The Wild Lands

by Paul Greci

In Paul Greci's The Wild Lands, Travis and his sister are trapped in a daily race to survive—and there is no second place.

Natural disasters and a breakdown of civilization have cut off Alaska from the world and destroyed its landscape. Now, as food runs out and the few who remain turn on each other, Travis and his younger sister, Jess, must cross hundreds of miles in search of civilization.

The wild lands around them are filled with ravenous animals, desperate survivors pushed to the edge, and people who've learned to shoot first and ask questions never.

Genres: Young Adult, Survival, Adventure, Dystopia, Fiction, Action, Audiobook

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 29, 2019

Reviews

[Sara (A Gingerly Review) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Why only 2.5? The ending and the constant whining of Jess. I wanted to box her ears.

-----------

Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...

I’m not sure where to start with this one… I have said before how much I enjoy wilderness/survival stories. I always try to picture myself as the character(s) and wonder if I would be tough/brave/strong enough to survive. That is why I was excited to start this read. Another survival story (set in Alaska, no surprise there) and I’m game! Well, sadly this one fell flat of my expectations.

The main reason I did not give this a high rating (2.5 stars) was because it felt like just too much happened in the span of 300+ pages. I mean a lot. The story started out with Travis and his sister, Jess, setting out (with their parents) from their remote home to what they believe is a safe town/city hundreds of miles away. Of course things go from bad to worse when Travis and Jess lose their parents so early into the journey. These two band together and set out to continue the necessary adventure/journey in order to stay alive. Along the way they encounter all sorts of terrible people who want nothing more than to steal what these kids have (Travis is just 17, while Jess is only 10).

Herein lies my issue: you name the situation that could happen, these two ran into it. Wild bears? Check. Group of elderly people who only want to do harm to the kids? Check. People who end up being cannibals and want to keep these two for food? Check. A religious group that believes marrying off young girls to older men in hopes of repopulating based on some religious sign? Check. People eating rats and other small creatures? Check. Rogue group of teenage girls that made it safely out of a girls home? Check. It just continued like this throughout the entire story and it felt as if the author was trying to make up the most ridiculous possibilities ever. Now before you say, “But hey, it’s the end of the world and people are doing drastic things because they don’t know what else to do!” – I get it. Nobody can say exactly what they would do if this happened to them but it seemed like just SO MUCH was happening to these characters that it felt completely unbelievable. I found myself rolling my eyes more and more as the story continued.

I don’t dispute that these two could possibly survive longer than I ever could in the wilderness, but how they made it that far was beyond me. Travis’ character did not have the best of luck but everything felt convenient when it came to him getting out of trouble. He always “just so happened” to have the right tool/expertise/experience with whatever was going on and he was able to come out on the other side. Other than that, his character was just alright. There was nothing overly exciting about him. He certainly did not have a character arc so there was no growth for me to track. As for Jess… well, I could not stand her. She was all of 10 years old and it showed. This girl did nothing but whine like a brat. You would never know that her parents spent years teaching her and her brother to survive. This girl could not do anything but whine about being hungry or wanting to pet the dog. She was as immature as you could possibly imagine a 10 year old could be. I don’t think her character ever – EVER – realized just how serious their situation was and it showed. I wanted to box her ears so bad.

AND THAT ENDING. What in tar nation! I cannot tell you the last time I read a book that ended so abruptly and without any type of resolution. This was not the first book in a new series so I could not (and cannot) figure out why the author chose to end the way he did. The characters were in the midst of another “will these people help me?” situation and BOOM – end of book. What? What just happened? Frustration – that’s what happened.

Do I recommend this one? No, not really. There was not a lot of suspense because you just knew these kids would make it out of anything. Some situations were a little more gruesome than others but nothing I hadn’t read in a survival story before. I left this book feeling completely underwhelmed.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a thrilling nail-biter of a story that also has strong characters and emotional depth, look no further than The Wild Lands.

Imagine, if you will, that climate change and oil depletion have made Alaska a wasteland that the United States government no longer wants to support. So they advise everyone to leave and abandon Alaska to its fate. Despite his Mom's misgivings, Travis' Dad convinces the family to stay, sure that they will be able to live comfortably off the land once most of the people are gone. This plan might have worked, except for the fires that ravaged Fairbanks two summers in a row, leaving a blighted landscape of ash and death, which even the wild animals can no longer tolerate. Dad finally agrees they need to get out and they head north, hoping to catch a boat going along the arctic coast. Without spoiling the story, let's just say that things go, very, very wrong and seventeen year old Travis, along with his ten year old sister, Jess, are left to continue on alone.

