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Wildlands: A gripping new novel about survival against the odds, for kids aged 8+
A UTOPIAN FUTURE.
A FORBIDDEN WILDERNESS.
TWO SISTERS TRYING TO SURVIVE.
Twenty-five years into the future, no humans are allowed in the Wildlands – a vast area in Britain where wolves, lynx and bison roam free. The only exception is a high-speed train line between London and Glasgow that crosses right through the heart of the project. Thirteen-year-old Astrid and her little sister, Indie, are onboard when their train slows to a brief, unexpected stop … and they find themselves accidentally left behind. Stranded in this place of astonishing natural wonders and terrible dangers, they have only a rucksack, a phone without signal – and each other. As every wrong turn takes them deeper into the Wildlands, do they have the ingenuity and determination to survive?
How far would YOU go to find your way home?
Perfect for fans of THE EXPLORER and THE LAST WILD, this riveting and emotional story takes place in an imagined future teeming with lost flora and fauna that we can only dream about encountering today.
A FORBIDDEN WILDERNESS.
TWO SISTERS TRYING TO SURVIVE.
Twenty-five years into the future, no humans are allowed in the Wildlands – a vast area in Britain where wolves, lynx and bison roam free. The only exception is a high-speed train line between London and Glasgow that crosses right through the heart of the project. Thirteen-year-old Astrid and her little sister, Indie, are onboard when their train slows to a brief, unexpected stop … and they find themselves accidentally left behind. Stranded in this place of astonishing natural wonders and terrible dangers, they have only a rucksack, a phone without signal – and each other. As every wrong turn takes them deeper into the Wildlands, do they have the ingenuity and determination to survive?
How far would YOU go to find your way home?
Perfect for fans of THE EXPLORER and THE LAST WILD, this riveting and emotional story takes place in an imagined future teeming with lost flora and fauna that we can only dream about encountering today.
409 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2025
15 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 3, 2025
3.5
Loved the concept of this book and that I knew the geography of the area! The Wildlands sounds amazing...
The two characters annoyed the life out of me though! They had barely any common sense between them, no survival skills at all, they were pigheaded and stubborn... I would have left them out there 😂
I would have liked to know what happened to the poachers though, and what happened after they were found. It ends really abruptly considering we had over four hundred pages that mostly just covered 3-4 days that were very similar.
*
*
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HRCYED2: Animals Are Better / Become The Avatar
Loved the concept of this book and that I knew the geography of the area! The Wildlands sounds amazing...
The two characters annoyed the life out of me though! They had barely any common sense between them, no survival skills at all, they were pigheaded and stubborn... I would have left them out there 😂
I would have liked to know what happened to the poachers though, and what happened after they were found. It ends really abruptly considering we had over four hundred pages that mostly just covered 3-4 days that were very similar.
*
*
*
HRCYED2: Animals Are Better / Become The Avatar
March 31, 2025
A great read. I hurtled through it like a high-tech train through the Wildlands!
The year is 2050. Imagine an area of northern England & southern Scotland, from coast to coast, that has been reserved for a massive rewilding project. Introduce all sorts of previously indigenous species, some back from extinction; banish all people; and then let nature do its thing. This is the Wildlands– a bold attempt to redress the damage done by people in the anthropocene.
Now imagine a chain of events that would lead to two young girls becoming lost in the Wildlands, with only the clothes on their backs, a couple of satsumas and some festering sibling tension. You have the makings of a compelling adventure!
I really enjoyed this middlegrade eco-adventure. I loved that the girls, despite being ill-equipped materially, were able to dig deep: using their intelligence, resilience and resourcefulness in adversity. I loved the girls’ opposing natures and views with regards the Wildlands and how the reader learns alongside Astrid to love the area and to see its wild beauty. I also loved Astrid’s parallel journey -of soul-searching & reconnection-which sees her seeing her sister anew too: it takes being lost in the wilds for her to really find herself.
There is lots of information about the wildIife encountered and the knock-on effects on eco-systems by allowing nature to repair. I also liked the fact that critical thinking is invited: the pros and cons of the Wildlands intervention are presented. Raising questions of morality and the greater good.
