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Going Wild #1
Going Wild
Charlie Wilde knew her life would change forever when her family moved from the city of Chicago to the suburbs of Arizona…and that was before she found the bracelet. After putting it on, she notices odd things start to happen. Suddenly Charlie seems to have the speed of a cheetah and the strength of an elephant—and that’s just the beginning.
She would be thrilled about her transformation if she had any idea how to use the device or control her amazing powers. So Charlie is forced to put her trust in new friends to help her uncover the surprising truth behind the mysterious bracelet.
She would be thrilled about her transformation if she had any idea how to use the device or control her amazing powers. So Charlie is forced to put her trust in new friends to help her uncover the surprising truth behind the mysterious bracelet.
400 pages, Library Binding
First published September 27, 2016
304 people are currently reading
4156 people want to read
About the author
Lisa McMann
59 books6,981 followersLisa McMann lives and writes in the Phoenix area. Her newest middle grade fantasy series is called The Forgotten Five. Book one, Map of Flames, was an instant NYT bestseller. It's about five supernatural kids, raised in a deserted hideout, who enter civilization for the first time to search for a hidden stash left behind by their missing, criminal parents.
Book two, The Invisible Spy, is on sale now! Book three, Rebel Undercover, is coming summer 2023, and book 4 will be out in spring of 2024.
Also out now: CLARICE THE BRAVE. It's a story of hope against all odds, about sibling mice who get separated in a mutiny and vow to find one another again.
Lisa's other books include the NYT bestselling THE UNWANTEDS and UNWANTEDS QUESTS series, the GOING WILD trilogy, the YA paranormal WAKE trilogy, the VISIONS trilogy, CRYER'S CROSS, DEAD TO YOU, and INFINITY RING: The Trap Door.
See what's new and where Lisa will be at her
LinkTree.
You can find more info at Lisa'a website, lisamcmann.com, interact with her on Facebook or Twitter, or ask questions on her Instagram.
Book two, The Invisible Spy, is on sale now! Book three, Rebel Undercover, is coming summer 2023, and book 4 will be out in spring of 2024.
Also out now: CLARICE THE BRAVE. It's a story of hope against all odds, about sibling mice who get separated in a mutiny and vow to find one another again.
Lisa's other books include the NYT bestselling THE UNWANTEDS and UNWANTEDS QUESTS series, the GOING WILD trilogy, the YA paranormal WAKE trilogy, the VISIONS trilogy, CRYER'S CROSS, DEAD TO YOU, and INFINITY RING: The Trap Door.
See what's new and where Lisa will be at her
LinkTree.
You can find more info at Lisa'a website, lisamcmann.com, interact with her on Facebook or Twitter, or ask questions on her Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
August 22, 2016
The story: When Charlie receives a mysterious bracelet in the mail, she puts it on immediately, not knowing that it's going to give her special powers of healing, strenght, speed, climbing, and echo-location. She also doesn't realize that the bracelet wasn't meant for her, or that the bad guys who developed it are going to want it back. Charlie is just figuring out her new powers when the bad guys come to reclaim their property--but she can't get the bracelet off her arm, and her new friends are sucked in as they try to help her.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult (sci-fi weirdness) PG; adult themes (evil scientists) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments - The author spends a little too much time having Charlie figure out her powers, and the book doesn't really move away from its new-kid-in-town beginning and off into its true sci-fi direction until the last few chapters. There's a total cliff-hanger ending, too--but kids who have kept reading until the interesting stuff happens will be ready for the inevitable sequel when it appears.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult (sci-fi weirdness) PG; adult themes (evil scientists) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments - The author spends a little too much time having Charlie figure out her powers, and the book doesn't really move away from its new-kid-in-town beginning and off into its true sci-fi direction until the last few chapters. There's a total cliff-hanger ending, too--but kids who have kept reading until the interesting stuff happens will be ready for the inevitable sequel when it appears.
August 25, 2025
"'I know exactly who you are.'
Charlie's heart thudded. Her voice faltered. 'Y-you do?'
She leaned forward... and said quietly, 'You're a superhero.'"
✏️ Review ✏️
While Going Wild has some intriguing sci-fi vibes, I became bored with the beginning of it. There isn't much that's going on and the storyline didn't seem to have very much of the "wild" stuff that is claimed to be happening in the story's summary; it seemed just like a rather uneventful contemporary narrative (other than those mysterious dark pages — interesting stuff 😉). But while the beginning of Going Wild is slower-paced and bleh, it doesn't stay that way. The action picks up and then things begin to veer towards the wild side (action!), which is certainly the best part of this story. I only wish that the pacing had been more gripping earlier in the story because I can easily see how some readers wouldn't care to continue with Going Wild.
If I could make one more critique of Going Wild, then it would be the writing style (I think in part that this was one of the factors inhibiting the beginning from being immersive).
Plain and simply stated: I didn't enjoy the writing style. It's all too often repetitive, very nondescript, too simplistic, and unengaging. Because of the lackluster nature of the writing, it then fails to breathe life and energy into the storyline, which makes for a... well, you guessed it, a pretty bleh story experience at least as far as the writing style goes.
But setting those complaints aside, I do have to say that Going Wild contains some really creative sci-fi elements, especially those cool bracelets (yeah, it might be kinda nice to have one of those things every now and then 😁). So if you can get through the first half of the story and don't mind a more simplistic writing style, then Going Wild is definitely worth checking out.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The creative sci-fi elements (the sci-fi elements are nicely balanced with the contemporary setting and aren't overwhelmingly introduced).
• The last one-third of the story — really heats up the action and suspense.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The beginning of the story — kind of lackluster.
• The nondescript, rather simplistic writing style — inhibits the story from taking off to it's full potential.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes *
— To whom? To those who enjoy stories with contemporary settings and a splash of sci-fi; also, if you don't mind a slow beginning and a rather simplistic writing style.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 2.75/5 [rounded up to 3 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 2.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 2/5
— 👥 Characters: 2.5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Three uses of "cr*p," a few uses of "j**z," and a few uses of "heck."
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes of mild action-adventure violence (some mild descriptions of injuries).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
Charlie's heart thudded. Her voice faltered. 'Y-you do?'
She leaned forward... and said quietly, 'You're a superhero.'"
✏️ Review ✏️
While Going Wild has some intriguing sci-fi vibes, I became bored with the beginning of it. There isn't much that's going on and the storyline didn't seem to have very much of the "wild" stuff that is claimed to be happening in the story's summary; it seemed just like a rather uneventful contemporary narrative (other than those mysterious dark pages — interesting stuff 😉). But while the beginning of Going Wild is slower-paced and bleh, it doesn't stay that way. The action picks up and then things begin to veer towards the wild side (action!), which is certainly the best part of this story. I only wish that the pacing had been more gripping earlier in the story because I can easily see how some readers wouldn't care to continue with Going Wild.
If I could make one more critique of Going Wild, then it would be the writing style (I think in part that this was one of the factors inhibiting the beginning from being immersive).
Plain and simply stated: I didn't enjoy the writing style. It's all too often repetitive, very nondescript, too simplistic, and unengaging. Because of the lackluster nature of the writing, it then fails to breathe life and energy into the storyline, which makes for a... well, you guessed it, a pretty bleh story experience at least as far as the writing style goes.
"Charlie didn't know what to do. She didn't know where to turn. All she knew was that ever since she'd started wearing the bracelet she had somehow gained ridiculous speed [and] extraordinary strength.... [S]he was totally OOC right now. Out. Of. Control."
But setting those complaints aside, I do have to say that Going Wild contains some really creative sci-fi elements, especially those cool bracelets (yeah, it might be kinda nice to have one of those things every now and then 😁). So if you can get through the first half of the story and don't mind a more simplistic writing style, then Going Wild is definitely worth checking out.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The creative sci-fi elements (the sci-fi elements are nicely balanced with the contemporary setting and aren't overwhelmingly introduced).
• The last one-third of the story — really heats up the action and suspense.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The beginning of the story — kind of lackluster.
• The nondescript, rather simplistic writing style — inhibits the story from taking off to it's full potential.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes *
— To whom? To those who enjoy stories with contemporary settings and a splash of sci-fi; also, if you don't mind a slow beginning and a rather simplistic writing style.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 2.75/5 [rounded up to 3 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 2.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 2/5
— 👥 Characters: 2.5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Three uses of "cr*p," a few uses of "j**z," and a few uses of "heck."
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes of mild action-adventure violence (some mild descriptions of injuries).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
June 21, 2018
This was a fun, cute read. A girl who finds a mysterious bracelet that gives her ultimate fighting powers? That was awesome. I liked Charlie as the main character. She was smart, spunky, and brave when she needed to be. I felt major sympathy for her since she and her family moved to a new state in the middle of the school year and her parents weren’t really around. Despite that, she was brave enough to try out for the soccer team, become part of a school play, and make some friends. Let me just say that Maria was the best friend anyone would ever want. I am definitely continuing this series because it ended on a major cliffhanger. Darn those endings!! I can’t wait to see what happens next for Charlie, Maria, and Mac.
February 23, 2017
An amazing book! I certainly want to read the 2nd book when it comes out... But the beginning was a little slow. The main character did not realize her powers until around Ch. 15/16/17. The characters were really quite realistic, also. It was nice to see a diverse set of main characters who are also down-to-earth and not just one type of personality.
April 16, 2019
When I first read this book, I was all like "This author totally gets me!" My feelings haven't changed at all! I got the second and third book for Christmas, and I read them both in 2 days. I like how each book ends in a cliffhanger. You do find out what all the powers in everyone's bracelets do, and how they work together to find out what animals they are. I love the series! Definitely one of my favorites!!
February 17, 2021
I loved this book. Charlie is awesome, there's diversity and has suspense. Overall an awesome story. I'm definitely reading the two sequels. Would recommend to people who like animals and Keeper Of The Lost Cities.
May 9, 2023
I was a little hesitant about this book at first, but when I read it I was SO glad I did! This is an amazing animal/human fantasy book! There are 3 in the series and if you like fiction/fantasy/adventure this is a MUST READ!
June 24, 2024
We don’t have halfbacks in soccer 🤦🏻♀️
February 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this one. It got my adrenaline going. I thought that Charlie is a good main character and though Kelly and even Mac can be bratty, they are pretty good depp down inside. Maria is very supportive of Charlie, something I appreciate. Overall, it's a 4.5 stars for me.
November 2, 2017
The book Going Wild by Lisa McMann is a book that will satisfy any reader. It’s suspenseful plot and action-packed chapters make you want to never stop. But the next thing you know is the book is finished. The book changes your perspective on love when Charlie gets involved with the government and it takes lots of love and friendship to overcome the strange turn of events that happen.
Somethings that I liked about the book was how they established the characters and how it kept me guessing after every page. They established the characters by basically having a typical teenage girl move to a new town and it changes everything. I liked how Charlie meets her new friend through hobbies, but what I loved most is how Lisa McMann used real-life experiences and things that would relate to a teenage reader. She didn't make Charlie like "different" but she made her relatable. The author also used a new mysterious and suspense to keep me flipping pages. like in Chapter 2 she talks about how this new bracelet was effecting charlie and giving her superpowers and I just kept guessing what they were till she slowly starts to figure them out.
Some things that I personally did not like about the book was the development of the characters. I feel like the author shouldn't have spent almost half the story focusing on Charlie and her powers. Instead of expanding the story and introducing us to a new character that could have been a double agent or friends that help with the quest later in the story. ( A double agent is normally a traitor or someone who goes against their own team). Overall, if the author would have spent less time on Charlie but zoomed in on other characters, this would have been a 5-star book.
Therefore after reading and analyzing the book, I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. I give it this rating because even though the plot was amazing the development of the characters held the books potential down. Finally, I would recommend this to young adults who love a mystery with a little bit of comedy sprinkled in.
Somethings that I liked about the book was how they established the characters and how it kept me guessing after every page. They established the characters by basically having a typical teenage girl move to a new town and it changes everything. I liked how Charlie meets her new friend through hobbies, but what I loved most is how Lisa McMann used real-life experiences and things that would relate to a teenage reader. She didn't make Charlie like "different" but she made her relatable. The author also used a new mysterious and suspense to keep me flipping pages. like in Chapter 2 she talks about how this new bracelet was effecting charlie and giving her superpowers and I just kept guessing what they were till she slowly starts to figure them out.
Some things that I personally did not like about the book was the development of the characters. I feel like the author shouldn't have spent almost half the story focusing on Charlie and her powers. Instead of expanding the story and introducing us to a new character that could have been a double agent or friends that help with the quest later in the story. ( A double agent is normally a traitor or someone who goes against their own team). Overall, if the author would have spent less time on Charlie but zoomed in on other characters, this would have been a 5-star book.
Therefore after reading and analyzing the book, I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. I give it this rating because even though the plot was amazing the development of the characters held the books potential down. Finally, I would recommend this to young adults who love a mystery with a little bit of comedy sprinkled in.
May 4, 2017
My review is colored by the fact that I am not the intended audience. For me the story was up and down. There were obvious clues throughout the story that were missed by the main characters. Conversely there were many instances when they were making decisions about thing that were way outside their pay grade.
Basically we have a young girl named Charlie whose family moves her from Chicago to Arizona. She is very unhappy with this decision. Just before the move she finds a bracelet in a box addressed to her, or so she thinks.
She puts the bracelet on and soon discovers that it gives her some powers. Powers that are related to a variety of animals - ecolocation, super strength, super speed, etc. Suddenly she can no longer remove the bracelet and she isn't sure of when it is imbuing her with the animalistic characteristics.
She has made a couple of new friends and they begin to help her unravel these mysteries. It turns out that the bracelet was actually intended for her father, after whom she was named. During their investigation another schoolmate learns what is going on. One of her friends is kidnapped and she and her friends manage to rescue him and find several additional bracelets. Her father is kidnapped and she knows it is because of the bracelet.
This is where this story ends. It is obviously number one in a series and I would guess there will be at least three more as that is how many additional bracelets were discovered. I might have enjoyed this series better when I was younger, but at this stage, it just did not draw me in.
Basically we have a young girl named Charlie whose family moves her from Chicago to Arizona. She is very unhappy with this decision. Just before the move she finds a bracelet in a box addressed to her, or so she thinks.
She puts the bracelet on and soon discovers that it gives her some powers. Powers that are related to a variety of animals - ecolocation, super strength, super speed, etc. Suddenly she can no longer remove the bracelet and she isn't sure of when it is imbuing her with the animalistic characteristics.
She has made a couple of new friends and they begin to help her unravel these mysteries. It turns out that the bracelet was actually intended for her father, after whom she was named. During their investigation another schoolmate learns what is going on. One of her friends is kidnapped and she and her friends manage to rescue him and find several additional bracelets. Her father is kidnapped and she knows it is because of the bracelet.
This is where this story ends. It is obviously number one in a series and I would guess there will be at least three more as that is how many additional bracelets were discovered. I might have enjoyed this series better when I was younger, but at this stage, it just did not draw me in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2019
The story started out strong with a clear direction, but that direction never changed. For that reason, I grew restless as the story progressed. (I read almost to the halfway mark the first night, but after that the apparent pacing slowed for the reasons described below.) I felt too much story time was spent showing the heroine's discovery of her abilities without any real escalation of stakes or conflict until the very end. In essence, the story concludes with a cliff hanger that probably would've worked best as the midpoint reversal (as in the three act structure). Expanding the first half of a typical story to fill a single novel doesn't generally work well because the greater word count between turning points tends to make readers restless. Turning points are unexpected changes in the direction of the plot that help keep the narrative fresh. They're the tent posts that hold up the plot and avoid the problem of a sagging middle. If the story had been trimmed and condensed so as to position the end of this book as the midpoint in a single novel, I suspect I would've enjoyed it more.
Goodreads describes 3-stars as "I liked it" and 2 as "it was okay." Based on that, the end of thise novel at least is probably closer to 2 stars for me than 3.
Goodreads describes 3-stars as "I liked it" and 2 as "it was okay." Based on that, the end of thise novel at least is probably closer to 2 stars for me than 3.
April 1, 2019
This wasn't a bad little middle grade fantasy, but it wasn't all that exciting, either. It feels a little slow-moving at first--the story is mostly focusing on Charlie as she navigates her new school, friends and frenemies, and making the soccer team. Her "powers" don't really show up in any extreme form until 100 pages in, and even after that she experiments with them sparingly. It's not until the last 100 pages or so that we get action-packed scenes...and by then I was kind of tuned out. I think it's great to have multi-genre books, but when you go into this one expecting cool animal-inspired superpowers and you instead get mostly soccer practices and theater classes, it's a bit of a let down.
January 8, 2021
As a story, this is very well written, with good pacing, fast action and convincing dialogue. For that, it rates close to 5 stars.
However, the actual story is based on the actions of a group of 6th graders, most of whom are 12, some maybe 13, but all way too young for the type of dialogue.
In addition, one of the 6th graders is boy crazy, at least a little, as well as a drama queen. I can see the second, but not the first, not at that age.
In general, although the story is very good, the supposed group is too young. I will continue to read the series because it is good, but tying any kind of romance other than possibly a crush to someone of that age is just ick.
However, the actual story is based on the actions of a group of 6th graders, most of whom are 12, some maybe 13, but all way too young for the type of dialogue.
In addition, one of the 6th graders is boy crazy, at least a little, as well as a drama queen. I can see the second, but not the first, not at that age.
In general, although the story is very good, the supposed group is too young. I will continue to read the series because it is good, but tying any kind of romance other than possibly a crush to someone of that age is just ick.
July 14, 2020
Amazing new series from Lisa McMann! Great concept, but I think the first or second book was the best. Definitely directed towards a younger audience, but I probably read it in 2016-2017. I remember *loving* it so much then, so:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
Would love to reread it at some point and see if I still enjoy it. However, the original Unwanteds was probably my favorite series by Lisa so far.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
Would love to reread it at some point and see if I still enjoy it. However, the original Unwanteds was probably my favorite series by Lisa so far.
May 6, 2023
I didn't have any real expectations beyond "Oh, that looks kind of interesting" and I'm still let down.
(Charlie Wilde knew her life would change forever when her family moved from the city of Chicago to the suburbs of Arizona…and that was before she found the bracelet. After putting it on, she notices odd things start to happen. Suddenly Charlie seems to have the speed of a cheetah and the strength of an elephant—and that’s just the beginning. She would be thrilled about her transformation if she had any idea how to use the device or control her amazing powers. So Charlie is forced to put her trust in new friends to help her uncover the surprising truth behind the mysterious bracelet.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads
I liked the dynamic between Charlie and Andy. Despite the fact that the siblings are only two years apart in age, there's this vast contrast in their maturity level. Andy has this very childish, cheeky personality and has more success in fitting into his new town and Charlie reacts in a "I'm above that and you should be too" kind of way that an older teen or adult might. But the way that they banter and the words that they use make them feel like real siblings.
Charlie's Dad was pretty enjoyable too. Despite not being around as much as he used to be when he was a stay at home dad, he's still quite upbeat and tries his best to stay involved in his kid's lives. He doesn't always get it right, but the effort is clearly there. Also, based on how he interacts with his kids, it's clear that he really loves them and loves spending time with them.
I have to say, the bracelet was pretty cool. Charlie acquires it in chapter seven from a box she got back at her old place and it basically allows the user to utilize the abilities of various animals while staying in human form. Not only is this a bit of a unique idea for a device, but the way its abilities are shown is great too. The novel clearly shows them (such as and ) but not to a point where it basically spells things out. Also, Honestly, I find this to be kind of an interesting because it implies that I also liked how consistent the novel is with it and how the bracelet's abilities are
But, aside from the bracelet, most of this novel's plot feels rather generic. Like, if someone has read at least one or two other "Kid moves to new place" stories, they've basically read this novel. Yes, the plot Now I do understand that this is intended for a middle grade audience, but here's the thing. The Evil Wizard Smallbone is intended for the exact same audience and came out the exact same year as this novel, yet it managed to really surprise me quite a few times without needing to drag itself out to accomplish it.
At times, Charlie was painfully stupid. For example, in chapter seven, Charlie opens the box and gets the bracelet. But she doesn't suspect that Also, despite Charlie having the same name as her dad, she never considers the possibility that No joke, it takes her until , to Charlie is twelve-years-old. I get that twelve-year-olds don't know everything about the world and can make some dumb mistakes. But, these moments of stupidity don't feel natural or logical. They feel like they were put there to pad out the novel and I don't understand why. This novel is, no joke, four hundred pages long. Most middle grade novels are sixty-four to one hundred and fifty pages long. Honestly, I don't think having would've caused the novel to be too short.
The ending was so cheap. Basically, Now, this ending can work, but here, it's like reaching the top of Mt. Everest after days and days of a laborious climb, getting punched in the face by a one thousand year old monk after he says, "Life is a disappointment", and being forced to endure a slow, painful death after the long fall down, even when begging the universe to end it all. In other words, it's a huge insult. Like, I don't think this was the author's intention, but it comes across like she's using as a crutch to get people to read the next book in the series rather than just telling a complete story that'll accomplish the same thing. Yes, this novel is part one of a trilogy. Based on the plot summaries of the next two novels in the series, combining this novel and novel number two into one novel would allow it to tell a complete story, with the third novel acting as the new part two of the series. Not every series needs to have three or more entries and this one is a prime example of that.
What really killed this novel for me, though, was the pacing. Not gonna lie, it's some of the worst I've ever seen. Even when the novel neared the halfway point, barely anything happened. Charlie adapted to her new town, Charlie discovered that she has powers, Charlie tested those powers with her friends, Maria and Mac, and there was a subplot involving two characters named Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Gray, but it popped up so infrequently, that it might as well have not even been there. I wouldn't have minded this so much if the characters got more development. Don't get me wrong. The characters do get a decent amount of development, including Kelly (who ). But for the amount of time the novel spends on the more mundane parts of the character's lives, I really expected way more. Speaking of expecting more, I also expected way more "Hero" moments as well. There are moments where Charlie uses her powers to save people (like when she ), but they're so sporadic. Sporadic to the point where the examples I just gave are in fact the only examples. I think there should've been at least a few more sprinkled throughout, with each scenario getting more difficult and forcing Charlie to push her brain and powers further and further toward their limit.
Overall, Going Wild certainly has some great characters and some creativity, but its god awful pacing, cheap ending, and over reliance on padding destroys its chances of being great and unfortunately turned me off from reading the rest of the series.
Overall Grade: D-
(Charlie Wilde knew her life would change forever when her family moved from the city of Chicago to the suburbs of Arizona…and that was before she found the bracelet. After putting it on, she notices odd things start to happen. Suddenly Charlie seems to have the speed of a cheetah and the strength of an elephant—and that’s just the beginning. She would be thrilled about her transformation if she had any idea how to use the device or control her amazing powers. So Charlie is forced to put her trust in new friends to help her uncover the surprising truth behind the mysterious bracelet.) ~ Blurb from Goodreads
I liked the dynamic between Charlie and Andy. Despite the fact that the siblings are only two years apart in age, there's this vast contrast in their maturity level. Andy has this very childish, cheeky personality and has more success in fitting into his new town and Charlie reacts in a "I'm above that and you should be too" kind of way that an older teen or adult might. But the way that they banter and the words that they use make them feel like real siblings.
Charlie's Dad was pretty enjoyable too. Despite not being around as much as he used to be when he was a stay at home dad, he's still quite upbeat and tries his best to stay involved in his kid's lives. He doesn't always get it right, but the effort is clearly there. Also, based on how he interacts with his kids, it's clear that he really loves them and loves spending time with them.
I have to say, the bracelet was pretty cool. Charlie acquires it in chapter seven from a box she got back at her old place and it basically allows the user to utilize the abilities of various animals while staying in human form. Not only is this a bit of a unique idea for a device, but the way its abilities are shown is great too. The novel clearly shows them (such as and ) but not to a point where it basically spells things out. Also, Honestly, I find this to be kind of an interesting because it implies that I also liked how consistent the novel is with it and how the bracelet's abilities are
But, aside from the bracelet, most of this novel's plot feels rather generic. Like, if someone has read at least one or two other "Kid moves to new place" stories, they've basically read this novel. Yes, the plot Now I do understand that this is intended for a middle grade audience, but here's the thing. The Evil Wizard Smallbone is intended for the exact same audience and came out the exact same year as this novel, yet it managed to really surprise me quite a few times without needing to drag itself out to accomplish it.
At times, Charlie was painfully stupid. For example, in chapter seven, Charlie opens the box and gets the bracelet. But she doesn't suspect that Also, despite Charlie having the same name as her dad, she never considers the possibility that No joke, it takes her until , to Charlie is twelve-years-old. I get that twelve-year-olds don't know everything about the world and can make some dumb mistakes. But, these moments of stupidity don't feel natural or logical. They feel like they were put there to pad out the novel and I don't understand why. This novel is, no joke, four hundred pages long. Most middle grade novels are sixty-four to one hundred and fifty pages long. Honestly, I don't think having would've caused the novel to be too short.
The ending was so cheap. Basically, Now, this ending can work, but here, it's like reaching the top of Mt. Everest after days and days of a laborious climb, getting punched in the face by a one thousand year old monk after he says, "Life is a disappointment", and being forced to endure a slow, painful death after the long fall down, even when begging the universe to end it all. In other words, it's a huge insult. Like, I don't think this was the author's intention, but it comes across like she's using as a crutch to get people to read the next book in the series rather than just telling a complete story that'll accomplish the same thing. Yes, this novel is part one of a trilogy. Based on the plot summaries of the next two novels in the series, combining this novel and novel number two into one novel would allow it to tell a complete story, with the third novel acting as the new part two of the series. Not every series needs to have three or more entries and this one is a prime example of that.
What really killed this novel for me, though, was the pacing. Not gonna lie, it's some of the worst I've ever seen. Even when the novel neared the halfway point, barely anything happened. Charlie adapted to her new town, Charlie discovered that she has powers, Charlie tested those powers with her friends, Maria and Mac, and there was a subplot involving two characters named Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Gray, but it popped up so infrequently, that it might as well have not even been there. I wouldn't have minded this so much if the characters got more development. Don't get me wrong. The characters do get a decent amount of development, including Kelly (who ). But for the amount of time the novel spends on the more mundane parts of the character's lives, I really expected way more. Speaking of expecting more, I also expected way more "Hero" moments as well. There are moments where Charlie uses her powers to save people (like when she ), but they're so sporadic. Sporadic to the point where the examples I just gave are in fact the only examples. I think there should've been at least a few more sprinkled throughout, with each scenario getting more difficult and forcing Charlie to push her brain and powers further and further toward their limit.
Overall, Going Wild certainly has some great characters and some creativity, but its god awful pacing, cheap ending, and over reliance on padding destroys its chances of being great and unfortunately turned me off from reading the rest of the series.
Overall Grade: D-
January 21, 2020
Well 3 stars for the actual story and the fourth one for the amazing cover!
The story takes time to build up pace but quite a ride! Of course since they're only 12yr olds they do have certain limitations so really it's more of a children's book then something for teenagers or adults but then again anyone who likes adventure stories will love this.
It's truly a superhero story just as Maria says!
The story takes time to build up pace but quite a ride! Of course since they're only 12yr olds they do have certain limitations so really it's more of a children's book then something for teenagers or adults but then again anyone who likes adventure stories will love this.
It's truly a superhero story just as Maria says!
December 10, 2024
book+plot were really good! writing style im particular abt and I didn't love all the "said" repetitiveness...it sorta brought me out of the book. it would've brought everything up a level if the dialogue was written a bit differentlyyyy
February 9, 2018
This was really fun - no great surprises, but engaging characters and plot :)
April 9, 2018
amazing, i cant wait to get the second book
April 16, 2019
Great cliffhanger ending!
October 16, 2016
I was supposed to read this book ages ago. As I got it from Edelweiss back in April, ack. And I was super excited about it. Yet I never started it. Hmph. Then I got a print ARC. Still didn't read it. But once my hardcover arrived, I knew I couldn't delay any longer. And I have finally read it now. I liked it a whole lot.
I'm giving this book three stars. I liked it a lot, yes, but I also didn't love it, and I had a few issues with it. Aw. Going to try to share all my feelings about it, but probably not writing too much about it. I'm not sure I have all the words. One thing I did love, though, was the writing. It was awesome. I adore Lisa so much.
I'm a bit behind in reading her seven book series, but planning on reading all of them soonish. I'm excited. Because fantasy books are more my thing, lol. And I did love the three books of those that I have read so far. But anyway. This one. I think one of the reasons for why I didn't love it is because it is set in present time, lol. And it wasn't fantasy at all. Aw. Sure, there was some magic powers, but from a bracelet, so no fantasy involved. Sad face. But even so, the story was pretty exciting. But yeah. I don't really like contemporary books, and this one really felt like one, just middle grade. There were so many school scenes. And small drama scenes. Ack. But it did have some sweet friendship scenes too, though I didn't fully love all of those. Still sweet.
But despite all of that, I liked the book a lot. I liked reading most of the school scenes, lol. And I did adore the main character. Charlie was simply awesome. I liked her a bunch. And I enjoyed reading about her and her life too. Her family was pretty great. And oh, I loved reading about the new place they just moved to. It seemed pretty awesome. But yeah, the book was a bit too boring for me at times, with the focus being so much on school. I hate school, lol. I felt like the plot picked up the most very close to the ending.
And then it ended. Hmph. The ending was exciting and pretty evil too and a cliffhanger. So rude. I liked it a whole bunch. I'm so curious about the next book in this series. Cannot wait to read it. I'm unsure what to say about the friends that Charlie makes. I'm not sure yet what I think of them. I liked Maria so much. She was adorable. And I did like Mac too. He was pretty sweet. But also pretty dumb. Which bothered me a bit. A bit sad there weren't even a hint of a romance anywhere in this book, lol. Might have wanted that.
But still. I think I liked her friends a lot. I'm just unsure, because some of the things they did I did not like. Mac made Charlie cry once. And he wasn't even sorry for it. She wasn't comforted. And that bothered me. I was expecting at least a hug. And did not get that. Hmph. I didn't like that Charlie was upset at all. It was pretty sad. Aw. And so I really wanted a hug scene. Oh, well. I'll live, lol. There are a few other okay characters in this book too. Kelly was pretty typical; the sort of mean girl. I ended up liking her, though.
I'm unsure about the plot in this book. The whole bracelet thing that Charlie gets that gives her power was pretty awesome to read about. But I felt like it was too little about it. I wanted more focus on all of that, lol. And I didn't like how she was always trying to take it off. Aw. But I loved the different powers that she got from wearing it. And figuring out how it all worked. It was interesting and fun. I'm unsure if I liked the fire scene. It felt a bit too much. Yet it was interesting to read about even so. Was written really well, though.
I'm not sure what else to say about this book, to be honest. Going Wild was a pretty great book. The writing was awesome. Charlie was adorable. The plot was exciting. But a lot of the book was boring as well. I felt like maybe half of it could have been cut, so that the book didn't end with the most exciting parts. I want to know what happens next right away, haha. But yeah. I'm glad I read this book. Wish I had loved it, but I'm happy that I enjoyed it. I do think you should all read this one. It is an interesting story.
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/1...
I'm giving this book three stars. I liked it a lot, yes, but I also didn't love it, and I had a few issues with it. Aw. Going to try to share all my feelings about it, but probably not writing too much about it. I'm not sure I have all the words. One thing I did love, though, was the writing. It was awesome. I adore Lisa so much.
I'm a bit behind in reading her seven book series, but planning on reading all of them soonish. I'm excited. Because fantasy books are more my thing, lol. And I did love the three books of those that I have read so far. But anyway. This one. I think one of the reasons for why I didn't love it is because it is set in present time, lol. And it wasn't fantasy at all. Aw. Sure, there was some magic powers, but from a bracelet, so no fantasy involved. Sad face. But even so, the story was pretty exciting. But yeah. I don't really like contemporary books, and this one really felt like one, just middle grade. There were so many school scenes. And small drama scenes. Ack. But it did have some sweet friendship scenes too, though I didn't fully love all of those. Still sweet.
But despite all of that, I liked the book a lot. I liked reading most of the school scenes, lol. And I did adore the main character. Charlie was simply awesome. I liked her a bunch. And I enjoyed reading about her and her life too. Her family was pretty great. And oh, I loved reading about the new place they just moved to. It seemed pretty awesome. But yeah, the book was a bit too boring for me at times, with the focus being so much on school. I hate school, lol. I felt like the plot picked up the most very close to the ending.
And then it ended. Hmph. The ending was exciting and pretty evil too and a cliffhanger. So rude. I liked it a whole bunch. I'm so curious about the next book in this series. Cannot wait to read it. I'm unsure what to say about the friends that Charlie makes. I'm not sure yet what I think of them. I liked Maria so much. She was adorable. And I did like Mac too. He was pretty sweet. But also pretty dumb. Which bothered me a bit. A bit sad there weren't even a hint of a romance anywhere in this book, lol. Might have wanted that.
But still. I think I liked her friends a lot. I'm just unsure, because some of the things they did I did not like. Mac made Charlie cry once. And he wasn't even sorry for it. She wasn't comforted. And that bothered me. I was expecting at least a hug. And did not get that. Hmph. I didn't like that Charlie was upset at all. It was pretty sad. Aw. And so I really wanted a hug scene. Oh, well. I'll live, lol. There are a few other okay characters in this book too. Kelly was pretty typical; the sort of mean girl. I ended up liking her, though.
I'm unsure about the plot in this book. The whole bracelet thing that Charlie gets that gives her power was pretty awesome to read about. But I felt like it was too little about it. I wanted more focus on all of that, lol. And I didn't like how she was always trying to take it off. Aw. But I loved the different powers that she got from wearing it. And figuring out how it all worked. It was interesting and fun. I'm unsure if I liked the fire scene. It felt a bit too much. Yet it was interesting to read about even so. Was written really well, though.
I'm not sure what else to say about this book, to be honest. Going Wild was a pretty great book. The writing was awesome. Charlie was adorable. The plot was exciting. But a lot of the book was boring as well. I felt like maybe half of it could have been cut, so that the book didn't end with the most exciting parts. I want to know what happens next right away, haha. But yeah. I'm glad I read this book. Wish I had loved it, but I'm happy that I enjoyed it. I do think you should all read this one. It is an interesting story.
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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2016/1...
September 18, 2023
4.5/5 Stars
Date Reviewed: 16 October 2016
This Review was first posted on It’s All Anthony. For more reviews, check out the blog here.
Another amazing book with amazing adventures by Lisa McMann. Perfect for Middle Grade Students, Fun for All Ages!
In Going Wild, tells the tale of Charlie Wilde and what happens after he family's move to Arizona. She discovers a bracelet with her name on after going through her belongings after settling into their new home. Assuming its one of those sport bracelets well-known athletes wears, she puts it on and quickly discovers there is something mysterious about it. In the search with her friends, they set out to discover the abilities behind the bracelet, and the history behind it for what it really is.
The Author
I picked this book because of the author obviously. I was first introduced to Lisa McMann by reading the entire The Unwanteds series and the first Wake book in the respective series. There is always something intriguing about her books, and always something creative. When this book was announced, it was already on my list to read. I even had it on pre-order to get it as soon as possible the it came out.
Originality Twist
So you probably have seen some story about animals and humans having abilities have certain animals. You would probably think that this book isn't original, just another story playing along with these animal super abilities. However, I believe these story has an original spun to it and felt original as I read along.
Wonderful Characters and Personalities
This was not a story where there was character that didn't have much personality to them or even having a little backstory to them. All the character had different personalities that stood them apart from each other, but went well with each other. Each character stood apart from each other and how there own time to shine in the story.
This book was just another one of an amazing job well done. The only part I wished there was more of was the bracelet. Although the bracelet was a main point of the story and a lot of information was told about it, there was just only two parts that I wished were explain more or experienced more. It didn't seem that it was used a lot or had enough time in the story. I just hope these two key details are going to be used more in the next book.
Overall, I could tell that this book is the perfect book for students in the middle-grade, but could also be a good book for all ages, even for families to share and read together.
Date Reviewed: 16 October 2016
This Review was first posted on It’s All Anthony. For more reviews, check out the blog here.
Another amazing book with amazing adventures by Lisa McMann. Perfect for Middle Grade Students, Fun for All Ages!
In Going Wild, tells the tale of Charlie Wilde and what happens after he family's move to Arizona. She discovers a bracelet with her name on after going through her belongings after settling into their new home. Assuming its one of those sport bracelets well-known athletes wears, she puts it on and quickly discovers there is something mysterious about it. In the search with her friends, they set out to discover the abilities behind the bracelet, and the history behind it for what it really is.
The Author
I picked this book because of the author obviously. I was first introduced to Lisa McMann by reading the entire The Unwanteds series and the first Wake book in the respective series. There is always something intriguing about her books, and always something creative. When this book was announced, it was already on my list to read. I even had it on pre-order to get it as soon as possible the it came out.
Originality Twist
So you probably have seen some story about animals and humans having abilities have certain animals. You would probably think that this book isn't original, just another story playing along with these animal super abilities. However, I believe these story has an original spun to it and felt original as I read along.
Wonderful Characters and Personalities
This was not a story where there was character that didn't have much personality to them or even having a little backstory to them. All the character had different personalities that stood them apart from each other, but went well with each other. Each character stood apart from each other and how there own time to shine in the story.
This book was just another one of an amazing job well done. The only part I wished there was more of was the bracelet. Although the bracelet was a main point of the story and a lot of information was told about it, there was just only two parts that I wished were explain more or experienced more. It didn't seem that it was used a lot or had enough time in the story. I just hope these two key details are going to be used more in the next book.
Overall, I could tell that this book is the perfect book for students in the middle-grade, but could also be a good book for all ages, even for families to share and read together.
October 7, 2021
One of the best books I have ever read.
August 28, 2018
Content: Mention of a divorce; two friends are teased about being girlfriend and boyfriend, including chants of "kiss the girl." Fighting, kidnapping, threats, beating, imprisonment, stealing. C**p three times.
Rating: 4 stars/I liked most of it
Rating Reason: Good characters, good plot, same world (almost), fair pacing. This was not my kind of book, but it was pretty good. The plot was well-woven, though the pacing was a little awkward to me. Solid cliffhanger and reveals, too.
Rating: 4 stars/I liked most of it
Rating Reason: Good characters, good plot, same world (almost), fair pacing. This was not my kind of book, but it was pretty good. The plot was well-woven, though the pacing was a little awkward to me. Solid cliffhanger and reveals, too.
June 14, 2016
Series opener establishes our heroine, Charlie Wilde, and her occasionally friend-drama-y gaggle of friends in her new Arizona school. I found this book and its premise less compelling than THE UNWANTEDS, but the end of the book left me asking some questions about what's going to happen next.
I think I'm going to read at least one more book into the series to see how things pan out. THE UNWANTEDS remains an easy seventh grade favorite series.
I think I'm going to read at least one more book into the series to see how things pan out. THE UNWANTEDS remains an easy seventh grade favorite series.
February 23, 2017
This is going to be another favorite McMann series! Beware, major cliff-hanger. I am not a fan of the black pages, but the kids seem just fine with them. I received my ARC courtesy of Lisa McMann!!!!
January 21, 2017
It was a great book, very interesting with twists and turns. Waiting for the next one!
June 27, 2025
Great middle grade action and adventure. The characters and plot are interesting and engaging enough that while it is intended for kids, it doesn't feel like a children's book reading it as an adult.
May 17, 2017
4.5
Reader thoughts: I thought I'd be reading a fast, MG book with lots of shouting and magic and little depth. Not so!
To my pleasant surprise, GW focuses a lot on friendship and family. I'd almost think that was the main plot. The book starts a lot like the beginning of Inside Out (movie), with a 12-year-old girl moving and feeling utterly homesick. Her parents are suddenly at work all the time, and her younger brother isn't sympathetic. The first student she meets at school turns out to be a gossip. What can she do?
Then Charlie finds a special bracelet, tries out for the soccer team, builds sets in theater class, and starts saving lives.
Many of the elements here are not new. There's a secret government organization with mad scientists and experimental technology that gives super powers and has something to do with animals and DNA. This is so familiar I can't even name all the books this copies, but Maximum Ride would be the first.
However, there are a lot of new elements. This book is about only a twelve-year-old, and she's not a martial arts expert, and she never has to run from home or get chased across the country. She's at school. She's learning how to be a better friend and sister and daughter. She has sleepovers, and she and her friends talk about more than just the bracelet's powers or how to get it off. It's like they have a real life or something.
Writer thoughts: There were a few pov shifts. Every now and then, once a chapter or so, one or two sentences would be from someone else's pov (not Charlie's). Why? Maybe it's supposed to add depth to the story by giving readers another angle. They were pulled off well, I'll admit. There were just enough of them to know they weren't accidental. There were just few enough of them (and short enough as they were) that they didn't pull away from the story or jar me out of it.
In fact, when I picked up the book halfway through, I forgot I wasn't reading a first person story. The pov follows Charlie close enough that I thought she was the narrator.
Reader thoughts: I thought I'd be reading a fast, MG book with lots of shouting and magic and little depth. Not so!
To my pleasant surprise, GW focuses a lot on friendship and family. I'd almost think that was the main plot. The book starts a lot like the beginning of Inside Out (movie), with a 12-year-old girl moving and feeling utterly homesick. Her parents are suddenly at work all the time, and her younger brother isn't sympathetic. The first student she meets at school turns out to be a gossip. What can she do?
Then Charlie finds a special bracelet, tries out for the soccer team, builds sets in theater class, and starts saving lives.
Many of the elements here are not new. There's a secret government organization with mad scientists and experimental technology that gives super powers and has something to do with animals and DNA. This is so familiar I can't even name all the books this copies, but Maximum Ride would be the first.
However, there are a lot of new elements. This book is about only a twelve-year-old, and she's not a martial arts expert, and she never has to run from home or get chased across the country. She's at school. She's learning how to be a better friend and sister and daughter. She has sleepovers, and she and her friends talk about more than just the bracelet's powers or how to get it off. It's like they have a real life or something.
Writer thoughts: There were a few pov shifts. Every now and then, once a chapter or so, one or two sentences would be from someone else's pov (not Charlie's). Why? Maybe it's supposed to add depth to the story by giving readers another angle. They were pulled off well, I'll admit. There were just enough of them to know they weren't accidental. There were just few enough of them (and short enough as they were) that they didn't pull away from the story or jar me out of it.
In fact, when I picked up the book halfway through, I forgot I wasn't reading a first person story. The pov follows Charlie close enough that I thought she was the narrator.
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