They head south toward Anchorage, hoping to find some remnants of civilization, despite the earthquakes and sea level rising that devastated south-central. Along the way they meet a number of people. Some are friends and some are foes - although it's never immediately certain which is which.

The story, on the surface, is just about survival, but becomes so much more. It takes on gender stereotypes and roles, and the unfortunate vulnerability of women in particular when the rules of society break down. Travis and Jess learn just how savage man can become when survival is the main goal. How far is Travis willing to go to survive and protect his sister? Is he willing to kill? Will he become like some of the depraved and heartless people he meets along the way?

This book has everything you would expect in a survival story. Heroes, villains, death, suffering, pain and loss, unexpected kindness, even a bit of romance. (Yay, romance!!!)

Because I live where the story is set, it was even more startling to hear the places and landscapes I'm familiar with described in terms of destruction and devastation. Nothing brings a story to life more than an intimate knowledge of the setting. If you are from Fairbanks, you should definitely read this book. If you're from anywhere in Alaska, you should definitely read this book. In fact,if you have a pulse and like a good story, you should read this book!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greci has developed a world that is altogether too real and possible. Consider a near future without all the modern conveniences, basically, a return to ‘basic.’ The reader will question the character’s motivations and the paranoias simply because of how foreign this near-future world seems to be, yet Greci does a great job answering the questions he continually poses about food, water, and shelter.

Though realistic and very much true to the geography of the land, the narrative does get a bit too focused on the physical challenges such as river crossing at times. I was also happy that the male ego collisions were balanced with some strong female characters.

If you’re looking for a good YA survival book that takes a group of teens through a man-made Alaskan disaster, The Wild Lands is for you.

For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/01/28/th...

For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog/

[Adam Legg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great YA post-apocalyptic style book set in Alaska. Being from Alaska, I loved the locations and how “real” it felt to the land. Wasn’t in love with the ending, but loved the rest of the book. Would definitely read a sequel that continued the story.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters, interesting plot, great scenery and description, and lots of heartfelt moments that fit it even though it is a survival story :) It felt a little predictable for the ending, though.

[Jayne Downes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous survival story set in a futuristic Alaska which has suffered from rising seas, earthquakes and fires. A group of teens are trying to reach the coast in the hope of finding a safe place to live. They encounter so many dangers on the way; people they meet cannot be trusted- really exciting stuff and well written. The author was a teacher and now teaches outdoor education in Alaska.

[Steve MC · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Lands is one of the best YA wilderness novels I’ve read. Once things kick off, it hardly ever lets up as Travis, his younger sister Jess, and their companions cross a devastated Alaska in search of a safe place to live, and through this become a family in their own.

It’s a unique dystopian in that while the government is responsible for the fires that destroyed the forests, it’s the wilderness that’s their real challenge as they journey through valleys of barren ash, dangerous swamps, steep ravines, and cold mountains. Plus, I love books you can learn survival tips from, like using birch bark for kindling.

The Wild Lands reads like if Jack London or Will Hobbs wrote The Hunger Games. The characters argue about which route to take, but they work together to survive as they fight the terrain and various bad guys roaming the land. The narrator takes on the responsibility of caring of his younger sister, and his companions bond so well by the end, you wish you could be a part of their group.

The author lives in Alaska, and his familiarity with the landscape comes through in every scene. The descriptions convey exactly what you need to know without ever bogging things down, and he paints vivid images: “Steep, broad valleys with ribbons of willow cut into the mountains.”

Also, for a novel written by a guy, there’s good insight into how the girls are always on guard against men and have reason not to trust them, especially in the wild.

In the end, it’s a compelling journey, and it keeps you reading with a great sense of suspense, to where you have to cover the bottom of the page to keep from glancing ahead to see what happens. There’s also many cool surprises, both in character and action, as they journey together.

[TJL · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay.

Bit boring, bit repetitive with some of the details.

Also wasn't wild about (yet again) another YA fiction embracing casual sexism against boys. The girls really love emphasizing that the only reason they didn't kill Travis was because of Jess. And that part where Tam is like "Oh, I still hate all guys, but I like you"- I'm sorry, I get that she has Issues with a capital I, but that's such a messed up thing to say and Travis to take as a compliment. If a guy said "yeah, I hate all women, but you I like" it wouldn't even be close to acceptable and we'd be having a Moment(TM) about how he shouldn't be judging all women based on the actions of a few.

