Wilder Boys

Wilder Boys #1

by Brandon Wallace

Two brothers need all their wilderness skills to survive when they set off into the woods of Wyoming in search of their absent father.

Jake and Taylor Wilder have been taking care of themselves for a long time. Their father abandoned the family years ago, and their mother is too busy working and running interference between the boys and her boyfriend, Bull, to spend a lot of time with them. Thirteen-year-old Jake spends most of his time reading. He pores over his father’s journal, which is full of wilderness facts and survival tips. Eleven-year-old Taylor likes to be outside playing with their dog, Cody, or joking around with the other kids in the neighborhood.

But one night everything changes. The boys discover a dangerous secret that Bull is hiding.

And the next day, they come home from school to find their mother unconscious in an ambulance. Afraid that their mom is dead and fearing for their own safety, the Wilder Boys head off in search of their father. They only have his old letters and journal to help them, but they bravely venture onward.

It’s a long journey from the suburbs of Pittsburgh to the wilderness of Wyoming; can the Wilder Boys find their father before Bull catches up with them?

Genres: Middle Grade, Adventure, Survival, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[X18JPIZZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so good 4.2 stars super wholesome and just a really fun book :)

[Barbra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack and Taylor have never understood why their dad abandoned them to live in the wilderness. One thing they do know is that they have to find him to escape from an abusive relationship his mom has with her new boyfriend Bull. Although there are some great survival facts in this book I think the story doesn’t seem that plausible. Two teenage boys accepting rides and favors from strangers isn’t a great idea. Due to the mature content I think this would be best suited for ages 10 to 12.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is non stop adventure about 2 brothers, 11 and 13 who live in pitsburgh and go off to try and find there dad who is living off the wild in Wyoming. They do this because they find there mom uncontious after coming home from school. But can they find their dad before their mom's horrifying ex boyfriend catches them?

[Amy Wass · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not necessarily a well written book. It has themes of domestic abuse and abandonment so depending on the child could be quite heavy for them. I would not just hand this book to a child in the age category it is written for without first having conversations or even just reading it with them. Cool survival things for boys but I wonder if they could have been placed in a different story context.

[Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. A bit of a quick ending, but has a great plot. I really liked the characters all throughout the story. It was interesting to see how two young boys survive in the Tetons, especially all by themselves. The book can also teach YOU some survival skills. Great book!

[John Streeter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unrealistic, misogynistic, pushing patriarchy, and written by an author who is clearly not skilled enough to handle the themes brought about. Bleh.

[Dolly K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this little book, nice easy to follow, great read for pre teens, both boys or girls! I love the details in the book, loved the nature parts especially, even this ol’ dog learned a few things from reading/ listening to these books!

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like a 3.75 as I know middle school students will read it and like it.

[Angelina Pitkanen]

i finally finished the book its really good i recommend reading

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a middle grades book, this packed a punch. I enjoyed the adventure and survival aspects. This does have some dark elements, especially for a young reader.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really hoping for a win with this book, because honestly, there just aren't enough realistic fiction, adventure books for boys. This story is about Jake and Taylor, two young teenagers who live with their depressed mother and her abusive boyfriend. Right there that knocks a star off, because I get so annoyed when books written for 10-13 year olds get spoiled by humanity's dark side. Seriously? Do you really need to do that? Let kids keep their innocence as long as possible.

After the abusive boyfriend, Bull, beats their mother to the point of unconsciousness, the two boys decide they have no choice but to find their dad. Here's the thing about their dad. He took off when the boys were very young to follow his dream of living off the land in the Wyoming wilderness. Ok what dad does that? This is not a person to admire. Here's the hokey part. He's been sending letters to his mother with obscure clues about how to find him. Give me a break. If you want your family to join you, you don't make it a mysterious challenge. You're straight forward with the details.

Jake and Taylor live in Pittsburgh. That's a long way from Wyoming. How are they going to get there? Well "luckily" they find a stash of Bull's money under a tile in the house, so they take that, but instead of buying a train ticket or bus ticket, they decide they have to go the undercover route. I get that. In reality if two kids show up at a station to buy tickets, the authorities will probably be called. So here's how they get to Wyoming. First, they jump on a moving cargo train like you see in the movies. They end up in Chicago. On the next leg of the trip, they hitch a ride with a women truck driver who gets them all they way to Wyoming. Then they hide in the cargo compartment of a tourist bus going to Treton National Park where they hope to find their dad.

