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Wild
A moving, page-turning novel about a family's grief and the crisis afflicting the rainforest, from the prize-winning author of Boy 87 and Fake
Jack craves adventure, even if it means getting into trouble at school. He thinks he can get away with it as his mum is too busy to notice. But then she suggests that he comes along with her on a work trip – and doesn't tell them where they're going.
As Jack spins further out of control, his mum eventually becomes concerned - and shocks him by suggesting a trip together.
But this will be no relaxing holiday. Soon Jack finds himself on an expedition deep into the rainforest, far from anything he's ever known. He wanted an adventure - but has he plunged into real danger?
Jack craves adventure, even if it means getting into trouble at school. He thinks he can get away with it as his mum is too busy to notice. But then she suggests that he comes along with her on a work trip – and doesn't tell them where they're going.
As Jack spins further out of control, his mum eventually becomes concerned - and shocks him by suggesting a trip together.
But this will be no relaxing holiday. Soon Jack finds himself on an expedition deep into the rainforest, far from anything he's ever known. He wanted an adventure - but has he plunged into real danger?
- GenresMiddle Grade
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2023
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Ele Fountain
11 books38 followersEle Fountain worked as an editor in children’s publishing where she was responsible for launching and nurturing the careers of many prize-winning and bestselling authors.
She lived in Addis Ababa for several years, where she was inspired to write Boy 87, her debut novel. Ele lives in what she describes as a “not quite falling down house” in Hampshire with her husband, two young daughters and lots of spiders.
She lived in Addis Ababa for several years, where she was inspired to write Boy 87, her debut novel. Ele lives in what she describes as a “not quite falling down house” in Hampshire with her husband, two young daughters and lots of spiders.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 21, 2024
This was a very moving book that portrayed a sensitive and difficult topic beautifully along with a focus on the very important topic of rainforest conservation.
The plot, in summary, revolves around young teenager Jack who has just lost his father and is struggling with his grief and his relationship with his mother, an environmental anthropologist, whose job has meant constant travel away from Jack and his stay at home dad. When his mother takes him with her on a work related journey into the rainforest, he has to contend with new dangers but is also exposed to a wondrous world he didn't know anything about even as he tries to understand how to move on. Such a close look at the importance of what his mother does slowly changes him from an unwilling participant to one who starts to care.
"Saudade - The longing for something that cannot exist. For something other than the present."
Losing a parent early scars a child and leaves them vulnerable in a way that is difficult to articulate. Jack feels helpless and angry and cannot understand how everything else is the same when his world will never be the same again. He wants to feel something so he decides to join a group of kids who steal paint and throw bricks at windows. His relationship with his mother is difficult because he mostly stayed with his dad while she was away because of her job. Now he has lost the person who he laughed with, shared his art with and always saw on the field during his football games. His sadness is something that cannot be soothed.
When the holiday his mother proposes turns out to be a trip into the Brazilian rainforest, he is sullen and hurt and resolved not to pay any attention to anything around him. Slowly the walls he has put up begin to crack as he learns about the indigenous population who are in danger because of their habitat being invaded by illegal loggers. Tough conditions in the forest and so much new knowledge and being in the thick of all the action start to lessen the heaviness he feels. He makes a new friend who makes him smile.
Having personal experience with the same loss as Jack meant I really related to his pain. His character was real and very well written. His longing for his father really touched me. Moving on from grief has no fixed time and there are no quick fixes to tough relationships but small steps in the right direction and hope are strong positive signs.
The descriptions of the rainforest and the need to preserve those who live within were very informative. I learnt from reading this book that there are bullet ants whose sting hurts as much as being shot would! Ouch!
I think middle grade and a little older readers will love this book but it's the kind that will appeal to any age. I definitely recommend it.
The plot, in summary, revolves around young teenager Jack who has just lost his father and is struggling with his grief and his relationship with his mother, an environmental anthropologist, whose job has meant constant travel away from Jack and his stay at home dad. When his mother takes him with her on a work related journey into the rainforest, he has to contend with new dangers but is also exposed to a wondrous world he didn't know anything about even as he tries to understand how to move on. Such a close look at the importance of what his mother does slowly changes him from an unwilling participant to one who starts to care.