This is especially frustrating because there are so few male-led books in the YA market. I get (not excuse, but get) books written by women having toxic attitudes towards men and boys, but seeing it in a book written by a male author is depressing and unnecessary.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing really new or original about THE WILD LANDS, but it's still a compelling post-apocalyptic page-turner. The characters are sympathetic, the plot is exciting, and the prose is strong. Greci writes vividly of Alaska, creating an atmospheric setting that can be deeply felt throughout the novel. The ending is satisfying, but leaves a lot of questions that could easily lead to a sequel. While this isn't my favorite novel of its type, I found it an engrossing read.

[Revlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Lands, Paul Greci

I gave, “The Wild Lands” by Paul Greci, 4 stars. The book takes the reader through a group’s journey through the singed Alaskan forests. They encounter many friends, enemies, and wild animals. They have to sacrifice food and friendships to have a fighting chance of making it out alive. This book was really addicting and very descriptive. It was a different book compared to the ones I usually read. It took me on a quest through Alaska and gave me an idea of what the world would be like with not many cars and phones.
Despite many of the good aspects of the book, I did not enjoy how Randie and Willa died so early. They could have had some great character growth. They were killed in battle trying to emulate Travis. I would’ve like to seen more drama from their death besides Travis just blaming himself. I think they would have given the group a better fighting chance and protecting the group about Dylan.
While reading, I notice some figurative language skills Thomas C. Foster expresses in his book, How to Read Literature Like A Professor. One connection I was able to make was the disposal of secondary characters. This is when the author decides to end a character’s journey by killing them to propel the plot forward. This happens when the noble protagonist Travis, makes friends with Randie and Willa. They are fighting on a mountain side and Randie and Willa are killed by gunshots, to teach Travis a lesson to not take friendships for granted. This ultimately drives Travis to not let anyone one go. Another connection was how weather was used to make characters emotions more powerful or change the overall mood of the characters, by making the setting seem eerie or happy. This is shown when Travis and his sister Jess are walking to the Buffer Zone and see two faint figures in the fog which has engulfed the whole forest. Travis and Jess are very tense and uneasy about the two figures. They are scared they might be dangerous. The fog creates the tension and makes the characters senses heighten. Lasty, I notice how the book had Intertextuality with Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. Intertextuality is when two sets of literature use the same ideas and dialogue. In The Wild Lands, Travis and his group are being followed by a bear in which they believe will attack all of them soon. They let it follow a little bit longer and then go and attack it when it can’t see them. They end up firing arrows and piercing its flesh to take it down. The bear falls to the ground as its life force exits its body. This is just like Hatchet, Brian, the lost character in the Canadian woods, is being attacked by a bear everywhere he goes. He gets tired of this, so Brian makes a spear and stabs the bear. It also falls to the ground and dies. In every survival piece of literature, the main character has to kill a main animal to make themselves more well-rounded. This is why Greci and Paulsen both make their characters kill a giant bear. These three Foster techniques are just a scratch on the surface of Greci’s novel.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves survival movies and novels. This is good for people who like to be outdoors and camp. People who enjoy thrillers would also enjoy this book. Some similar books would be Hatchet, James Dashner’s The Maze Runner series, and Max Brallier’s The Last Kids on Earth series. It is linked with thrillers and Action Adventure genres.The target age group is mainly teens and above. It can get too dark for littler kids.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I read this because my kid read one of his other books and liked it and was preparing to read this one.

I actually really enjoyed this even though it stretches credulity like a Clive Cussler book. But who doesn't like a YA post-apocalyptic book every now and then. And set in Alaska? Bonus!

The book does try to do too much, and as a result feels a little forced and stuffed with arbitrary drama that in some cases is never really resolved.

It's also got a fair bit of mature themes for younger readers including:

- murder of their parents
- cannibalism
- eating a dog
- child marriage/rape
- mass murder
- violent mental illness

Etc.

I'm not sure I'd let my kid rid it for a year or so. And it would have been a lot better with some simple resolution of a couple plot sidestories and a better ending. E.g. we never find out who made the bear tracks, what happens to the protagonists, why the US govt still has fuel for jets, why the govt can air drop "gas tents" to kill people, but not food etc.

And the gas tent thing was insane. You expect me to believe that hundreds of people were standing around watching a huge poison-filled tent get dropped over them from a plane and a) it actually hit the target that precisely and b) nobody moved? That section requires a large amount of Rational Suspension of Disbelief. Why wouldn't the planes just bomb the people or strafe them. That's simpler and would have made more sense than poison tents floating from the sky.

The ending feels like a letdown after all the drama and felt like it was clearly written to allow a sequel or series to be developed. But it wasn't a great way to end the story. We also never find out what happened to their mom, or Dylan etc.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Lands by Paul Greci
Alaska has been been abandoned by America after its oil resources dried up. Its been devastated by a series of natural disasters, that have left the land unfit for humanity, there's no food and the land is barron after being hit by fires, earthquakes and rising sea levels.Survivors were bused out to America but some stayed, but this was a mistake.
Some survivors are vigilantes who take what they want by force this is how Travis and his sister Jess are left orphaned. To survive they must cross hundreds of miles in search of civilization.

The Wild Lands is an intense novel about survival, reminiscent of Hatchet in that Travis and his group have to survive in a harsh landscape.
Intended audience - 10 -15
4 stars

[Matthew Macnish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished THE WILD LANDS, by Paul Greci. Absolutely gripping. Painstakingly authentic descriptions of post apocalyptic Alaska and how the land would look, and the things a group of kids has to do to survive. Think Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD, but YA, and thankfully slightly less disturbing. It’s clearly written by an author who has experienced the Alaska wilderness himself. Highly highly recommended. I’m no librarian but I would probably say 14 and up.

[Linley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adventure survival story about some teens and a young girl in Alaska. It's a bit repetitive so in the end I skim read it to check the content. I'm never quite sure why the editors are so timid in publishing houses these days. Do they think about who will read this...halve the content, tighten up the story - it's a good idea.

Adventure readers may enjoy this. Suitable for ages 13+ due to the savagery of people with guns.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I really liked the story and the references to my home. The references to the beetles killing our trees and the fires that destroyed out forests were very real. That being said - did NO ONE from Alaska listen to the audio version before it was released? The mispronunciation of real places is disgusting. It was distracting. I guess it is a good thing that our Alaskan population is small and the rest of the world won't even know it happened. The story is great, but I would never recommend my students listen to the audio over reading his words in this case.

[Danielle Nichole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy has so many internal thoughts. And most of them not interesting. He also really seemed to want to be a cannibal or to eat dogs. And was too close with his sister. Idk. This book was clearly not for me.

Read by Tristan Morris. #booksin25

[Olivia J · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - not bad or anything, just mediocre. Not super interesting in the writing department, but a good idea nonetheless.

[Lia Keller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this young adult post apocalyptic book taking place in Alaska!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wild Lands Book Review Video

TRANSCRIPT

PLOT

Except for the last few chapters (which I’ll get into in the spoiler section) the plot was okay. It started off decently enough with Travis, his younger sister Jess, and their mom and dad packing up what little they saved to finally escape from Alaska. However, after their parents die, Travis and Jess had to navigate the wilderness on their own.

Unfortunately, after they met up with other survivors that’s where things started to go downhill in terms of excitement. For one, despite the book promising danger at every turn, there was barely any at all. This contrasted the beginning where the reader saw the family in potential danger during the first chapter. But after Travis and Jess encountered the second group of survivors? The most they faced before the last chapters were a slow, hungry bear that was barely a threat, and one other group that ran off as soon as one of their own was shot.

The middle of the book also dragged on. The main cast was stuck in a ravine and the majority of those chapters were spent with them trying to walk through it and hopefully climb out. After that, there was still plenty of wilderness to hike through and it felt like they had made no progress in getting closer to civilization. All-in-all the book became very dull and lost most of the promised action and suspense once the parents got axed.

WRITING

As for the writing itself, it was pretty good. I enjoyed the descriptions although it did take me a while to get a full picture of all the characters. Also, the growing sibling dynamic between Travis and Jess was fun to read and very adorable!

That said, there were times when the writing got confusing. For example, it was unclear how they eventually got out of the ravine or how they landed down there in the first place. The trail on the way down was described as winding so I think the characters must’ve slipped and fallen off?

However, it was muddled and yanked me out of the story. A second detail that was confusing was during the scenes with the bear. It was hard to picture where the characters were in relation to it which made for a dull scene.

Besides those two scenes, the writing was rather nice with a chunk of decent foreshadowing from some of the secondary characters. Except for what happened in the middle, I was also mostly interested in where the story was headed and how it would end.

WORLD-BUILDING

Due to wildfires that ravaged the entire state, all the trees, shrubs, and any plants that could be used for food were pretty much ash in the world-building. Not only was this not great for the characters’ lungs, but it also meant that they had little resources or food. The only food the group had to eat was slimy, canned salmon which sounded absolutely disgusting!

I was a bit lost on how Travis and Jess managed to survive only on fish alone for weeks to months on end. They were getting a limited amount of nutrients and I’m surprised that they didn’t develop serious illnesses due to lack of other vitamins such as getting scurvy from no Vitamin C. Regardless, it helped show that these characters really had it rough!

However, a detail that wasn’t portrayed too well was most of the history behind what started the event. Apparently the United States went into collapse but before it did, it was decided that Alaska should be burned beforehand. That begs the question of why Travis and his family thought that being outside of Alaska would be any better?

Sure, it was mentioned that those who wanted to escape the first time were loaded onto buses to be driven across Canada, but the fate of the passengers was never discovered. There were thousands of dead bodies in a stream once, but there was no connection made to the buses. It left a loose plot thread that annoyed me to no end.

Another small piece that could’ve helped if added would’ve been a map in the first few pages. Since I’m not native to Alaska, I had no idea how far away any of these settlements are or how far Travis and his group still had left to go. It would’ve been nice to track their progress along with getting a glimpse of what obstacles lay ahead.

As it was though, the world-building wasn’t bad. It just felt a tad incomplete and probably would have benefitted from more details and a more in-depth explanation of what went on.

CHARACTERS

TRAVIS

As the MC, Travis was pretty good! He was a great older brother to Jess and tried his best despite the circumstances. Another detail I liked about his character was that though Travis did give most of the other characters the benefit of the doubt, he did have to constantly be cautious and weigh his choices on who to trust. It made him appreciate the decisions his parents had to make.

However, beyond Travis being a decent older brother and person, there really wasn’t much to him. The book doesn’t mention what Travis wanted to do with his life after reaching civilization or what he imagined his future would look like. It made it feel like he wasn’t really working toward a solid, long-term goal.

JESS

Jess was a cute kid, and had some funny moments. It was wonderful seeing her make new, close friends after the death of most of her family. That said, she had the same issues as Travis in that the reader never knew her long-term goals, like what Jess wanted to be when she grew up. She was a good kid though and kept the story from getting too dark at times.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Despite the strengths of the two main characters, the side characters did not measure up. The most the group of teen girls had in terms of personality easily blended together to the point where they didn’t feel like individuals.

The only detail the main teen of the group had going for her was that she was Travis’s love interest and that she had a tragic backstory that involved attempted sexual assault. That was it. No goals, no ambitions outside of being seen as a potential romantic partner. Worse, the attempted sexual assault is not treated with the depth it deserves by the book to the point where it’s rather unnecessary to include such a detail since it was brushed aside.

MAJOR SPOILER SECTION

During the last few chapters, the situation took a…very dark turn. Jess and the other teens are kidnapped by a community of grown men old enough to be their fathers. Each girl was going to be married off to one of these men by the age of fifteen!

Although Travis stepped in to help stop it, and provided a plan for an escape, the concept alone made me sick to my stomach. I had to take multiple breaks to get through those last few chapters. And, the community is only established to allow Travis to play “hero” again. The other teens told him that they escaped using their wits, but the reader never saw it so it felt hollow and like a quick attempt to make them seem strong.

Plus, the ending of the book was rather awful. The group met a pair of kayakers who said that their settlement was only a few miles away and that Alaska had been at war with the US for years by now. After that, as the two were paddling away, a fighter jet soared overhead and the two kayakers were killed off-screen. Travis reassures himself that they can make it to the settlement. And that was it. The book just… ended with no sequel planned. Travis never made it to where he was going and the ending was hopeful but still unknown. It was a letdown.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I give this book 2.5 stars. Although there were some entertaining bits, and the premise was great, the side characters and child brides made this book fall flat. I hope that Paul Greci will keep improving his craft and wish him the best of luck on his writing journey!

