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erikaemling's review
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
lydiature_'s review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
njauf's review against another edition
5.0
This was amazing holy shit!!!! I was not expecting that
Read for class Crimes Against Nature: Mystery, Crime, Cli-fi
Read for class Crimes Against Nature: Mystery, Crime, Cli-fi
melania_010200's review
3.0
3|5
- Book Riots 2020 Read Harder Challenge - 5.Read a book about a natural disaster -
- Book Riots 2020 Read Harder Challenge - 5.Read a book about a natural disaster -
duffymn's review
5.0
Wow. I devoured this one in a day. Tragedy, loss, and Stockholm Syndrome, all from the point of view of a 9 year old heroine and her 19 year old guardian sister. Super well-written, engaging, and timely.
faysie34's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
lorieno's review
5.0
I adored this book, including the strange, unexpected plot twist. Loved her last book too!
sds7's review
4.0
This book is really well done. The writing is beautiful, the story is fascinating and unique, and the ending ties things up neatly. I had a difficult time with Tucker because I agreed with his words but not his actions. That disconnect was rough for me but I enjoyed puzzling it out in my head. I am having a hard time deciding between 4 and 5 stars for this one: I didn't feel as much and LOVE it as much as most of my 5 star ratings, but it was just so well done.
bibliokyra's review
4.0
Thanks so much to Counterpoint Press for providing me with an ARC of The Wildlands in exchange for an honest review. This book is incredibly well-written and absorbing. It forces the reader to ponder over the nature and boundaries between humans, animals and the environment.
The story immediately draws the reader into Cora's account of the fleeting moments right before a category five tornado devastated the town of Mercy, Oklahoma. The four McCloud siblings make it into their tornado shelter per their father's instruction and wait for him to join them. The brother, Tucker, wants to retrieve his father but the eldest daughter, Darlene, blocks him from leaving the shelter to keep him safe. The tornado relentlessly takes their home, their farm, their animals and kills their father. Their mother died giving birth to the youngest daughter, Cora, which leaves the children orphaned. Darlene was eighteen when the tornado hit, just shy of attending Oklahoma University with aspirations to become a nurse. To keep her siblings together, Darlene forfeits her dreams and schooling to become the sole provider for her younger siblings. Donations come pouring in and Darlene is offered compensation in exchange for interviews of her and her siblings. Helpless and broke, she agrees to the interviews. The community takes pity on the family and they're labeled as the "saddest family in Mercy."
Darlene saves up enough money to buy her family a trailer and she gets a job at a grocery store. Cora was six years old when the tornado hit and she doesn't have any memories prior to that time. Tucker and Cora have a very special bond and affinity for animals which originated on the farm. The tornado ultimately broke Tucker's mind and spirit. He was full of rage, blamed Darlene for the death of their father and resented her for exploiting the family with interviews. Shortly after moving into the trailer, the pair got into a terrible fight and Tucker ran away. On the third anniversary of the tornado, someone bombed the factory in town, Jolly cosmetics, freeing all of the animals that were used for testing purposes. Tucker returns to the trailer when nine-year-old Cora is home by herself. He is volatile, badly injured and asks Cora for her help. He attains an unnatural hold on Cora and convinces her to run away with him on a mission that she doesn't fully understand. They embark on a violent cross-country spree of freeing and avenging animals. Darlene and her sister Jane remain at home worried sick, putting all of their faith into police officers who aren't optimistic about finding Cora.
Most of the story was narrated by Darlene at home and by Cora describing her journey with an increasingly violent and unstable Tucker. Cora loved her brother dearly and their special connection allowed her to put her trust in him despite her uneasy conscious. I hated Tucker's character as well as his treatment and manipulation of Cora but I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Their family lost everything they had ever known at such a young age and he clearly did not know how to process his loss. Animal activism can be noble and respectable but there is a responsible way to go about it and Tucker was simply reckless. I do think that he cared for his siblings in his own way. He spoke of Darlene with admiration despite everything that happened between them. Tucker lost hope in the human race after the tornado. I think that he was on a suicide mission from the start and wanted to leave his own path of destruction along the way. My only issue was that I thought Jane's character could've either been left out entirely or she could’ve been more involved in the story. I absolutely LOVED the ending. It was epic and satisfying.
This incredibly thought-provoking book was a vivid exploration of the fragility and complexity of family bonds, the impacts of loss during adolescence, impulse versus desire, poverty, activism, the flawed justice system, gender, identity and the human impact on the natural environment. The story holds your complete attention and Geni's prose is lyrical. This was such a great read and I look forward to reading her other books!
The story immediately draws the reader into Cora's account of the fleeting moments right before a category five tornado devastated the town of Mercy, Oklahoma. The four McCloud siblings make it into their tornado shelter per their father's instruction and wait for him to join them. The brother, Tucker, wants to retrieve his father but the eldest daughter, Darlene, blocks him from leaving the shelter to keep him safe. The tornado relentlessly takes their home, their farm, their animals and kills their father. Their mother died giving birth to the youngest daughter, Cora, which leaves the children orphaned. Darlene was eighteen when the tornado hit, just shy of attending Oklahoma University with aspirations to become a nurse. To keep her siblings together, Darlene forfeits her dreams and schooling to become the sole provider for her younger siblings. Donations come pouring in and Darlene is offered compensation in exchange for interviews of her and her siblings. Helpless and broke, she agrees to the interviews. The community takes pity on the family and they're labeled as the "saddest family in Mercy."
Darlene saves up enough money to buy her family a trailer and she gets a job at a grocery store. Cora was six years old when the tornado hit and she doesn't have any memories prior to that time. Tucker and Cora have a very special bond and affinity for animals which originated on the farm. The tornado ultimately broke Tucker's mind and spirit. He was full of rage, blamed Darlene for the death of their father and resented her for exploiting the family with interviews. Shortly after moving into the trailer, the pair got into a terrible fight and Tucker ran away. On the third anniversary of the tornado, someone bombed the factory in town, Jolly cosmetics, freeing all of the animals that were used for testing purposes. Tucker returns to the trailer when nine-year-old Cora is home by herself. He is volatile, badly injured and asks Cora for her help. He attains an unnatural hold on Cora and convinces her to run away with him on a mission that she doesn't fully understand. They embark on a violent cross-country spree of freeing and avenging animals. Darlene and her sister Jane remain at home worried sick, putting all of their faith into police officers who aren't optimistic about finding Cora.
Most of the story was narrated by Darlene at home and by Cora describing her journey with an increasingly violent and unstable Tucker. Cora loved her brother dearly and their special connection allowed her to put her trust in him despite her uneasy conscious. I hated Tucker's character as well as his treatment and manipulation of Cora but I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Their family lost everything they had ever known at such a young age and he clearly did not know how to process his loss. Animal activism can be noble and respectable but there is a responsible way to go about it and Tucker was simply reckless. I do think that he cared for his siblings in his own way. He spoke of Darlene with admiration despite everything that happened between them. Tucker lost hope in the human race after the tornado. I think that he was on a suicide mission from the start and wanted to leave his own path of destruction along the way. My only issue was that I thought Jane's character could've either been left out entirely or she could’ve been more involved in the story. I absolutely LOVED the ending. It was epic and satisfying.
This incredibly thought-provoking book was a vivid exploration of the fragility and complexity of family bonds, the impacts of loss during adolescence, impulse versus desire, poverty, activism, the flawed justice system, gender, identity and the human impact on the natural environment. The story holds your complete attention and Geni's prose is lyrical. This was such a great read and I look forward to reading her other books!