"Saudade - The longing for something that cannot exist. For something other than the present."
Losing a parent early scars a child and leaves them vulnerable in a way that is difficult to articulate. Jack feels helpless and angry and cannot understand how everything else is the same when his world will never be the same again. He wants to feel something so he decides to join a group of kids who steal paint and throw bricks at windows. His relationship with his mother is difficult because he mostly stayed with his dad while she was away because of her job. Now he has lost the person who he laughed with, shared his art with and always saw on the field during his football games. His sadness is something that cannot be soothed.
When the holiday his mother proposes turns out to be a trip into the Brazilian rainforest, he is sullen and hurt and resolved not to pay any attention to anything around him. Slowly the walls he has put up begin to crack as he learns about the indigenous population who are in danger because of their habitat being invaded by illegal loggers. Tough conditions in the forest and so much new knowledge and being in the thick of all the action start to lessen the heaviness he feels. He makes a new friend who makes him smile.
Having personal experience with the same loss as Jack meant I really related to his pain. His character was real and very well written. His longing for his father really touched me. Moving on from grief has no fixed time and there are no quick fixes to tough relationships but small steps in the right direction and hope are strong positive signs.
The descriptions of the rainforest and the need to preserve those who live within were very informative. I learnt from reading this book that there are bullet ants whose sting hurts as much as being shot would! Ouch!
I think middle grade and a little older readers will love this book but it's the kind that will appeal to any age. I definitely recommend it.
July 30, 2023
Jack is angry at his mother. She is always busy with her work. She leaves messages on the fridge when she wants him to do something and is hardly ever home to do even that.
It used to be different. Jack didn't notice how busy Mum was, because his father was always there to look after him. Now Dad is gone, and Jack has lost his anchor and he's beginning to drift into trouble.
A gang has invited him to join them, and he enjoys the thrill of doing wrong. At least it makes him feel something - besides angry. Being asked to steal from a shop in order to prove himself doesn't sit well with Jack, but steal he does, along with wagging school and smashing windows in derelict buildings.
His mum tries to break through his hardening shell, but he continues to shut her out.
It's not until she tells him she has planned a holiday for them both. A break away from everything. But she lied, making Jack angry all over again. It's a work trip and he feels like excess baggage. Soon they are in a long narrow canoe, motoring deep into rainforest, looking for a tribe who don't want to be found.
There are caiman, piranhas, snakes, bullet ants (it feels like you've been shot if they bite you) and scorpions. All Jack can see are trees and more trees with dense jungle beneath them. Finally Jack learns what Mum has been doing all this time as he has been growing up safe at home.
Instead of stepping up to impress his gang mates, Jack has to step up to save lives, the rainforest changing him forever.
Jack isn't a likeable character to begin with. The reason for his anger is unclear at first, but perfectly authentic along with his acting out with a group of boys looking for trouble. He tells his story from his point of view (1st person), and lets his anger fester, instead of telling his mother how he actually feels - again, authentic.
A complete change of scenery - city to deep rainforest, is what Jack needs to shake his anger free. When he realises others have lost loved ones and have moved on, in fact spending their lives helping others, he dials down his anger at his mother. Then the sudden possibility of losing her, shifts his focus off himself.
Wild is woven with themes of grief, empathy for others, illegal rainforest logging, and appreciating what you have.
Age - 10+
It used to be different. Jack didn't notice how busy Mum was, because his father was always there to look after him. Now Dad is gone, and Jack has lost his anchor and he's beginning to drift into trouble.
A gang has invited him to join them, and he enjoys the thrill of doing wrong. At least it makes him feel something - besides angry. Being asked to steal from a shop in order to prove himself doesn't sit well with Jack, but steal he does, along with wagging school and smashing windows in derelict buildings.
His mum tries to break through his hardening shell, but he continues to shut her out.
It's not until she tells him she has planned a holiday for them both. A break away from everything. But she lied, making Jack angry all over again. It's a work trip and he feels like excess baggage. Soon they are in a long narrow canoe, motoring deep into rainforest, looking for a tribe who don't want to be found.
