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Alone in the Woods

Rebecca Behrens - Author

Jocelyn and Alex are stranded and lost in the Northwoods after a rafting mishap, facing threats from the elements with only wet bags’ contents. As they try to get home, the former best friends must also confront the strain between them.

More about this book

Jocelyn and Alex have always been best friends...until they aren't. Jocelyn's not sure what happened, but she hopes the annual joint-family vacation in the isolated north woods will be the perfect spot to rekindle their friendship. But Alex still isn't herself when they get to the cabin. And Jocelyn reaches a breaking point during a rafting trip that goes horribly wrong. When the girls' tube tears it leaves them stranded and alone. And before they know it, the two are hopelessly lost. Wearing swimsuits and water shoes and with only the contents of their wet backpack, the girls face threats from the elements. And as they spend days and nights lost in the wilderness, they'll have to overcome their fractured friendship to make it out of the woods alive.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Wilderness survival· ExplainedPhysical danger· ExplainedFriendship

Consider

Fear and suspenseSocial conflictFrightening scenes

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

wilderness survivalphysical dangerfriendshipgrowing updifferent perspectives

FictionNovel

Themes in Context

Survival and danger

Lost after a rafting trip goes wrong, the girls face hazards including cold, insects, poisonous plants and bears while trying to get home.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The danger is framed as a serious survival challenge, while the narrative also follows the girls’ attempts to endure it and cooperate.

Talk about: Which moments make the girls’ predicament feel most urgent, and what helps them keep going?

Friendship under strain

Jocelyn hopes the trip will help restore her friendship with Alex, but the girls arrive with their relationship already strained and must work together while lost.

How the book presents it: The story gives both girls a perspective on the conflict and presents them sympathetically rather than casting one as the villain.

Talk about: Do the two accounts alter how you understand what has happened between them?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The alternating viewpoints let readers encounter each girl’s account of the friendship as well as their shared survival ordeal. It may suit a reader drawn to adventure that gives emotional weight to a friendship under pressure.

What Deserves Attention

The girls face serious physical peril, including exposure to cold, insects, poisonous plants and bears; their danger is presented as a life-or-death wilderness ordeal. Friendship difficulties and emotional hurt also form part of the story.

A Conversation Worth Having

How do the two girls’ different accounts change what you understand about their friendship, and what do you think helps them work together when they are lost?

Reading Approach

Read together or check in at natural pauses if peril feels intense. You could discuss how the girls’ separate perspectives shape your view of their friendship, without needing to settle whose account is right.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Survival and danger: The precise incidents and outcomes of individual hazards are not established here.
Friendship under strain: The exact cause of the friendship’s strain is not given in the plot outlines.

Alone in the Woods by Rebecca Behrens | Open Library

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Survival and danger; Friendship under strain

Alone in the Woods | Rebecca Behrens, Writer.