**I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

About the Book

Book: Chased

Author: M. Liz Boyle

Genre: Christian Y.A.

Release date: June 1, 2020

It’s been a year since Marlee, her sisters, and the Miles boys survived an avalanche. Sure, it was a little embarrassing for them when all the neighbors saw them on the news, but they love being outdoors, and what are the odds that another tragedy would strike this adventurous group? Has anyone calculated the statistics of being hit with two natural disasters? It has to be low, so of course the two families planned to backpack again this summer.

When the teens first meet Thad, a dehydrated hiker on the trail, they give him water and food and help him recover. He seems harmless until he tells them to hike a few extra miles at sunset. Then Lydie finds a hand-drawn map that Thad dropped, and they discover why he is so eager to get away from the Stanley girls and Miles boys. So eager that he starts chasing them.

Now they have to climb up unforgiving ridges, sneak through the night, and – is that thunder and lightning? To make matters worse, Marlee has a nagging worry that her older sister Ellie is preparing to move away from home.

What is God’s plan? How will they get away from Thad before it’s too late?

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About the Author

Liz is the author of the Off the Itinerary series, the wife of a professional tree climber and the homeschooling mom of three energetic and laundry-producing children. She received her Associate’s of Arts at the University of Sioux Falls, where she received the LAR Writing Award for her essay entitled, “My Real Life Mufasa.” Liz once spent a summer in Colorado teaching rock climbing, which she believes was a fantastic way to make money and memories. She resides with her family in Wisconsin, where they enjoy hiking and rock climbing. Liz and her husband have also backpacked in Colorado and the Grand Canyon, which have provided inspiration for her writing. She likes making adventurous stories to encourage others to find adventures and expand their comfort zones (though admittedly, she still needs lots of practice expanding her own comfort zone).

More from Liz

Five years ago my husband Dustin and I took a dream-come-true trip to the Grand Canyon. On the first day we hiked to the bottom of the Cathedral Staircase. To picture the Cathedral Staircase, think of the longest set of stone stairs in the world, double it, and put it in a (scenic) pizza oven. Oh, and strap a 50-pound bag to your back. It was there in the sun that we met a young couple who was sorely unprepared for the elements of the Canyon. The young lady had signs of heat exhaustion, and the guy didn’t have a clue what to do. Thankfully our group was able to help them and call backcountry rangers to get the couple to safety. The situation was eye-opening on many levels. After the shock of witnessing such a close call settled down, my creative side saw the experience as inspiration for Avalanche’s sequel. Except in my book Chased, I added a plot twist. When the dehydrated hiker recovers, he becomes a threat to the very people who saved his life. I had a blast writing Chased, and I hope you enjoy the adventure, too!

My Thoughts

Chased is the second book in M. Liz Boyle's Off the Itinerary series. I had not personally read the first book. While I think this one was fine as a standalone, I do wonder if I would have appreciated the characters and gotten more enjoyment out of the story had I read the previous novel first.

This is a young adult novel, so being in my early thirties I am clearly not the target audience. Still, there are many stories that while aimed toward young adults can really be enjoyed by readers of all ages. While this is true for Chased and I did enjoy the action packed into the story, there were times where I did feel like it would be better enjoyed for that intended audience. It did just feel a bit younger to me at points, as it probably should have. Enjoyable, yes... but just not as easy to relate to the characters perhaps. That said, I couldn't help but think that this is just the type of book I would have enjoyed myself at that age...and the type of book I want my teenage son to enjoy too. It was a clean read, but packed full of adventure that kept me wanting to read more. I loved the elements of faith within the story and seeing the characters grow in that faith.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. If you have a teen reader in your life, it's definitely one to pass their way, and you might find you enjoy it yourself too!