I also loved how the Wildlands does not encompass the NE of England- I reckoned that maybe we were just wild enough… or couldn’t be moved from our homes!
Take time to read the author’s note of their inspiration too. I found it uplifting and hopeful.
The year is 2050. Imagine an area of northern England & southern Scotland, from coast to coast, that has been reserved for a massive rewilding project. Introduce all sorts of previously indigenous species, some back from extinction; banish all people; and then let nature do its thing. This is the Wildlands– a bold attempt to redress the damage done by people in the anthropocene.
Now imagine a chain of events that would lead to two young girls becoming lost in the Wildlands, with only the clothes on their backs, a couple of satsumas and some festering sibling tension. You have the makings of a compelling adventure!
I really enjoyed this middlegrade eco-adventure. I loved that the girls, despite being ill-equipped materially, were able to dig deep: using their intelligence, resilience and resourcefulness in adversity. I loved the girls’ opposing natures and views with regards the Wildlands and how the reader learns alongside Astrid to love the area and to see its wild beauty. I also loved Astrid’s parallel journey -of soul-searching & reconnection-which sees her seeing her sister anew too: it takes being lost in the wilds for her to really find herself.
There is lots of information about the wildIife encountered and the knock-on effects on eco-systems by allowing nature to repair. I also liked the fact that critical thinking is invited: the pros and cons of the Wildlands intervention are presented. Raising questions of morality and the greater good.
I also loved how the Wildlands does not encompass the NE of England- I reckoned that maybe we were just wild enough… or couldn’t be moved from our homes!
Take time to read the author’s note of their inspiration too. I found it uplifting and hopeful.
October 9, 2025
I liked the premise and the characters just felt it was 100 pages too long… pretty good for a debut though!
September 11, 2025
The best book I read this summer! 🦌⛰️ Wildlands is set in 2050, when a vast area of Britain has been turned into wildlands where no humans are allowed. So when sisters Astrid and Indie accidentally get off a train and end up in the wildlands, they only have lynxes, wolves and bisons for company … 🐺
Such a thrilling concept and action-packed story, but what I loved most about this book is how it portrayed the future. In 2050, Astrid and Indie can’t believe that people ate so much meat in the 2020s or that cheese was made of milk rather than nuts. They are shocked about the overconsumption in the past and that animals used to become instinct because humans didn’t interact. It really made me question our society and hope we’re moving towards the future Brogen has envisioned. 🌿🌱
Such a thrilling concept and action-packed story, but what I loved most about this book is how it portrayed the future. In 2050, Astrid and Indie can’t believe that people ate so much meat in the 2020s or that cheese was made of milk rather than nuts. They are shocked about the overconsumption in the past and that animals used to become instinct because humans didn’t interact. It really made me question our society and hope we’re moving towards the future Brogen has envisioned. 🌿🌱
April 2, 2025
3.5 stars
Brilliant premise with fantastic descriptive writing, I just wish it had been shorter.
Brilliant premise with fantastic descriptive writing, I just wish it had been shorter.
May 29, 2025
This is a beautiful book with the natural world vividly described. The relationship between the two sisters felt very real to me and was often hilariously on point. I loved the adventure aspect. I read a lot of Enid Blyton etc as a kid and feel now as though the kids were implausibly and somewhat smugly well prepared for their adventures in the wild. Astrid and Indie brought a much more relatable approach while still showing grit.
I think the book is well pitched for the age group and will provoke important discussion about our connection to nature.
I think the book is well pitched for the age group and will provoke important discussion about our connection to nature.
June 29, 2025
What a unique, exciting fantastic adventure for upper middle grade. Set in near future England around a massive rewilding project, this is a story of two sisters surviving in the Wildlands after they fall of a train to Glasgow. This is diverse, with a personal family dilemma haunting the main character.
