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Nowhere #1
Nowhere Wild
Izzy is just thirteen when a flu pandemic turns the world upside down. After her sister is attacked by a roving gang of looters in what remains of their town, Izzy flees to the wilderness with a man who claims he will protect her.
Sixteen-year-old Jake is stranded and alone in the unforgiving northern Manitoba backcountry. His mother and grandfather have died and his father has gone missing, the plane meant to return them from a summer camping trip having failed to arrive. Desperate to find a way home, he begins a trek over some of the most forbidding landscape in the country.
Both Jake and Izzy are forced to make decisions and take on responsibilities they could never have imagined. They must draw on every shred of resourcefulness and courage as they try to save themselves and, ultimately, each other.
Sixteen-year-old Jake is stranded and alone in the unforgiving northern Manitoba backcountry. His mother and grandfather have died and his father has gone missing, the plane meant to return them from a summer camping trip having failed to arrive. Desperate to find a way home, he begins a trek over some of the most forbidding landscape in the country.
Both Jake and Izzy are forced to make decisions and take on responsibilities they could never have imagined. They must draw on every shred of resourcefulness and courage as they try to save themselves and, ultimately, each other.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 25, 2015
About the author
Joe Beernink
2 books32 followersJoe Beernink grew up in rural Southwestern Ontario, and graduated from York University with a B.Sc. in Space and Communication Science. He currently makes his living as a software developer near Seattle, Washington, where he blogs about his writing and his life at joebeernink.com.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 15, 2015
Sorry, this review is very spoiler-y, as I can't talk about the issues that particularly interested & annoyed me without giving away large chunks of the plot & the ending. Read at your own discretion.
I’m still puzzling over the title of this one—I assume it means that they are in the middle of nowhere and it’s wild. All of this novel takes place in northern Manitoba, a great location to set a survival novel. It’s a wild and unforgiving landscape, requiring skill and luck to survive.
Nowhere Wild does pose a likely scenario—what if a pedophile uses the “opportunity” of a flu pandemic to abduct a girl and drag her off to the wilderness (basically as a sex slave, although that terminology isn’t used). The gravity of her situation sneaks up on Izzy, as she starts feeling less and less comfortable under Rick’s “protection.” She starts putting together remembered bits of conversation and realizing that she is definitely not the first girl that he has abused.
Jake is a young aboriginal man, left in the family’s remote summer camp with his wounded mother and his grandfather. His father, Leland, paddles for help and never returns. Jake and his grandpa eventually bury the mother and survive together until spring, the grandpa pouring as much of his traditional knowledge as possible into the teenager. When the grandfather dies in the spring, Jake is left to find his own way back to what is left of civilization.
The internal dialog of both young people is pretty realistic—I remember piecing together memories, just like Izzy does (although about much more innocuous subjects) and I still hear my dad’s voice in the back of my head (“Are you going there without a coat?”), just as Jake hears his grandfather’s advice as he travels.
Although not described in graphic detail, the reader is witness to the first time that Izzy is subjected to Rick’s sexual desires. What I appreciated was that she doesn’t give up hope immediately, nor does she become subservient. She plans for her escape, practices her skills, and looks for opportunities. She is not a passive victim and she doesn’t blame herself—she puts the blame squarely on Rick, where it belongs. A couple of items did annoy me however—Izzy is old enough to be experiencing her menstrual periods, but this is never mentioned. I realize that lack of food might have delayed the onset of her menses, but it seemed to me that they ate well enough during the winter that this should have been an issue (and it looms large in the life of a teen girl). It also seemed to me that a 13 year old would know enough to also be concerned about pregnancy and yet the idea is never broached. These two subjects would have been very much on my mind as a teen and I found the lack to be unrealistic.
The other thing that really bothered me was part of the rescue scene. Izzy and Jake have teamed up by this point, to try to escape from Rick and get back to civilization. In the process, Rick is killed and at exactly the same time, local men arrive. At first they are suspicious, but when they find out who the deceased is, they all say basically, “Oh, it’s him. Yeah, everyone knows what kind of perv he was” and they then take the teens into their care. And I’m thinking, so everyone knew that Rick was molesting girls AND THEY DID NOTHING. That really bothers me, because I’m afraid that sort of reluctance to report goes on far too often.
There are many unanswered questions at the book’s end—what happened to Jake’s dad? What has transpired in Thompson while the teens were gone? Are they returning to a recovering society? It seemed to end a bit abruptly, leaving a lot of hanging threads.
I’m still puzzling over the title of this one—I assume it means that they are in the middle of nowhere and it’s wild. All of this novel takes place in northern Manitoba, a great location to set a survival novel. It’s a wild and unforgiving landscape, requiring skill and luck to survive.
Nowhere Wild does pose a likely scenario—what if a pedophile uses the “opportunity” of a flu pandemic to abduct a girl and drag her off to the wilderness (basically as a sex slave, although that terminology isn’t used). The gravity of her situation sneaks up on Izzy, as she starts feeling less and less comfortable under Rick’s “protection.” She starts putting together remembered bits of conversation and realizing that she is definitely not the first girl that he has abused.
Jake is a young aboriginal man, left in the family’s remote summer camp with his wounded mother and his grandfather. His father, Leland, paddles for help and never returns. Jake and his grandpa eventually bury the mother and survive together until spring, the grandpa pouring as much of his traditional knowledge as possible into the teenager. When the grandfather dies in the spring, Jake is left to find his own way back to what is left of civilization.
The internal dialog of both young people is pretty realistic—I remember piecing together memories, just like Izzy does (although about much more innocuous subjects) and I still hear my dad’s voice in the back of my head (“Are you going there without a coat?”), just as Jake hears his grandfather’s advice as he travels.
Although not described in graphic detail, the reader is witness to the first time that Izzy is subjected to Rick’s sexual desires. What I appreciated was that she doesn’t give up hope immediately, nor does she become subservient. She plans for her escape, practices her skills, and looks for opportunities. She is not a passive victim and she doesn’t blame herself—she puts the blame squarely on Rick, where it belongs. A couple of items did annoy me however—Izzy is old enough to be experiencing her menstrual periods, but this is never mentioned. I realize that lack of food might have delayed the onset of her menses, but it seemed to me that they ate well enough during the winter that this should have been an issue (and it looms large in the life of a teen girl). It also seemed to me that a 13 year old would know enough to also be concerned about pregnancy and yet the idea is never broached. These two subjects would have been very much on my mind as a teen and I found the lack to be unrealistic.
The other thing that really bothered me was part of the rescue scene. Izzy and Jake have teamed up by this point, to try to escape from Rick and get back to civilization. In the process, Rick is killed and at exactly the same time, local men arrive. At first they are suspicious, but when they find out who the deceased is, they all say basically, “Oh, it’s him. Yeah, everyone knows what kind of perv he was” and they then take the teens into their care. And I’m thinking, so everyone knew that Rick was molesting girls AND THEY DID NOTHING. That really bothers me, because I’m afraid that sort of reluctance to report goes on far too often.
There are many unanswered questions at the book’s end—what happened to Jake’s dad? What has transpired in Thompson while the teens were gone? Are they returning to a recovering society? It seemed to end a bit abruptly, leaving a lot of hanging threads.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2018
the book was fast pace and eas to read and interesting and theres a topic in this book that i didnt know coming into it, but im glad it has the topic in it ,it made the book so much more real and interesting, izzy is so strong, both the main characters are ,and i cant wait to read the sequel..
January 6, 2016
Unfortunately I don't have much to write about this book; the description covers about as much of the premise as you can without spoilers since this is primarily a book about surviving in the wilderness. The flu epidemic is mostly just a setup; the story could easily have started with a plane crash or shipwreck or something similar.
The tone of the story is very adult. I had put this on my reading list a while ago and didn't reread much of the details before actually reading the book, so it wasn't until after that I confirmed this is supposed to be a YA novel. The story is much more skewed to the "A" side of that see-saw in content and tone. That said, the length and story structure are more typical of it's category; the plot didn't have any great surprises or twists that were cleverly obscured. The two main characters are believable teenagers, though some liberties were taken with Jake's backstory to allow for him to accomplish what he does. Their attitudes, reactions, and behaviors were all sensible, though; there's no unjustifiable stupidity used to create conflict.
There was one bit at the end that was totally jarring and threw me out of immersion, but it was at the very end of the book, so I can't complain too much about it.
Despite that it was still an entertaining and riveting read, even though it didn't last very long.
The tone of the story is very adult. I had put this on my reading list a while ago and didn't reread much of the details before actually reading the book, so it wasn't until after that I confirmed this is supposed to be a YA novel. The story is much more skewed to the "A" side of that see-saw in content and tone. That said, the length and story structure are more typical of it's category; the plot didn't have any great surprises or twists that were cleverly obscured. The two main characters are believable teenagers, though some liberties were taken with Jake's backstory to allow for him to accomplish what he does. Their attitudes, reactions, and behaviors were all sensible, though; there's no unjustifiable stupidity used to create conflict.
There was one bit at the end that was totally jarring and threw me out of immersion, but it was at the very end of the book, so I can't complain too much about it.
Despite that it was still an entertaining and riveting read, even though it didn't last very long.
July 2, 2017
It was a good story, just not thrilling. It was kind of confusing in the beginning. The author seemed to be writing two different stories at the same time..........until she finally merged them. Then it all made sense. Some of the stuff in the story was a little hard to imagine but I guess that is why I don't write them.............just read them.
April 16, 2018
Set in Thompson Manitoba “Nowhere Wild” begins with a flu epidemic that decimated the city, a food shortage and a rise in crime that has thirteen-year-old Izzy Chamberlain fleeing into the wilderness with her friend Brian’s father Rick after her sister is attacked by a gang of looters.
Haunted by the loss of her family, Izzy depends on Rick to protect her as they struggle through snow squalls to reach his cabin only to become a slave to his whims and sexual abuse for months.
In late summer in the northern backcountry sixteen -year-old Jake Clarke’s father went missing after leaving camp in his canoe to find help for his injured wife after their plane didn’t arrive. When his mother and grandfather die Jake equipped with the survival knowledge of his Cree heritage begins a trek across the hostile landscape only to come close to starving when he discovers Izzie and Rick’s secluded cabin.
Hidden in the woods while witnessing Rick’s brutality and Izzy’s fatalism, Jake decides to rescue the suicidal young girl. Pursued by her captor, facing the dangers of wildlife and the rough waters of the lakes in a small canoe the two quickly learn to work together, confronting every unexpected challenge as they head to the safety of the small community of Laroque.
Fast-paced and darkly intriguing, the story heats up when Jake rescues Izzy after her futile escape attempt only to face survival in a harsh environment that would claim their lives as quickly as the brute chasing them. Told from alternating perspectives as the loss in their pasts is revealed, the emotional-intensity and suspense escalate as Izzy not only grapples with Rick’s abuse and her insecurities but with their struggle to find “shelter, fire, water and food.” Skillfully woven into the plot are hidden secrets, a murder, and a deadly obsession but there are few twists. Masterfully Joe Beernink touches on sensitive subjects like abuse and suicide as well as infusing a sense of responsibility in the use of guns and the taking of life with Jake’s killing of a deer to survive versus being faced with shooting Rick.
The characters are realistic and complex like Isabella (Izzy) Chamberlain a thirteen-year-old thrown into a dire situation because of a sudden catastrophe that stole her family. Traumatized and scared she finds her life in pieces, her trust shattered, and her body abused. Determined and strong she doesn’t give up although her failed scheme leaves her suicidal. Rescued by impatient, stubborn but resourceful and capable Jake Clarke she thinks of him as bossy and grumpy which quickly changes as they work together to survive the perils of the forest and the hot-tempered, possessive and brutally cold killer chasing them.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Nowhere Wild” a page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the ending which promises a sequel. Compelling and intense this is a must-read for those teens who enjoy a story of survival set in the rugged terrain of northern Manitoba.
Haunted by the loss of her family, Izzy depends on Rick to protect her as they struggle through snow squalls to reach his cabin only to become a slave to his whims and sexual abuse for months.
In late summer in the northern backcountry sixteen -year-old Jake Clarke’s father went missing after leaving camp in his canoe to find help for his injured wife after their plane didn’t arrive. When his mother and grandfather die Jake equipped with the survival knowledge of his Cree heritage begins a trek across the hostile landscape only to come close to starving when he discovers Izzie and Rick’s secluded cabin.
Hidden in the woods while witnessing Rick’s brutality and Izzy’s fatalism, Jake decides to rescue the suicidal young girl. Pursued by her captor, facing the dangers of wildlife and the rough waters of the lakes in a small canoe the two quickly learn to work together, confronting every unexpected challenge as they head to the safety of the small community of Laroque.
Fast-paced and darkly intriguing, the story heats up when Jake rescues Izzy after her futile escape attempt only to face survival in a harsh environment that would claim their lives as quickly as the brute chasing them. Told from alternating perspectives as the loss in their pasts is revealed, the emotional-intensity and suspense escalate as Izzy not only grapples with Rick’s abuse and her insecurities but with their struggle to find “shelter, fire, water and food.” Skillfully woven into the plot are hidden secrets, a murder, and a deadly obsession but there are few twists. Masterfully Joe Beernink touches on sensitive subjects like abuse and suicide as well as infusing a sense of responsibility in the use of guns and the taking of life with Jake’s killing of a deer to survive versus being faced with shooting Rick.
The characters are realistic and complex like Isabella (Izzy) Chamberlain a thirteen-year-old thrown into a dire situation because of a sudden catastrophe that stole her family. Traumatized and scared she finds her life in pieces, her trust shattered, and her body abused. Determined and strong she doesn’t give up although her failed scheme leaves her suicidal. Rescued by impatient, stubborn but resourceful and capable Jake Clarke she thinks of him as bossy and grumpy which quickly changes as they work together to survive the perils of the forest and the hot-tempered, possessive and brutally cold killer chasing them.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Nowhere Wild” a page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the ending which promises a sequel. Compelling and intense this is a must-read for those teens who enjoy a story of survival set in the rugged terrain of northern Manitoba.
August 13, 2019
I really wanted to like this one more than I did. It has an unusual setting (rural Northern Canada) and an Indigenous hero. And I like post apocalyptic fiction.
But.
Jake is Cree, and it’s mostly expressed in his knowledge of nature, which is....problematic. Although he goes to high school in the same town as the other hero, there’s no reality to that (@ one point he talks about missing pizza and that’s it).
Izzy, the other hero, is a teenage White girl who goes to the other high school in town and doesn’t know Jake before the events of the novel. She is victimized by repeated sexual assault. As I’m reading more YA, this is something that’s really beginning to bother me: it’s ok to describe all kinds of violence. It’s ok to include sexual violence as a plot point. But it is NOT ok to have young characters engaging in mutual sexual activities beyond “making out”. Not that anything like that happens between Jake and Izzy, which I appreciated given that sexual assault is part of the plot.
It is reasonable and logical that sexual assault is going to be part of a post apocalyptic world, and that a young teenage girl (she’s 13) would be vulnerable. But having a (shallowly written) Indigenous guy saving a White girl doesn’t really feel like adding anything to the world.
I have no idea if the details of hunting/trapping/survival skills are accurate, but they *sounded* accurate and were often the most interesting aspect of the story.
But.
Jake is Cree, and it’s mostly expressed in his knowledge of nature, which is....problematic. Although he goes to high school in the same town as the other hero, there’s no reality to that (@ one point he talks about missing pizza and that’s it).
Izzy, the other hero, is a teenage White girl who goes to the other high school in town and doesn’t know Jake before the events of the novel. She is victimized by repeated sexual assault. As I’m reading more YA, this is something that’s really beginning to bother me: it’s ok to describe all kinds of violence. It’s ok to include sexual violence as a plot point. But it is NOT ok to have young characters engaging in mutual sexual activities beyond “making out”. Not that anything like that happens between Jake and Izzy, which I appreciated given that sexual assault is part of the plot.
It is reasonable and logical that sexual assault is going to be part of a post apocalyptic world, and that a young teenage girl (she’s 13) would be vulnerable. But having a (shallowly written) Indigenous guy saving a White girl doesn’t really feel like adding anything to the world.
I have no idea if the details of hunting/trapping/survival skills are accurate, but they *sounded* accurate and were often the most interesting aspect of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2017
I have to say, I really enjoyed this. I found the characters quite compelling. And of course the young adult post apocalyptic story was very appealing. I thought the writing was good and I found myself wanting to return again and again to find out what happened to the characters. I thought the end felt a little bit like "rescue" and maybe to nicey nicey for a post apocalyptic war but you never know… Maybe it would be nicey nicey because people would want to go back to the way it was. I won't tell you how hard I looked for Laroque 😆. I also really enjoyed that this was written by a Canadian and set in Canada. And in an area of Canada I don't know very well. Good read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2023
This book is listed as young adult but contains a “Teen” sticker on its spine at my local library. I am so glad I vetted it before reading it to my children. This is definitely a mature teen or young adult book.
This is an easy, fast-paced read. As an adult I throughly enjoyed it. The writing is so well done. Izzy and Jake are very believable teens on an incredible journey.
I was surprised and disappointed by the explicit sexual content (including rape and sexual slavery). I wish the story progressed with vague references to the sexual exploitation of Izzy so it could have targeted a wider readership.
This is an easy, fast-paced read. As an adult I throughly enjoyed it. The writing is so well done. Izzy and Jake are very believable teens on an incredible journey.
I was surprised and disappointed by the explicit sexual content (including rape and sexual slavery). I wish the story progressed with vague references to the sexual exploitation of Izzy so it could have targeted a wider readership.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2024
DNF on page 77. As a survival story, it was chugging right along, but when the 14-year-old was raped by the adult neighbor she was relying on for her survival (and if I'm reading the context right, he might have been raping her late older sister, too), all my interest shriveled up and died.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2018
3.5 Stars. While I enjoyed the setting, this story seemed slow at times. It also contained some things that I found to be far-fetched, which is a turnoff to me.
April 18, 2024
Excellent survival tale set in a scary scenario. Tense writing kept me turning the pages, I enjoyed the conclusion. May be (?) part of a series. I recommend this book to readers 16+.
December 22, 2024
A gripping post-apocalypitic survival story with elements of Julie of the Wolves.
February 28, 2016
Love it! A fast paced book that really caught my imagination right away. The author made me feel like I was there because his descriptions were so vivid.
We don't get enough books by authors from Canada. There is a nice Canadian flavor to the language. I really felt that he understands the wilderness and the danger and hardship of living in the wilds. He does a great job switches back and forth between the two main characters and what is happening in their scenes. It was a bit tricky understanding the time line but it didn't matter too much because the reader knows that eventually the two stories will come together.
This isn't a book for the tween set. It deals with a seriously abusive situation that many teens might feel uncomfortable reading about but others will find adds a complexity to a story that is more than just man surviving in nature. The author is good about leaving out bad language or too intimate details of the abuse. He gives you enough clues that your imagination can fill in the blanks.
Male authors often can't portray girls and what their life might feel like. Joe Beernick does a great job with both seeing things from Izzy's point of view as well as Jake's point of view. I really liked them both. It reminded me of the book 'Hatchet' but was much more complex with two main characters and two different time lines.
The other thing I appreciated is that the author doesn't take the use of fire arms lightly. He explains a lot about Jake learning to use a gun and the importance of guns in Jake's family. The game that he shoots keeps starvation at bay. But The author also lets you see that Jake recognizes the sacredness of life and knows that shooting another person will stain his soul. In this day and age of shooting games it was refreshing to see the author approach the subject responsibly.
I actually liked the ending. I didn't want to know what happens next.
I would definitely read another book my this author.
We don't get enough books by authors from Canada. There is a nice Canadian flavor to the language. I really felt that he understands the wilderness and the danger and hardship of living in the wilds. He does a great job switches back and forth between the two main characters and what is happening in their scenes. It was a bit tricky understanding the time line but it didn't matter too much because the reader knows that eventually the two stories will come together.
This isn't a book for the tween set. It deals with a seriously abusive situation that many teens might feel uncomfortable reading about but others will find adds a complexity to a story that is more than just man surviving in nature. The author is good about leaving out bad language or too intimate details of the abuse. He gives you enough clues that your imagination can fill in the blanks.
Male authors often can't portray girls and what their life might feel like. Joe Beernick does a great job with both seeing things from Izzy's point of view as well as Jake's point of view. I really liked them both. It reminded me of the book 'Hatchet' but was much more complex with two main characters and two different time lines.
The other thing I appreciated is that the author doesn't take the use of fire arms lightly. He explains a lot about Jake learning to use a gun and the importance of guns in Jake's family. The game that he shoots keeps starvation at bay. But The author also lets you see that Jake recognizes the sacredness of life and knows that shooting another person will stain his soul. In this day and age of shooting games it was refreshing to see the author approach the subject responsibly.
I actually liked the ending. I didn't want to know what happens next.
I would definitely read another book my this author.
June 7, 2016
Thirteen is confusing enough when you're living in relatively stable times. Imagine how crazy and scary your life becomes when you have to watch your parents die along with most of your neighbors from a flu pandemic, then lose your older sister when she's killed after months of daily survival under horrific conditions. This is how Izzy's thirteenth year has been. Now, she must rely on a somewhat scary older neighbor who is leading her into the wilderness to escape the predatory bands of scavengers who are all that remain of civilization. It isn't long before she discovers that he's just as evil and scary as the people they're running from.
Further north in the back country of Manitoba, sixteen year old Jake just watched his grandfather die. Months ago, his mom died shortly after his dad took a canoe across the remote lake in hopes of finding help to save her life. He never returned. Now Jake, unaware of the influenza outbreak in the more civilized areas south of him, realizes his only chance at survival is to try to navigate/hike back to civilization.
When Jake and Izzy meet, it's the beginning of a risky and frightening race to find safety befor their pursuer.
This is a gritty, no punches pulled YA read and certainly not for the faint at heart. It's a really good story for teens and adults who like an adventure story with dystopian threads.
Further north in the back country of Manitoba, sixteen year old Jake just watched his grandfather die. Months ago, his mom died shortly after his dad took a canoe across the remote lake in hopes of finding help to save her life. He never returned. Now Jake, unaware of the influenza outbreak in the more civilized areas south of him, realizes his only chance at survival is to try to navigate/hike back to civilization.
When Jake and Izzy meet, it's the beginning of a risky and frightening race to find safety befor their pursuer.
This is a gritty, no punches pulled YA read and certainly not for the faint at heart. It's a really good story for teens and adults who like an adventure story with dystopian threads.
June 16, 2016
This book took me a bit to read, but, only because life seem to get in the way. I will admit, I read this book to support my friend Joe. However, halfway through the first chapter, I was so glad I picked up the book regardless of whether I knew Joe or not. I felt it captured me from the beginning and I wanted to read more. I loved that it took place in the wilds of Canada, especially since I have not visited the Province in which he speaks of in the novel and it gave me great insight into the wilds of our beautiful country. I felt it was written well, but, I do agree with some of the other reviews in that I felt a little incomplete at the end. I know, not all books have nice tidy endings, but, I did have some questions at the end that I felt another chapter could have covered. Overall, I thought this book was a great first novel for Joe. It had great visual descriptions for the imagination and you did want to dislike the villain and relate to the characters and their survival. I liked the backstories on Jake (it made his character's ability to survive believable).
July 20, 2016
Excellent, almost dystopian story about a flu pandemic that leaves very few survivors and even fewer resources and a 13 year old's story of her own survival. Izzy is dependent on her own wit and instincts after her sister is attacked and an adult has proved not to be trustworthy. She meets a 16 year old who is stranded and unaware of the new events in the world. He sets off to find out more and meets Izzy and the two of them together must become responsible for each other while trying to find a sensible world again. The author's descriptions of the landscape and wilderness becomes a character in itself, from the lush summers rich with wildlife to the brutal winters and cold frigid lakes. I would not limit this book to YA readers, adults will enjoy it just as much!
February 12, 2016
This is a gripping, fast paced, and dark thriller about two young teens trying to survive - post-pandemic -in the wilds of northern Manitoba. The story is told in alternating chapters, from each teen's perspective, each chapter closing the gap between their stories until they become one.
The story ricochets from one harrowing moment to the next -both teens suffer horrible loss but neither have time to grieve as survival in the wilds of northern Canadian is a full time job.
This is not a light read. And while not graphic, there are scenes of sexual abuse.
A good choice for mature YA readers who are fans of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet or Jean Craighead George's My Side of the Mountain...
The story ricochets from one harrowing moment to the next -both teens suffer horrible loss but neither have time to grieve as survival in the wilds of northern Canadian is a full time job.
This is not a light read. And while not graphic, there are scenes of sexual abuse.
A good choice for mature YA readers who are fans of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet or Jean Craighead George's My Side of the Mountain...
September 13, 2015
I thought this book was okay. I finished it. It kind of just ended a little too soon. I think the ended could have been more developed as well as some other aspects (bill's storyline). The ending could have elaborated of how the world was recovering from the disease outbreak. Not my usual read-I prefer a little romance...not to be had in this book. But a solid 3.75 stars for a first book for this author!
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November 21, 2015This was definitely a riveting tale, but "dark"'is an understatement. I feel that potential readers should know there is graphic violence, some of a sexual nature with minors. I found those parts very disturbing and it pushed the genre from a YA wilderness survival story into an adult horror story. Kudos to the author for strong writing and evoking strong emotions!
November 16, 2015
Received this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
Easily a 3.5. A worthwhile read if you are needing some Can-con in your life (which everyone could use more of). A great debut for Joe. Will be following to see what else we can expect from him. Perfect timing on reading this one during hunting season.
Easily a 3.5. A worthwhile read if you are needing some Can-con in your life (which everyone could use more of). A great debut for Joe. Will be following to see what else we can expect from him. Perfect timing on reading this one during hunting season.
October 10, 2015
Running for her life (cold and hungry), but her protector turns into a madman. When rescued, then both running for their lives.
Would of given a better rating, but the ending left too many unanswered questions.
Would of given a better rating, but the ending left too many unanswered questions.
April 7, 2016
Disappointed in this book. Didn't like the rape of a young girl. Also it ended like the author was just done with writing the book. What happened to Jake once they got to Thompson. Does he find his father? It would've been nice to see the reunion between Izzy and Angie.
November 5, 2016
I'd give this one 3.5 stars. The premise was well done. The characters jumped back and forth from being too mature for their age to very immature. I would have liked a little more back story to understand the characters better.
October 16, 2015
This book was so dark. In all honesty, I don't think I'd ever recommend it to a teen.
And the ending. What even was that?!
And the ending. What even was that?!
December 13, 2016
I wasn't sure if I was really in the mood to get into this book, as post-crash survival stories seem to be a wee bit overdone these days. However, I won the book through a Goodreads giveaway and felt obligated to follow through by reading it, and I am so glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed Nowhere Wild, from start to finish.
Izzy, Rick, and Jake are very well-done and believable characters who had me feeling a wide range of emotions. Their story took me on a roller-coaster of stress, tension, disgust, mourning, hope, and finally, great relief. I was cheering for Izzy and Jake at several points.
Also, as an avid outdoorswoman and lover of our great Canadian wilderness, I was pleased to find that the author nailed it when it came to the characters' wilderness survival experiences.
Izzy, Rick, and Jake are very well-done and believable characters who had me feeling a wide range of emotions. Their story took me on a roller-coaster of stress, tension, disgust, mourning, hope, and finally, great relief. I was cheering for Izzy and Jake at several points.
Also, as an avid outdoorswoman and lover of our great Canadian wilderness, I was pleased to find that the author nailed it when it came to the characters' wilderness survival experiences.
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October 17, 2017A good book about 2 people that are surviving a disease that is killing many people.
March 9, 2018
Outstanding survival book,and even though there was only a couple of characters in this book it still had me on the edge of my seat wondering if they were going to accomplish this or get through that. no spoilers here. I was truly sad through some of the book but by the end I was truly happy.
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July 8, 2018DNF
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