McKenna's Path

by Kasey Riley

Suzie McKenna has a desperate need to get away from her mom—and most importantly her mom’s creepy boyfriend. She comes up with the perfect way to escape, taking her beloved mustang mare, Gypsy, with her. She’ll ride to her father’s ranch. She has the knowledge, the maps, and the need; but does she have the ability?

Join Suzie and Gypsy as they make their way from Victor, Idaho to Dubois, Wyoming. Only the Bridger-Teton National Forest stands between them and the safety of her father.

When Gypsy is found loose and injured, can searchers find Suzie before it's too late?

Suzie's divorced parents, Mike and Sherry McKenna, share a burning need to locate their wayward daughter. Can they stand each other’s company long enough to get the job done? Ride with them as they answer this question and maybe even discover what tore their marriage apart.

Genres: Young Adult

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2019

About the author

PRESS RELEASE:

Desperate Endurance now available in Audible, soon in Amazon and iTunes:
https://www.amazon.com/Desperate-Endu... So excited that it's finished. Skeleton Trail should be available by September and August Fire by the end of July. Do Not Assume might be out in Audible by Christmas, the same with Ruff Cut. I'm currently working on sequels to DNA and RC, but also working on a YA suspense novel that should be available after the first of the year.

Reviews

[Brinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of survival against all odds, this book definitely kept you captivated. I was rooting for Suzie the entire time, and was praying that she’d be found.

This book follows Suzie, a young teenager who has grown up riding horses through the Tetons. After one last leer from her mom’s perverted boyfriend, she decides to ride cross country to her dad’s house. After a fall from her horse, she is left alone in the wilderness, with search parties days away, leaving her with only her wits.

I think the switching of perspectives worked great in this book. In most survival books, we only get the perspective of the survivor. In this one, we got to read about her parent’s search, which added a whole new element of urgency. I honestly preferred their chapters, because I loved watching them work through all of their problems.

The cover of this definitely doesn’t prepare you for what’s to come, I was expecting a light story, with a bit of romance. Instead, I got something that kept you guessing. I really loved how this didn’t focus on romance though, it would’ve detracted from the story. Suzie’s parents reconciling was one of the best written elements of this, and I was really rooting for them.

I could really picture this book in my head. It helped that I was driving through area similar to where it was set, so I could just see people riding horses across the land. Although I normally avoid survival stories, I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kasey Riley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I managed to download this book from Amazon, thanks to my Kindle Unlimited subscription. This story would suit young adults, despite the recurring issues of sexual abuse and threatened molestation.
The author knows a fair amount about horses and riding a wilderness trail. All those encounters with bears, elk, rattlesnakes and disgruntled cougars certainly held my interest. The story is told from several points of view, but you never see each character, including Suzy, as a fully developed, real person. The dialogue also needed work. For example, the various characters would be discussing search and rescue plans and then abruptly introduce themselves... "by the way, my name is..." Unnatural and disconcerting, to say the least.
I have to say that the ending disappointed me, although it was quite the HEA. Suffice it to say that this family's issues were all resolved in one fell swoop. Broken limbs and hearts were mended or tended to, happy families reunited, and a pesky lottery ticket is found! Oie!
I'm rating this one a 3 out of 5. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest opinion. (So glad I thought to check Amazon for a free copy because not reading an ARC and leaving no proper review always irks me.)

[Morgan Wuester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrified that her mother’s fiancé will follow through on his perverted threats and with no help from her enamored mother, Suzie and her beloved mustang Gypsy trek through the mountains towards the safety of her father’s ranch. We see Suzie’s travels, her parents’ reconnecting and beginning to mend the hurt from their divorce, and get a glimpse into the wilderness of the Tetons.

As a whole, this was a quick read that involved plenty of character growth and tied up all the loose ends in a satisfying way. I won’t say this is a light read, as the author does not hide the reality of Suzie’s home situation, but it shows some very real emotions and takes you on an adventure through the twists and turns of the mountains and of life.