Really impressed with how different this was and I love all the animal puns
Really impressed with how different this was and I love all the animal puns
December 15, 2025
I thought this was a great kids book! Near-future Britain has been rewilded and 2 sisters get stuck in the middle of the Wildlands. It covered some deep topics (e.g. removing people from their homes for the sake of nature; queer parenthood and the meaning of family) but without feeling patronizing. The adventure kept me hooked!
May 31, 2025
Recommended to me by my grandson. I really enjoyed this book. The tale of two sisters who find themselves lost in the wildlands. Set in the future when the world is much more environmentally responsible. The girls get themselves rescued after solving a number of problems, including poachers!
A nicely paced tale. I read it in a day.
A nicely paced tale. I read it in a day.
May 11, 2025
Read for 52 Book Club Challenge 2025 23) A sprayed edge.
I picked a special edition in Waterstones as it has a fab sprayed edge - green with yellow feathers, paw prints, insects etc. The cover design is great too - a really beautiful looking book.
I was really interested in the premise - two children getting stuck in a huge area of Britain that has been rewilded. The book doesn't shy away from the issues thrown up by rewilding, including eviction of humans and poaching, and the adventure isn't sanitised much - the girls have a really rough time in the wild.
But some of it felt a little clunky - in a future set in 25 years time, as well as the rewilding, it is just thrown in that there is biodegradable plastic, no animals are ever killed or kept for meat/eggs/dairy, Christmas is now Wintertide, and cross-egg insemination is possible. I suppose technology could change that fast, but I think it would take longer than 25 years for culture and society to be dismantled and changed so completely. But who knows?
I picked a special edition in Waterstones as it has a fab sprayed edge - green with yellow feathers, paw prints, insects etc. The cover design is great too - a really beautiful looking book.
I was really interested in the premise - two children getting stuck in a huge area of Britain that has been rewilded. The book doesn't shy away from the issues thrown up by rewilding, including eviction of humans and poaching, and the adventure isn't sanitised much - the girls have a really rough time in the wild.
But some of it felt a little clunky - in a future set in 25 years time, as well as the rewilding, it is just thrown in that there is biodegradable plastic, no animals are ever killed or kept for meat/eggs/dairy, Christmas is now Wintertide, and cross-egg insemination is possible. I suppose technology could change that fast, but I think it would take longer than 25 years for culture and society to be dismantled and changed so completely. But who knows?
June 4, 2025
Fast-moving future-set 'lost in the wilderness' story for young readers.
There have been many 'lost' scenarios over the years, some including children. Murphy has created a unique setting for her young heroines here, as the wilderness they are lost in is right here in the UK. A quarter of a century from now, mankind is trying to rectify some of the destruction and has classified a large part of land between England and Scotland as the Wildlands. No humans allowed. Animals have the freedom to roam, breed and live in peace.
Astrid and Indie are crossing the Wildlands in the permitted train, travelling to one of their parents working in Scotland. Teenage Astrid is angry at Mum, barely talks to her and is trying hard to ignore her younger sister, keen to spot species from the window. In trying to solar recharge her mobile phone while the train stops the girls find themselves falling from the train carriage and lost in the middle of the Wildlands. With no signal. No route. And no food.
What follows is a rather tense but pacy adventure, as the girls both demonstrate their wiles, wits and grit, using what they know and what's around them, making mistakes and getting frustrated, but trying to make do and get back to civilisation.
As a parent, I was feeling the tension for them. As a mum with a boy Indie's age, she comes across as older than she is meant to be, but not hugely so.
We never see anything outside of the girls' view, every kind of obstacle is thrown in their path, you really want to know that they are being looked for, so this adds to the strain for the reader. And also the isolation the characters must be feeling.
There is a subplot about people taking advantage of the lack of oversight inside the Wildlands that the girls discover are poaching, another relevant topic for today's world alongside those of the girls' parents and origins and the destruction of nature urging the existence of such a place.
I really warmed to Astrid, she's 13 and not overly hormonal yet, though mulling over her own problems as any teen would - not speaking to anyone about them. Indie is sweet and capable and not the whiny little girl she could have been, she accepts the situation quickly and steps up.
