Wow! A YA teen-rebel-survival-camp story freshly narrated to welcome even the most reluctant readers (gift to potential teen rebels instead of survival camp tickets perhaps?). Loved this title: the perfect escape read while resigned to being quarantined indoors. Let’s go outdoors on a rigorous & chilling trek with our only guide an adolescent moral compass & see where we end up.

“Really good emotional-pot-stirring fun” says now 50+ yr old teen rebel.. “Made me remember hating everyone & everything & being a powerless teen most of all.”

Five Stars for a title in this specific market niche. Buy it for the next oddly dressed pre-teen in your family that refuses to hear anything except what earbuds can deliver. Send it via anonymous text; they’ll love it so long as it arrives without an adult attachment.

I have no clue why I always get such a kick out of those books where wayward teens are forced into survival camps in the woods by frustrated parents. Maybe it’s because my own teen years were so uneventful and drama free? Anyway, I love these things.

This is a pretty good one. Definitely a lot of drama and some of these kids…um…really need help. There’s a little Lord of the Flies feel to this one. It gets dark.

The writing style is interesting. We get occasional chapters by this omniscient narrator who breaks the third wall talking to the reader. I kind of dug it, but I will be honest and tell you that Mr/Ms Omniscient Narrator needs a freaking spoiler warning. It’s constantly like: But you know that this bad thing will happen (next chapter that exact bad thing happens) or but character A would soon regret that decision (followed by character A regretting that decision). All. The. Freaking. Time.

But…

It’s still a good story. It’s suspenseful and full of danger and drama.

A fun read.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

4.5 stars.

“Maybe you had to read Lord of The Flies in class. Or, like, Heart of Darkness. If you did, then you kind of know what to expect here.”

I friggin’ love final girl stories and The Wild, in a way, is. It basically revolves around a teenager who’s sent to a wilderness therapy program for troubled youth called Out Of The Wild. The protagonist super is fun, and the formatting of the book is just so crazy and original, in the best way. It’s basically one-page-long chapters with multiple shocking “Author’s Notes” scattered all throughout, with excellent writing.

Through the entire storytelling, the author is talking directly to the reader. And I really enjoyed how he playfully toys with the reader when something twisty or explosive is about to happen. That made the experience much more fun. The ending was so gripping and I was on the edge of my seat as I followed our protagonist Dawn’s journey to see if she will survive at the hands of the perpetrator(s).
If you’re fascinated by the wilderness, want to read something different, or are just curious to see how a group of teenagers would survive a brutal therapy program in the middle of the mountains, then make sure to pick this one. There’s murder, suspense and so many twists - I definitely recommend this!!

The style and format was jarring at first.. but I quickly became engrossed in this story of following Dawn on her ursine journey through the recovery process.

This novel was so good. It kept me enthralled and engaged. The characters were written well and the descriptions of the setting were great. The novel took me by surprise and I did not want to stop reading this novel. If you like books set in the wilderness, you should give it a try. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

The a Wild is a heart racing thriller that is sure to appeal to many! Great character development and a pretty solid plot!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.