Over this Backbone

by Ya Reeves

I shake my head – it’s only day one.
That wind is hot. I can feel the salt drying and gluing my eyebrows and lashes and gripping to the fine hairs on my cheeks. Shoulders, already knotted, ache. Blisters bubble their way to the surface, and I know I should have stopped for them but I’m single-minded to the point of recklessness in wanting to keep moving. Feet are too broad for the boots, anyway. Pack is too heavy, but I’d never breathe a word of it because that’d prove them right and I’m too young to be wrong.

Peta has a plan that she is determined to follow – a timeline, things to prove – but nothing is as expected. She is ghosted by wild dogs, almost trampled by horses, hunted down by the police, dehydrated and flooded-in; but none of this compares to the rollercoaster that is her relationship of the past year.

Shifting between Peta’s journey across the Australian Alps Walking Track and her past, we learn about Peta and Ben's tumultuous connection, her attempts to extract herself, and her subsequent experiences in the South Australian desert that both liberated and shattered her.

Over This Backbone is about the things we try to bury – about when 'I'm fine' means the opposite, when battling alone doesn't equate to strength. It is about the Australian landscape and the way it seeps into our bones, the way it rattles and calms us. It is about walking a long way, and walking away.

Genres: Fiction, Australia

272 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2023

Reviews

[Chris from Gippsland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I expected a road novel, or more specifically a walking track novel, as it describes the experiences of Peta, aged 19 and walking the 550km Australian Alps Walking Track alone. But it’s more than that. It’s partly coming-of-age but mostly it’s a book about Peta’s relationships…with her family, with her colleagues, with her on and off significant other Ben and, most unexpectedly, with her mountains. I think it was Hemingway who said he would arbitrarily pick a point in his life and start writing, and then again arbitrarily pick another random point and stop. Ya’s book feels like this, there’s no clear beginning or end. She’s taken a section of Peta’s life and with honesty, bravery and a gift for observation and explanation described it with clear, simple, non-judgmental prose. Sally Rooney wrote about what it was to be young and female in modern Dublin. Ya Reeves writes about what it is to be young and female in modern Australia. 5 stars from me.

[Imogen Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I loooooved this book. Hooked in for the walking but stayed for the amazing storyline. I could relate so hard to Peta’s relationship with her mum and her pent up anger. Was also so nice to read an Australian novel and to feel the same way about the flora as the author clearly does. Defs going to have to walk some of this considering I live in Canberra 🥾

[Mrjules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Ya (for the second time) when I was filling up my water filter from a little stream at the bottom of Mount Spec. Ya, in very Ya fashion, said that she never filtered her water and that she was fine to drink it. She impressed me because she was so strong and knowledgeable, and I wanted to be like her. Finally, after finding her book by chance on High Street, I’ve been able to read the book that she had just published at the time that I had met her.

Over this backbone is both deeply introspective and sensory, as the protagonist battles and digests her trauma whilst also fighting against all the physical pains and suffering that comes with hiking. It’s also filled with moments of camaraderie and the friendship you harvest in the bush, and it reminded me of Ya and her friend’s generosity, when they offered Oscar and I the option to follow their route to their car, so that we could hike a circuit instead of having to climb and hike mt spec and the crosscut saw again. There is a real beauty when you meet people on a hike, and this book captures the warmth in that community.

The alpine region is magical, and I hope to visit it again soon.

[Jessica Cassimatis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over This Backbone is a complex Australian fiction about a 19-year-old girl, Peta, undertaking a 600km walk across the Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT). The author, Ya Reeves, leaves nothing to the imagination, capturing the confronting and raw essence of this walking expedition and Peta’s past. The journey is as mentally challenging as it is physically. Peta tackles the physical hardships of the track - it’s rugged terrain, unendurable conditions, the elements and isolation, as well as the mental demons of her past, particularly a toxic relationship which led her to this expedition in the first place.

This is not the typical novel I’d read – the content, genre and writing style beyond my usual pickings, but I greatly appreciated Ya Reeve’s writing and the different storyline. Reeves writes very well for a debut novelist with no literary background and her style gave me Sally Rooney vibes. I assumed this book was semi-autobiographical because of the author’s intricate knowledge of the outdoor education knowledge and the AAWT experience, which provided a fervid and honest description of the arid Australian landscape, weather, flora and fauna. I liked the breakdown of the book, both the chapters with the kilometres of travelled track on each headline, and the ‘parts’ sections.

The AAWT account, as well as Peta’s tumultuous relationship with Ben and complicated dependency on ‘The Farm’, was repetitive and arduous to read through. On top of this, Reeves protagonist frustrated me. Peta is heroically flawed, with her bravery, strength and confidence in her outdoors shining through, yet she is riddled with directionless, self-loathing, temperamentality and sexual weakness. If it wasn’t one of my Book Club’s pick, I wouldn’t have read nor finished this book. I struggled to emotionally invest in Peta and this story, but there was appreciation for the novel’s uniqueness and Reeve’s incredible writing which scored her four stars from me.

[Kelly Sissons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly relatable story of navigating the bush, relationships, family and everything else that comes along with being a young and free female solo hiker growing up in Australia. If you've ever struggled in a toxic relationship with a man, you'll want to read this to make yourself feel less alone!

[Linda Roden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I absolutely loved this book and fantastic to discover another talented Aussie debut author. Ya's writing style is unique with clipped sentences and refreshing use of adjectives portraying the distinct characteristics of the Australian landscape through a new lens. This story is more than recounting a physical journey. It is a coming of age story. Raw, honest and confronting. On the main character Peta; you will love her, fear for her, grieve for her and want to shake her into sensibility. It was difficult not to become emotionally invested in her journey and wellbeing.
Definitely worth a read.