There are caiman, piranhas, snakes, bullet ants (it feels like you've been shot if they bite you) and scorpions. All Jack can see are trees and more trees with dense jungle beneath them. Finally Jack learns what Mum has been doing all this time as he has been growing up safe at home.
Instead of stepping up to impress his gang mates, Jack has to step up to save lives, the rainforest changing him forever.
Jack isn't a likeable character to begin with. The reason for his anger is unclear at first, but perfectly authentic along with his acting out with a group of boys looking for trouble. He tells his story from his point of view (1st person), and lets his anger fester, instead of telling his mother how he actually feels - again, authentic.
A complete change of scenery - city to deep rainforest, is what Jack needs to shake his anger free. When he realises others have lost loved ones and have moved on, in fact spending their lives helping others, he dials down his anger at his mother. Then the sudden possibility of losing her, shifts his focus off himself.
Wild is woven with themes of grief, empathy for others, illegal rainforest logging, and appreciating what you have.
Age - 10+
August 6, 2023
Saudade.
'It means longing for something that cannot exist. For something other than the present.'
This is a book that stays with you.
Full of emotion and evocative language.
We start the story in the middle of Jack's grief. He is spiralling, rebelling and not coping after the death of his father. The way Ele tells this is so emotional - I had to put the book down a few times to have a cry as I was bursting with empathy for Jack and all children who have lost a family member.
Who would have thought that Jack would then end up in a rainforest with his mother and her friends. What happens and how will this impact his life? I'm glad for this section as it is such a contrast to his spiral of darkness that I needed the moments of wandering around a remote rainforest.
'It means longing for something that cannot exist. For something other than the present.'
This is a book that stays with you.
Full of emotion and evocative language.
We start the story in the middle of Jack's grief. He is spiralling, rebelling and not coping after the death of his father. The way Ele tells this is so emotional - I had to put the book down a few times to have a cry as I was bursting with empathy for Jack and all children who have lost a family member.
Who would have thought that Jack would then end up in a rainforest with his mother and her friends. What happens and how will this impact his life? I'm glad for this section as it is such a contrast to his spiral of darkness that I needed the moments of wandering around a remote rainforest.
September 15, 2024
I was gripped the whole way through. I love how fountain's writing makes you feel so taken care of because she's so in control of the narrative. Let's turn this into a film.
August 2, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Very easy to follow and interesting.
April 2, 2023
I have not read any of Ele Fountain's books before, but I absolutely LOVED this one.
It starts with us meeting Jack, who has fallen into the wrong crowd folwing an awful tradgey in his family - he feels ignored buy his mum and is just trying to find where he belongs (we can all imagin where this starts going).
He then gets 'dragged' away by his mum over the school holidays, which he is less than excited about because he KNOWS that this isn't a mother/son bonding trip, sitting by the pool, playing games and reading books ... no, once again, she needs to work.
He finds himself thrust into a world that he doesn't feel like he belongs, and his mum seemingly loved more than him, before he forces himself into her world, refusing to be left out and he actually discovers something quite amazing about himself. His bravery, actually making a hugely positive impact on the future of the rainforest.
My favorite part of the book is when Jack, who is kept completely in the dark about the location and purpose of the trip he is embarking upon, refuses to take the easy option and be left behind. He acknowledges he might hate what he is about to experience but he 'wants to feel something other than anger'. This point really helped him realise how fed up he was of being angry all the time, it made him look around and see what else there was to life... if it is pain, sadness, embarrassment, frustration... then at least that's better than constant anger (it didn't occur to him that he might actually start smiling).
I loved this part of the book, because he really acknowledged how he was feeling and the impact that it was having on him and the people around him. Whilst he wasn't consciously changing for the better, it was a real turning point for him, and for his relationships with the other characters.
A beautifully written book about trauma, growing up, acknowledging your mistakes and becoming who you are meant to be ... all mixed in with the right amount of education (who knew bullet ants were a thing!) and understanding about the planet. Showing us the impact that silly humans are having on this beautiful world!
It starts with us meeting Jack, who has fallen into the wrong crowd folwing an awful tradgey in his family - he feels ignored buy his mum and is just trying to find where he belongs (we can all imagin where this starts going).
