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kaitieg97's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Very cute story about differences, making friends, and found family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Animal death
Moderate: Bullying
hflh's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This was delightful and I’d recommend for all ages (with some parental advisories).
The Wild Robot follows Roz, a shipwrecked robot, as she learns how to survive in the wilderness. At first, the animals are afraid of her and mean but eventually she makes friends and is accepted as part of the island.
The beginning events and writing make it seem like the book is a light read more appropriate for mid to young elementary, but there is something here for older ages. I recommend sticking with it if it feels too shallow for you as, once the story gets going, it tackles some meaningful, heavier themes. Overall, very wholesome but sometimes sad.
On the lighter side, Brown explores bullying, accepting people who are different, motherhood and family (chosen or otherwise), a little bit of climate change, and finding a sense of belonging and purpose within a community.
In the mid-range of heaviness, Brown looks at wilderness and the danger and death that comes with it. I loved this. I think Brown does an amazing job finding the balance between wholesome anthropomorphic woodland creatures where predator and prey are friends and the realities of the natural world (e.g., things eat things, wild animals suffer from harsh conditions).
On the heavy side, there are some brutal but delicately handled depictions of death, injury, separation of family, guns, and violence: natural hazards killing and seriously injuring a couple animals, one human killing an animal, robot death and injury, robots with guns shooting at and fighting animals, serious life altering injuries for animals and robots . Parents, I recommend doing a brief readthrough first depending on the age of your kid as it may be valuable to buddy read to help them process these parts.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Bullying
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