[Sunflower · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book for the story about the walk, and the author clearly knows her stuff in the Australian outdoors. Why anybody with an anaphylactic reaction to something she is bound to meet on her travels seems madness, but here it is part of the complex character of Peta. Also, for the first half of the book I also found it very frustrating that Peta kept going back to a toxic relationship with her so -called "partner". Could she not see what he was doing???
Eventually I got used to it and accepted that the relationships in this story were at least as much of the walk itself and why she was doing it.

[Jasmin Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! So beautiful to read about some of the mountains that I've also had the pleasure of exploring and Ya truly captured the restorative but also sometimes terrifying and harsh reality of traversing our incredible Australian landscape. The writing was raw and honest and sometimes heart breaking but I found myself unable to put the book down as the novel weaves between Peta's big journey of bravery, self discovery and reflection and the events that brought her there in the first place. Always keen to support a young Aussie author so would highly recommend this to all!!

[Stephen Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It tells two related stories - one of a young woman facing a self-imposed challenge of walking the Alpine Walking Track from Canberra to Walhalla in Victoria by the end of the calendar year, the other detailing the downward spiralling of a toxic relationship. Reeves is a wonderful observer of the natural world, and does a great job of bringing the environment of the Alps to life. She is also unflinchingly courageous in presenting to us her various vulnerabilities in all their glory. Highly recommended!

[Elvira Elix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fascinating and truthful tale of teenage angst and swimming upstream. This story makes you want to climb mountains to prove to yourself that you are strong and powerful no matter your age/ability or circumstances. I think knowing some of the characters made me feel more invested but even still she is a brilliant storyteller. The apt description of emotional turmoil and epic scenery drew me in and the rollercoaster of how she grew and the community that rallied around that adventure kept me there. Be warned you may want to sell your possessions and plan a big adventure!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing read, I just fell in love with the main character Peta. She's incredibly stubborn, but after her failures at her first semester of uni and breakup with Ben, she is walking the track to get some of her independence back. I loved the mix of hiking and flashbacks and real-time visits from her family and friends. I think the balance was really good, I loved the personal stuff more - it is a great coming of age story.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this debut novel, Peta decides to walk the Alpine Track from north to south (Canberra to Walhalla). She does it mostly on her own at the age of 19. As she walks, she reflects on her on and off relationship with the controlling Ben. She is an annoying character and makes so many mistakes, both on the walk and in life, but I guess that's what happens when you're that age. Not a bad read, I imagine it must be partly biographical?

[Monique Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comfort read I didn't know I needed. Think Wild but in the Australian landscape. Peta learns about her own challenges, heartaches and has plenty of self reflection through her difficult task of hiking from Canberra to Walhalla. I was immediately invested in this book because it felt so familiar. Very excited to see what else Ya Reeves does with her writing. Spectacular first novel. Nature can teach us so much.

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Over This Backbone" is a captivating journey that walks the reader through the emotional peaks and valleys of self-discovery.

Ya‘s writing is authentic and expressive, painting vivid scenes that transported me to the very heart of her narrative despite being thousands of miles away from the site of her adventure.

[Bronni Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book; had to slow myself down to savour it properly! I could smell the Australian bush, feel the sweat trickling down my face, and the sympathetic pressure that built in my chest was all too familiar. I went with Ya on this one, and it was a beautiful experience. Thank you for writing this book, Ya 🫶🏽

[Christie Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read- the author has a fresh, raw, realistic point of view that draws you in and makes you remember what it feels like to have a desperate, aching, unhealthy need for someone or something you need to let go of. The story is triumphant, gritty and realistic through all the ugliness which come in the pursuit of perceived perfection. The novel is a true beauty.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was very well written but don't think I enjoyed reading from the perspective of such a young mind. Mainly I was frustrated by how she spoke to/treated her mum, how she put Ben on a pedestal and her preoccupation with other women's beauty (and body) and insecurity of her own. Obviously pertinent to a young persons mind, but it irritated me.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

god i loved this….. i started reading it a while ago… a few chapters at a time it was a nice little read every couple days but then i stopped for a bit but i started reading again after some time… it appears i was also going through a period of change …perfect time in my life …. this has healed me ….. thankyou ya reeves 🤞😌

[Jia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a really good read and much appreciation for the lands. Comes back to not being able to wake a person pretending to sleep, you need the other person to cheat, lie, emotionally abuse and manipulate you, all your friends to say he’s shit and walk 600 km to get over a toxic relationship. But I’m glad she got there in the end

[Kelly Woolerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really resonated with me, in terms of the way a good, hard hike can help you feel ALL your feelings and also work through them.

The descriptions of the landscapes were excellent, and I loved the seamless integration of First Nations knowledge and diversity of characters.

Gotta start planning our next big walk!

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling book with lovely description of the Australian outback. It was refreshing to read a new perspective on growing up and a person’s sense of self in relation to their interactions with others. A great read.

[Dymocks Indooroopilly]

In this excellent example of the ‘road novel’, we follow Peta as she treks across the Australian Alps Walking Track and her life unfolds out behind her. With a raw and relatable main character and true to life detailing of this hike, you won’t want to miss this!

[Jake Damato · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Charlotte Zollner · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Dom Dawe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire book alert!! 🔥 🚒🚒🚒

[Maeve M · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so beautifully written, thank you Ya

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in 2 days, could not stop

[Mila Simkus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite

[Dorothy Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a brutal to self book. So much anguish and pain in mind and body. But hard to put down as you keep hoping for good just like the protagonist.

[Wilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful journey both physical and mentally.