This was exciting, evocative, full of animals and nature, moral questions and human frailties and strengths. Great characters and a conclusion you want to race ahead to meet.
One for ages 8-14.
There have been many 'lost' scenarios over the years, some including children. Murphy has created a unique setting for her young heroines here, as the wilderness they are lost in is right here in the UK. A quarter of a century from now, mankind is trying to rectify some of the destruction and has classified a large part of land between England and Scotland as the Wildlands. No humans allowed. Animals have the freedom to roam, breed and live in peace.
Astrid and Indie are crossing the Wildlands in the permitted train, travelling to one of their parents working in Scotland. Teenage Astrid is angry at Mum, barely talks to her and is trying hard to ignore her younger sister, keen to spot species from the window. In trying to solar recharge her mobile phone while the train stops the girls find themselves falling from the train carriage and lost in the middle of the Wildlands. With no signal. No route. And no food.
What follows is a rather tense but pacy adventure, as the girls both demonstrate their wiles, wits and grit, using what they know and what's around them, making mistakes and getting frustrated, but trying to make do and get back to civilisation.
As a parent, I was feeling the tension for them. As a mum with a boy Indie's age, she comes across as older than she is meant to be, but not hugely so.
We never see anything outside of the girls' view, every kind of obstacle is thrown in their path, you really want to know that they are being looked for, so this adds to the strain for the reader. And also the isolation the characters must be feeling.
There is a subplot about people taking advantage of the lack of oversight inside the Wildlands that the girls discover are poaching, another relevant topic for today's world alongside those of the girls' parents and origins and the destruction of nature urging the existence of such a place.
I really warmed to Astrid, she's 13 and not overly hormonal yet, though mulling over her own problems as any teen would - not speaking to anyone about them. Indie is sweet and capable and not the whiny little girl she could have been, she accepts the situation quickly and steps up.
This was exciting, evocative, full of animals and nature, moral questions and human frailties and strengths. Great characters and a conclusion you want to race ahead to meet.
One for ages 8-14.
May 3, 2025
Astrid hates her mother. Well, that should be OK, as she has two of them. But it really doesn't make her a likeable character. Anyway, once upon a time this mother helped rewild the entire north of England/southern Scottish belt, turning it into a haven for large predators and suchlike that we used to have on these isles, and making it off-limits. Cutting through it on a train, Astrid and her younger sister Indie are going to conspire to get off the train, and strand themselves, seemingly irrevocably.
This is pretty clunky stuff. There's the way the environment of 2050 is announced – just dryly dropping in that by then we'll have discovered compostable plastic, and how Christmas has been renamed. There's the numerous slips, bumps, jump scares and downright daft shocks the piece tries to give the two girls. Sure, it takes smarts way beyond me to make the girls have a natural level of intelligence and yet able to stumble upon a way to make a fire and do the other things, like finding their route out – but that seems beyond this author too.
Now don't get me wrong, this is not hellishly bad. It just fell plumb into the category of book that is fine, gripping and readable for an under-twelve, but really quite a poor choice for the adult reader/reviewer. Because the adult can see issues aplenty. Indie seems very under-written – she is the nature enthusiast contrast to Astrid's anti-all-things-mother's cynicism, and that's about it.
No, for me this was a two-star disappointment. For the younger, less discerning minds this could well stretch to a four – after all, any book where things could end up as being girls vs wolves holds potential. And this has the vim and variety to take us anywhere it likes, however illogically and clumsily. Three star average between the two it is, then.
This is pretty clunky stuff. There's the way the environment of 2050 is announced – just dryly dropping in that by then we'll have discovered compostable plastic, and how Christmas has been renamed. There's the numerous slips, bumps, jump scares and downright daft shocks the piece tries to give the two girls. Sure, it takes smarts way beyond me to make the girls have a natural level of intelligence and yet able to stumble upon a way to make a fire and do the other things, like finding their route out – but that seems beyond this author too.
