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analenegrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
I read Kelly's other book last year, and I was super excited for this one, not even realizing it was in the same universe (which I didn't realize until Chef's Special was mentioned lol).
Alexei and Ben's relationship was beautiful. They were both well-written characters with complicated stories that made them feel so real. Alexei's coming out journey and his complicated relationship with faith were so important and relatable. Ben's journey to realize he was deserving of good love was also beautiful, although this book definitely felt like Alexei's story. My only thing is that I wish Alexei's autism and diagnosis had been a little more than a mention at the end of the epilogue.
The descriptions of the trail and the adventure Alexei and Ben went on were so well-written, as were the letters they wrote to each other and that Alexei wrote to his family in the middle. The side characters felt full and like real people, something that is a sign of a fantastic author to me!
I loved the little bit of the characters of the last book being featured in this one and I look forward to rereading Love & Other Disasters soon because it's the June pick for my book club!
Alexei and Ben's relationship was beautiful. They were both well-written characters with complicated stories that made them feel so real. Alexei's coming out journey and his complicated relationship with faith were so important and relatable. Ben's journey to realize he was deserving of good love was also beautiful, although this book definitely felt like Alexei's story. My only thing is that I wish Alexei's autism and diagnosis had been a little more than a mention at the end of the epilogue.
The descriptions of the trail and the adventure Alexei and Ben went on were so well-written, as were the letters they wrote to each other and that Alexei wrote to his family in the middle. The side characters felt full and like real people, something that is a sign of a fantastic author to me!
I loved the little bit of the characters of the last book being featured in this one and I look forward to rereading Love & Other Disasters soon because it's the June pick for my book club!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content
caseythereader's review against another edition
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
decklededgess's review against another edition
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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