He then gets 'dragged' away by his mum over the school holidays, which he is less than excited about because he KNOWS that this isn't a mother/son bonding trip, sitting by the pool, playing games and reading books ... no, once again, she needs to work.
He finds himself thrust into a world that he doesn't feel like he belongs, and his mum seemingly loved more than him, before he forces himself into her world, refusing to be left out and he actually discovers something quite amazing about himself. His bravery, actually making a hugely positive impact on the future of the rainforest.
My favorite part of the book is when Jack, who is kept completely in the dark about the location and purpose of the trip he is embarking upon, refuses to take the easy option and be left behind. He acknowledges he might hate what he is about to experience but he 'wants to feel something other than anger'. This point really helped him realise how fed up he was of being angry all the time, it made him look around and see what else there was to life... if it is pain, sadness, embarrassment, frustration... then at least that's better than constant anger (it didn't occur to him that he might actually start smiling).
I loved this part of the book, because he really acknowledged how he was feeling and the impact that it was having on him and the people around him. Whilst he wasn't consciously changing for the better, it was a real turning point for him, and for his relationships with the other characters.
A beautifully written book about trauma, growing up, acknowledging your mistakes and becoming who you are meant to be ... all mixed in with the right amount of education (who knew bullet ants were a thing!) and understanding about the planet. Showing us the impact that silly humans are having on this beautiful world!
April 21, 2023
Over the last few years Ele Fountain has written an incredible selection of stories for the 11-15 group- often a neglected age; each story has a unique story to tell and taps into something that is part of contemporary culture or a key issue. This new book is no exception and tells the story of Jack; in recent times his father has died and he finds himself mixed up with a group of peers who want him to join them on a path of breaking rules and laws. An unexpected Christmas trip with his mum takes Jack to South America and the rainforest. Jack’s mum is an anthropologist. He’s angry about the death of his father and hasn’t been able to connect with his mum. The story takes Jack, his mum - Sophia- and two friends Maria and Pakoyai on an adventure to find a group of indigenous people who are being threatened by illegal forest loggers. Jack’s inner anger and confusion lead to some potentially dangerous outcomes and when his mum disappears he has to find his calm and love to search and rescue her. The title Wild can be seen in relation to Jack’s emotional state and the environment into which he enters.
This is a great story for KS3 readers - pulling the reader in from the start and full heart for the trials and tribulations that Jack gies through and his journey to understand more about himself and life. Ele Fountain is a consummate storyteller and this book joins the list of growing of great books
This is a great story for KS3 readers - pulling the reader in from the start and full heart for the trials and tribulations that Jack gies through and his journey to understand more about himself and life. Ele Fountain is a consummate storyteller and this book joins the list of growing of great books
June 20, 2025
There are children’s books which either cannot be enjoyed by adults or feel like a dumbed down version of a book written for an older audience. This is neither.
There are high stakes at several levels, emotional upheaval and explanations enough for children to understand what all the above entails.
Jack is suffering. His self-destructive behaviour includes getting involved with a gang of petty criminals, avoiding his best friend at an emotional level and thinking his mother doesn’t care enough. Each of these choices are tested during the course of the events of the book. He is going to find out all the things he didn’t even know that he didn’t know, not just about his mother but the larger and more important things in this world.
Jack learns to deal with his brief and although all the things mentioned sound dark, it is heavy without going into entirely destructive reactions, making it a decent way to show even a younger audience how things could go unless they rely on someone who truly cares.
I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to my nieces to read.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
There are high stakes at several levels, emotional upheaval and explanations enough for children to understand what all the above entails.
Jack is suffering. His self-destructive behaviour includes getting involved with a gang of petty criminals, avoiding his best friend at an emotional level and thinking his mother doesn’t care enough. Each of these choices are tested during the course of the events of the book. He is going to find out all the things he didn’t even know that he didn’t know, not just about his mother but the larger and more important things in this world.
Jack learns to deal with his brief and although all the things mentioned sound dark, it is heavy without going into entirely destructive reactions, making it a decent way to show even a younger audience how things could go unless they rely on someone who truly cares.
I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to my nieces to read.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
May 10, 2023
I was sent an ARC of this book in an exchange for an honest review so thank you Bounce marketing for sending me a copy.
