of this book, and there are no signs of friendship. One of them even mentions something about not being friends anymore. Why would this not be mentioned in the synopsis? I suppose it is not that big of a deal, but it definitely impacted my perception of the characters and my enjoyment of the book. But once I realized the two were former friends, I seemed to enjoy the book a lot more.

The characters in this book are very flawed, and I love that about them. Lottie, Messina, and Gabe all have their own issues and misplaced guilt about their loved one’s death. They clash with each other, but their memories of Val bring them back together and help them to realize that they are not the only one with problems. They each make some frustrating choices throughout the book, but their journeys are well-developed and left me feeling satisfied.

If you are looking for a quick emotional read, then I suggest picking up this book.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I could think in the early pages of this book was oh my god these girls look so much like who I was at that age. HD Carver holds nothing back as she paints a stunning and realistic view of what it is to be a teenager. All the feelings and overwhelm of just trying to exist during that point in life. The blur of things done impulsively and the regret that comes as life ticks on and we have to exist in the aftermath of our choices. These girls are disasters in the best ways, dealing with the grief and trauma life has thrown at them in the best ways they can manage, which, like so many of us, is messy and complicated.



Their grief is tangible, not just for their friend that they lost but for the mistakes they’ve made (and keep making) and the pain they’ve endured. It’s a love story for the self, rather than a romance, and I fucking loved it.



Gabe was a nice interlude, the way his POV brings memories of Val and softness to Lottie, and how he can see all the good stuff inside of her, even when she can’t.

When they get out into the wild, everything intensifies - impulses, mistakes, consequences. It strips everything down until these two girls have to deal with each other and themselves. The nods to Wild are so lovely as the girls pull from its pages and learn to survive the trail and themselves. It made me want to reread that book.



This was such a touching and evocative tale of self love and forgiveness. I read this book in two days, and it shattered me and put me back together in a single, swift motion. I can’t wait to read what HD Carver puts out next. I’m so here for it.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a very specific kind of main character decision that makes you want to yell “absolutely not” out loud, and We Became Wild leans into that energy immediately. Because apparently, in the year of our lord modern Google, people still think they can just casually wander onto the Pacific Coast Trail like it’s a scenic stroll and not a well-documented gauntlet of danger, poor planning, and questionable life choices.

Carver does a great job capturing that uneasy balance between awe and dread that comes with wilderness stories. The setting feels vivid and unforgiving, the kind of place where one bad decision snowballs into ten worse ones. You can practically feel the blisters forming and hear your own internal voice whispering, “turn around, you fool.”

The tension builds nicely, especially as things start to go sideways (as they obviously will, because again, this is the Pacific Coast Trail, not a guided nature walk). There’s a strong sense of isolation and creeping unease that keeps the pages turning, even when you’re side-eyeing the characters’ judgment.

Where it loses that last star is in some of the familiar beats. If you’ve read a few wilderness thrillers, you’ll spot certain plot turns coming from a mile away. A few character choices feel more convenient than believable, which is saying something considering the premise already requires a suspension of common sense.

Still, it’s a fast read that delivers exactly what you want: danger, tension, and just enough emotional weight to keep it from feeling like pure chaos in hiking boots.

[Karis · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the ARC!~~

This book might as well be the poster child of messy teenage girl characters, because it does a great job of doing that.

Both Lottie and Messina's lives were already messed up by the time Val came into their lives, but with their mutual bestie gone the only thing they had now was each other (And Gabe, Val's brother and Lottie's love interest). It's quite rough between both leads. They're total opposites, and their flaws grated each other to infinite degrees. This, obviously, isn’t ideal when you're hiking hundreds of miles alone together. While their dynamic could be unlikeable to some people, I enjoyed it so much. The banter is realistic and reveals much about their personalities, and the slow burn of them coming back together as friends was very satisfying to read. Gabe's POV kinda threw me for a loop, and the book would've functioned as intended if it wasn't included, but exploring his grief over his sister's death and the dedication and loyalty he has for Lottie, who hasn't had too much, if any, of that in her life, are details that make the book feel more complete.

This book is for the girls who were messy and traumatized; I believe this is a read that most people would enjoy regardless with how much they'd relate to the characters.

