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duckyreads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I can't even begin to explain what an emotional roller coaster Something Wild & Wonderful was. We follow Alexei Lebedev and Ben Caravalho, two men journeying on the Pacific Crest Trail for different reasons that seem to keep running into each other. After Alexei saves Ben from a rattlesnake, they decide to stick with each other and hike the trail. They slowly get to know each other and eventually develop a beautiful romance.
Anita Kelly has a wonderfully descriptive writing style that has completely sold me on a visit to the Pacific North West. The journey that they take us on with the entire cast of characters in this story is masterful. There are various ways of storytelling, including letters, text messages, and phone calls, each used in the best way. I will definitely be reading their future releases!
Something Wild & Wonderful is a warm reminder that we all deserve love and that a chosen family can be just as beautiful, if not more than the family that we are all born into.
Thank you to NetGalley & Forever/Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Anita Kelly has a wonderfully descriptive writing style that has completely sold me on a visit to the Pacific North West. The journey that they take us on with the entire cast of characters in this story is masterful. There are various ways of storytelling, including letters, text messages, and phone calls, each used in the best way. I will definitely be reading their future releases!
Something Wild & Wonderful is a warm reminder that we all deserve love and that a chosen family can be just as beautiful, if not more than the family that we are all born into.
Thank you to NetGalley & Forever/Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
cluckieduck's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-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
Don't be fooled by the cute blurb - this deals with some pretty heavy stuff.
I had originally rated this as 3⭐ but think it deserves to be rounded up to 4⭐ because as I've had some time to collect my thoughts, I have to say, it's been niggling at me for a couple of weeks now. Something Wild & Wonderful is the loveliest of slow burns as you journey with Alexei as he trek along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). For Alexei, this is "a chance to say good-bye to his old life...to find a bit of peace before he started over." Unfortunately (or not), a chance encounter with the enigmatic Ben throws his plans off the cliff and Alexei finds much more than peace during his months-long journey on the PCT.
While the narrative shifts POVs between the two male leads, this is very much Alexei's story, and it is a story fraught with homophobia, abandonment, grief, & insecurities. I found the trauma of his religious upbringing was handled exceedingly well and it was heartbreaking.
"You raised me to believe that family and faith were everything. How can you take that away from me and not expect me to crumble?
[Y]ou might have been the one to bring me to church, Dad. But I got to know faith on my own. And your interpretation of God is a tragedy."
Each mile gained along the PCT expands Alexei's character and it was lovely to journey alongside him as he developed a tender, sweet relationship with Ben. "Alexei was a butterfly, just emerging from his chrysalis, and he was showing Ben his wings. Ben couldn't turn away from that." That's not to say that Ben is overlooked - he's also on the PCT for personal reasons as he closes in on 30 and is looking to become a more grounded, responsible person.
The setting itself is like another character and I loved the details about the PCT, the hiking community, and birding - things I'm completely unaware of but found really interesting based on the level of detail and care as they were presented with. It was a perfect backdrop to the tumultuous lived experiences & growth that both Alexei & Ben go through.
The last 20% was really unique for a romance novel. It's not a typical third-act conflict, but I don't want to get too spoilery in my review, so I'll just say that it's a heartbreaking and realistic turn of events and adding the epistolary choice of narrative was a deft touch.
All in all, if you love a slow-burn, feelings-filled romance with found family elements - this is the book for you.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I had originally rated this as 3⭐ but think it deserves to be rounded up to 4⭐ because as I've had some time to collect my thoughts, I have to say, it's been niggling at me for a couple of weeks now. Something Wild & Wonderful is the loveliest of slow burns as you journey with Alexei as he trek along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). For Alexei, this is "a chance to say good-bye to his old life...to find a bit of peace before he started over." Unfortunately (or not), a chance encounter with the enigmatic Ben throws his plans off the cliff and Alexei finds much more than peace during his months-long journey on the PCT.
While the narrative shifts POVs between the two male leads, this is very much Alexei's story, and it is a story fraught with homophobia, abandonment, grief, & insecurities. I found the trauma of his religious upbringing was handled exceedingly well and it was heartbreaking.
