The Wild Bunch

by Jan Gangsei

Three unlikely friends—brainiac Hector, bullish Jack, and sarcastic Paul—find themselves braving the wilderness in search of the mythical Beast of Bear Falls in this hilarious MAX novel.

As far as Paul Adams is concerned, the idea of a weekend camping in the nearby state park with his dad’s two college friends and their sons, Hector and Jack, sounds like a nightmare. But even he finds the myth of the Beast of Bear Falls—a legendary Bigfoot creature—intriguing.

The trip gets off to a rough start, and calamity and disaster follow catastrophe. Against all odds, arguing most of the way, the crew face all sorts of obstacles natural and man-made. Can the three boys make it to Bear Falls and uncover the truth about the Sasquatch living there?

Genres: Middle Grade, Survival

192 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2017

About the author

Jan Gangsei grew up in small-town Vermont, reading Nancy Drew mysteries, putting on backyard shows with her best friend and dreaming about exploring the world. After college, she landed a job as a newspaper reporter covering politics and the police beat. She's lived in Key West, New York City, Barbados, and is now settled in the DC metro area, where she writes full time.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced adventure filled with humor—and learning how to get along with your dad’s friends’ kids. I would definitely recommend to ages 7+, while boys may be more interested since it’s mostly male characters.

I think in a time when technology is king, this story is a reminder to enjoy the great outdoors. Despite all the snafus the characters experience, it has inspired me to get my boys camping at least once. (We aren’t a “camping” skilled family, even though we’ve roughed it in other ways! Gross buggy motels, for one example, lol.)

[Rob Vlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few books that have me literally laughing out loud. The Wild Bunch was definitely one of them. It's a hilarious comedy of errors that pits Paul, Jack and Hector against, well, pretty much all of nature -- and each other. Between the hungry bears, map-eating raccoons, ankle-biting snakes and the terrifying Beast of Bear Falls, the action (and the laughs) never stop. The Wild Bunch is a ton of fun! Highly recommended.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Camping story w boys who don’t know each other nor much about camping. There’s humor, slapstick, and adventures. Personally, the constant sarcastic attitude from the narrator, Paul, who’s one of the boys, drives me a bit crazy because it’s also so often rude and disrespectful. And the other characters are such caricatures of a bully and a nerd. But for the age group, it’s a story that will deliver outdoor adventures, fart jokes, and a mystery and hardships that can only be conquered together within a fast-paced, first-person narrative.

[Tracy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining story of 3 fathers and 3 sons sharing some quality time on a camping adventure. It made the parents seem a bit too outlandish and goofy. The boys were starkly stereotyped - the junk food guzzling sports fan, the allergy prone bookish nerd spouting facts, and the "normal" kid who pulls the group together. It did keep my attention but there was too much mishap and coincidence to be believable.

[Dzura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the aspect of adventure in this book, the other thing is the character that looks not so original and seems mainstream but I like the main character Paul, for Jack's character might be a little annoying because he seems rude. Maybe it would be better if each character has a unique attitude, because the characterization of this novel is common.

This book is highly recommended for boys because the characters are all male.

[Jonathan Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally read this book, and am sorry it took me so long. I LOVE funny books, and this one more than fit the bill. I highly recommend it and look forward to more from this author!

[Z]

I had to read this for work slay I guess

[Jarrett Lerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romp through the wilderness with a delightful cast of characters and as many moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity as edge-of-your-seat excitement.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Early DNF for The Wild Bunch. I did not enjoy the main character's voice and the characters were quite cliched. We have the sarcastic boy who constantly complains about his family and who we're expected to relate to. We have the athletic boy who of course is unintelligent and large and a bully. We have the smart boy who of course has bad allergies and is skinny and speaks like a robot. Add in too much gross-out humor and that's one book that's not for me. I think I need to learn to stop picking up these Aladdin Mix/Max books.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[C Harpin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Action adventure with fart humor isn't really my thing, but if it's your thing, no judgment!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story about a camping trip is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy lots of laughs!