I really loved this coming of age story which explores themes of grief, and environmental issues.
Jack has been feeling increasingly disconnected from everything, his feelings, his life and his Mum since his Dad died. To makes himself feel something he has started to explore a less than ideal situations by getting in with the wrong crowd and chasing highs in the form of danger but all he feels is the weight of grief. Just before Christmas his Mum announces that they are going away for the holidays and he needs to be ready to leave in a few hours! With little choice Jack finds himself in Brazil in the Amazon where he learns to reconnect with his Mum and his life. Whilst he is there he also learns a little about his mums work and how she is fighting illegal activities that threaten indigenous tribes. A wonderful story that is beautifully told and set in an interesting location that’s completely different to anything most of us experience I really loved learning about the Amazon!
July 4, 2023
Three months after his father’s death, Jack is still very angry. Everything in his life reminds him of his Dad which triggers his anger. Jack craves the unfamiliar and begins skipping school. He spends time with a gang of delinquents who are vandals and minor thieves. His friends, teachers and his mother, Sofia, become increasingly concerned about his behaviour, but Jack isn’t listening to any of them.
At home, Jack always spent most of his time with his Dad, as his mother’s work as an environmental anthropologist often took her way on work trips. But now, in an act of desperation, she decides to take Jack on one of her field trips. Jack has no idea what his mother does and no interest in her work so he is shocked to find himself in the heart of a rainforest with few conveniences.
Wild is well-written and well-paced. Ele Fountain does a good job of describing Jack’s anger and his inability to process his father’s death. Resolving Jack’s anger by immersing him in bigger problems is very effective.
Overall a realistic story of a teenager’s struggle with grief which has a positive resolution.
Thanks to the Book Curator for providing a free copy for review.
At home, Jack always spent most of his time with his Dad, as his mother’s work as an environmental anthropologist often took her way on work trips. But now, in an act of desperation, she decides to take Jack on one of her field trips. Jack has no idea what his mother does and no interest in her work so he is shocked to find himself in the heart of a rainforest with few conveniences.
Wild is well-written and well-paced. Ele Fountain does a good job of describing Jack’s anger and his inability to process his father’s death. Resolving Jack’s anger by immersing him in bigger problems is very effective.
Overall a realistic story of a teenager’s struggle with grief which has a positive resolution.
Thanks to the Book Curator for providing a free copy for review.
May 1, 2023
I'm a huge fan of Middle grade/Ya that highlights the environmental crisis and care of the planet and this book does exactly that whilst simultaneously writing about the process of grief and the devastating impact loss has on a young person. I wasn't familiar with Ele Fountain before this book, but I'm so glad I read Wild because it's genuinely fantastic.
In this moving, heartfelt novel, we follow Jack, who's fallen into the wrong crowd after a tragedy strikes his family. His mum works away a lot as an environmental anthropologist, so she isn't really emotionally available for him focusing instead on her work, which takes her deep into the rainforest. It feels like conservation is more important to her than how Jack feels, so he continues to get into trouble.
Desperate to reconnect and to keep Jack safe, his mother takes him on a trip, telling him it's just a break, but really is something far more important. There's danger ahead, Jack wanted an adventure, but has he bitten off more than he can chew?
This book is so special! I have a huge love for the rainforest, and having spent a lot of time in Malaysia and Borneo as a teen, it made me reminisce so much. Highlighting deforestation, this book is super important and shows the impact we are having on this beautiful planet. I loved how cathartic the rainforest was to Jack, a young person going through so much trauma and loved watching his journey of self-discovery and healing.
It is a story of finding oneself in the unlikeliest of places, and growing up, this book is beautifully written, with a fantastic sense of place. I highly recommend Wild. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves because its message is powerful.
In this moving, heartfelt novel, we follow Jack, who's fallen into the wrong crowd after a tragedy strikes his family. His mum works away a lot as an environmental anthropologist, so she isn't really emotionally available for him focusing instead on her work, which takes her deep into the rainforest. It feels like conservation is more important to her than how Jack feels, so he continues to get into trouble.
Desperate to reconnect and to keep Jack safe, his mother takes him on a trip, telling him it's just a break, but really is something far more important. There's danger ahead, Jack wanted an adventure, but has he bitten off more than he can chew?