[Beth Mendelsohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story takes place in the not so distant future when climate change and loss of resources has decimated Alaska to the point where it is no longer a state. Most of the glaciers have melted, earthquakes have wrecked the coastline and interior, fires have destroyed much of what was left, and the annual salmon runs have ceased. Travis (17), Jess (10), and their parents tried to stick it out when most everyone else was evacuated. When Travis's father finally realizes that they cannot survive in what was Fairbanks any longer, the family heads north, hoping to board a ship that will take them across the Arctic Ocean to Maine. Because of the lack of resources, lack of food, and all out lawlessness, Travis and Jess's parents are killed. Following their instructions, the siblings head south. They meet up with some teenage girls to travel with -- safety in numbers. They must always be alert for danger, try to ration their meager provisions, and try to make it to the southern coast.
Travis narrates this YA dystopian novel, describing the emotional toll the travel takes on him and his traveling companions. There are several plot twists, some predictable, some not. The ending leaves the door open for another book, maybe. The book is mostly fast paced and will appeal to boys as well as girls. This is definitely a Young Adult book due to some of the content so I would recommend it for 8th grade and up.
#TheWildLands #NetGalley

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The voice is stilted. Character development/world building is shallow. The story progression is too fast and yet it reads too slow at the same time. There isn’t enough detail to describe events, things happen off-screen with little or no explanation that force the reader to guess or infer what has happened. Concept is excellent in that it tries to create a world in crisis like Schusterman’s Dry ... but it’s missing the sense of tension that would make this an unputdownable title for teen readers. I think it will still likely circ OK in that it’s an adventure story with a male protagonist ... and YA is hurting right now for stories that will spark interest or reader connection in male readers.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic YA survival story but with a very interesting concept as there's no virus, aliens or cataclysmic event - just that by 2095 (wasn't till late in the book you realize it's this far in the future - which seems a bit odd as the utter lack of technology plays in a lot) Alaska is pretty much cut off from the rest of civilization and everyone is on their own. This is a little bit in and centers on how one family survives (or doesn't) and the march to some semblance of a destination, with characters picked up along the way. Somewhat Walking Dead vibe without the zombies as different areas have different groups in charge and challenges.

Never really grabbed me even with just constant feeling of death around the corner, but not a bad read.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story of post-apocalyptic world in which a family must fight for survival in the wilds of an abandoned Alaska. The story centers on a brother and sister and provides plenty of action, drama, and excitement. This is sure to engage young people who enjoy outdoor adventure and/or dystopian stories. I will recommend to students for sure.

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his second novel, Paul Greci moves from middle grade adventures to YA post-apocalyptic survival story. THE WILD LANDS is a fast-paced novel that will ensure readers are constantly on the edge of their seats.

The signs were there: Environmental collapse. Government strain. But no one anticipated the United States would actually abandon Alaska. Not until the last bus drives away, leaving the remaining people cut off to fend for themselves. Even though his mom wanted to leave, Travis and his family decided to stay. After a fire swept through the land, ravaging it, they chose to stay. But when the fires came back, destroying everything that remained, they are trapped.

Now, with food running out and the people they encounter becoming more and more dangerous, they decide it’s time to try and leave. The question remains: is it too late? With hundreds of miles between them and the hope of civilization, Travis and his sister have to face wild animals, desperate survivors and hazard across a land so dramatically changed from anything they’ve known before. They must decide not just what they believe in, but how far they’re willing to fight for those beliefs in their quest to simply survive.

From the very beginning, I loved how real this book feels. We are immediately thrown into the story, relying on Travis’s memories to help us understand what happened. These glimpses into history --- both through Travis and the people he encounters --- give us a wide scope of context, helping us understand the horror in which we find Travis and his sister mired in. Relying on these flashbacks also sets the stage for plot twists to be discovered in shocking and unexpected ways, only adding to the urgency of the plot line.

While on the surface THE WILD LANDS may appear to be a novel targeting adolescent boys, the messaging is actually very empowering for girls. We get the narration through the eyes of Travis, but this is far from the hero trope it could be. In fact, the themes of teamwork, choice and free will are incredibly well done. Greci goes further, too, by bringing up outdated gender norms in very realistic ways and allowing us to see Travis confront them while ultimately reaching his own conclusions. This gives the novel an intriguing coming of age feel, because it isn’t just his own identity Travis is grappling with, but the broader scope of humanity.

THE WILD LANDS is an intense novel about survival. It’s perfect for fans of thrillers, dystopians and post-apocalyptic fiction. To be sure, this is a novel meant for a mature YA reader. The violence depicted isn’t graphic in detail, but Greci does not minimize or shy away from depicting the gritty realism of this post-apocalyptic landscape. The plot is urgent, painting a vivid portrait of this nightmare setting, bringing the danger Travis and his sister constantly face to life for the reader in a multi-dimensional experience. Combined with the subjects of forced marriage, many harrowing life-or-death scenarios, hunting and several scenes involving death, readers should be aware of the very difficult content. However, difficult content aside, the depth and scope of the topics addressed is woven fluidly into a believable plot, which allows for discussion of these very relevant topics to be brought up and examined in relatable ways.

By the end of the novel, our journey with Travis and Jess is tied up well enough to be satisfying, but to also offer a real possibility of future books. This is a story with characters that can easily be expanded and I would love to get a glimpse at the rest of the world. THE WILD LANDS is an intense and thrilling ride that will stay with me for a long time.

[Tevin S · Rating 5 out of 5]

My quarter four book review is on the book The Wild Lands by Paul Greci. The lexile level is about 1050 to 1100. Alaska has gone through horrible and poor weather conditions because of the government; many fires and flooding. Travis and his family make life risking decisions to stay alive and make it safe to a camp. Him and his few friends and little sister fight and struggle through many challenges to stay alive.
The main idea of this book is about adventure and really not letting your guard down when natural disasters push you to the break. In Travis and his little sister the theme really develops because of their starving from eating nothing for days on end, parents getting killed, being alone for weeks and many other things. Pages 40-45 Travis’s parents get caught in a situation that leads them to getting killed and Travis and his sister have to witness it, this shows that seeing your parents getting killed makes you I’d say get weaker at realization but then becoming stronger to stay alive. “His head explodes with blood and his buddies jump back” (page 89) Travis shoots a man that tries to steal his food from his family so he shoots him so his family and him can stay alive, I really think that this is ironic because he’s only like seventeen or eighteen and he already has had to off someone. Page 125 they spot a bear and try to follow it and kill it because they haven’t eaten in about a week so they try to follow it for days but they lose it, this shows that their starvation is really high and that they would do anything to eat, they also start eating leaves, insects, and fish if they catch any.
If you love adventure and risk taking characters I really recommend this book. Very different emotions, not just one, really need to be prepared for gory images in your head and a lot of blood. I loved this book probably out of all books because I’m really in it for the adventure and would love to be in a dystopian type world. This book shows very many views on how you should handle your life and not take anything for granted. I’d say this book was a little easy but very interesting that it actually made me want to read it. This book was very believable and you could think that these types of things could actually happen in real life. My favorite part was when Travis and his little sister found new people and they became like a big group and they were unstoppable.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this one a 3.5, a lower rating than I might otherwise have assigned it since I agree with another reviewer that too much happens over the course of the book. It's almost as though there's a checklist of challenges the protagonist is going to face, and each of those gets checked off, one by one, with him managing to emerge unscathed each time. That said, the book kept me engaged for its entirety since I loved the premise and could see it happening in the future. I've often wondered what might happen when the natural resources of an area have been plundered, and the federal government no longer finds it viable to support the place. Or what if yet another natural disaster occurs in areas that have been hit before? Just how long would the government be willing or financially able to rebuild or maintain the infrastructure? Set almost a century in the future, this book explores the effects on Alaska once the state has been left on its own. While some citizens leave, others like the family in this story choose to stay, sure that they can eke out a living on the land, and that things will get better. But they don't. Due to the ravages of fires, the land won't support crops, and wildlife have fled. Travis's family has no choice but to leave. But they've barely started their journey when his father and mother are killed, and the seventeen-year-old boy is left to fend for himself and his younger sister Jess, 10. Travis is unsure whether to try to reach Anchorage or Valdez where he hopes they''ll find others and supplies, but the two youngsters have no choice but to move on. Along the way, they meet others, some of whom are trustworthy and others who are interested only in taking what they have. If this is the future of Alaska or other parts of the world, I shudder at the fate of humanity since there seem so many individuals and institutions interested only in themselves. But the book does end on a hopeful note, and I choose to believe that the two siblings will find their way to a better world. I certainly rooted for them all the way through, and while others were annoyed at Jess's whining, I think we need to give her a break due to her age and her trauma. I can barely imagine trying to get through each day on the small amount of food they had and how every animal they encountered, including a friendly dog, became a possible food source in Travis's mind.

[Melanie Brinkman]

In this race to survive, there is no second place.

Natural disasters and the breakdown of civilization caused the United States to destroy an abandon Alaska. Now as circumstances become even more dire, Travis and his sister, Jess, must cross hundreds of miles of wilderness filled with ravenous animals and people who have learned to shoot first and ask questions never. On their journey they meet friends and enemies alike, but do they have what it takes to survive?

A story of both man vs. nature and man vs. man. A tale of survival, adventure, and morals.

