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Wild
Zack Ramos is training for two things: being a parent to his twelve-year-old sister once his mother's early-onset Alzheimer's (the same kind he and his sister each have a 50% chance of developing--but let's not think about that) progresses too far, and running a one hundred mile race through the mountains of Tennessee. His support system is longtime girlfriend Jordan Jonas, who's sweet, sarcastic, and entirely virtual. They've been talking for years but still have never met in person. Because Jordan, it turns out, was still waiting for the right time to tell him that she's Deaf.
The revelation brings them closer together, and Zack throws himself into learning sign language and trying to navigate their way through their different cultures. But with the stress of a tumultuous relationship, a new language, a sick mother, and his uncertain future, there's going to be a breaking point...and it might be out there in the Tennessee wild.
From the author of critically-acclaimed books like TEETH, BREAK, and A HISTORY OF GLITTER AND BLOOD comes a story about what happens when love takes you off the beaten track...way, way off.
The revelation brings them closer together, and Zack throws himself into learning sign language and trying to navigate their way through their different cultures. But with the stress of a tumultuous relationship, a new language, a sick mother, and his uncertain future, there's going to be a breaking point...and it might be out there in the Tennessee wild.
From the author of critically-acclaimed books like TEETH, BREAK, and A HISTORY OF GLITTER AND BLOOD comes a story about what happens when love takes you off the beaten track...way, way off.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2017
7 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Moskowitz
26 books1,866 followersHannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. It was disqualified for violence. Her first book, BREAK, was on the ALA's 2010 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and in 2013, GONE, GONE, GONE received a Stonewall Honor. 2015's NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED was named the YA Bisexual Book of the Year. SICK KIDS IN LOVE was a Sydney Taylor Honoree, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and one of both Kirkus and Tablet Magazine's Best Books of the year. She lives in Maryland with several cats, none of whom are violent.
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April 19, 2017I wrote this book! It means a great deal to me and I hope you read it.
The playlist:
The Sound of Settling--Death Cab for Cutie
Every Inambition--The Trews
Just Haven't Met You Yet--Twisted Measure
Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)--Deaf West Spring Awakening
Kanye--The Chainsmokers
Delirious Love--Neil Diamond
Long Division--Death Cab for Cutie
Fill My Little World--The Feeling
Life Less Ordinary--Carbon Leaf
Last of the American Girls/She's a Rebel--American Idiot Soundtrack
Riot Girl--Good Charlotte
Bad Idea--Motion City Soundtrack
You Are a Tourist--Death Cab for Cutie
The First Five Times--Stars
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes--Paul Simon
Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home--Begin Again Soundtrack
Out of the Woods--Taylor Swift
Better with You--Kris Allen
She Got the Honey--Mat Kearney
Indestructible--Robyn
When You're Around--Motion City Soundtrack
Shattered (Turn the Car Around)--O.A.R.
Strange--The Feeling
Billion--Mat Kearney
Might Tell You Tonight--Scissor Sisters
Time Turned Fragile--Motion City Soundtrack
We Dance to the Beat--Robyn
Heartbeat--Mat Kearney
Older Chests--Damien Rice
Together We'll Ring in the New Year--Motion City Soundtrack
Dance Music--The Mountain Goats
Hate Me--Blue October
This Fire--Franz Ferdinand
Run--Snow Patrol
Homecoming--Green Day
When My Boy Walks Down the Street--The Magnetic Fields
Lonelily--Damien Rice
If Ever I Stray--Frank Turner
The playlist:
The Sound of Settling--Death Cab for Cutie
Every Inambition--The Trews
Just Haven't Met You Yet--Twisted Measure
Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise)--Deaf West Spring Awakening
Kanye--The Chainsmokers
Delirious Love--Neil Diamond
Long Division--Death Cab for Cutie
Fill My Little World--The Feeling
Life Less Ordinary--Carbon Leaf
Last of the American Girls/She's a Rebel--American Idiot Soundtrack
Riot Girl--Good Charlotte
Bad Idea--Motion City Soundtrack
You Are a Tourist--Death Cab for Cutie
The First Five Times--Stars
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes--Paul Simon
Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home--Begin Again Soundtrack
Out of the Woods--Taylor Swift
Better with You--Kris Allen
She Got the Honey--Mat Kearney
Indestructible--Robyn
When You're Around--Motion City Soundtrack
Shattered (Turn the Car Around)--O.A.R.
Strange--The Feeling
Billion--Mat Kearney
Might Tell You Tonight--Scissor Sisters
Time Turned Fragile--Motion City Soundtrack
We Dance to the Beat--Robyn
Heartbeat--Mat Kearney
Older Chests--Damien Rice
Together We'll Ring in the New Year--Motion City Soundtrack
Dance Music--The Mountain Goats
Hate Me--Blue October
This Fire--Franz Ferdinand
Run--Snow Patrol
Homecoming--Green Day
When My Boy Walks Down the Street--The Magnetic Fields
Lonelily--Damien Rice
If Ever I Stray--Frank Turner
August 9, 2017
I love this book a whole lot. It's beautiful and painful and realistic; no one in this book is perfect, except they're all perfect because I love them, fight me. I don't think I've ever read a romance like Zack and Jordan's— one where they've been mostly-together since before the book starts but still have a long way to go. They have problems, they have fights, and Zack fucks up more than once. But the way they're willing to fight for each other, even as they recognize that hearing/Deaf relationships rarely work out, makes you need to keep reading. (And you learn so much about ASL and Deaf culture from this book, I think you can tell how much Hannah Moskowitz was committed to getting Jordan's character right.)