From here it's survival stuff. I like this part, but it's not realistic. For two city boys, they have way more skill than they should. Trust me. I watch enough Naked and Afraid to know how hard it is for experienced adults to survive in the wilderness. They manage to trap fish, build a fire with a magnifying glass, and not die from drinking the water. They mentioned boiling it, but trust me. There's no way they brought a pot.

So they end up saving a guy whose arm is trapped under a rock by using a rope and pulley system. I can believe that. The guy's rope. The guy's instruction. They end up staying with the guy for a week. Skeet teaches them how to make traps, butcher a rabbit, and kill animals with a sling shot and bow. Come on. Not going to happen in a week. Skill like this takes time. When Taylor runs off and gets scratched up by a bobcat, Jake finds just the plant he needs to save him. Hok...ey.

So let me wrap this up, because I'm spending way too long on this review. Bull ends up tracking them down and they find their father. All's well that ends well.

Here's the final take. Boys will like this book. They'll miss the absurdity. I like the fact that these boys are go getters, even though in reality they would never make it past Chicago. I like that the book teaches survival skills even though these are not the kids that would ever be able to use them. I like the notes at the end that talk about animals, plants and survival how-tos. For any kid who longs to camp in the wilderness and learn how to survive, these tips are very informative. This book is not even close to Hatchet, but I would probably purchase this book for a school library, because like I said, there aren't enough books in this category and kids aren't as obsessively analytical as adults.

[Emi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book you can learn a lot from. Trust me I learned a lot from it. Such an amazing book, I would encourage others to read to get to understand the characters and even learn from these things.

[St. Gerard Expectant Mothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got my hands on an AC copy of Wallace's book and I have to say that I loved it. Take a little bit of Disney's The Journey of Nattie Gann and mix in a little of the road trip genre and you have Wilder Boys.

Now I know what you're thinking, the set up is a bit dark. Two brothers are trying to deal with their mother's abusive boyfriend who is involved in some criminal dealings and when he puts her in the hospital one day, you're just about to throw in the towel and say, "ENOUGH WITH CHILD ABUSE STORIES!" However, if you hang in there, it becomes a complete adventure story.

With a series of letters and some clues, these resilient twosome set off on a quest to find their father in the wildness of Wyoming. Along the way they find a cast of colorful characters that help them on their journey and the boys use their street smarts and survival skills to get them where they need to be.

Older kids 9 and up will like the sense of adventure and courage these boys face as they try to conquer any adversity that is thrown their way. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy realistic fiction and want something that is different than the typical fantasy-Harry Potter type books that are flooding the market.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charmingly preposterous wilderness adventure for children of maybe 9 and up. Jack and Taylor are two brothers with a nasty stepfather, called Bull who we are quickly given to believe is a low level criminal. When they come home to find their mother being taken to hospital, unconscious at Bull's hands, they take off across America, into the wilderness, in search of their father.

Shades of "Hatchet" and other wilderness adventures come together as the boys do many brave but stupid things on their incredible adventure. They meet a couple of interesting characters, and overcome some hardships. They learn bushcraft skills in record time when given the opportunity, and you can probably guess how it all ends.

For anyone who wants believable books, this one is not for you. Hatchet is believable - this one requires willing suspension of disbelief.

However, the intended audience is boys of 9+, and they may well love it. It is in a grand tradition of boys own adventures, and is a perfectly good example of that genre.

[Adria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the first book, and was planning on reading the second.The main thing of this story is two boy and there dog running away from there abusive ¨step father´ to find there father who has left several year back to find a hidden valley. while the boy visited there very sick mother she give them letters from there father. the mom goes back to sleep and stumble on a floorboard the contains a gun a thousands of dollars. The next day with happen to be the last day of school they come home to police and ambulance to carry there sick mom to the hospital. who has supposedly fell down the stair but you soon find out that her boyfriend beat her up. Read this book to see if they find there dad if the mom will be ok if bull the mom boyfriend will stick around and if the boy will survive the long journey

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a interesting book.

Jake and Taylor Wilder are two boys living with their sick mother in Pittsburgh after their father left the family.

But when they witness their mother's mean boyfriend Bull shoot his employer on an illegal job, they run away to find their lost father in Wyoming with their survival tips, some supplies, and a considerable heap of Bull's drug money that they found.*

*Minor Swearing included

[Bobby Simic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hatchet-lite meets The Boxcar Children Corn. Somehow never comes to life and the suspenseful moments aren't full of much suspense. I also had trouble with the meek depiction of the mother, who suffers from domestic violence and depression. The author isn't skilled enough to handle such weighty material. And the mother is 1 of only 2 women in the book, the other being a rather charming, salty truck driver...who was deemed an unfit mother in her previous life. Yikes.