This book is so special! I have a huge love for the rainforest, and having spent a lot of time in Malaysia and Borneo as a teen, it made me reminisce so much. Highlighting deforestation, this book is super important and shows the impact we are having on this beautiful planet. I loved how cathartic the rainforest was to Jack, a young person going through so much trauma and loved watching his journey of self-discovery and healing.
It is a story of finding oneself in the unlikeliest of places, and growing up, this book is beautifully written, with a fantastic sense of place. I highly recommend Wild. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves because its message is powerful.
June 25, 2023
Fountain brings the reader on another vivid journey through not only an emotional landscape but a literal one with a trip to the rainforest shining a light on deforestation. The main character of Jack is sullen and grief stricken, collapsing under the pressures of his peers. As the tale unfolds, you get under his skin and are willing Jack on to a resolution with his work obsessed mother. The shift in location may be jarring for Jack but for me, it was entertaining & fascinating to read the way that Fountain crafted the importance of deforestation for younger readers.
This is a book that is steeped in crisis for the characters and the wider world, it will open a lot of eyes and hearts.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
This is a book that is steeped in crisis for the characters and the wider world, it will open a lot of eyes and hearts.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
May 10, 2023
I’m I’ve never read a book by this author before, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The discussion of grief and the directions it can send us. The topic of standing for those who don’t have a voice. Thrilling and heart warming.
October 4, 2023
Jack has lost his Dad who was always there. His mum is busy with work (as usual) and Jack is feeling even more so that he doesn't rate highly on her priority list. He is desperate to feel more than anger and fill the void left by his father's passing so he starts to 'act out'.
When his mum makes the decision to take him on a work trip under the guise of a holiday, it was the shake up that Jack needed.
It took me awhile to warm to Jack. I could understand his anger but was getting annoyed with his refusal to do anything about it and blame everything on his situation. At times, the characters felt a little surface level and some of the experiences in the jungle were predictable but overall, the second half of the story was better. A bit of a 'disney' ending.
When his mum makes the decision to take him on a work trip under the guise of a holiday, it was the shake up that Jack needed.
It took me awhile to warm to Jack. I could understand his anger but was getting annoyed with his refusal to do anything about it and blame everything on his situation. At times, the characters felt a little surface level and some of the experiences in the jungle were predictable but overall, the second half of the story was better. A bit of a 'disney' ending.
June 3, 2023
Oh. My. Goodness. So good! I seldom read books start to finish in the same day, but I couldn't put this one down.
Powerful. Impactful. Important. This is a story that needs to be told. Not only does it address the topic of deforestation in the rainforests, but it's also a story about grief—how it manifests and how one can eventually find peace even after the death of a loved one.
I was crying by the end. Such a great book.
Powerful. Impactful. Important. This is a story that needs to be told. Not only does it address the topic of deforestation in the rainforests, but it's also a story about grief—how it manifests and how one can eventually find peace even after the death of a loved one.
I was crying by the end. Such a great book.
April 13, 2023
Something has happened to our hero/narrator Jack, that has made him laden down with a heaviness – both an ennui at life, and an anger that so much of his friendships with the other football players he knows and likes reminds him of a future snatched from under him. Instead he's replacing that heaviness and those memories turned sour with new feelings – those to be had from smashing youth hut windows, stealing graffiti spray cans… Forced to take action against his truancy and reconnect with Jack, his mother decides on a break away – but a lot further away and an even bigger break than Jack could realise.
The break really does make this a novel of two halves – the first the streetwise kids and the petty crime and the tagging, the other the sights, sounds and dangers of where they end up. Actually, both halves have the benefit of seeming well-researched, from the slang of 'toy' for childlike beginner to everything that occurs in part two. But I think on this occasion that was not quite enough – the closing drama is too much to sit tightly enough with the earlier material. Of course it forces the change in Jack you'd expect it to do, but it would change anybody, and the improvement in Jack should have come from some other source – Jack himself, ideally.
