Melissa's Reviews > The Great Alone

*3.5 stars*

When it comes to emotionally compelling fiction, without a doubt, Kristin Hannah is in a league of her own. Over the years, she’s taken me to the brink of hopelessness, dangled me over the edge of complete devastation and trampled my heart in the process. Where I think her magic lies is in knowing just the right moment to toss out a lifeline—restoring faith, inciting love and in some cases, leaving me in complete and utter awe.

Naturally, having experienced a number of her noteworthy reads, there’s a certain level of expectation that now comes along with picking up one of her books—unrealistic or not. Instead of tiptoeing around the elephant in the room, I’m just going to get this over with and put it out there—this is not my favorite of Kristin Hannah’s work.

Like many of her books, this is a hefty read, coming in at just under 450 pages. Where I had issues with the story—the inconsistent pacing and the blatant lack of development, particularly in the back half. From a slow and purposeful narrative, to an overly dramatic and rushed ending, it’s almost as if the author crammed two completely different books together.

When the story opens, the Allbright family is on the brink of yet another move, this time to Alaska or The Great Alone. For Ernt, a Vietnam POW who's prone to bouts of anger, Alaska represents a fresh start and an excuse to leave behind the mess he’s made of things. For 13-year-old Leni and her mother, it’s a reluctant move, but one they hope will save Ernt from his demons. Luckily, the Allbrights meet a group of people who are more than willing to help them prepare for the harsh winter ahead and lend some much needed heart to a lackluster existence. What everyone soon learns, no matter how far you go, you can’t outrun your demons. It’s a toxic and vicious cycle they find themselves trapped in—one that feels impossible at times.

Kristin Hannah really takes her time laying the foundation for the Allbright family and the tedious work the Alaskan wilderness demands and you know what, that was okay with me. It was around the halfway mark, when she switched gears, that everything came crashing down.

There is a love story packed within these pages, although despite the anticipation, I found it all to be sort of lackluster. The words and the feelings were present on the page, demanding my consent, but I can’t say I ever truly felt their connection with every piece of my being.

It's the last five chapters that take the cake for the most drama in the shortest timespan. I’m not saying I take issue with what went down exactly, what I am taking issue with is the fact that Kristin Hannah bounced from one dramatic event to the next, without so much as a breath or time to process. The emphasis seemed to be on getting her characters where they needed to be in the end, rather than allowing the reader to fully appreciate Leni's journey.

With all of that said, I still found this to be a worthy read. I love the thought of living a simpler life—although probably not realistic for this city girl—and spending a bit of time in Alaska proved to be eye-opening and even sort of refreshing.

As readers, we all connect with books/characters/writing for a variety of reasons and it just so happens, this one didn’t land among my favorites. Whether you’re a diehard Kristin Hannah fan, like I consider myself to be, or new to her work, I urge you to give this a chance. You never know, this might be your new favorite. I also feel compelled to mention, of her books, I adored these in particular: Home Front, Night Road, Winter Garden and The Nightingale.

*A HUGE thank you to St. Martin’s Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.