[Tanya Konerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told with an unflinching teenage vibe in multiple POVs, this is a story of grief, friendship, regrets, abuse, love, and searching. When Val dies from a 30-foot cliff fall, her friends Messina and Lottie suddenly decide they will honor her memory and take her along (via her ashes) on a PCT hike to the Three Sisters mountains in Oregon. Val had planned a PCT hike after reading Cheryl Strayed's Wild, so the friends--both living in abusive home situations--escape their families and hit the trail, woefully unprepared. Val's brother Gabe, who is in love with Lottie, figures out what has happened and sets off in his old truck, hoping to intercept the two friends at an intersate-crossing to hike with them. Not pulling a punch, the author describes the hell the girls experience on the trail, including severe dehydration and hunger, in-fighting, worry for safety from wild animals and other humans, dealing with periods in the wild, and more. As the girls weave their way through the miles, they must find strength they never knew they had, forgiveness for the seemingly unforgiveable, skills to take into the next stages of their lives, and a future that will honor themselves and their lost friend.

[Nicole Chiarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

WE BECAME WILD is realistic and courageous novel about the messiness of friendship, and how the truth changes, depending on who tells the story.

Both main characters Lottie and Messina hit the perfect tone and balance of how intoxicating all-consuming friendship can be. Their flaws are obvious, but it’s impossible not to root for these two girls to figure out a way to be friends without destroying each other. Reading this feels like being transported back to a sleepover and experiencing girlhood for the first time, all over again.

All too often, contemporary YA feels like teenagers written to appeal to adults. WE WERE WILD is so honest at times as to feel almost overwhelming. It is a balm to the ‘abstinence only’ mindset, and it feels real throughout.

HD Carver does an incredible job in haunting the narrative with gone-too-soon Val, and the grief interspersed with funny moments, startlingly beautiful nature, made this book feel quietly incredible and stuck with me long after I’d finished.

I wish this book existed when I was 16.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told through multiple points of view, Lottie and Messina find themselves planning on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail because their friend, Val, who died wanted to follow in Cheryl Strayed’s footsteps, the author who wrote Wild. Lottie and Messina have a lot of issues and as they start out they disagree a lot. They want to hike to Three Sisters in Oregon which should take them 20 days or so to spread Val’s ashes. When Gabe, Val’s brother, finds out they took her ashes he tries to find the girls. The girls have many problems between animals taking their food, running out of water, and getting lost. Gabe finally finds them and says you’ve hiked almost 300 miles. They agree to continue, but then Lottie admits to a secret and takes off. Messina wants to find her even though there is a fire northwest of them. Does she find her? Will they make it to Three Sisters?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Krystin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a person who will never do a long distance hike like this, I never think I'll be into these stories, and then I get sucked in.

Lottie and Messina are barely friends, only in each other's orbit now due to their late best friend, Val. Lottie feels responsible for Val's death, Messina is clearly struggling with OCD (and I appreciated how it was really shown, not told), and Val's brother Gabe is also in the mix. The girls find themselves embarking on a PCT hike with quite literally zero preparation, dealing with their demons while trying to survive on the trail.

I generally enjoyed the multiple points of view, but at times it felt like it switched too frequently to really stay with a character for a while. I'm also not entirely convinced Gabe's POV was required; it wasn't detrimental, but I'm unsure it really added anything. I almost would have preferred more POV from Val, like from her journals or the past.

(I received an advance copy via NetGalley.)

[yashelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief doesn’t come quietly in We Became Wild, it burns, it wanders and it demands to be faced.

After the death of their best friend Val, Lottie and Messina set out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, carrying her ashes and a weight that’s far heavier than their packs. What starts as a tribute quickly unravels into something raw and volatile: guilt, buried secrets, and a friendship that might not survive the journey.

Lottie is haunted by the role she believes she played in Val’s death, while Messina is running from a dangerous past of her own. Out in the wild, with no one left to mediate between them, every truth comes to the surface. And survival isn’t just about the terrain; it’s about whether they can face themselves… and each other.

This one is messy, emotional, and fiercely honest: a story about girlhood, grief, and what it means to keep going when everything inside you is breaking.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Things I liked about this book:
1). Kids who have grown up together, who have reached the crossroads of senior year.
2).Nature scenes with detailed descriptions.
3).A “boy next door” type character, who is really a great guy.
4).Wilderness adventures
5).Sweet kitty named Grimace!
6). Grieving friends who go on an adventure to honor a friend who died.