I didn't even think I would like the plot of this book a lot, to be honest. I thought I was reading it because there's a Deaf, bi, Jewish love interest, and for a hard of hearing bi Jew like me that sounds... AMAZING. But I did end up loving everything about Wild, not just Jordan in particular. Zack's goal of running this wild, ridiculous, dangerous race ended up being just as important to me as it was to him and I think Moskowitz worked it into the book perfectly. The ending was just what it needed to be.
And the characters? The characters! This isn't a book where the romance takes over everything, Zack and Jordan still have other friends and their relationships with them are important to the story. The conversations and issues Zack has with his friends feel realistic, sometimes fun and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately about not cutting the people who want to help you out of your life. Plus family is really important to the story, since a lot of the pressure on Zack comes from his mother's Alzheimer's progressing further and feeling responsible for his sister.
(A moment of admiration for Gin Ramos, please: snarky, hilarious, twelve-year-old lesbian extraordinaire. How often do we get to see young kids who know they aren't straight and aren't told they're too young to know that? Being LGBTQ+ isn't "mature" or NSFW, it's for kids like Gin too.)
Also, this book is funny. Gay humor (well, bi humor specifically usually) at its best. Have I ranted enough? I think I have. Read Wild, please!
I didn't even think I would like the plot of this book a lot, to be honest. I thought I was reading it because there's a Deaf, bi, Jewish love interest, and for a hard of hearing bi Jew like me that sounds... AMAZING. But I did end up loving everything about Wild, not just Jordan in particular. Zack's goal of running this wild, ridiculous, dangerous race ended up being just as important to me as it was to him and I think Moskowitz worked it into the book perfectly. The ending was just what it needed to be.
And the characters? The characters! This isn't a book where the romance takes over everything, Zack and Jordan still have other friends and their relationships with them are important to the story. The conversations and issues Zack has with his friends feel realistic, sometimes fun and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately about not cutting the people who want to help you out of your life. Plus family is really important to the story, since a lot of the pressure on Zack comes from his mother's Alzheimer's progressing further and feeling responsible for his sister.
(A moment of admiration for Gin Ramos, please: snarky, hilarious, twelve-year-old lesbian extraordinaire. How often do we get to see young kids who know they aren't straight and aren't told they're too young to know that? Being LGBTQ+ isn't "mature" or NSFW, it's for kids like Gin too.)
Also, this book is funny. Gay humor (well, bi humor specifically usually) at its best. Have I ranted enough? I think I have. Read Wild, please!
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October 17, 2017Wild follows Zach, a Filipino-American runner whose mother suffers from Alzheimer’s. When he discovers that his girlfriend Jordan – who he met on the internet – is Deaf, Zach is exposed to a different world. Both Zach and Jordan have to deal with what being in a Deaf/hearing relationship might mean for them. Wild manages to be a lighthearted romance, which is both funny and clever. It heavily features sign language, which is not something you often find in books – or elsewhere – and was pretty refreshing to read.
— Adiba Jaigirdar
from The Best Books We Read In May 2017: https://bookriot.com/2017/06/02/riot-...
— Adiba Jaigirdar
from The Best Books We Read In May 2017: https://bookriot.com/2017/06/02/riot-...
March 15, 2018
After reading 'Teeth' by this author, the bottomless, perpetually hungry monster in my head that feeds exclusively on good books went 'More like this' and so I ended up picking up the most recent Moskowitz novel (need to keep monster in my head happy).
This was similar to Teeth in the sense that the adolescent protagonist is cast by circumstance in a care-taker role because of illness in the family, and tries bravely to live up to that responsibility but can't help resenting it as well. What's different is that the note of hopefulness felt a lot less ambivalent. Funnily enough Teeth as a fantasy had a lot more of harsh realism going on.
So, Zach's 17 going on 18, his Mom is quickly deteriorating from 100% hereditary kind of Alzheimer's (which he and his little sister have 50% chance of having inherited themselves), his dad had bailed out sometime previously, and Zach is coping by running ultramarathons and training for a beyond-ultra-marathon. It's a shame that this doesn't read at all like a sports book - Zach's running is mostly statistics and there's virtually nothing on the actual running experience (if that's your angle, I would recommend Once A Runner by John L. Parker). What we can glean about the psychology of long distance running is mostly told implicitly.
That said, by far the best part for me was the (romantic) relationship development between Zach & Jordan. Jordan is Deaf, and she freaking owns it. She lives immersed in Deaf culture and community and Zach is a bit of an exception in her life - and he works very hard to become part of that world for her, and his experience with learning ASL is very exciting to read about (it's an entirely different level of 'foreign' in foreign language learning). To be honest, at first I found Jordan rather frustrating as she seemed to expect Zach to be the only one working hard to cross barriers and relatively unwilling to adjust herself to his hearing part of life, but midway through I started realising just how much s**t Jordan has to deal with every day because of pervasive ableism and how it's always on her to communicate in an essentially foreign language with the hearing people, and I started to see her point of view a lot more.
Why do people think that having a safe space means I have no idea what's going on outside of it? she says. Do you really think there's a risk that I'm going to forget that the world is run by hearing people, because I'm at a Deaf school?
