Lurking in the wild and discovering oneself has been the theme for many novels, of which I have not read one. Novels like “Into the Wild” and others have made a mark. Deciding to read this book was partly influenced by these books. “Gone Wild” hardly met my expectations but there are some good points to talk about in this book. The author deserves appreciation for her work even though it has not made a mark.
Cover page
The book is about two main characters who are going to a camping trip in jungle beside an ocean. They are together finding their way. The cover page illustrates the story inside. It is a photographic page with the title at the top and author’s name in the bottom. It is very simple and neat design. The typography compliments the story inside which is of N/A or Y/A category.
Characters
There are two main characters in the book who are both dealing with a messed up life.
Seth is an adopted child to his mother. His father separated from his mother and thought it would be best for him if he stays with his mother. But he did not leave alone. He took the dog with himself which was one true family to Seth. His mother got herself a new boyfriend who’s name rhymes with “hurt”. Seth is unhappy in his house and decides to search for his birth mother but, unfortunately, he is too young to be revealed the data to.
Brooke on the other hand, has a complete family with no one missing from it. Her mom is bearing and Brooke tries to annoy her at every chance she gets. Brooke realized that she could be pregnant. To avoid her mom from thinking for her, she leaves the house to a camping trip to think on her own.
The characters are very clear and sharp. They are given specific characteristics even though they are rebels. They are both different from each other. The minor details in the temperament are seen through the writing. Seth as a character calls for reader’s pity.
Content
The book is about Seth and Brooke. They are rebellious teenagers trying to get away from home for their own different reasons. Seth and Brooke meet each other in the camping trip and become each other’s companions. They open up to each other and understand life better. Of course there is a lot of adventure in the forest.
Now, the content as described above seems like a story for a perfect book. But it is not. Especially when there is not enough backing. The story seemed like broken pieces of scenes. It moves too fast for anyone to savor it. There is some adventure in the book but that also dies out too soon. Brooke is just a sad character in the book who is constantly looking for limelight through Seth. The book is a short read. It takes maximum of two hours to finish the story whereas a concept like this deserves more explanation and description than given in the book.
After reading the book it still does not quench the thirst for a good story.
Language
Here is a good part about the book “On Writing” by Stephen King. People are actually reading the book and improving their writing. The product is seen in the pages of the book. The language is simple and clear. There is not much swaying from the point which is worth appreciating. The unnecessary side characters are also avoided. It is clean writing which is not seen much in books these days.
Good points
The cover page is beautiful. It is a part of the reason I decided to review the book. It works well to bring the book into the limelight. The characters are distinct. Seth has a mind of his own even though he is a teenager who is lost in the ocean. The concept of the book is very interesting. Language is polished. The author has learned the art of writing and it shows.
Bad points
Even after mentioning all the above good points about the book I cannot bring myself to like it. The book is technically correct but it fails to connect with the reader. The story is fast paced by which I mean too fast to catch. The scenes and events need more description to convince the readers which were lacking. The story finished with a happy ending but it was too quick. There was a lot of stalling in the beginning and then whoosh!
Overall
Overall, my eagerness to read an adventure novel and understand the ways of the forest is far from quenched. The book does not fulfill what I set out for.
Who do I recommend this to
This is book has got some interesting presentation and writing but as far as content is concerned it is a disappointment. I would probably recommend it to those who are looking for a guide to good writing or a good kindle document for publishing example. Those looking for a good story, wait out.
I received an ARC copy from the publisher for reviewing. It has not influenced the review at all.