Overconfident at times, but caring, Travis was an okay main character. He was a bit controlling when it came time to make decisions, but I really loved how considerate he was of Jess. Their sibling bond was very sweet. However I wish he wouldn't have stayed so stagnant.

Portrayed solely through Travis's eyes, we watched as group of teens were forced to make decisions that questioned their morals. The rest of the characters were written to sound interesting, but ended up being a little bland. Jess was probably my favorite side character because she seemed to have the most personality.

There is never a dull moment in The Wild Lands, which was enjoyable. However the extremely fast-pace took away from my overall enjoyment because it didn't seem believable. They seemed to get into situations only to get out of them just as quickly. No downtime also didn't allow for character growth.

The writing frustrated me a little bit. While Paul Greci did a wonderful job of utilizing the unique setting of Alaska and keeping up the action, the rest of the book was lacking believability. I did appreciate all of the questions of morality that were raised though.

The ending was abrupt and it felt unfinished. As this appears to be a standalone, this was very unsatisfying.

Action packed in a tragically beautiful future that might not be so far away, The Wild Lands needed a bit more work, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

[Cayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wild Lands
The book I read this term, was the “Wild Lands”. It takes place in Alaska, but not the Alaska it used to be. The former state happened to run out of its materials. Alaska used to send things like oil, and other needs to the mainland of America. The oil was sucked dry from Alaska, and so the Government decided they didn’t want to keep giving water, electricity, food. Etc in to a place who wasn't giving anything back in return. So the Government completely abandoned Alaska and left them to fend for themselves.
Before they abandoned the state, they gave the people a chance to leave. Travis’s dad underestimated how harsh it would be, and decided to stay. Travis’s mom didn’t want to stay, and neither did anyone else. They all thought it wouldn't work out. They were right. He thought it would be fun to just live out there with no one else around. Turns out, they had to face many problems. Food was almost impossible to get, which would be the main problem right? Well if food is “almost impossible to get”, people will kill for it. Yeah thats right, people are the main problem. They will slaughter your family for a single jar of salmon.
Travis and his family face many problems to survive. His sister Jess, his mom, and his dad. At the beginning of the book, they live in the burnt up basement of someones house. They decide to start traveling North and cross the Yukon river to escape the place. Jess is just a little girl, and slows them down a lot on their journey. They still happen to make it, but can’t cross the river. They meet a new family trying to cross the river as well. They were cautious approaching them, but they are nice people. Travis and jess go for a walk.They come back, and everyone is dead...

[Cindy Bravo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a local Fairbanks author and I found it believable. It takes place in the future, at a time when Alaska was abandoned by the United States after the state's oil reserves were completely consumed. With the increase of international conflict, the effects of climate change, and geological upheaval, Alaskan survivors were left on their own. The main characters were fleshed in human decency, but as always, when times get tough, humanity does not hesitate to prey on itself, in spite of the severe challenges of living from day to day. Some of the science in the book was especially interesting, such as the wipe out of the moose population because of a tick invasion. The interior of the State was burnt in a human caused cleanse, leaving no vegetation or wildlife. The maple tree population moved north because of the spread of genetically altered seeds, forming a buffer zone between the north and the south. As I read I found myself wanting to know more details about what had happened and the state of the world outside Alaska. I also found it erie to hear familiar places and landmarks described in the book. The main characters did their best to find safe haven and did so maintaining their code of humanity against very bad odds. The book could easily lend itself to a sequel. I want to know what happens to Travis, Jess, Tam and Max

[Kate J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book wild lands was written by Paul Greci. It is a really good book if you like action, adventure and a little bit of romance. It’s about a family whose town got burned by the government and they have to survive in the wild. Natural disasters and a breakdown of society have cut down Alaska from the world and the landscape. Food and supplies are scarce and everyone is fighting for something. Also it comes to a point people have no limits or laws that they have to follow and that can turn into disaster.

The author puts a lot of detail in explaining things like, “Long claws sink into the wet ash. Claws that can slash skin and muscle all the way to the bone. Like the way you cut through butter. Claws that can wipe all the skin off your face with one swipe.” (pg:133)That is helpful because it helps you get a better understanding of the statement.

I would recommend this book to people 12 and older because it has a couple swear words and it has killing and deaths. Also people who are under 12 might not get the point of the story. The ending left you on a cliffhanger and makes you want to read the 2 books called “Hostile Territory”. The book was fairly easy to read. There were a couple parts where I lost it but then it explained it. It used real life surroundings so it was life-like and really interesting to read.