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felicity_12345's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
"But as you know, in all camp stories, there are monsters.
In this one, there are two.
The sea monster.
And me."
Last summer, Quinn had it all. She was a nationally ranked swimmer, she and her siblings were as close as can be, and she was falling in love with her best friend, Dylan. Now it's fall, and Quinn's given up swimming, her siblings hate her, Dylan is dead, and she blames herself for his death.
Wild Blue Wonder is a sweet and sad look at love, loss, and the ties that bind. Quinn is just existing, feeling shut out by her brother and sister and not able to enjoy anything. Her family runs a summer camp, which seems like a magical place, but in fall in Maine, it's not quite as charming.
The story in told in alternating timelines, each chapter switching between the present and the previous summer. I liked this format, and the gradual revelation of what happened in the summer adds to the dramatic tension. The summer chapters are written as if Quinn is telling the story to Dylan.
The arrival of a new boy named Alexander causes Quinn to think about moving on, but the grief and the guilt are always with her. She has lovely parents, a wonderful grandmother, and a supportive best friend, but she's drowning in guilt and her fractured relationships with her brother and sister are a continual source of pain.
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. Quinn's grief felt very real, the family dynamics were really interesting, Quinn's Nanna is a great character who works hard to help her granddaughter move on, and the new romance is very sweet. There are some slight magical realism elements; the camp is described as a magical place, where blueberries grow year-round and there may be a (possibly metaphorical) sea monster lurking in the water.
I like quiet books about grief, so Wild Blue Wonder is very much my type of book. It reminded me a bit of I'll Give You the Sun and A Million Junes, so fans of those books may enjoy it.
In this one, there are two.
The sea monster.
And me."
Last summer, Quinn had it all. She was a nationally ranked swimmer, she and her siblings were as close as can be, and she was falling in love with her best friend, Dylan. Now it's fall, and Quinn's given up swimming, her siblings hate her, Dylan is dead, and she blames herself for his death.
Wild Blue Wonder is a sweet and sad look at love, loss, and the ties that bind. Quinn is just existing, feeling shut out by her brother and sister and not able to enjoy anything. Her family runs a summer camp, which seems like a magical place, but in fall in Maine, it's not quite as charming.
The story in told in alternating timelines, each chapter switching between the present and the previous summer. I liked this format, and the gradual revelation of what happened in the summer adds to the dramatic tension. The summer chapters are written as if Quinn is telling the story to Dylan.
The arrival of a new boy named Alexander causes Quinn to think about moving on, but the grief and the guilt are always with her. She has lovely parents, a wonderful grandmother, and a supportive best friend, but she's drowning in guilt and her fractured relationships with her brother and sister are a continual source of pain.
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book. Quinn's grief felt very real, the family dynamics were really interesting, Quinn's Nanna is a great character who works hard to help her granddaughter move on, and the new romance is very sweet. There are some slight magical realism elements; the camp is described as a magical place, where blueberries grow year-round and there may be a (possibly metaphorical) sea monster lurking in the water.
I like quiet books about grief, so Wild Blue Wonder is very much my type of book. It reminded me a bit of I'll Give You the Sun and A Million Junes, so fans of those books may enjoy it.
alannar2422's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful book I loved every step of this journey in Wild Blue Wonder.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
A#mustreadin2022 novel which was recommended to me for my middle school library, but I wanted to read it before adding it into my collection. This book jumps between a summer that changes everything and the fall after the tragedy that has changed the Sawyer family forever; it looks at grief from different points of view and how to heal from something that no one should have to endure.
belle_fiction's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Normally I would have given a book like this 4 stars but I'm thinking it deserves a 3.5.
I was really looking forward to reading Wild Blue Wonder having read some very positive reviews about it and summer is my season for reading contemporaries but...I was a bit disappointed by this one. I think the main reason was the pace and plot of the story - I found the beginning section very engaging but then it petered out and became...a bit boring, if I'm being completely honest. I understand contemporaries focus more on the characters and their growth and development but the whole hostility amongst the siblings could have been avoided if they had just spoken to each other! It was so silly and childish - it really frustrated me.
I did like the vast majority of the characters but Fern was a huge pain in the ass and sometimes Quinn annoyed me but the Nan was hilarious and Hana was so adorable. I had a soft spot for Alexander too.
I have read a few books which deal with the same topics (accidental death, blame, guilt, family divide) but this one just didn't capture my attention as much. These are all important topics that should be discussed but unfortunately WBW won't be a book that leaves a lasting impression on me.
Authors whose books I would recommend include Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman and The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan - both deal with loss, guilt, blame, family divide but these were 5 star reads imo.
Normally I would have given a book like this 4 stars but I'm thinking it deserves a 3.5.
I was really looking forward to reading Wild Blue Wonder having read some very positive reviews about it and summer is my season for reading contemporaries but...I was a bit disappointed by this one. I think the main reason was the pace and plot of the story - I found the beginning section very engaging but then it petered out and became...a bit boring, if I'm being completely honest. I understand contemporaries focus more on the characters and their growth and development but the whole hostility amongst the siblings could have been avoided if they had just spoken to each other! It was so silly and childish - it really frustrated me.
I did like the vast majority of the characters but Fern was a huge pain in the ass and sometimes Quinn annoyed me but the Nan was hilarious and Hana was so adorable. I had a soft spot for Alexander too.
I have read a few books which deal with the same topics (accidental death, blame, guilt, family divide) but this one just didn't capture my attention as much. These are all important topics that should be discussed but unfortunately WBW won't be a book that leaves a lasting impression on me.
Authors whose books I would recommend include Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman and The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan - both deal with loss, guilt, blame, family divide but these were 5 star reads imo.
m_e_trevi's review against another edition
2.0
I seem to be in the minority here but I did not like this book. It had so much potential but it was squandered away on a meandering plot and downright atrocious writing. There where times while I was reading that I would audibly groan, sometimes multiple times per page. Disappointed doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. I was intrigued by the story but it fell so flat. I thought the way it was resolved was a bit too clean...imagine...talking solved all the siblings problems? Skip this one, there are plenty like it and done much better.