However, I did not feel that I could give this book five stars. There were a few ‘pet peeves’ of mine; the pacing felt a bit rushed in spots and slow in others, and the dialogue did not flow as well as I think it could have. I also felt that there were some questionable views towards women that were expressed by the male characters. These observations detracted from the story for me; it does not make sense that a police officer should be driven away from helping someone because he is uncomfortable around tears, and a father whose child just went through a harrowing experience might feel a little more empathy for her tears.

That being said, there were plenty of good moments. We see Suzie's parents reminisce over heartwarming family memories, and relationships grow stronger through the course of the novel. What starts out as a desperate flight for safety resolves in something no one could have imagined.


Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy to review!

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if your only path to safety was to undertake a perilous journey alone? From early on, this story makes it clear that Suzie is a teenager who no longer feels her mother is listening, and those emotions come through so clearly in author Kasey Riley’s writing!

She really gets into Suzie’s head, showing the reader a look at the struggles and reasoning as she undertakes her journey, fleeing from her mom, to her father’s in fear of her mother’s boyfriend. I easily felt like I knew Suzie, like I was right there, cheering her on! I felt the author’s use of perspective, with the mother oblivious, Suzie a frightened teen, and the other characters falling somewhere in the side-lines, paired with the vast knowledge the author shows of equine behaviors, or horsemanship, this was both an highly entertaining and even educational read.

This story can likely be enjoyed by all ages, though it’s written for the YA group. It’s both well written and easy to follow, making it easy to read quickly, and much harder to put down!

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. It had a lot of things going on. There was the suspense or thriller aspect of not knowing what is ultimately going to happen to Suzie, whether her parents will find her in time or not until it is too late, if at all. There is the storyline of Mike and Sherry, Suzie’s divorced parents, and the potential for partially mending their broken relationship or at least understanding better where things went wrong. Then for anyone familiar with the area where this story takes place, picturing the setting in your memory as the author describes it adds even more. (Although most people might not think an obscure town or two on the border of Idaho and Wyoming is anything they know about, the reality is that if you’ve been to Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks, you were close enough.) I’d recommend this not only to young adults, but also older adults as a change of pace, especially if you like the outdoors.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story of a teens journey on her mustang horse Gypsy, after confronting her mom about her boy friend coming on to her and isn't believed.
She plans to ride her horse through the Bridger-Tetons National Forest from her moms place in Victor Idaho, to her Dads place in Dubois, Wyoming .
When tragedy strike and her horse Gypsy is found riderless and injured by a group of riders, the search for the rider begins and Suzie's father and mother come together as well to find her.
A good story of a parents journey to rediscover what had gone wrong with their marriage, as they ride into the mountains to find their daughter.
It is also an eye opening journey for Suzie, injured and without her horse having to brave the elements of the wilderness.
This books really keeps you reading to see what happens in the story. Well written and full of knowledge about how to survive in the wilderness, and about horses.
I would like to thank BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Teton Mountains Horse Adventure
This is a wonderful adventure story. It was written for a teen audience, but this Grandma. The description of trail riding in the mountains is spot-on. From packing the animals to feeding them and helping them on dangerous terrain, the author definitely speaks from experience. The backstory about the family is also very realistic. The way many loose ends are tied up at the end was the icing on the cake. The author leaves just enough unsaid to give the reader something to ponder for quite a while. I will be looking for more of this author's books to read as well as giving them as gifts to my teenage grandchildren. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

[Kathy Brickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adventure

This was a really interesting story! Suzie runs to her father, trying to ride her mustang across the Tetons! Of course, it all goes wrong and then the rush is on to find her! Great read!

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suzie McKenna only has Gypsy, her mare, to rely on. Her parents split up and her dad stayed on the ranch, but she has to live with her mom who is in a new relationship with a creep. Some readers will find this quite alarming. Suzie tries to complain, but to no avail, so she takes off with Gypsy, which we discover is not something anyone should do, to ride across country to the ranch. This is a rugged mountain area with large wildlife and fast-changing weather. All does not go well.

This is a lively adventure with many survival tips. I thought the irritating mother made too quick an about-face, but it does show she cares about her daughter.

I read an e-ARC from Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.