Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling

Across the Desert is a harrowing survival tale of determination and hope, as one girl attempts a dangerous rescue.

Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling. Little, Brown, 2021, 305 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

Since Jolene’s one right-here friend went into foster care, her online friend “Addie Earhart” is all that’s left to keep her company. The girls DM each other, but once a week Addie livestreams her show, The Desert Aviator, where she flies her ultralight over the drybeds and canyons near her Arizona home. Jolene has to hike to the library in 100° heat to watch, but she never misses. She’s the only one watching when Addie cries out “Mayday! Mayday!” and takes a dive into the wilderness. Once recovered from the shock, Jolene realizes she must rescue her friend.

But it’s not so simple as reporting to a grownup. It’s unclear where Addie was when she went down, and since she never records her video, and “Earhart” is not her real last name, many of the adults don’t believe Jolene’s story. Jolene’s mom is no help either; since that truck hit their car, Mom has not been herself. The oxycodone that dulled the pain of rehab has dug in its claws, and most of the time she’s barely conscious. With a homemade map, a handful of provisions, and not a lot of common sense, Jolene heads into the desert alone. It’s a truly harrowing journey with long odds against even surviving, much less rescuing. But help arrives, mainly in the person of Marty, a teenage fellow traveler who catches some of Jolene’s determination.

The story addresses tough issues, chiefly addiction. (Jolene’s father is not mentioned, so it’s not clear what happened to him; that’s an issue as well.) With opioid deaths on the rise, that’s a subject worth thinking about, but as a survival epic Across the Desert will keep readers glued to their chairs. It’s a story of endurance, courage, perseverance, and hope; a celebration of the human spirit.

Overall rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Dusti Bowling wrote the Aven Green Series: *Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus (starred review), Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, and Aven Green, Sleuthing Machine.
• Reviews: Other novels involving addition in the family: Sunny Side Up, Wild Bird, Family Game Night (hoarding),

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