The Great Alone A Novel

Absolutely riveting and wonderful and terrifying and wholesome and heart breaking. So well written and so many emotions! I devoured it and cannot wait for my next Kristen Hannah read.

From the beautiful Alaskan landscape to the heart wrenching story that had me in tears, this is a book I won’t be able to forget.

What a wonderful book. This book has you on a constant rollercoaster, after the slow start. I wondered at first what would hook me but once I was hooked I couldn’t stop thinking about the life of Leni and where it would go. What an incredible read

I absolutely devoured this book. Super addictive to read. It also made me put Alaska on my travel bucket list.

hard to read at times if you grew up with an eggshell parent because some passages feel all to familiar.

and also I ugly cried, so the book pretty much had it all.

Absolutely amazing but heartbreaking. Truly all the feels with this book and I couldn’t stop reading.

This book was a journey lol

2.5 stars from me.

I felt this was sooooo repetitive and didn’t build for me.

I had really high hopes and wanted so much but it just didn’t happen for me

This is an excellent book, and the storyline had me hooked right from the beginning. I agree with other reviews that the sections of the book were drawn out and the ending was rushed, but I loved the survival story embedded in a survival story so much that I’m giving it 4.5 stars nonetheless.

Well, this one tore my heart out. I cried in the car on the way to a store, much to my horror. It’ll make you want to move to Alaska to experience the beauty. It makes you think about how tough you really are-could you make it? In the end, it reminds you that your parents did they very best they could, and they love you in a way that lasts forever.

Wow. This book was incredible. I was hesitant because of how long of an audiobook it was, but I’m so glad I didn’t let that deter me. I was waiting for every opportunity to turn it back on and be thrown back into Alaska. I learned so much about living in the bush and the struggles that come with it while following the heartbreaking story surround Lenny. One of my top reads of the year.

Okay, it wasn’t what I thought it would be, but it was beautifully heartbreaking. I love her writing and her storytelling.

Soapy but ripped through it. Read for book club

Such an incredible, heart-wrenching story until the rushed ending

absolutely wrecked me. This is story of violence and heartbreak. love and strength. Matthew and Leni’s love story was so heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. Booking a trip to alaska now <3

such an emotionally compelling book. it was beautifully written. i shed a tear

This is my favorite KH book. Heartbreaking, emotional, beautiful, redemptive, I loved it.

This book will rip your heart out in the best way. the story is so heart wrenching and true it is so 100% worth a read. The biggest thing that this book is about is love, in all the forms it can take - good and evil.

read it! it’s 100% worth a read.

This was so good, it made me feel such conflicting things, I liked it then I started loving it, then I hated it and I finished crying like a baby. If you feel frustrated with the book about 2/3 in, trust me and continue, it will all be ok in the end. About the audio version, the narrator Julia Whelan is amazing as always and she was the perfect choice for this book. This was my first book by Krisin Hannah and I will definitely read more

I haven’t cried this hard since A Little Life

Really great book and audiobook. I would say this is one worth reading. I cried with the reunion and I can’t imagine how much I would’ve cried if I was reading it rather than listening to it while multi-tasking.

Was the writing particularly notable? Not especially. Was the story particularly unique? Not especially. But it doesn’t mean it’s not a good read overall.

I liked this book but I'm real sick of people getting pregnant after having sex one time. Does that happen in real life as often as it does in books and movies?

What. A. Book.

Characters The characters within this story are so vivid and well-developed. They felt so real to me. They are flawed and complex and they truly come alive as you read this story. The complexity of these characters adds a richness that I loved. You love and root for some characters and you despise other characters, but it's not that simple. Ernt Allbright is a Vietnam veteran and suffers from severe PTSD. He was a POW survivor, and after being back home he was a different person. He was an alcoholic with a short, quick temper. He was controlling and abusive, and suffers from paranoia and night terrors. As I was reading scenes throughout this book, which were heavy to say the least, I realized how much I despised his character. Cora Allbright is the wife of Ernt and the mother of Leni. I had a love/hate relationship with Cora. I really enjoyed her character but I would get so frustrated with her. I despised the way she stuck with Ernt through everything, and subjected her daughter to witness everything. On the other hand, I loved her seeing how much she cared and loved her daughter. I felt for Cora because she is the victim of abuse and she feels trapped with no way out. Leni Allbright stole my heart in this book. Even though some parts were tough to read, I loved seeing how strong Leni was, and how she persevered through some extremely difficult times. Leni's character really resonated with me and some of her story hit close to home. I enjoyed seeing how much love she had for her mother; it was unconditional. But, my heart broke for Leni, over and over again. Matthew Walker is the star of the story for me. This was one of the most selfless, sweetest, toughest characters throughout the novel. I really loved Matthew. He was childhood friends with Leni and I loved seeing their relationship develop throughout the years. Matthew went through some really difficult times of his own, but over time he was coming to terms and trying to accept everything and move on. I thoroughly loved his character; he was so endearing and strong. There were a ton of great secondary characters. I really enjoyed Large Marge and Mr. Walker. The secondary characters really bring the story and setting to life. They form up thi small community and makes it feel so realistic. Overall, these characters are quite memorable and will stick with me for a long time. Story This is a survival story about the Allbright family. Ernt Allbright is a Vietnam vet who suffers from PTSD, and can't seem to keep a job to support his family. Cora, his wife, is working trying to make ends meet. But just as soon as they seem to settle in one place, Ernt uproots his wife and their daughter, Leni, to wherever he thinks there is a better opportunity. He gets mail from his war buddy's father, stating that he is inheriting property in Alaska. Ernt thinks that this is his big break, to get away from the government and society, and live off the land in remote Alaska. The Allbrights relocate to Alaska and realize they are very unprepared for the harsh environment that lies ahead. They have to learn how to survive the severely harsh winters, adapt to the days being mostly dark, and realize that the Alaskan winter isn't their biggest threat. Writing The writing was phenomenal. The descriptions and imagery used throughout this story really brought the setting and atmosphere to life. The characters were so distinct and the story captivated my heart, and ripped it throughout the entirety of the novel. It was so heavy and bittersweet. It made me feel so many emotions and I'm glad that I finally got around to reading it. The author did an amazing job capturing life in a remote Alaskan community, the harsh winter season, and the individuality and distinctness of each character. There were so many quotes that I jotted down while reading this book. The story is beautifully written and unforgettable. Overall I loved this book. This story stole my heart, for sure. I knew going into this story that it was going to be heavy, but oh my heart! I fell in love with the setting and the descriptions of Alaska. The atmosphere of this book was so great. I could write forever about this book, my thoughts, and love for this story. The ending really tugged at my heartstrings but I felt like it was a little too rushed. I wish it was a little more detailed and developed. But, it wasn't enough to make me deduct a star. I still thoroughly enjoyed the ending. I didn't want to leave this story or these characters. I would really like to see a movie adaptation. Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, death of a parent, alcoholism, depression, PTSD

I should have followed my first instinct and quit 1/3 of the way through. Terrible things happen to everyone in the book all the way through. No redemption for anyone.