"You raised me to believe that family and faith were everything. How can you take that away from me and not expect me to crumble?
[Y]ou might have been the one to bring me to church, Dad. But I got to know faith on my own. And your interpretation of God is a tragedy."
Each mile gained along the PCT expands Alexei's character and it was lovely to journey alongside him as he developed a tender, sweet relationship with Ben. "Alexei was a butterfly, just emerging from his chrysalis, and he was showing Ben his wings. Ben couldn't turn away from that." That's not to say that Ben is overlooked - he's also on the PCT for personal reasons as he closes in on 30 and is looking to become a more grounded, responsible person.
The setting itself is like another character and I loved the details about the PCT, the hiking community, and birding - things I'm completely unaware of but found really interesting based on the level of detail and care as they were presented with. It was a perfect backdrop to the tumultuous lived experiences & growth that both Alexei & Ben go through.
The last 20% was really unique for a romance novel. It's not a typical third-act conflict, but I don't want to get too spoilery in my review, so I'll just say that it's a heartbreaking and realistic turn of events and adding the epistolary choice of narrative was a deft touch.
All in all, if you love a slow-burn, feelings-filled romance with found family elements - this is the book for you.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
katebrownreads's review
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
caseythereader's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
5.0
Thanks to Forever for the free advance copy of this book.
- What a gift SOMETHING WILD AND WONDERFUL is. It pulls of the balancing act of dealing with very real homophobia and giving the characters real queer joy.
- Kelly excels at writing characters who care so deeply for each other, for all their quirks and complicated personal histories. I particularly loved being there with Alexei while he tried to figure out his new relationship to faith and church.
- This is also the rare romance novel that didn't have me rolling my eyes and speeding through the third act breakup. The way Alexei and Ben worked through it was so beautiful and precious.
- And! We also get to see Dahlia and London from LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS!
- What a gift SOMETHING WILD AND WONDERFUL is. It pulls of the balancing act of dealing with very real homophobia and giving the characters real queer joy.
- Kelly excels at writing characters who care so deeply for each other, for all their quirks and complicated personal histories. I particularly loved being there with Alexei while he tried to figure out his new relationship to faith and church.
- This is also the rare romance novel that didn't have me rolling my eyes and speeding through the third act breakup. The way Alexei and Ben worked through it was so beautiful and precious.
- And! We also get to see Dahlia and London from LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Homophobia, Medical content, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, and Dementia
ginfizz's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
Something Wild & Wonderful is the story of Alexei and Ben, two men who separately, and then together, hike the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,600 mile trail that spans the west coast of the U.S. from Mexico to Canada. Both men are at starting points in their lives, and hope to find closure and clarity on the grueling trek.
Writing about a journey is one of the oldest forms of storytelling. When your characters are literally moving from one point to another, you need to make the emotional payoff of the metaphor especially poignant, and Alexei and Ben’s character growth is deep and compelling. They are very different characters, who come from very different backgrounds and are traveling the trail for very different reasons; yet the way their relationship grows as they respond to the challenges and discomforts is realistic and exciting.
It’s wonderful to see Ben, who you meet in Kelly’s first novel Love & Other Disasters, as a fully fleshed-out character. His personality, his joy, as well as his struggles with self-worth and a path forward. So much of Ben is told between the lines — you get his story, and his past, and the reasons he wants to hike the trail, but his true character is in between all those things. He is a slightly unreliable narrator, particularly about himself. There’s a difference between the story he tells himself about who he is, his strengths and flaws, and who he actually seems to be. Ben’s journey through the book is to start to see clearly that he doesn’t necessarily have the truest picture of himself, and bringing those images of himself closer together.
It’s kind of rare to read about a queer character who experiences religious trauma and still feels connected to God and to faith, and for that I’m so grateful for Alexei. His family’s rejection is so closely tied to their religious upbringing, and yet his ability to recognize that those are their choices and not the heart of faith is deeply profound, and I think relatable for more queer people than some may think. I ached for him so much throughout the story, his longing and his grief, and the way those things interacted with this desire for change and how he learns to love Ben. I can’t remember the last time I felt so moved by a character’s sheer and palpable desire to be loved and cared for, and how joyous I felt for him as he finds love and clarity on the PCT.
The structure and pacing of the book changes part-way through, and while at first it seemed like a way to quickly get through the back end of the story, I see now why the change happened, both for the reader and the characters, and it made me really appreciate how Kelly tells that part of the story.
I honestly can’t find much fault at all in the novel — it gives incredible emotional heft and handles extremely sensitive topics with such thoughtfulness and care while still being funny and joyful and utterly swoony. I feel lucky to have read it and I know I’ll be returning to it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Abandonment and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
decklededgess's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
trigger warnings: alcohol, death of family member, dementia/alzheimer's, emotionally abusive and toxic relationships, grief, homophobia and slurs, depression and anxiety, physical injury, religious bigotry
How do you explain a book that made you properly sob for the first time in six years... Like fully ouch my feelings were wrecked.
Anita Kelly takes on religious trauma and unlearning internalized homophobia in a very physical journey to self discovery as Alexei decides to walk the Pacific Crest Trail. His emotional development through the stages of grief of being disowned by his parents paired with him finally allowing himself the freedom to fall in love was the perfect emotional concoction of bittersweet. I found myself deeply relating to his journey of self acceptance, finally allowing himself to feel love and explore his sexuality in a way that wasn't formulaic or squirreled away like a dirty little secret.
Ben was also such a sweet lead. I didn't expect a POV for him because Alexei's story was the core of the book but Ben's path to healing from emotionally manipulative ex boyfriends was also a tender storyline that complimented Alexei's so well. In fact Alexei's story to accepting his softer self and Ben's story of accepting love that strengthens him were perfectly complimented in ways I didn't expect. I also really loved reading about Ben's family, his struggles with academics, and his nurturing tendencies that made him who he was.
Ben and Alexei are also both neurodivergent, which was delightful to come across. It's a new habit of mine to pick out traits in "grumpy" characters that code them as autistic (although the grumpy part is not always the case). So I was right on the money in figuring out Alexei is autistic. It isn't a central part of the story, but it's a central part of his personality that does get acknowledged later in the book. It was good to read neurodivergent plot lines that weren't the central part of the book. They make us who we are but they do not declare our whole selves. Same goes for Ben and his ADHD. That isn't explored explicitly in the story but the markers are there for anyone who can recognize the behaviours.
I love this book with all my heart. Anita Kelly has written some of the most exquisite books I've read in the past few years and I cannot wait to read everything else they put out in the future.
How do you explain a book that made you properly sob for the first time in six years... Like fully ouch my feelings were wrecked.
Anita Kelly takes on religious trauma and unlearning internalized homophobia in a very physical journey to self discovery as Alexei decides to walk the Pacific Crest Trail. His emotional development through the stages of grief of being disowned by his parents paired with him finally allowing himself the freedom to fall in love was the perfect emotional concoction of bittersweet. I found myself deeply relating to his journey of self acceptance, finally allowing himself to feel love and explore his sexuality in a way that wasn't formulaic or squirreled away like a dirty little secret.
Ben was also such a sweet lead. I didn't expect a POV for him because Alexei's story was the core of the book but Ben's path to healing from emotionally manipulative ex boyfriends was also a tender storyline that complimented Alexei's so well. In fact Alexei's story to accepting his softer self and Ben's story of accepting love that strengthens him were perfectly complimented in ways I didn't expect. I also really loved reading about Ben's family, his struggles with academics, and his nurturing tendencies that made him who he was.
Ben and Alexei are also both neurodivergent, which was delightful to come across. It's a new habit of mine to pick out traits in "grumpy" characters that code them as autistic (although the grumpy part is not always the case). So I was right on the money in figuring out Alexei is autistic. It isn't a central part of the story, but it's a central part of his personality that does get acknowledged later in the book. It was good to read neurodivergent plot lines that weren't the central part of the book. They make us who we are but they do not declare our whole selves. Same goes for Ben and his ADHD. That isn't explored explicitly in the story but the markers are there for anyone who can recognize the behaviours.
I love this book with all my heart. Anita Kelly has written some of the most exquisite books I've read in the past few years and I cannot wait to read everything else they put out in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Dementia
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