Now don't get me wrong, this is not hellishly bad. It just fell plumb into the category of book that is fine, gripping and readable for an under-twelve, but really quite a poor choice for the adult reader/reviewer. Because the adult can see issues aplenty. Indie seems very under-written – she is the nature enthusiast contrast to Astrid's anti-all-things-mother's cynicism, and that's about it.
No, for me this was a two-star disappointment. For the younger, less discerning minds this could well stretch to a four – after all, any book where things could end up as being girls vs wolves holds potential. And this has the vim and variety to take us anywhere it likes, however illogically and clumsily. Three star average between the two it is, then.
May 13, 2025
This is an ok book, especially for younger middle grade readers. There is an adventure in the wilderness, encounters with wildlife and sisters (eventually) working together to foil adults.
It could have done with a fiercer edit as I think it would have a broader appeal if it was shorter. It could also have helped with the pace as I found myself getting bored of the story and skim reading sections.
The author clearly loves nature and wildlife but the rest of the writing was rather clunky. The storyline about why Astrid has distanced herself from her mum was given too much coverage. Everything that happened in the story seemed to come back to that, and it was blown up out of proportion. The characters and setting were underdeveloped. Indie was just there as a responsibility for Astrid and a contrast for her apathy about the Wildlands. I could envisage a future Britain where a large part has become a nature reserve, but not by the 2050's. The mentions of compostable plastic, limited meat consumption and Wintertide instead of Christmas likewise seem to be much more than 25 years away from the present. There were also so few signs of humans ever having lived in the Wildlands, I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy the story.
If you are interested in a middle grade book about environmentalism and humans and nature being separated I would instead recommend 'Where the world turns wild' and the sequel 'When the wild calls' by Nicola Penfold.
It could have done with a fiercer edit as I think it would have a broader appeal if it was shorter. It could also have helped with the pace as I found myself getting bored of the story and skim reading sections.
The author clearly loves nature and wildlife but the rest of the writing was rather clunky. The storyline about why Astrid has distanced herself from her mum was given too much coverage. Everything that happened in the story seemed to come back to that, and it was blown up out of proportion. The characters and setting were underdeveloped. Indie was just there as a responsibility for Astrid and a contrast for her apathy about the Wildlands. I could envisage a future Britain where a large part has become a nature reserve, but not by the 2050's. The mentions of compostable plastic, limited meat consumption and Wintertide instead of Christmas likewise seem to be much more than 25 years away from the present. There were also so few signs of humans ever having lived in the Wildlands, I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy the story.
If you are interested in a middle grade book about environmentalism and humans and nature being separated I would instead recommend 'Where the world turns wild' and the sequel 'When the wild calls' by Nicola Penfold.
April 7, 2025
It's a children book so it has a good pace, lots of dialogue and short sentences. It also allows for vivid nature description which is always a nice bonus in a children's book and it has a taken-for-granted cast of mixed ethnicity, mixed sex parents. Plus it stars two sisters which is a great thing in the survival adventure genre, so long dominated by plucky boys and sidekick girls, if any.
There are no full illustrations but a nice map and chapter heading icons by Sophia Watts and a lush cover by Tom Clohosy Cole. Puffin has given the cover all the trappings: foil, indentations, the only thing missing is glitter. The inside has toilet paper grade pages but the font is nice and big and the line spacing ample. Why children with their mostly good eyesight get this premium treatment while us middle-aged readers are expected to peer at suboptimal minuscule lettering is beyond me but thank you, e-readers.
I had a prompt in my 2025 52 book reading challenge "sprayed edges" and roamed the tables at Waterstone's, looking for a nice patterned edge. Most of them are romantast which I didn't feel like. I'm happy this one caught my eye as it was a great climate crisis, rewilding read and altogether lovely.
There are no full illustrations but a nice map and chapter heading icons by Sophia Watts and a lush cover by Tom Clohosy Cole. Puffin has given the cover all the trappings: foil, indentations, the only thing missing is glitter. The inside has toilet paper grade pages but the font is nice and big and the line spacing ample. Why children with their mostly good eyesight get this premium treatment while us middle-aged readers are expected to peer at suboptimal minuscule lettering is beyond me but thank you, e-readers.
I had a prompt in my 2025 52 book reading challenge "sprayed edges" and roamed the tables at Waterstone's, looking for a nice patterned edge. Most of them are romantast which I didn't feel like. I'm happy this one caught my eye as it was a great climate crisis, rewilding read and altogether lovely.
May 27, 2025
Set in the future Britain has a designated Wildlands to protect animals, plants and to allow a big part of the country to rewild. There are strict rules and no human is allowed in, the only chance to catch a glimpse is a train journey that runs through it. This is where we find Astrid and Indie, sisters on their way to visit their Mum. Through a few bad decisions (mainly on Astrid's part) the sisters end up lost in the Wildlands. It's a struggle to find shelter, food, water and trying not to be eaten by anything. The girls will have to find a way to work together if they want to stay alive.
Astrid and Indie are great characters, acting rather differently to their situation. From the start we begin to understand something is going on with Astrid. I enjoyed it being drip fed throughout the story in small flashback scenes, it really kept me reading the story. It was a book where I could really imagine the setting and I felt the panic set in when they realised they were lost. I also appreciated the discussion around Rewilding and the thoughts they had the more they discovered
Astrid and Indie are great characters, acting rather differently to their situation. From the start we begin to understand something is going on with Astrid. I enjoyed it being drip fed throughout the story in small flashback scenes, it really kept me reading the story. It was a book where I could really imagine the setting and I felt the panic set in when they realised they were lost. I also appreciated the discussion around Rewilding and the thoughts they had the more they discovered
March 8, 2025
Brilliant! I couldn’t put it down!
I love the whole world that Murphy has created. Kids, in fact all of us, need to read stories where the future is hopeful and inspiring. The premise of the world in Wildlands is so optimistic! My 9 y/o nephew read the back of the book and immediately said “this is how the future SHOULD be!”
The characters are so vividly painted, I love both the sisters equally in different ways. Astrid’s journey from surly teen only interested in her phone, to loving and understanding the Wildlands was so gorgeous. And Indie is just a bucket of joy!
The back story of conception, identity and family is also so powerful. It’s great to see diversity of families in this age bracket so that kids can see themselves represented, or understand what their classmates families might look like.
I read it in one sitting, couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to share it with everyone I know, kids and adults!
I love the whole world that Murphy has created. Kids, in fact all of us, need to read stories where the future is hopeful and inspiring. The premise of the world in Wildlands is so optimistic! My 9 y/o nephew read the back of the book and immediately said “this is how the future SHOULD be!”
The characters are so vividly painted, I love both the sisters equally in different ways. Astrid’s journey from surly teen only interested in her phone, to loving and understanding the Wildlands was so gorgeous. And Indie is just a bucket of joy!
The back story of conception, identity and family is also so powerful. It’s great to see diversity of families in this age bracket so that kids can see themselves represented, or understand what their classmates families might look like.
I read it in one sitting, couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to share it with everyone I know, kids and adults!
July 17, 2025
Oof what an adventure! I was absolutely recruited into this drama with Astrid and Indie, the two sisters who find themselves stranded in the Wildlands. No adults, no help, just the great outdoors and a very successful conservation project which has seen bears, lynx, wolves and Bison return to the land.
They find themselves stuck within the fences of the wildlands and what ensues is a desperate attempt to stay alive, get help and get back to their parents.
Reading the relationship between the two sisters was so heartwarming and I was absolutely on the edge of my seat to see what was going to happen next. It was wonderfully fast paced and the audiobook was greatly narrated. So I had absolutely no problem enjoying this book to the max.
They find themselves stuck within the fences of the wildlands and what ensues is a desperate attempt to stay alive, get help and get back to their parents.
Reading the relationship between the two sisters was so heartwarming and I was absolutely on the edge of my seat to see what was going to happen next. It was wonderfully fast paced and the audiobook was greatly narrated. So I had absolutely no problem enjoying this book to the max.
