24 Hours in Nowhere is a young adult adventure novel that was published in 2018. The author, Dusti Bowling, is from Arizona and is known for setting her novels in the desert landscape of the southwestern United States. Her work includes Across the Desert (2019), the novel in verse The Canyon’s Edge (2020), and the duology Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus (2017) and Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus (2019). In 24 Hours in Nowhere, Bowling introduces Gus, a 13-year-old from Nowhere, Arizona, who dreams of a better, brighter life. He and his friends embark on a dangerous adventure together, and, in the process, they develop deeper bonds and grow in self-awareness.

This guide refers to the 2020 Union Square Kids paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss bullying, violence, child abuse, and death. They also depict a cave in and a near drowning. Additionally, a character uses an offensive term for Indigenous people, which is reproduced in this guide in a quote only.

Plot Summary

The novel’s first-person protagonist, Gus Foley, is a 13-year-old resident of Nowhere, Arizona, a desert town steeped in poverty. Bo Taylor, a notorious bully, and his minions, Matthew Dufort and Jacob, pressure Gus to eat a cactus. However, Rossi Scott, the girl Gus has a crush on, intervenes, straddling her beloved dirt bike, Loretta. Rossi’s racing skills have frustrated many of her peers—including Bo, who loses to Rossi every time they race. Sensing an opportunity, Bo offers to release Gus in exchange for Rossi’s bike. Despite Gus’s objections, Rossi agrees and forfeits Loretta.

Later that day, Gus returns to his trailer, which he shares with his grandmother. Gus remembers that Rossi needs her bike to compete in a big race tomorrow. The winner of this race will be awarded both a new bike and a spot at Breaker Bradley’s racing camp. Determined to recover the bike, Gus decides to arrange a trade. He grabs some cash and his great-grandfather’s pocket watch—mysteriously engraved with “W.D.A.”—and heads to Bo’s trailer.

Much to Gus’s dismay, Bo refuses to accept a trade and proposes instead that Gus break into Dead Frenchman Mine and retrieve a piece of gold in exchange for the bike. Located at the base of Hollow Mountain, Dead Frenchman Mine is a landmark. According to legend, a Frenchman named William Dufort stole gold from his Mexican partner, José Navarro. They exchanged gunfire, and Dufort fled to the mine. With his last breath, Navarro reported the incident to law enforcement, and the sheriff successfully tracked Dufort to the mine. However, aware of the sheriff’s pursuit, Dufort detonated a series of explosives, triggering a cave in that buried both him and the sheriff.

Gus agrees to venture into the mine and recover the legendary gold. On his way back home, he passes Racetrack Basin, where the locals race their bikes. He stops by Nowhere Market and asks its proprietor, Mayor Handsome, for digging tools. While at the market, Gus bumps into Jessie Navarro, his one-time best friend. They chat awkwardly, and Gus impulsively confesses his plan.

Gus returns home and loads his backpack with supplies, including the pocket watch. He’s surprised by Matthew, Bo’s sidekick, who is set to accompany him to the mine. Gus remembers Matthew’s softer side: One Valentine’s Day, Matthew handed out cards to his classmates, only to be mocked relentlessly.

Gus and Matthew sneak out. After a short trek, they reach the mine and enter cautiously. Suddenly, they hear voices: It’s Rossi and Jessie, who have come to the mine because they are concerned about Gus’s recklessness. Eventually, Rossi and Jessie agree to help in the quest, and the group digs around for possible leads. Tapping with his chisel, Gus notices an echo on the other side of the wall. Before he can investigate, the mine collapses, and the group dodges the falling rubble. They manage to crawl through to the opposite side. The wall has collapsed, revealing an entrance to a cave.

Entering the cave, the group decides to abandon their hunt for gold and focus instead on their escape. As they trudge through bat guano, Matthew and Jessie start to fight, slinging handfuls of guano at one another. Overhead, the bats fly away, and the group decides to track them to a potential exit. As they walk, they notice a series of cave drawings.

Suddenly, Matthew falls into a crevice. Wedged between the sides, he’s unable to move, and the group struggles to dislodge him. With Matthew stuck, the group shares their worst days: Matthew mentions Valentine’s Day, while Gus recounts a surprise trip to Disneyland. There, his father treated him to a bag of jewels as a souvenir. However, after the trip, his father abandoned him in Nowhere.

Using the filling from Twinkies as lubricant, the group helps Matthew wiggle free. Before they can rest, however, they’re attacked by a mountain lion. The group hurries up a stack of boulders to escape. Once safe, Rossi examines Gus’s watch and notices that he’s misinterpreted the engraving: It reads “W.A.D,” not “W.D.A.” The group determines that the watch likely belonged to William Dufort, who was Matthew’s great-grandfather. Rossi finds a note wedged in the back of the watch, but it’s too dark to read it.

Rossi sees a possible exit, and she and Gus break off to explore. When they emerge from the cave, they realize that they’re perched on the edge of a rock wall with no way down. Rossi and Gus rest, and Rossi elaborates on her love for racing. She and Gus sleep until sunrise. Finally, there is enough light, and Rossi inspects the note. She realizes that it’s a map of the cave. She notices that a particular area is marked with “A.L.”

Gus and Rossi return to the cave, and they find Matthew and Jessie fleeing from a herd of javelinas. The group decides to track the javelinas in case they’re headed for an exit. In the meantime, Jessie examines the watch and notices an unusual marking, reading “A.L.’s nose,” just like the map. After some debate, the group decides to pursue this new lead in case it leads them to gold.

The group retraces their steps back toward the cave drawings. Soon, they notice a large carving of Abraham Lincoln—the “A.L.” indicated on the map and the watch. There are two holes in the cave wall, simulating Lincoln’s nostrils. Jessie roots around in both. He finds an old cowboy hat and a pistol—but no gold.

Suddenly, Jessie drops the pistol, and it misfires, hitting his foot. The group decides to revert to their original plan and seek an escape since Jessie is badly hurt. Supporting Jessie, they attempt to retrace their steps but soon realize that they’ve been traveling in circles. They decide to follow an old riverbed, hopeful that it will guide them outside.

Eventually, the group reaches a lake. They see light at the far end and decide to swim across. Gus, leading the group, stumbles upon human remains. While investigating, the group finds an old leather pouch filled with gold. They guess that the bones belong to William Dufort and slightly revise the accepted history.

The group returns to the lake. Gus, Matthew, and Jessie make it across, but Rossi flounders in the water. Gus rescues her and administers CPR. Working together, the group climbs up a shaft to reach the outside. Miraculously, they bump into Mayor Handsome, who is on his way to fish in the lake. Handsome carts Jessie back to town and offers Gus, Rossi, and Matthew fresh water.

Gus, Rossi, and Matthew walk back to town, worried that Rossi will miss the race. They bump into Bo, offer him a gold piece, and ask that he turn over Loretta. Bo, however, revises the deal and asks for two pieces of gold instead. Aiming to deceive Bo, Matthew offers Gus’s bag of souvenir stones, exaggerating their value. Accepting the stones, Bo turns over Loretta—but not before he slashes both tires. Rossi despairs until Matthew lets her ride his bike instead.

Gus and Matthew watch the race from afar. On the last lap, Rossi edges past Bo. Bo, frustrated, grabs her handlebars and applies her brakes, sending them both tumbling. Injured but undeterred, Rossi hops back on her bike, and Bo resumes his pursuit. Unable to maneuver around Bo, Rossi intentionally drives into the silt. Switching back to the compacted dirt, Rossi overtakes Bo and wins the race. As Gus, Matthew, and Rossi celebrate, Bo confronts them angrily. Gus stands up for Rossi, but Bo punches him, breaking his nose.

Mayor Handsome escorts the group to the hospital. There, they reconnect with Jessie. Afterward, the group sits outside Nowhere Market and enjoys free popsicles, courtesy of Handsome. When Jessie and Matthew nod off, Rossi and Gus continue talking, and Rossi reveals that her real name is Loretta. With Rossi’s head on his shoulder, Gus stares out at the open desert, feeling hopeful of a brighter future for them all.