Well when you put in that way Jordan, I kind of feel like an asshole (me and Zach both). This is such a beautiful example of how disability is constructed not by individual deficiencies but by social environments.
Once she begins to trust Zach more, she really comes through for him too, all the way. And Zach will need all the love and support he can get.
This was similar to Teeth in the sense that the adolescent protagonist is cast by circumstance in a care-taker role because of illness in the family, and tries bravely to live up to that responsibility but can't help resenting it as well. What's different is that the note of hopefulness felt a lot less ambivalent. Funnily enough Teeth as a fantasy had a lot more of harsh realism going on.
So, Zach's 17 going on 18, his Mom is quickly deteriorating from 100% hereditary kind of Alzheimer's (which he and his little sister have 50% chance of having inherited themselves), his dad had bailed out sometime previously, and Zach is coping by running ultramarathons and training for a beyond-ultra-marathon. It's a shame that this doesn't read at all like a sports book - Zach's running is mostly statistics and there's virtually nothing on the actual running experience (if that's your angle, I would recommend Once A Runner by John L. Parker). What we can glean about the psychology of long distance running is mostly told implicitly.
That said, by far the best part for me was the (romantic) relationship development between Zach & Jordan. Jordan is Deaf, and she freaking owns it. She lives immersed in Deaf culture and community and Zach is a bit of an exception in her life - and he works very hard to become part of that world for her, and his experience with learning ASL is very exciting to read about (it's an entirely different level of 'foreign' in foreign language learning). To be honest, at first I found Jordan rather frustrating as she seemed to expect Zach to be the only one working hard to cross barriers and relatively unwilling to adjust herself to his hearing part of life, but midway through I started realising just how much s**t Jordan has to deal with every day because of pervasive ableism and how it's always on her to communicate in an essentially foreign language with the hearing people, and I started to see her point of view a lot more.
Why do people think that having a safe space means I have no idea what's going on outside of it? she says. Do you really think there's a risk that I'm going to forget that the world is run by hearing people, because I'm at a Deaf school?
Well when you put in that way Jordan, I kind of feel like an asshole (me and Zach both). This is such a beautiful example of how disability is constructed not by individual deficiencies but by social environments.
Once she begins to trust Zach more, she really comes through for him too, all the way. And Zach will need all the love and support he can get.
May 17, 2017
This book was so, so wonderful. I seem to be reading more romances now & it's because I've discovered writers that don't make it awful & awkward to read. Hannah made this book so real that I didn't cringe once... It was so much more than just a romance though.
I really loved this book because it taught me stuff, & anyone who follows my reviews will know that I love to learn through fiction. It's my thing. I knew a lot less about sign language & deaf life than I thought I did & it's made me realise that I absolutely need to teach myself more about it.
Another reason this book was brilliant was because everything was natural & real. I worry that some books that are truly diverse may feel forced, but despite all of the diverse issues included in the book it didn't feel at all forced. The characters were just real people living real lives with real problems; none of that perfect-life rubbish you normally get in fiction.
Hannah's writing was also wonderful. I've been meaning to read one of her books for so, so long (and I'm an awful person for it taking this long) & I'm really happy I picked this one to break my exam season revision ban; I broke the ban as I was in hospital & this story really helped me through all the waiting for test results.
Basically, I really loved this book & my only criticism is that it wasn't long enough! I'd love it if Hannah wrote a sequel so I can know what happens next; I want to be a part of these character's lives... I want to make sure that they're all going to be okay. I'd also really love to hug them.
This is the kind of book everyone needs to read because it teaches the reader really important things & because Hannah is a fabulous person that deserves an incredible career.
I really loved this book because it taught me stuff, & anyone who follows my reviews will know that I love to learn through fiction. It's my thing. I knew a lot less about sign language & deaf life than I thought I did & it's made me realise that I absolutely need to teach myself more about it.
Another reason this book was brilliant was because everything was natural & real. I worry that some books that are truly diverse may feel forced, but despite all of the diverse issues included in the book it didn't feel at all forced. The characters were just real people living real lives with real problems; none of that perfect-life rubbish you normally get in fiction.
Hannah's writing was also wonderful. I've been meaning to read one of her books for so, so long (and I'm an awful person for it taking this long) & I'm really happy I picked this one to break my exam season revision ban; I broke the ban as I was in hospital & this story really helped me through all the waiting for test results.
Basically, I really loved this book & my only criticism is that it wasn't long enough! I'd love it if Hannah wrote a sequel so I can know what happens next; I want to be a part of these character's lives... I want to make sure that they're all going to be okay. I'd also really love to hug them.
This is the kind of book everyone needs to read because it teaches the reader really important things & because Hannah is a fabulous person that deserves an incredible career.
September 9, 2017
SHIT Y'ALL I LOVE THIS STORY!!!!!
Ok now that I've slept on this book I can actually review it lmao.
Superficial criticisms:
If Jordan grew up in a speaking household....that means English would have been her first language. She had to learn ASL. She wouldn't have to do those little translations she does when she reads Zach's texts.
While it helped answer some sad questions, Zach's moment of confusion towards the end of the book was completely unnecessary--it didn't add anything to the ending, I REALLY HOPED she would bring it back in a HUGE WAY during the race, but no. Just one moment of confusion. I get why it's in there but, not really worth it?
Largest criticism:
So, the author is clearly very aware of different social justice issues. I don't understand why Jordan's desire to enclose herself in Deaf culture & around Deaf people is handled the way that it is.
Part of it, definitely, is Zach's constant worry about her, which, fine! Great! And there's almost some closure when she really takes charge in the hospital: Zach can see that she's able to handle herself in a hearing world very competently. Awesome.
But her desire to avoid hearing culture isn't really...talked about with much empathy? I never felt like Zach really listened to her, or cared to understood why she felt that way. Jordan's life would be constantly exhausting around hearing people, and she has every right to protect herself from a world that tears her down, that exhausts her. I felt that that part of Jordan's life was really downplayed, and I wanted it to be explored much more.
THAT SAID THIS BOOK IS PRESH AND MADE ME FEEL....SO MANY THINGS! Still 5 stars.
Ok now that I've slept on this book I can actually review it lmao.
Superficial criticisms:
If Jordan grew up in a speaking household....that means English would have been her first language. She had to learn ASL. She wouldn't have to do those little translations she does when she reads Zach's texts.
While it helped answer some sad questions, Zach's moment of confusion towards the end of the book was completely unnecessary--it didn't add anything to the ending, I REALLY HOPED she would bring it back in a HUGE WAY during the race, but no. Just one moment of confusion. I get why it's in there but, not really worth it?
Largest criticism:
So, the author is clearly very aware of different social justice issues. I don't understand why Jordan's desire to enclose herself in Deaf culture & around Deaf people is handled the way that it is.
Part of it, definitely, is Zach's constant worry about her, which, fine! Great! And there's almost some closure when she really takes charge in the hospital: Zach can see that she's able to handle herself in a hearing world very competently. Awesome.
But her desire to avoid hearing culture isn't really...talked about with much empathy? I never felt like Zach really listened to her, or cared to understood why she felt that way. Jordan's life would be constantly exhausting around hearing people, and she has every right to protect herself from a world that tears her down, that exhausts her. I felt that that part of Jordan's life was really downplayed, and I wanted it to be explored much more.
THAT SAID THIS BOOK IS PRESH AND MADE ME FEEL....SO MANY THINGS! Still 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2017
The first book I've read in days and I adored it! First of all I love reading and learning about different disabilities, not in a rude weird way, but in this isn't my experience and I could learn so much from it. Jordan is so funny and as a Deaf character something I'm completely new too. This is actually my second book this year reading from the perspective of Deaf characters. This had a lot of the same lessons as You're Welcome, Universe with D, capital letter Deaf, ASL is it's on language, respect others. One thing I really liked seeing and reading was don't apologize for being who you are. At first I thought Jordan was kind of mean because she refused to have anything to do with Zack's family but I got why and she overcame it and was willing to step outside of her comfort zone for him. Zack's story was really personal for me and I think it's why I kept reading when everything else I've picked up has just made me want to throw all my books away, it's been a rough week. Anyways, his mother is suffering from early onset Alzheimer's and she's in a stage where she can't remember her kids barely so little things seem impossible. It's incredibly sad and moving, my grandmother is currently going through something similar and it breaks my heart to pieces to see and read it. I understand how he just wasn't coping with it at all because life is hard. He had a sister he's taking care of at 19 and trying to make it through life and it honestly seems like an impossible task sometimes. I loved his dedication to make it so much he was willing to work a job he didn't want to help those who mattered to him. All around it was fun and fantastic, emotionally charged, all the feels, but worth every page read. I adore love stories, even with ambiguous endings.
April 27, 2017
Fam. This book. Okay, fine, you want coherenter thoughts. Here you go.
WILD was amazing, like holy shit. The characters were so well developed. Every character felt like they could be a legit person. Especially Zack, Jordan, and my smol baby, Gin. The plot flowed so well that I couldn't even like pick out the specific acts and stuff. I legit wish the book never ended.
The book was also super duper diverse and had lots of #ownvoices aspects. Both Zack and Jordan are bi and Jordan is also Jewish. But, for non ownvoices diversity, Zack is Filipino (I think) and Jordan is Deaf.
Back to the characters being well developed, near the end of the book, Zack gets really anxious and the scene was so well written that I started absorbing his emotions, which rarely happens.
I would definitely recommend this book to every sing person in the universe.
Also posted on: www.bookishlythinking.com
WILD was amazing, like holy shit. The characters were so well developed. Every character felt like they could be a legit person. Especially Zack, Jordan, and my smol baby, Gin. The plot flowed so well that I couldn't even like pick out the specific acts and stuff. I legit wish the book never ended.
The book was also super duper diverse and had lots of #ownvoices aspects. Both Zack and Jordan are bi and Jordan is also Jewish. But, for non ownvoices diversity, Zack is Filipino (I think) and Jordan is Deaf.
Back to the characters being well developed, near the end of the book, Zack gets really anxious and the scene was so well written that I started absorbing his emotions, which rarely happens.
I would definitely recommend this book to every sing person in the universe.
Also posted on: www.bookishlythinking.com
October 29, 2017
So fucking good :’) this author really has a way with portraying family relationships. Jordan and Zach are the best couple- no illusions about their struggles as a Deaf/hearing pair OR as a long distance one OR as queer poc (both bisexual, Jordan- jewish + Guatemalan, Zach- Filipino). They’re so real.
Cw: parent with alzheimers, brief physical assault
Cw: parent with alzheimers, brief physical assault
May 7, 2017
Since it was announced, I was looking forward to reading Wild but I have to say this novel is so much more than I expected.
Zack Ramos finally meets Jordan, the girl he has been dating online for three years, and learns she's Deaf. Between taking care of his mom who has early-onset Alzheimer's and training for an ultramarathon, Zack has figure out how to make this still-long-distance-but-now-in-person relationship work.
Wild is a character-driven story, so it's the type of story I love. Throughout the novel, Zack is not only working on his relationship work with Jordan, but he is also trying to find a balance between caregiving for his family and finding time for his close friends as they make the transition from high school to adulthood. All of the conversations, especially the arguments, in Wild feel so real and honest. For such a short amount of pages, the characters are well-developed and given a lot of depth.
I originally was drawn to Wild because I heard it had two bisexual characters in a relationship, and I really enjoyed Zack and Jordan's relationship. None of their conflicts ever felt forced, but developed naturally from the story. We get to Zack's friends as well as Jordan's friends, who are vibrant characters on their own. There's multiple Deaf characters along with Jordan, showing how diverse the Deaf community is. Zack and Jordan are also not the only characters who are LGBTQ+. There is also a gay character who is middle school-aged, which I think is amazing.
But while I picked this book up for the bisexual representation and Deaf representation, I stayed for the portrayal of a teen caregiver. Zack does his best to take care of his mom and his younger sister while trying to attend community college while his friends are going away to college. The conversations he has with his sister about who should be her legal guardian were so emotional read. I didn't expect this book to be so emotional, but damn, this felt so raw.
My one complaint about this novel is that feels too short. I wanted to spend more time with Zack and Jordan and their families before the end. But overall, that's a small complaint.
Everything else about Wild worked for me though. It's a relatively small story about how life doesn't always turn out how we expect but we still have to keep moving forward. So many parts of this book reminded me of my own high school experiences in unexpected ways. I can see why so many people recommend Moskowitz and I will have to pick up more of her books.
I recommend Wild to readers who looking for a moving contemporary YA read!
Rating: ★★★★
Zack Ramos finally meets Jordan, the girl he has been dating online for three years, and learns she's Deaf. Between taking care of his mom who has early-onset Alzheimer's and training for an ultramarathon, Zack has figure out how to make this still-long-distance-but-now-in-person relationship work.
Wild is a character-driven story, so it's the type of story I love. Throughout the novel, Zack is not only working on his relationship work with Jordan, but he is also trying to find a balance between caregiving for his family and finding time for his close friends as they make the transition from high school to adulthood. All of the conversations, especially the arguments, in Wild feel so real and honest. For such a short amount of pages, the characters are well-developed and given a lot of depth.
I originally was drawn to Wild because I heard it had two bisexual characters in a relationship, and I really enjoyed Zack and Jordan's relationship. None of their conflicts ever felt forced, but developed naturally from the story. We get to Zack's friends as well as Jordan's friends, who are vibrant characters on their own. There's multiple Deaf characters along with Jordan, showing how diverse the Deaf community is. Zack and Jordan are also not the only characters who are LGBTQ+. There is also a gay character who is middle school-aged, which I think is amazing.
But while I picked this book up for the bisexual representation and Deaf representation, I stayed for the portrayal of a teen caregiver. Zack does his best to take care of his mom and his younger sister while trying to attend community college while his friends are going away to college. The conversations he has with his sister about who should be her legal guardian were so emotional read. I didn't expect this book to be so emotional, but damn, this felt so raw.
My one complaint about this novel is that feels too short. I wanted to spend more time with Zack and Jordan and their families before the end. But overall, that's a small complaint.
Everything else about Wild worked for me though. It's a relatively small story about how life doesn't always turn out how we expect but we still have to keep moving forward. So many parts of this book reminded me of my own high school experiences in unexpected ways. I can see why so many people recommend Moskowitz and I will have to pick up more of her books.
I recommend Wild to readers who looking for a moving contemporary YA read!
Rating: ★★★★
May 1, 2017
This book is from a genre that is not usually my jam, yet somehow it got under my skin and latched onto my brain. It's been days since I finished reading it, and I've still been pondering plot points and fidgeting with the characters like they're a favorite stim toy. I will definitely reread at some point, because right now it's been days and my most coherence response to "Wild" is still mostly "Wow."
Of note: I tend to prefer my light reading have at least one (1) or more dragons, Fae, changelings who don't know they're Fae yet, or alternatively really well done historical fiction. This book was none of those things and yet it was just what I needed. It's a very character driven story, which I enjoyed but is not for everyone. The setting was also obviously woven into the narrative by someone who'd done their research. Still, "Wild" is more about self-discovery and relationships than some epic disaster. There are epic disasters, don't get me wrong, but they're the mundane kind of caring for a parent with Alzheimer's vs swashbuckling.
This is a very good book if you need a story about picking yourself up and moving on when life didn't turn out like you expected.
Also, the reason I picked it up in the first place: the diverse characters. I was really excited to see an explicitly M/F bisexual couple, because bisexual erasure is real. Also, I am not Deaf or HoH but am in a relationship with someone who is HoH and am learning ASL (though more slowly than the book's MC). From what I could tell, the book was respectful and covered a lot of common Deaf/hearing relationship issues without reducing the characters to tropes.
I also really appreciated that we as readers never find out the source of the love interest's Deafness. I don't think it's important to her as a character: she's Deaf. But I know from personal experience that people who don't fit societal ideas of what bodies "should" be often face invasive questions about what caused our differences followed quickly by suggestions for "cures." I appreciated that these characters didn't have to rehash that conversation yet again.
I am running out of energy for words and I haven't even covered all the diversity angles but I'm just going to kind of grunt that it was good and you should really read it.
Also, showing vulnerability within male friendships? We really need more of that too, omg it was all just so great.
Of note: I tend to prefer my light reading have at least one (1) or more dragons, Fae, changelings who don't know they're Fae yet, or alternatively really well done historical fiction. This book was none of those things and yet it was just what I needed. It's a very character driven story, which I enjoyed but is not for everyone. The setting was also obviously woven into the narrative by someone who'd done their research. Still, "Wild" is more about self-discovery and relationships than some epic disaster. There are epic disasters, don't get me wrong, but they're the mundane kind of caring for a parent with Alzheimer's vs swashbuckling.
This is a very good book if you need a story about picking yourself up and moving on when life didn't turn out like you expected.
Also, the reason I picked it up in the first place: the diverse characters. I was really excited to see an explicitly M/F bisexual couple, because bisexual erasure is real. Also, I am not Deaf or HoH but am in a relationship with someone who is HoH and am learning ASL (though more slowly than the book's MC). From what I could tell, the book was respectful and covered a lot of common Deaf/hearing relationship issues without reducing the characters to tropes.
I also really appreciated that we as readers never find out the source of the love interest's Deafness. I don't think it's important to her as a character: she's Deaf. But I know from personal experience that people who don't fit societal ideas of what bodies "should" be often face invasive questions about what caused our differences followed quickly by suggestions for "cures." I appreciated that these characters didn't have to rehash that conversation yet again.
I am running out of energy for words and I haven't even covered all the diversity angles but I'm just going to kind of grunt that it was good and you should really read it.
Also, showing vulnerability within male friendships? We really need more of that too, omg it was all just so great.
August 6, 2017
Check out my full review on my blog, The Story Salve.
Wild follows high school graduate Zack, who’s training for a 100-mile marathon while caring for his 12-year-old sister and their mom as she deteriorates from her early-onset Alzheimers.
There’s so much to love about this book, but I’m going to keep this brief (for now). Somethings I loved about this:
* natural diversity: Zack is Filipino and his girlfriend Jordan is a Deaf Jewish/Guatemalan
* romance about an existing relationship between a bi girl and a bi guy: I can’t express how much I personally needed this rep and I know I’m not the only one
* honest representation of life after high school: reminds us that not everyone can finish high school and go straight to college—and that’s okay
* heartbreaking portrayal of life with an Alzheimer’s parent: we see Zack struggle with the responsibility & he’s not a cardboard hero about it
* running as metaphor: Zack wants to escape his family situation, but it’s also a growth experience for him in that it’s a personal challenge that he (attempts to) overcome
* hearing readers can learn about Deaf culture through Zack’s eyes: I loved his comments on the differences between ASL and English
I honestly couldn’t find anything that I didn’t like about this book. I loved the complexities of the characters and their personal struggles. The romance was adorable and realistic—we need more books that show the realities of being in a long-term relationship. While I can’t speak for the accuracy of the Deaf rep, as I’m not Deaf, it’s clear that Hannah Moskowitz did her research.
Overall, this is a wonderful, fast-paced read with wonderful characters. Highly recommend.
Wild follows high school graduate Zack, who’s training for a 100-mile marathon while caring for his 12-year-old sister and their mom as she deteriorates from her early-onset Alzheimers.
There’s so much to love about this book, but I’m going to keep this brief (for now). Somethings I loved about this:
* natural diversity: Zack is Filipino and his girlfriend Jordan is a Deaf Jewish/Guatemalan
* romance about an existing relationship between a bi girl and a bi guy: I can’t express how much I personally needed this rep and I know I’m not the only one
* honest representation of life after high school: reminds us that not everyone can finish high school and go straight to college—and that’s okay
* heartbreaking portrayal of life with an Alzheimer’s parent: we see Zack struggle with the responsibility & he’s not a cardboard hero about it
* running as metaphor: Zack wants to escape his family situation, but it’s also a growth experience for him in that it’s a personal challenge that he (attempts to) overcome
* hearing readers can learn about Deaf culture through Zack’s eyes: I loved his comments on the differences between ASL and English
I honestly couldn’t find anything that I didn’t like about this book. I loved the complexities of the characters and their personal struggles. The romance was adorable and realistic—we need more books that show the realities of being in a long-term relationship. While I can’t speak for the accuracy of the Deaf rep, as I’m not Deaf, it’s clear that Hannah Moskowitz did her research.
Overall, this is a wonderful, fast-paced read with wonderful characters. Highly recommend.
June 25, 2017
This was adorable. Read my full review here!
August 13, 2017
Hannah escreve muuuito bem, uma construção incrível dos personagens, pela primeira vez na minha vida tô triste que um livro não faz parte de um série. E pra manter o hábito, esse livro contém:
- Representatividade bi e lésbica
- Lida com Alzheimer de uma forma que me pareceu super realista
- Cultura Surda
- Pessoas miscigenadas
- Representatividade bi e lésbica
- Lida com Alzheimer de uma forma que me pareceu super realista
- Cultura Surda
- Pessoas miscigenadas
August 17, 2017
Another fantastic story from Hannah Moskowitz. I devour her books in a few hours every time I stumble upon a new one and this one was no exception. Her characters are so diverse, so complex, she never uses the same tropes, her dialogue is snappy and fun, and her stories are really engaging.
This book deals with a ton of stuff with ease (Deaf-culture, losing a parent, growing up too fast, friendships changing and the struggles of being different), but my absolute favorite part has to be the connection between Zack and his sister Gin. They were so, so great together, their struggles with their mom, with life rang so true, I believe I liked those parts even better than the romance between Zack and Jordan. I loved Zack's character, he was mature and loving and determined, while still having his own faults.
I think just like her previous book "3", this title was self-published as well, and just like that book, this one had quite a few spelling errors, missing words, character name mishaps and so on. It's not jarring or anything, but it would have benefited from a few more read-throughs. But I'm willing to deal with that, if it means we get more books from the author.
4.5 stars from me.
This book deals with a ton of stuff with ease (Deaf-culture, losing a parent, growing up too fast, friendships changing and the struggles of being different), but my absolute favorite part has to be the connection between Zack and his sister Gin. They were so, so great together, their struggles with their mom, with life rang so true, I believe I liked those parts even better than the romance between Zack and Jordan. I loved Zack's character, he was mature and loving and determined, while still having his own faults.
I think just like her previous book "3", this title was self-published as well, and just like that book, this one had quite a few spelling errors, missing words, character name mishaps and so on. It's not jarring or anything, but it would have benefited from a few more read-throughs. But I'm willing to deal with that, if it means we get more books from the author.
4.5 stars from me.
September 29, 2024
Moskowitz is becoming one of my favorite authors because she is so reliable. She writes books that I read fast because I want to read them more than I want to do other activities. There isn't a lot of action or excitement in Wild, despite the name, but it held my interest from start to finish really well. The characters feel real, like people I met, and I care about them a lot.
I am not Deaf myself and neither is Moskowitz, but I really hope the representation of Deaf culture is handled well here. The main POV character is hearing and we get to see him make mistakes and learn and try to do better, and at the same time we are given a window into the Deaf community along with Zack. Of course, there is also casual, no-big-deal, bisexual representation in Wild
One complaint -- my copy appears to be print-on-demand and the cover text and picture are noticeably blurry. There are also a significant number of typos and copyediting errors in the book. I hope there are editions that are more polished, because the story deserves that.
I am not Deaf myself and neither is Moskowitz, but I really hope the representation of Deaf culture is handled well here. The main POV character is hearing and we get to see him make mistakes and learn and try to do better, and at the same time we are given a window into the Deaf community along with Zack. Of course, there is also casual, no-big-deal, bisexual representation in Wild
One complaint -- my copy appears to be print-on-demand and the cover text and picture are noticeably blurry. There are also a significant number of typos and copyediting errors in the book. I hope there are editions that are more polished, because the story deserves that.
April 26, 2020
Whew, this was a really lovely read. Beautiful unflinching portrayal of what it's like for families of people with progressive diseases (Alzheimer's disease) and so much loving detail about Deaf culture. Hannah Moskowitz created a really beautiful cast of characters; every last one of them is real, and flawed, and making mistakes, and learning, and trying their best. There is ableism, but it's always challenged within the text. It's really wonderful the way all kinds of relationships are examined - with parents, siblings, friends, partners, communities.
Oh, not sure if this was just my ebook (from kindle unlimited) but there's a few typos and formatting errors (page breaks, chapters, things like that) which threw the flow off just a little.
I made the playlist Hannah Moskowitz put together for this book on youtube, and while the music doesn't always work for me, maybe it will for you (:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Oh, not sure if this was just my ebook (from kindle unlimited) but there's a few typos and formatting errors (page breaks, chapters, things like that) which threw the flow off just a little.
I made the playlist Hannah Moskowitz put together for this book on youtube, and while the music doesn't always work for me, maybe it will for you (:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
May 18, 2021
Zack is dealing with his mom’s early-onset Alzheimer’s and taking care of his younger sister, while preparing for the running race of a lifetime. Then he finds out that his (online) girlfriend Jordan is Deaf.
Man, this would’ve benefited so much from proper editing! If it wasn’t for the sudden ending and hardly anything being truly resolved (and mistakes in writing) it could’ve been REAL good.
Idk if it’s because it’s self-published or if it never got properly released in EU, but this read like a first draft.
It started out a bit weird, but Zack and the whole cast grew on me quickly.
I mostly enjoyed his moments with his sister. The dynamic between them felt real. Even though their home situation isn’t easy they make it work and find solace in each other.
Plus, they got a good support system with their friends and aunt.
I found the way Sign Language was portrayed amazing. Translating hand signs and a different art to communicate through text isn’t an easy feat and Moskowitz made it comprehensible.
And I really loved to see how Zack and Jordan worked it out. Especially how enthusiastic Zack was about learning ASL. They had many little moments, where they were just being cute with each other and it got me all mushy.
The concept of Zack‘s race sounded ridiculous, but made for an entertaining storyline.
This could’ve been longer and I would’ve been totally fine with it.
Man, this would’ve benefited so much from proper editing! If it wasn’t for the sudden ending and hardly anything being truly resolved (and mistakes in writing) it could’ve been REAL good.
Idk if it’s because it’s self-published or if it never got properly released in EU, but this read like a first draft.
It started out a bit weird, but Zack and the whole cast grew on me quickly.
I mostly enjoyed his moments with his sister. The dynamic between them felt real. Even though their home situation isn’t easy they make it work and find solace in each other.
Plus, they got a good support system with their friends and aunt.
I found the way Sign Language was portrayed amazing. Translating hand signs and a different art to communicate through text isn’t an easy feat and Moskowitz made it comprehensible.
And I really loved to see how Zack and Jordan worked it out. Especially how enthusiastic Zack was about learning ASL. They had many little moments, where they were just being cute with each other and it got me all mushy.
The concept of Zack‘s race sounded ridiculous, but made for an entertaining storyline.
This could’ve been longer and I would’ve been totally fine with it.
May 6, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was really quirky and fun. It had an unconventional romance pairing, something you don't even get to read about. It featured sign language - also not something you often get to read about. And it was centered around a strange run that I had never, ever heard of.
It was light-hearted, well-written, and overall a real joy to read.
The only issue I had with it is that I kind of wish it was longer. It felt a little rushed, and I really wanted to see more of Jordan and Zach's relationship. I didn't feel like I knew them as well as I wanted to!
It was light-hearted, well-written, and overall a real joy to read.
The only issue I had with it is that I kind of wish it was longer. It felt a little rushed, and I really wanted to see more of Jordan and Zach's relationship. I didn't feel like I knew them as well as I wanted to!
November 28, 2020
i wanted to love this book and i am so sad that i didn’t.
i think that it is a great way to look at language and communication in a setting that feels fresh and enjoyable and i loved getting to see the ASL, texts, and English used together.
but, the story itself just didn’t do it for me. i felt like they resolved the conflict of zack not really knowing jordan in the first few chapters and i just wasnt invested enough in their relationship to care about what came after.
maybe i’m getting older, but they felt So high school :/
i think that it is a great way to look at language and communication in a setting that feels fresh and enjoyable and i loved getting to see the ASL, texts, and English used together.
but, the story itself just didn’t do it for me. i felt like they resolved the conflict of zack not really knowing jordan in the first few chapters and i just wasnt invested enough in their relationship to care about what came after.
maybe i’m getting older, but they felt So high school :/
April 20, 2019
I'm gonna have to think about the rating a bit harder.
I really enjoyed this book. It's about Zack and Jordan figuring out their hearing/Deaf long distance relationship but also Zach figuring out his family situation.
These truly felt like 18 year old characters. Their thought processes and actions really felt like teenagers.
Unfortunately, there's a couple dropped letters and missing quotation marks that should've been caught by an editor.
I really enjoyed this book. It's about Zack and Jordan figuring out their hearing/Deaf long distance relationship but also Zach figuring out his family situation.
These truly felt like 18 year old characters. Their thought processes and actions really felt like teenagers.
Unfortunately, there's a couple dropped letters and missing quotation marks that should've been caught by an editor.
June 17, 2017
i really enjoyed this! hannah writes characters that always seem very real, and while they can sometimes be a little too cynical for me, i really liked them! i really appreciated how diverse this book was, and the complicated relationships between zack and his sister and mom. i also really enjoyed zack learning how to speak to jordan and seeing them get closer.
September 2, 2017
Yay for Deaf/Hearing relationships! Yay for complicated familial structures!
I enjoyed this book, but it took me a while to finish for some reason. Some parts seemed random and I expected it to be brought up again but it never did. The ending was a tad... unsatisfying? Anticlimactic? Like,
But okay. I just really love reading Deaf characters.
I enjoyed this book, but it took me a while to finish for some reason. Some parts seemed random and I expected it to be brought up again but it never did. The ending was a tad... unsatisfying? Anticlimactic? Like,
But okay. I just really love reading Deaf characters.
September 2, 2018
A very quick read, though could have done with a bit of extra editing. Enjoyed the story, thought it could do with being a bit longer, would have liked more of a 'what happened next'. But as this is a YA book, I suppose it's fine as is.
November 2, 2018
Just... Wow.
This was my first read from Hannah but it will absolutely not be my last. The characters felt real enough to reach out and touch. The emotion dripped from the page. A gripping read that kept me entranced from start to finish. I absolutely loved it.
This was my first read from Hannah but it will absolutely not be my last. The characters felt real enough to reach out and touch. The emotion dripped from the page. A gripping read that kept me entranced from start to finish. I absolutely loved it.
May 10, 2022
4.5*
Amazing Deaf rep, possibly one of the best I have read by a hearing author! The relationship was real and authentic, and the characters were all likeable yet realistically flawed. The ending was just a bit anti-climatic, so not quite a 5* for me, but so close!
Amazing Deaf rep, possibly one of the best I have read by a hearing author! The relationship was real and authentic, and the characters were all likeable yet realistically flawed. The ending was just a bit anti-climatic, so not quite a 5* for me, but so close!
July 11, 2017
i read this on a recommendation and loved it!
July 12, 2017
I wish there was a sequel! I loved these two and their story so much *sobs*
full review to come
full review to come
July 15, 2017
read this with my book club and cried my eyes out! damn, moskowitz.
August 27, 2017
Hannah writes good books.
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