Despite her name, Atlas James feels like she lacks a road map for her future. In the months since her dad died from cancer, Atlas has entirely lost her way. She's been kicked out of high school and fired from her job; without a clear path forward, she volunteers for the Bear Creek Community Service program in the western Sierra Nevada mountains. The program, run by Joe, one of her dad's oldest friends, offers, among other things, an option for teens assigned court-mandated community service hours. Atlas doesn't fall in that category, but she does need a fresh start, and hard physical work to focus on while also honoring the memory of her dad, who adored hiking in these mountains and dreamed of coming back with Atlas someday, before his time ran out.

Upon arrival, Atlas is given a new name—Maps. After several days of rigorous training on trail safety protocols, maintenance tasks,...