Things I did not enjoy in this book:
F-bombs on practically every page, sometimes 2 or 3 in one sentence; teenage drug use, underage drinking, teens in sex scenes

Trigger Warnings:
A character gets drunk/high and dies at the very beginning; child abuse and neglect; parents with anger issues/mental problems

*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

[D.K. Hundt · Rating 5 out of 5]

WE BECAME WILD – by H.D. Carver

‘Seventeen-year-old Lottie Mitchell is a liar. She might also be a horrible person―because someone good wouldn't have caused the death of her best friend, Val. Messina, Lottie's other best friend, has her own secrets to worry about―she's running from her terrifying, abusive stepfather. When the friends learn that Val had planned to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, they set off into the desert with Val’s ashes and her beloved copy of WILD to fulfill her dream.’

I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying—My Heart!

I Love Everything About This Book . . .

Highly Recommended!

Thank you, NetGalley and Norton Young Readers, for providing me with an eBook ARC of WE BECAME WILD at the request of an honest review.

Grade: 9 and up
Reading Age: 14 -18

Scheduled For Release: June 23, 2026 (Subject To Change)

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lottie and Messina are the two-thirds that remain of their original trio of friends, since they lost Val. She was the glue that held their threesome together, and now they are each struggling under their own burdens, unable to communicate what is troubling them, and determined and desperate to keep secrets from each other.

Undertaking a special journey in memory of Val, who had always wanted to hike this trail as part of her life journey, can the two of them find their way back to each other in the process?

This is a story about fear, loneliness, loss, and the courage that it takes to overcome all three. Worth reading.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Lauren Bayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel features well-developed characters with very realistic flaws and traumas, bundled together with impeccable descriptions of the harsh settings along the PCT. Teen readers who love their books with a heaping side of emotions will eat this up. There are big things in the future for H.D. Carver, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tara Prince · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story of friendship and grief. The realness of the characters having to work through their grief of losing their friend was so well done. The representation of different household each teen came from was so important. I loved how the characters held each other together even when they were calling each other out. The fear and determination could be felt through the writing. Very well done!!!

[Denice Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much better book than I expected. A friend recommended it, and since I trust her judgement, I jumped in. These two young women are on a mission to hike the Pacific Coast Trail as a tribute to their friend, or that's what they tell themselves. As they move through the trails' many challenges and face their grief and guilt, the story grows into so much more. They find themselves as they help each other.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Val was the glue that kept Lottie and Messina together. When she dies, their friendship starts to fracture. They are both hiding secrets that are weighing them down. They end up setting out on the Pacific Coast Trail, carrying Val's ashes.

Will they come together, or fall apart compeletely?

Thank you Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company | Norton Young Readers for the ARC!

[Anna Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

H.D. Carver has written such beautiful, heartbreaking, FRUSTRATING characters, and I love them to pieces. If they would just talk to each other! But then there wouldn't be a book, so, I'll allow it. One of my fave new books coming out this year. Ten stars.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This was just okay for me. The story and the characters were both fine, but I couldn't properly connect with either. (Which may have just been a "me" situation.) I didn't feel like it was dragging at any point though, thankfully.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

the truth is this: I love this feral book so fucking much.

[Allison Kulp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild was and still is one of my favorite memoirs. Here two young women seeking adventure escaping, but also finding healing while following the memoir was a great read!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one, but I loved it! Thank you NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company and Norton Young Readers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows Messina and Lottie, two strained best friends following the death of their other best friend Val, and their brutal adventure on the PCT as they hike in search of freedom and absolution. All three girls lead tough lives and in a way, their various traumas lead them together. An unbreakable trio. Until Val dies. Lottie, a hot mess express feels unmeasurable guilt and responsibility for Val’s death. Messina, ocd and anxious lives with an abusive stepfather and finally gains the courage to run away. Together they head out on the PCT in honor of Val and overcome so much more than they ever bargained for.

The story has some tough themes, but it’s presented tactfully and it’s not overwhelming. Just enough to make an impact. It was a boom filled with hardship, grief, perseverance and growth. I loved it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Marketed as YA. The first 15 pages included references to underage drinking, sex, a naked man’s genitalia and almost two dozen swear words. I am by all means not a prude but that’s intense for something that’s supposed to be for YA - ages 12-18.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC