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Wildman
“How can a total stranger understand you better than the people you’ve known your entire life?”
When Lance’s ’93 Buick breaks down in the middle of nowhere, he tells himself Don’t panic. After all, he’s valedictorian of his class. First-chair trumpet player. Scholarship winner. Nothing can stop Lance Hendricks.
But the locals don’t know that. They don’t even know his name. Stuck in a small town, Lance could be anyone: a delinquent, a traveler, a maniac. One of the townies calls him Wildman, and a new world opens up.
He’s ordering drinks at a roadhouse. Jumping a train. Talking to an intriguing older girl who is asking about his future. And what he really wants. As one day blurs into the next, Lance finds himself drifting farther from home and closer to a girl who makes him feel a way he’s never felt before—like himself.
When Lance’s ’93 Buick breaks down in the middle of nowhere, he tells himself Don’t panic. After all, he’s valedictorian of his class. First-chair trumpet player. Scholarship winner. Nothing can stop Lance Hendricks.
But the locals don’t know that. They don’t even know his name. Stuck in a small town, Lance could be anyone: a delinquent, a traveler, a maniac. One of the townies calls him Wildman, and a new world opens up.
He’s ordering drinks at a roadhouse. Jumping a train. Talking to an intriguing older girl who is asking about his future. And what he really wants. As one day blurs into the next, Lance finds himself drifting farther from home and closer to a girl who makes him feel a way he’s never felt before—like himself.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2017
52 people are currently reading
1562 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
April 7, 2017
Ahh, the joys of infidelity + manic pixie dream girl + daddy issues = oh my god, this is such a white male fantasy. And really not my cuppa.
June 5, 2017
The writing was what really made this book stand out for me. Here are some examples:
“Tow, he said, tasting the word’s weight. Three letters full of lost time.
Waiting for Dakota felt like warming up in the orchestra pit on opening night. Everyone tuning up their instruments. That awful, giddy flutter before a show.
All these words he'd been tossing out like candy from a parade float.
Lance pictured Bend High School's football coach/guidance counselor hunching over his computer with bent little arms like a Tyrannosaurus rex on a tricycle.
And the most amazing description of a first kiss:
He's holding this glass, moving so slow, so careful-but now their foreheads are nearly touching. Frozen time thaws to a rush and they're running downhill, the ground tipping forward, still tipping, and Lance's feet pedal air, and his stomach drops and he loses the Earth and presses his lips to her. Their mouths open to receive each other and everything is spilling, everything, everywhere.
“Tow, he said, tasting the word’s weight. Three letters full of lost time.
Waiting for Dakota felt like warming up in the orchestra pit on opening night. Everyone tuning up their instruments. That awful, giddy flutter before a show.
All these words he'd been tossing out like candy from a parade float.
Lance pictured Bend High School's football coach/guidance counselor hunching over his computer with bent little arms like a Tyrannosaurus rex on a tricycle.
And the most amazing description of a first kiss:
He's holding this glass, moving so slow, so careful-but now their foreheads are nearly touching. Frozen time thaws to a rush and they're running downhill, the ground tipping forward, still tipping, and Lance's feet pedal air, and his stomach drops and he loses the Earth and presses his lips to her. Their mouths open to receive each other and everything is spilling, everything, everywhere.
April 18, 2017
Got a copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It's a nice quick read, not to hard to get through. I did feel myself wandering off all the time. I kept doing other things than reading this book. My attention was not really there, that's the reason I gave the book 3 stars.
This review was first posted on BiteIntoBooks Blog
Pros
Cover and story: You think you've figured out the cover pretty quick, but you don't! It gets explained in the final chapter and that was beautiful. I got a flutter in my heart because of the explanation, I really liked the aspect. The cover actually adds something to the story right now!
Hidden message: Be yourself, make your own choices and live with the day. The hidden messages in this story are great. I feel like this could be a book for people struggling with choices in life.
Transformation: I like the transformation Lance is undergoing in this book. He's so awesome the last few chapters, I like him a lot like that. I hope he'll stay that way!!
Cons
Lance: Until the last part of the book I didn't really get Lance. It was so hard to understand for me that he wanted to go home, but was not taking any action to get home. I understand the fact that the Buick is important for him, that got clearer during the time he spent away from home. But the first few days he was stranded I was like; You had 20 opportunities to get home, do something! It's hard for me to understand somebody who doesn't really know what he wants...
"Friendship?": So Lance gets to know a group of kids who call themselves friends. I don't get the conversations they have and the things they do with and to each other. I usually enjoy conversations in a book, but not with this book, I didn't really understand...
Kept wandering off: Like I said before; I kept wandering off. It was hard at some parts to keep reading and I wasn't really excited to pick up the book again. The last few chapters really added something and made me more at peace with the book.
If you like contemporary, I think this is a book for you. This book has such beautiful life lessons and you go on a trip with someone who is getting to know himself. Lance is finding himself is starting to make his own choices. Finally he is enjoying his freedom. That was the most exciting part about the book for me.
It's a nice quick read, not to hard to get through. I did feel myself wandering off all the time. I kept doing other things than reading this book. My attention was not really there, that's the reason I gave the book 3 stars.
This review was first posted on BiteIntoBooks Blog
Pros
Cover and story: You think you've figured out the cover pretty quick, but you don't! It gets explained in the final chapter and that was beautiful. I got a flutter in my heart because of the explanation, I really liked the aspect. The cover actually adds something to the story right now!
Hidden message: Be yourself, make your own choices and live with the day. The hidden messages in this story are great. I feel like this could be a book for people struggling with choices in life.
Transformation: I like the transformation Lance is undergoing in this book. He's so awesome the last few chapters, I like him a lot like that. I hope he'll stay that way!!
Cons
Lance: Until the last part of the book I didn't really get Lance. It was so hard to understand for me that he wanted to go home, but was not taking any action to get home. I understand the fact that the Buick is important for him, that got clearer during the time he spent away from home. But the first few days he was stranded I was like; You had 20 opportunities to get home, do something! It's hard for me to understand somebody who doesn't really know what he wants...
"Friendship?": So Lance gets to know a group of kids who call themselves friends. I don't get the conversations they have and the things they do with and to each other. I usually enjoy conversations in a book, but not with this book, I didn't really understand...
Kept wandering off: Like I said before; I kept wandering off. It was hard at some parts to keep reading and I wasn't really excited to pick up the book again. The last few chapters really added something and made me more at peace with the book.
If you like contemporary, I think this is a book for you. This book has such beautiful life lessons and you go on a trip with someone who is getting to know himself. Lance is finding himself is starting to make his own choices. Finally he is enjoying his freedom. That was the most exciting part about the book for me.
Read
May 28, 2017DNF on page 104.
I loved the idea of this story, but I pretty much struggled through every single page I read. I couldn't connect to Lance. His inner monologue is weird and the story is more of a staccato than fluid. And that just added to the weird.
There seemed to be a mystery or maybe a twist, but I don't know for sure and I couldn't be bothered to find out.
**Huge thanks to Hyperion for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved the idea of this story, but I pretty much struggled through every single page I read. I couldn't connect to Lance. His inner monologue is weird and the story is more of a staccato than fluid. And that just added to the weird.
There seemed to be a mystery or maybe a twist, but I don't know for sure and I couldn't be bothered to find out.
**Huge thanks to Hyperion for providing the arc free of charge**
November 21, 2017
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Wildman by J.C. Geiger is a young adult story about growing up and finding yourself. I enjoyed this quirky tale about a teenage guy that seemingly had his life together. He excels at school and at music, he seemed to be well liked and he is on the path toward a great college. But then he gets stranded in a small town in the middle of nowhere and he starts a rather crazy journey which leads him to question everything he knew about friendship and life. I thought this book was interesting and overall I liked it. I didn't love it, but I did like it.
Here is what I liked about the story:
Lance- I thought he is an interesting main character. I love a book from a male POV, and he really does change as a person throughout the course of the story. Especially towards the end, which is always rewarding to see. I thought him getting the nickname wildman was pretty hilarious, which brings me to point #2...
This book made me laugh. Some of the scenes were downright comical. And unexpected. Wildman was a really fun ride.
I also really liked the cast of secondary characters. They are kooky and crazy and really interesting to read about.
Here is what I didn't like about the story:
Some parts didn't hold my attention. I found myself wandering off or worse, skimming a few chapters until we got to a scene that grabbed my attention. It was weird, I was either super invested in the story or I wasn't really interested at all. There wasn't much of an in between for me.
I could not stand Lance's girlfriend. She really bugged me. She is super selfish and didn't really seem to care about Lance all that much. Now, I guess that is a good thing because Lance does meet another girl on his trip, but every time Lance spoke to his girlfriend she got on my nerves.
Bottom Line: Wildman is a fun quick read that will be great for readers looking for a quirky self discovery journey. There is great character growth and development. Overall this was a fun read. It just didn't knock my socks off. But I can really see some people totally loving this story and relating to it.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Here is what I liked about the story:
Lance- I thought he is an interesting main character. I love a book from a male POV, and he really does change as a person throughout the course of the story. Especially towards the end, which is always rewarding to see. I thought him getting the nickname wildman was pretty hilarious, which brings me to point #2...
This book made me laugh. Some of the scenes were downright comical. And unexpected. Wildman was a really fun ride.
I also really liked the cast of secondary characters. They are kooky and crazy and really interesting to read about.
Here is what I didn't like about the story:
Some parts didn't hold my attention. I found myself wandering off or worse, skimming a few chapters until we got to a scene that grabbed my attention. It was weird, I was either super invested in the story or I wasn't really interested at all. There wasn't much of an in between for me.
I could not stand Lance's girlfriend. She really bugged me. She is super selfish and didn't really seem to care about Lance all that much. Now, I guess that is a good thing because Lance does meet another girl on his trip, but every time Lance spoke to his girlfriend she got on my nerves.
Bottom Line: Wildman is a fun quick read that will be great for readers looking for a quirky self discovery journey. There is great character growth and development. Overall this was a fun read. It just didn't knock my socks off. But I can really see some people totally loving this story and relating to it.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
September 1, 2017
the only bad thing about this book is that it ended. even that though, was the best possible thing.
Wildman is an AMAZING novel. Possibly, one of the best i have ever read. This book gave me the same feelings that i had reading The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand. Both books had a narrative that is simply so unique and interesting, full of real characters with very real feelings and emotions. Though the plot line could be considered to be cliche (i for one do not believe that is the case but i could see why some might), Lance's thoughts and experiences make it different.
I'm repeating myself. basically, if there's one thing to be said about this book, it's this: Wildman will crush your bones. It will drown you in its depths, and revive you chapters later. It is like your very first memory, forever rooted in your brain. I breathed the air this book gave me, and i couldn't have been happier doing it.
Seriously. Read this shit. It's fucking fantastic, and noting will ever compare.
Wildman is an AMAZING novel. Possibly, one of the best i have ever read. This book gave me the same feelings that i had reading The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand. Both books had a narrative that is simply so unique and interesting, full of real characters with very real feelings and emotions. Though the plot line could be considered to be cliche (i for one do not believe that is the case but i could see why some might), Lance's thoughts and experiences make it different.
I'm repeating myself. basically, if there's one thing to be said about this book, it's this: Wildman will crush your bones. It will drown you in its depths, and revive you chapters later. It is like your very first memory, forever rooted in your brain. I breathed the air this book gave me, and i couldn't have been happier doing it.
Seriously. Read this shit. It's fucking fantastic, and noting will ever compare.
December 29, 2016
J.C. Geiger's WILDMAN is notable for many reasons.
First, it doesn't fall victim to they hyper-realism that plagues so many contemporary realistic young adult novels. You're not going to find any models in these pages. No internet celebrities. No brooding dudes who look like they were plucked from an Urban Outfitters ad.
No!
These are real kids living real lives and goddamn it's refreshing.
Then there's the writing. It's flawless. It's restrained and subtle... until it isn't. And in those moments, the book breaks open like the best chorus from the best song. Geiger is a talented writer who tells this story with enough skill and confidence that it makes you wonder how it could possibly be his first published novel.
First, it doesn't fall victim to they hyper-realism that plagues so many contemporary realistic young adult novels. You're not going to find any models in these pages. No internet celebrities. No brooding dudes who look like they were plucked from an Urban Outfitters ad.
No!
These are real kids living real lives and goddamn it's refreshing.
Then there's the writing. It's flawless. It's restrained and subtle... until it isn't. And in those moments, the book breaks open like the best chorus from the best song. Geiger is a talented writer who tells this story with enough skill and confidence that it makes you wonder how it could possibly be his first published novel.
Read
June 11, 2017Oh, that ending - loved it so much. It's a book that keeps you guessing and I loved that too. Great read!
September 30, 2017
I had seen the reviews for this over the summer and ordered it, specifically with hopefully nominating an adventurous "boy" title for the Rhode Island Teen Book Award list. I was not disappointed. The beginning brings a little intrigue and suspense, then we really start to get to know Lance. His friends are sort of tertiary characters that seem far away since we are only really introduced to them throughout most of the book over phone calls and texts, but that adds to the ethereal appeal. I felt like I was floating through a dream reading this, and I'm pretty sure that's exactly the point. The end comes rushing in with the utmost clarity when Bend eventually collides with Lance in this side town. I rooted for Lance all the way through. I think teens will be especially receptive to the realistic pressure of expectations upon them leading up to and after graduation, and I really appreciated how Lance's trumpet playing was just part of the story - music is his life, he sees the world in g-clef's and notes, yet is not portrayed as a band geek.
January 17, 2023
I get it. 14 year old me would eat this shit up. 24 year old me wants to throw it away. Thing is, I enjoyed my time in Baring, Washington. Too bad it was the backdrop of the most unrealistic love story of all time.
April 3, 2018
This started slow, but about halfway through I started flying through the pages. The plot isn't particularly unique (perfect boy who has seemingly-perfect life meets people who help him realize who he really wants to be), but I enjoyed the narration and dialogue. Stone's character was particularly well done, and the scene where Lance's friends from home collide with his new friends is uncomfortable in such a great way. I wish there had been more of Robert the mechanic--I knew I liked him the moment he appeared, but his time in the story is so short.
August 16, 2017
I think at some point, everyone has wished to be another person, in someone else's shoes, or just to "start new." Wildman is that dream, the story of a teenager from a well off family, on the road to a good college for a profession he wants nothing to do with who finds him self stranded in a small town, and meets a group of people who "knows" him better than his friends back and home ever did.
May 31, 2017
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. It's a chance auto breakdown that keeps high school valedictorian Lance from a weekend with friends and without parents. He's been waiting for this time with girlfriend Miriam for a long time. It's days before graduation, Lance has a full scholarship to Oregon State University to study Business, but he still auditioned for a music school in Seattle. If he dumps his car, Lance can return home in time to party with his girlfriend, but the old Buick is all Lance has left from his dad who left a while ago. It's teenage growing up, thrown into a strange rural area of drinkers at the only local bar in town, and from which he gets this new nickname, "Wildman". There was lots of drinking, lots of crazy in the bar and in a wooded area as well as in the odd places the car ended up being repaired. Yes, there was more than one. It ends up the way you might guess, Lance takes that "other" path, keeps the car, rejects his girl for another. He's become someone new, and so far, someone he likes. I suspect more than one teen about to leap away into life from high school will like this.
August 21, 2020
3.5 STARS
I kind of have conflicting feelings about this book. I think it would make a pretty good indie film, tbh. It’s got a vibe that’s authentic and real that I think would translate well on screen.
I found a lot of this book to be charming, and I thought the characters were all fun to read about. But that’s kind of it? The only character that feels even slightly fleshed out is Lance, but we still don’t get to know all that much about him it feels. The other characters all seem really shallow and not developed. I wish we could have gotten to know so much more about Dakota because I feel like her character had a lot of potential other than just the sudden love interest of the main character.
I did like the writing style a lot and found it engaging and easy to read. But this kind of just feels like a book I read? Nothing too crazy about it? Idk it’s like 4:30 am almost.
Sooo yeah 3.5 stars I guess! The cover hits different for sure tho after reading this 😢
I kind of have conflicting feelings about this book. I think it would make a pretty good indie film, tbh. It’s got a vibe that’s authentic and real that I think would translate well on screen.
I found a lot of this book to be charming, and I thought the characters were all fun to read about. But that’s kind of it? The only character that feels even slightly fleshed out is Lance, but we still don’t get to know all that much about him it feels. The other characters all seem really shallow and not developed. I wish we could have gotten to know so much more about Dakota because I feel like her character had a lot of potential other than just the sudden love interest of the main character.
I did like the writing style a lot and found it engaging and easy to read. But this kind of just feels like a book I read? Nothing too crazy about it? Idk it’s like 4:30 am almost.
Sooo yeah 3.5 stars I guess! The cover hits different for sure tho after reading this 😢
June 26, 2017
I liked this book's exploration of the way the stories we tell ourselves shape us. I also liked the mix of realistic fiction and chapters that read like dreams. The setting in small town Washington state was evocative and interesting.
So why only three stars? There's nothing innovative or new about the overall plot, so parts of the book were predictable.
Still, if you or your teen are looking for a quick, enjoyable read, you can certainly do worse than Wildman. It's a good companion for the pool, beach or just a summer day.
So why only three stars? There's nothing innovative or new about the overall plot, so parts of the book were predictable.
Still, if you or your teen are looking for a quick, enjoyable read, you can certainly do worse than Wildman. It's a good companion for the pool, beach or just a summer day.
Currently reading
March 26, 2018Have you ever had the fear of getting lost in the middle of nowhere, relying on a broken car to get you out of there? This is the case for our protagonist Lance. Lance was a friendly, nice guy who was the valedictorian of his class. He was on his way to a party to see his girlfriend, Miriam, when his old car broke down in the middle of this small town. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about realistic fiction.
April 14, 2019
I really am glad I picked this book up from my community Little Free Library. The beginning was kind of slow but it definitely picked up half way and I flew through the rest of the book.
I really enjoyed the becoming of character you get to experience of Lance as you go through the pages of this book. Definitely a terrific ending.
I really enjoyed the becoming of character you get to experience of Lance as you go through the pages of this book. Definitely a terrific ending.
June 18, 2017
What is like to be 17, male, valedictorian, first chair trumpet with a scholarship when your car breaks down in a small town and graduation is only 4 days away? Poignant and real, this coming-of-age story drives you nuts and breaks your heart. Author is from Eugene, Oregon.
July 2, 2017
I really liked this story and it has a great message about what's really important in our lives.
May 23, 2017
In Wildman by J.C. Geiger an auto breakdown strands a valedictorian in rural Washington days before graduation. Lance has a full scholarship to Oregon State University to study Business, but he still auditioned for a music school in Seattle. If he dumps his car, Lance can return home in time to party with his girlfriend, but the old Buick is all Lance has left from his deadbeat dad. In a classic teen boy dilemma, Lance must choose between his car and his girl.
What makes this young adult novel special is the strong sense of place. Inside the gorgeous cover, the story is scented with fragrant pines, motel mildew, and cheap beer. Every night a cargo train blasts through Trainsong at two in the morning. Lance is warned to get out while he still can, but waiting at a dive bar, he bonds with hard-luck young adults who jump trains for fun. A quirky young woman makes Lance question his life choices. Wildman reminded me of the TV series Northern Exposure, set in Alaska.
The setting enhanced the menacing drama:
"The road got darker, more remote. Like they weren't travelling across the wilderness so much as tunneling into it."
Although the writing was often lyrical, the voice and imagery were true to a teenage boy:
"He rifled through his stories like a deck of old baseball cards. What had he ever done?"
The unfiltered teen boy perspective was pitch perfect for its intended audience but might offend other readers. Although Lance cares the most about personality, female characters were rated by their sexual allure and a fat woman enjoying her food was observed with disgust. There was underage drinking, infidelity, barroom violence, and false testimony to the police with few consequences. From the limits of Lance's point-of-view, the ending was a bit confusing, but I loved the final imagery. Wildman is a fast and fun read, which teenage boys will enjoy. After this impressive debut, I'm eager to see what J.C. Geiger writes next.
Disclosure: I received a galley from the publisher. The author and I share an agent.
Full review on my blog: http://blog.sarahlaurence.com/2017/05...
What makes this young adult novel special is the strong sense of place. Inside the gorgeous cover, the story is scented with fragrant pines, motel mildew, and cheap beer. Every night a cargo train blasts through Trainsong at two in the morning. Lance is warned to get out while he still can, but waiting at a dive bar, he bonds with hard-luck young adults who jump trains for fun. A quirky young woman makes Lance question his life choices. Wildman reminded me of the TV series Northern Exposure, set in Alaska.
The setting enhanced the menacing drama:
"The road got darker, more remote. Like they weren't travelling across the wilderness so much as tunneling into it."
Although the writing was often lyrical, the voice and imagery were true to a teenage boy:
"He rifled through his stories like a deck of old baseball cards. What had he ever done?"
The unfiltered teen boy perspective was pitch perfect for its intended audience but might offend other readers. Although Lance cares the most about personality, female characters were rated by their sexual allure and a fat woman enjoying her food was observed with disgust. There was underage drinking, infidelity, barroom violence, and false testimony to the police with few consequences. From the limits of Lance's point-of-view, the ending was a bit confusing, but I loved the final imagery. Wildman is a fast and fun read, which teenage boys will enjoy. After this impressive debut, I'm eager to see what J.C. Geiger writes next.
Disclosure: I received a galley from the publisher. The author and I share an agent.
Full review on my blog: http://blog.sarahlaurence.com/2017/05...
June 29, 2017
Read this book if you have crappy friends, live in a crappy town, and want to know how the hell to get out.
December 27, 2017
Ok, here's the thing: I struggled a little with the first part of this book. And because it's so short, I was certain I wasn't going to like it but I thought I might as well finish it because, again, it's so short.
So today I picked it up, with the full intention to just get over with it and something magical happened. In the turn of a page, I started to like Lance as a character and then there is this twist in the story that I didn't see coming (like, at all) but it got me. Characters that were ok-ish at the beginning of the book were suddenly seen under another kind of light and –at the end– I wasn't only rooting for Lance, I was feeling and thinking everything he was feeling and thinking as well. And everything made sense in a very relatable way.
The book's message is so beautifully written also: the stories that we tell ourselves matter, who we think we are matters just as much as our decisions in life. And the last chapter made me cry a little, I must be honest.
So, all in all, I enjoyed this book a lot. If you have problems with the beginning I encouraged you to carry on because maybe inside its pages you'll find a message written just for you.
So today I picked it up, with the full intention to just get over with it and something magical happened. In the turn of a page, I started to like Lance as a character and then there is this twist in the story that I didn't see coming (like, at all) but it got me. Characters that were ok-ish at the beginning of the book were suddenly seen under another kind of light and –at the end– I wasn't only rooting for Lance, I was feeling and thinking everything he was feeling and thinking as well. And everything made sense in a very relatable way.
The book's message is so beautifully written also: the stories that we tell ourselves matter, who we think we are matters just as much as our decisions in life. And the last chapter made me cry a little, I must be honest.
So, all in all, I enjoyed this book a lot. If you have problems with the beginning I encouraged you to carry on because maybe inside its pages you'll find a message written just for you.
July 15, 2018
This was pretty good. It's a white, male, coming-of-age road trip romance novel about figuring out what you want out of life when you're used to always doing the "right" and expected thing.
Lance's old car (a beat up Buick he got from his father before he skipped out on Lance and his mom) breaks down in the middle of nowhere oh his way back home from an audition for a music school. Lance has everything going for him—he's the valedictorian, graduation next week with a big speech almost written; he has a beautiful girlfriend and a plan to go to college together to study business and have a family and stability—but something about this nowhere town is starting to get him thinking. While he's waiting for his car to get fixed, he meets a group of local friends at the bar in this little town who all feel stuck where they are. He meets a girl who is older and mysterious and stuck in the same long-term hotel where he has a room.
There are some great details about Lance and his friends and the town. The bar where he hangs out has a lot of ridiculous character. Lance carries a trumpet with him everywhere. His friends from back home are always trying to prank each other with this weird creature/scary clown thing. Whatever. The details are pretty good.
But there are a couple problems. 1-the women are all just mirrors for Lance, they're not interesting really in themselves, and there's a whole terrible manic pixie dream girl thing going on. 2-there are lots of plot points that just make no sense like why doesn't his mom or a friend just go pick him up that first day he's stranded since he's not really that far from home, or why would he possibly be auditioning for a music college in June?
This book was perfectly fine, but just not my kind of book.
Lance's old car (a beat up Buick he got from his father before he skipped out on Lance and his mom) breaks down in the middle of nowhere oh his way back home from an audition for a music school. Lance has everything going for him—he's the valedictorian, graduation next week with a big speech almost written; he has a beautiful girlfriend and a plan to go to college together to study business and have a family and stability—but something about this nowhere town is starting to get him thinking. While he's waiting for his car to get fixed, he meets a group of local friends at the bar in this little town who all feel stuck where they are. He meets a girl who is older and mysterious and stuck in the same long-term hotel where he has a room.
There are some great details about Lance and his friends and the town. The bar where he hangs out has a lot of ridiculous character. Lance carries a trumpet with him everywhere. His friends from back home are always trying to prank each other with this weird creature/scary clown thing. Whatever. The details are pretty good.
But there are a couple problems. 1-the women are all just mirrors for Lance, they're not interesting really in themselves, and there's a whole terrible manic pixie dream girl thing going on. 2-there are lots of plot points that just make no sense like why doesn't his mom or a friend just go pick him up that first day he's stranded since he's not really that far from home, or why would he possibly be auditioning for a music college in June?
This book was perfectly fine, but just not my kind of book.
March 6, 2018
J.C. Geiger’s Wildman was a great book because of it’s powerful message about following your heart and about knowing what’s really important in our lives. This book really spoke to me. Specifically, what it told me was that life can be unpredictable sometimes and that you just need to let your heart lead you instead of your brain. Not only did Dakota, Mason, and the others living at the Bend show Lance how to live a little, they also showed me that life was more than just speeches and getting the perfect grades and living in a bubble all the time. Each time I picked up this book and was placed into Lance’s shoes, it was always an adventure and that was one of the reasons I enjoyed reading this book. I don’t know if this book will change how I live my everyday daily life, but it certainly had an impact on me and now maybe I’ll try to stop stressing out over everything.
I definitely recommend this book, Lance faces a lot of new challenges and even though he wants to go back home he decides to take on a whole new life and let his heart lead the way.
I definitely recommend this book, Lance faces a lot of new challenges and even though he wants to go back home he decides to take on a whole new life and let his heart lead the way.
January 1, 2018
I'm not sure if I gave this book a fair shake. I've lived through the 70s, so the idea of leaving behind a purposeful life for a purposeless life seems silly. College doesn't end dreams (of course I'm a professor, so I would feel this way). The little town full of purposeless adults seemed to be otherworldly (which I assume Geiger was aiming for), however I've been studying and reading about world-making, and this seemed to miss the mark.
I finished the book only because I asked the department to buy it for me.
I finished the book only because I asked the department to buy it for me.
April 7, 2018
A high school senior's car breaks down in the middle of Washington state after a music audition in Seattle. Lance meets a bunch of odd people and cheats on his long time girl friend. The plot had potential. This author failed to deliver.
February 4, 2017
Broody teen angst book about finding yourself and following your heart despite what your parents think you should do and who your friends think you are.
March 16, 2021
READ IF YOU ENJOY:
• drunken banter
• manic pixie dream girls
• life-changing mishaps
• drunken banter
• manic pixie dream girls
• life-changing mishaps
May 29, 2022
I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get over how much this book felt like a rip-off of the movie Cars shot-for-shot…
July 13, 2017
"You should know what it feels like to be a stranger. Leave this place, and go somewhere new. Because someone you've known for five minutes might know you better than the people you've known your entire life."
After reading the first couple chapters of Wildman, I honestly did not expect much from the book. Chances are, if I had not spent money on this book, I might have just put it down and read something else. Let me tell you why.
The main character Lance's car has just broken down in a small town in the Middle of Nowhere. I would have felt bad for him, if it were not for the fact that he has the most frustrating, entitled, privileged personality I have ever seen in a character. I almost could not stand reading about him at the beginning, as he just annoyed me so much. I found myself praying for character development to come quickly every time I picked the book up. Alas, the development did come, but I eventually realized that the journey Lance goes through as his character blossoms is worth sticking around to read, even if I did want to slap him on multiple occasions and throw mud on his preppy, pleated khakis.
The redemption of this story is found in the introduction of multiple new characters upon Lance's stepping into a bar—a decision that will pop his shiny little bubble of perfection and make him realize there is more to the world than AP classes and band performances. Going from wanting to pound him into the dirt to initiating him into the pack through the sacred rituals of Nicknaming, campfires, and train jumping, this group of country folk truly help grow Lance tremendously. Also, I must say that I am usually not one for romance, as such stories can easily be ruined by an overbearing, touchy-touchy relationship, but the relationships in this book are done tastefully and play an integral point in the theme of the novel. The romances are not just mere side pieces to add another story element, but they are honest clues (you'll understand more if/when you read the book).
The only reason I give this book four stars instead of five is that, despite its creative plot and the incredibly important point it is making, there are some moments where I did not want to keep reading, as it was slightly dull when certain characters were not involved in the scenes. Perhaps that is one downside of crafting characters with deep backgrounds and lovable personalities. I was brought to the brink of tears because of one of the characters, I will admit.
Overall, this is a beautifully-written story not just of love, but of finding your way through life knowing full-well that it is your life, and not the life of those around you. There is so much to explore outside of what you know right now—of what you routinely live every day. So find the precious moments, the clues to life, the people who truly get you, and run with it.
Read this review, and others, on my website!
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