[cal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for my fourth grader to read; when he finished he said it was kind of scary and weird... I decided to read it. Some content in the book would do better for a more mature audience (gun abuse, domestic abuse, violence & drug mention)
It’s a fast paced story and I can see why adventure seeking kids would love it. I like that there was survival skills sprinkled in throughout the story.
The ending is abrupt and leaves you asking a lot of questions.

[Marc · Rating 1 out of 5]

Equal parts unrealistic, unsafe, and unkind - the opposite of what I want my kids to think books are about

[Angie Fehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jake Taylor's mother is left beaten and unconscious by boyfriend Bull, Jake and his younger brother, Taylor, decide it's likely no longer safe to continue living with her. As they learn a little more about Bull, they discover he's a dangerous man tied up in illegal dealings, possibly even murder. Learning this, the Wilder boys take it upon themselves to try to track down their biological father, who abandoned the family years earlier.

As far as figuring out their father's whereabouts, all the boys have to go on is a journal he wrote full of wilderness facts and survival tips, information that will prove quite handy as they make their way across the country looking for him. Jake is also aided by information he retained from attending an outdoor school the previous summer. This trip will take them from Pennsylvania all the way through to the wilds of Wyoming. There's quite the adventure in store for these lads, as they find themselves thrown into a crash course on surviving the elements, scaring off bears, fighting off angry Dobermans, train jumping, and fighting / escaping some violent hobos. At one point there's even a close call with some poisonous berries! But they survive, eventually finding assistance from an unlikely source --- a female trucker / former addict with a criminal record.

As the older brother, Jake naturally falls into the protector role, but secretly is often unsure of himself and his choices. Meanwhile, younger brother Taylor displays an impressive blend of unshakeable optimism and steely determination.

There's a fair amount of violence... and perhaps some questionable characters / material (depending on how strict you are with your child's reading material)... for a Middle Grade audience, but there's plenty of benefit to this series as well. Not only is the adventure itself a well-paced, entertaining read, but this book, as well as its sequel, offers supplemental materials at the end. In the case of Book 1, there's a mini plant identification guide, instructions on how to use glass to start a fire, and how to create and set fish traps.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: this review is for the Audible audiobook edition narrated by Brian Holden, which is not listed as an edition option on Goodreads.

My 9 year old son and I enjoyed listening to Brian Holden's narration of Wilder Boys, a riveting if not always plausible survival tale of brothers Jake and Taylor wilder and their trusty dog on a perilous journey from Pittsburgh to the wilderness of Wyoming to find the father who abandoned them years ago, a journey of desperation to get away from their mother's abusive and criminal boyfriend Bull, who has put her in the hospital.

We had recently finished reading The Fort by Gordon Korman together, which also dealt with physical abuse by a parental figure, and at times Wilder Boys was quite upsetting to my son, who couldn't comprehend why a father would leave his sons at all, much less in such peril, and why the boys did not feel safe reaching out to teachers or police for help. We had some useful discussions while listening.

We both enjoyed the Wyoming wilderness scenes, and although the final chapters at the book were highly implausible at best, they were engaging and entertaining to read.

Given its publication date of 7 years ago, I'm not sure I will add this to my elementary library collection, but it was an enjoyable read with a 4th grade boy.

[Ni Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilder Boys by Brandon Wallace is a classic, it is a great book to read just for fun. The main characters in the book are two brothers named Taylor and Jake. The brothers aren’t living in a good environment, living with their very ill mother and an abusive stepfather. They go on a journey to find their dad from the suburbs of Pittsburgh to the wilderness of Wyoming.

One day the two brothers come home from school to find their house surrounded by police and an ambulance. They see their mother get put into the ambulance in very bad condition. The worst comes and soon the brothers find out that they will be taken care of by their stepfather. When the news comes both boys take all their belongings and set out to find their father by using his journal and old letters.

My favorite part of the book is when Jake and Taylor camp by a lake. Even with doubts both boys continue with perseverance to find their father. They learn new things as they set to survive on their own in the wild.

Overall, the book Wilder Boys by Brandon Wallace would be enjoyed by anyone who reads it. This book illustrates lessons and how sticking to your gut will help you in life. I recommend this book to everyone of all ages or if you just want an adventure or a mystery book to read.

[Ethan Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandon Wallace gives us the adventure of a lifetime in this book. He takes us on an adventure with two boys hoping to find their father, who is on the other side of the country. I could not put this book down, as the Wilder boys never stopped moving. This book blew my entire mind.
Taylor and Jake live in Northeastern America with their loving dog, ill mother, and abusive step father. When they smell something fishy and something tragic happens to their mother, they feel that they have no choice but to find their father in Wyoming. They use their fathers letters, books, and maps to go find them. Little do they know, obstacles will be in their way. Will they find their father, or will they run in to the authorities? Will they live or die? Guess you'll just have to find out!
This book reminds me of when I was a kid and I would explore the countryside at my house. This is a short but sweet book that anybody would find interesting. I play sport and only read sport books, and I picked this up and couldn't put it down. This book did not let me down!

[Tessa McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake and Taylor Wilder have had a difficult life since their father left to live in the wilds of Wyoming. Their mother started a relationship with an abusive boyfriend, Bull, and then she became crippled by depression. All Jake and Taylor want to do is take care of their mother and keep out of Bull’s way. One day the boys find a suspicious bag of cash in the house and witness Bull shooting a man. Bull knows the brothers saw his crime, so he beats up their mother to keep the boys quiet. Fearing Bull’s wrath, Jake, Taylor, and their dog Cody escape to find their dad by following clues to his location from their father’s letters and journal.

Wallace reintroduces the classic story of wilderness survival to a new generation with Wilder Boys. But Wilder Boys is a very modern story dealing with such problems as abuse, depression, and broken families. With these horrors under their belts, it seems Jake and Taylor do not fear the wild since they have endured the ugliness of real life. But this courageous spirit does not make the boys able to survive in the wild. However, their courage and their faith in finding their father are two huge factors that aid in their ability to survive. Any fans of Gary Paulsen, Roland Smith, Sneed B. Collard III, or Will Hobbs would thoroughly enjoy this book. Wallace has a sequel called The Journey Home.

Review found on Children's Compass Chronicle: childrenscompasschronicle.blogspot.com

[Daniell Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds me of a couple books that I read as a kid. I like that the brothers work together when they face hardships. They do have problems and try to handle it to the best of their ability. There was one area where I almost wish the author had went a little harsher with what they did so that people wouldn't try it but it was close to the limit and I could see why he stopped there. It is part of a duology and there was a couple questions left hanging but it did leave at a stopping point. I also appreciated the author throwing in good and bad things that happened to them while they tried to survive. That it takes more than dumb luck to survive in the wild but some of that helps. It was a interesting story and I am glad I gave it a try.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two boys go on the run after their mother's boyfriend beat up their mother to the point she ends up in the hospital. They steal the boyfriend's drug money and go on the run, using the survival tips taught to them by their real father.

I don't know if the survival tips would be enough to keep real kids alive through the situations these kids went through, but it does show kids being independent and trying to help themselves out of a tough situation. I loved the books My Side of the Mountain and Hatchett as a kid and this book updates that idea in an easy to read story.

[Ashlyn Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wilder Boys reads like Brandon Wallace’s ode to wilderness survival skills and summer camp. Perhaps the right middle grade reader would enjoy the nature facts, but it’s underwhelming.

Instead of rising action, the plot reads like one scouting badge pass off to the next. There is never any true danger or drama. But most disappointing is the characters have no depth, growth, or unique personalities. The protagonists are static.

I read this for the school district literature approval committee. I would DNF otherwise. It’s “clean” for a classroom, but does not have literary merit.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this out loud with my sons and it provided a great opportunity to talk about domestic violence and resilience without being the entire focus of the story. They were able to empathize with the brothers in the book, so I felt it provided a platform for challenging conversations that we might not have come across otherwise. It was also an engaging read that left us wanting more. I just ordered the next book.

[Pamela]

After witnessing what their mother's boyfriend Bull has done to their mother. Brothers Jake and Taylor and their dog Cody leave home in search of their father who has gone to find his utopia in the Teton National forest. The boys have the letters and the journal their father sent to them with information they will need to make their way. They do have their fair share of problems but with the help of people they meet along the way they just might make it.

[Mandy Crumb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow going book that hits its stride halfway through only to rush to a conclusion that left me wanting more. I feel like Wilder Boys and the sequel were written as one book but roughly cut in half for some reason.
Difficult topics are numerous and allow for discussion. Such topics include parental abandonment, drug abuse, depression, child abuse, murder, runaways and more. Yep, it's a slightly depressing book for such a young audience of 8-10 year olds.