I liked the way Jack was clearly represented, and the psychology of his doldrums seemed very well done. He's on the cusp of turning into someone you'd never like, whingeing about things in a Kevin and Perry "it's not fair – I hate you!" voice, but is reined in no end to keep us on his side. The book had to be about him finding himself, and saving his relationship with his mother, but the extreme to which everything went to make that happen did seem a slightly unusual decision. Ever readable, with copious short chapters making the pages fly by, this was still worth three and a half stars.
The break really does make this a novel of two halves – the first the streetwise kids and the petty crime and the tagging, the other the sights, sounds and dangers of where they end up. Actually, both halves have the benefit of seeming well-researched, from the slang of 'toy' for childlike beginner to everything that occurs in part two. But I think on this occasion that was not quite enough – the closing drama is too much to sit tightly enough with the earlier material. Of course it forces the change in Jack you'd expect it to do, but it would change anybody, and the improvement in Jack should have come from some other source – Jack himself, ideally.
I liked the way Jack was clearly represented, and the psychology of his doldrums seemed very well done. He's on the cusp of turning into someone you'd never like, whingeing about things in a Kevin and Perry "it's not fair – I hate you!" voice, but is reined in no end to keep us on his side. The book had to be about him finding himself, and saving his relationship with his mother, but the extreme to which everything went to make that happen did seem a slightly unusual decision. Ever readable, with copious short chapters making the pages fly by, this was still worth three and a half stars.
July 11, 2023
Wild
By Ele Fountain
Published by Pushkin Children's Books
A fast moving and emotional page-turning novel about the effects of a family's grief and the crisis afflicting the rainforest is cleverly entwined by Ele Fountain, author of the prize-winning Boy 87 and Fake.
Death and grief affect us all in such different ways and ever since Jack's dad died, he's had a black,heavy feeling inside.
He can’t find the words to explain it.
He can’t find his place amongst his friendship group.
He can’t mend or develop his relationship with his mum.
Nothing is right! Everything is a mess!
Looking for freedom and release, Jack starts skiving school and hanging around with the wrong crowd. It's easy to hide his new ‘bad’ habits from his environmental anthropologist mum, who is too busy with work and conservation to even notice.
Falling further into a black hole of grief, loss and mistakes, Jack’s need to fit in only spins further out of his reach. Until his mum’s worries and concerns take him away from it all. Literally across the other side of the world to the rainforest. By suggesting this trip together, mum hopes their relationship can be salvaged.
But away from his ‘bad’ habits, far from anything he's ever known before, Jack has to fight for his life, his mum’s reasoning and the heart of the rainforest. He wanted an adventure away from the grief and pain of missing his dad but has he plunged too far into a world of criminal danger?
Praise for Ele Fountain, who writes with great passion; taking us into Jack’s mind of loss and suffering, alongside his mum’s courage to make changes for the future of the planet and into the depths of the rainforest and its devastation.
Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
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#Pushkinchildren
Waterstones ✔️
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By Ele Fountain
Published by Pushkin Children's Books
A fast moving and emotional page-turning novel about the effects of a family's grief and the crisis afflicting the rainforest is cleverly entwined by Ele Fountain, author of the prize-winning Boy 87 and Fake.
Death and grief affect us all in such different ways and ever since Jack's dad died, he's had a black,heavy feeling inside.
He can’t find the words to explain it.
He can’t find his place amongst his friendship group.
He can’t mend or develop his relationship with his mum.
Nothing is right! Everything is a mess!
Looking for freedom and release, Jack starts skiving school and hanging around with the wrong crowd. It's easy to hide his new ‘bad’ habits from his environmental anthropologist mum, who is too busy with work and conservation to even notice.
Falling further into a black hole of grief, loss and mistakes, Jack’s need to fit in only spins further out of his reach. Until his mum’s worries and concerns take him away from it all. Literally across the other side of the world to the rainforest. By suggesting this trip together, mum hopes their relationship can be salvaged.
But away from his ‘bad’ habits, far from anything he's ever known before, Jack has to fight for his life, his mum’s reasoning and the heart of the rainforest. He wanted an adventure away from the grief and pain of missing his dad but has he plunged too far into a world of criminal danger?
Praise for Ele Fountain, who writes with great passion; taking us into Jack’s mind of loss and suffering, alongside his mum’s courage to make changes for the future of the planet and into the depths of the rainforest and its devastation.
Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
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