Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home

One of the most prominent themes in the book is the difficult process of coming to terms with surviving. Shasta’s survival is not a triumphant escape into freedom as is often depicted in stories. Instead, it is the beginning of a lifelong process of learning what it means to live with immense trauma and guilt. While many label her a “hero” or “the girl who survived,” these labels carry a burden she never asked for: Shasta is forced to live with the knowledge that she survived while her brother Dylan did not. This survivor’s guilt is evident throughout the text, particularly in the way she internalizes judgment. She is seen not only as a victim but as someone who should have done more, been more grateful, or lived a more exemplary life. Early in the narrative, it is noted that “wherever she went, she was always seen as the girl. The girl. The one who got away” (10-11), reducing her identity to a singular, traumatic event.

This issue is worsened by Shasta’s relationship with her father, Steve, who due to his own grief, could not offer her the support she needed. Instead, he projected his anguish onto her and used her money.