March 11, 2025
Equal parts gripping, touching and educational, Wildlands follows Astrid and Indie, two sisters who find themselves in perilous circumstances trying to survive in an untouched wilderness. Despite being well above the target age for this book, I found myself completely engrossed in their adventure and read the whole thing in basically one sitting.
The author paints a hopeful picture of a future where rewilding projects and clean technologies are the norm. There is a deep respect for nature and biodiversity throughout – it was fun encountering various wild animals through the eyes of the sisters. Underpinning all this is a heartwarming story about family that will have you crying by the end, and I loved seeing queer families represented. Highly recommended!
The author paints a hopeful picture of a future where rewilding projects and clean technologies are the norm. There is a deep respect for nature and biodiversity throughout – it was fun encountering various wild animals through the eyes of the sisters. Underpinning all this is a heartwarming story about family that will have you crying by the end, and I loved seeing queer families represented. Highly recommended!
April 14, 2025
I adored this!!!!! The premise was so enthralling, and then the characters and the story had me completely swept up. The descriptions were brilliant and now I just want to go the Wildlands… Also loved the casual queer content!!!!!! This is what we need in kids books, having families full of love that look all different ways. I didn’t want to put this book down, it was just beautiful. Love love love! 🥰 Brogen Murphy is amazing and I cannot wait for their next work, I’m a fan from debut now…
September 10, 2025
This is an incredible book. I just read it with my 10 year old and we both loved it and learnt so much. It's a great portrayal of what could happen if the will was there to protect our beautiful environment, but without shying from the cost of what it would take to make a real wildland a reality too. A brilliantly woven story of hope, love, adventure, resilience, vision and courage. Highly recommend it.
May 26, 2025
Enjoyable and informative novel sure to inspire future conservationists and nature lovers. Full of excitement and twists and turns, and vivid and engaging descriptions of natural landscapes and wildlife. The characters are role models for courage, kindness and trusting your inner compass. And a thoughtful and sensitively treated subplot about identity and alternative family formats.
March 21, 2025
I enjoyed this book very much, it is a very interesting concept, wouldn't it be nice if animals could just have one place to roam free and be left along by humans. The little sister got on my nerves a bit.
It was great story and I loved it a lot. Sprayed edges a beautiful too
It was great story and I loved it a lot. Sprayed edges a beautiful too
March 31, 2025
I enjoyed this book, but felt it was directed towards a younger audience. Give it to your kids! Didn't go too deep into the themes explored in this book, only touched on them, which was a bit disappointing for me, because I felt it had so much potential.
April 16, 2025
Such a fantastic book for children. The characters grew so much throughout and really shown such bravery, resilience and sisterhood. I really enjoyed the re-wilding element and hope in book two we learn more about the ‘issue’ within the Wildlands. Celebration of diversity too, which is a bonus.
June 1, 2025
My daughter asked me to read this as she really enjoyed it. Not her "typical book" but a great story with lots to think about. I especially liked the way the two sisters thought through to solve problems.
December 20, 2025
Heel lang gedaan om dit boek te lezen, was al in de zomervakantie begonnen. Maar uiteindelijk echt waard, super mooi hoe die twee zusjes uit the wildlands zijn gekomen en hoe ze echt hebben moeten overleven ipv leven.
January 2, 2025
Tense survival novel. Two sisters showing resilience and resourcefulness.
Edge-of-the-seat stuff.
Edge-of-the-seat stuff.
March 14, 2025
I wish this book had existed when I was a young person - it’s amazing. Like others here I read it in one sitting and was left feeling hopeful that the future described in this book might one day be realised. Astrid and Indie are so real and easy to care about & the ending so moving. I hope there’s a sequel…
Can’t wait for more people to have read this book so I can talk about the ending with them!
Can’t wait for more people to have read this book so I can talk about the ending with them!
March 11, 2025
Absolutely fantastic!
March 11, 2025
I would definitely recommend this book for any adventure lovers! Every chapter leaves you hanging. I read it in four days because it was so good. (Otis, 9)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews