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waddlealot's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
teresaalice's review against another edition
4.0
The family listened to this book on CD during a grueling six hour car-ride to the Okanagan, which you knew would be long when the six year old started asking "how much longer" about five minutes after we left home. A post-apocalyctic novel for children, if that's possible, where a disease that the animals call berry eye has decimated most of the animals in the world. A young boy living in an institution gets called to action by some pigeons and a cockroach, and the story just gets stranger from there. Though I find books on CD depend so much on the narrator, this one was sufficiently entertaining and non-annoying that we all enjoyed this book, though the ending left you wondering if this was going to be the first in a series.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
Was für ein süßes Buch. Mit sprechenden Tieren kriegt man mich immer schnell rum, vor allem wenn sie so liebevoll charakterisiert sind wie in The Last Wild. Es gibt einen majestätischen Hirsch, eine tanzende Maus, ein Wolfsjunges, das sich für das Geschenk Gottes hält und meinen Liebling: die weiße Taube. In einem Schwarm von grauen Tauben schafft sie es immer die Wörter so zu verdrehen, dass sie genau das Gegenteil von allen anderen sagt.
Neben den sprechenden Tieren punktet der Roman mit seinem Protagonisten Kester. Manchmal unsicher und nicht davor gefeit Fehler zu begehen, beweist Kester immer wieder was für ein treuer Held er ist.
Dass man bei sprechenden Tieren schnell an ein Kinderbuch denkt, ist klar. Ich will nicht abstreiten, dass The Last Wild eins ist, aber es hat auch eine gewisse Tiefe. Nicht jede Figur ist sicher, es gibt Verluste und das allgemeine Thema, auf dem der Roman aufbaut (Artenaussterben), ist für jedes Alter aktuell.
Was man nur am Rande mitbekommt, ist dass das Setting einer futuristischen Dystopie gleicht. Man kann mit Armbanduhren fotografieren und die Menschen ernähren sich größtenteils von pulverbasiertem Brei. Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass man in den Fortsetzungen noch mehr über diese veränderte Welt erfährt.
Dass The Last Wild der Auftakt einer Trilogie ist, hat mich überrumpelt. Wusste ich vorher nicht, aber inzwischen freue ich mich, noch weitere Abenteuer mit Kester und seinen Tierfreunden zu bestreiten.
Neben den sprechenden Tieren punktet der Roman mit seinem Protagonisten Kester. Manchmal unsicher und nicht davor gefeit Fehler zu begehen, beweist Kester immer wieder was für ein treuer Held er ist.
Dass man bei sprechenden Tieren schnell an ein Kinderbuch denkt, ist klar. Ich will nicht abstreiten, dass The Last Wild eins ist, aber es hat auch eine gewisse Tiefe. Nicht jede Figur ist sicher, es gibt Verluste und das allgemeine Thema, auf dem der Roman aufbaut (Artenaussterben), ist für jedes Alter aktuell.
Was man nur am Rande mitbekommt, ist dass das Setting einer futuristischen Dystopie gleicht. Man kann mit Armbanduhren fotografieren und die Menschen ernähren sich größtenteils von pulverbasiertem Brei. Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass man in den Fortsetzungen noch mehr über diese veränderte Welt erfährt.
Dass The Last Wild der Auftakt einer Trilogie ist, hat mich überrumpelt. Wusste ich vorher nicht, aber inzwischen freue ich mich, noch weitere Abenteuer mit Kester und seinen Tierfreunden zu bestreiten.
tsundokued's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting concept, good writing style, but far too many loose ends. Hopefully the sequel will tie them up.
in_and_out_of_the_stash's review against another edition
4.0
A Junior book so the main character is a child but, unlike other Junior books, this child is not surrounded by stupid adults.
beastreader's review against another edition
2.0
I thought the premise of this book sounded good and it was alright. The first part was boring. This is not a good thing as the first part was 50 pages long. If I was not so close to the second part and willing to give this book a little more of a chance. The second part is where the story did pick up in the speed. This is because than Kester had escaped his prison and was with the animals. I liked the talking animals. However not too fond of the cockroach. Not because it was annoying or anything but because I don't like cockroaches.
It is kind of funny as I liked the descriptive details that the author gave as it helped to build the world that Kester was in with the animals. However on the same note, it was all the details that I did find boggled the story down as well. It kept it from moving as flowy. I think that my nephews will find the same issue about the details as well. Children at times do not have a long attention span so to give so much detail can drag the story out. Which actually without a little less detail, this book would have ended sooner and it would have still been ok. I liked the animals more. The animals were more interesting then Kester.
It is kind of funny as I liked the descriptive details that the author gave as it helped to build the world that Kester was in with the animals. However on the same note, it was all the details that I did find boggled the story down as well. It kept it from moving as flowy. I think that my nephews will find the same issue about the details as well. Children at times do not have a long attention span so to give so much detail can drag the story out. Which actually without a little less detail, this book would have ended sooner and it would have still been ok. I liked the animals more. The animals were more interesting then Kester.
chickchick22's review against another edition
5.0
Omg. This is one of my favorite books in the world. I do not know how to explain it. The way that I feel right now is tangled up with emotions.
I love Kester and Polly. Their friendship is such a beautiful, majestic thing. Polly, who kept going, trying to be his friend. Kester, who tried to communicate, to make her understand. Two different kids, two different stories, one friendship.
I love all of the animals (but especially the stag and the wolf cub and the white pigeon) and how they all can unite despite the natural order of things. I love how Piers Torday can make them so human. How through his beautifully crafted sentences and words he can make the world of the Last Wild come to life right in front of our eyes. I could not put this book down. Wow wow wow. Honestly, this book can be read by anyone. Adults, teens, tweens, and kids alike will adore the marvelous journeys and wanderings of the Wildness.
I love Kester and Polly. Their friendship is such a beautiful, majestic thing. Polly, who kept going, trying to be his friend. Kester, who tried to communicate, to make her understand. Two different kids, two different stories, one friendship.
I love all of the animals (but especially the stag and the wolf cub and the white pigeon) and how they all can unite despite the natural order of things. I love how Piers Torday can make them so human. How through his beautifully crafted sentences and words he can make the world of the Last Wild come to life right in front of our eyes. I could not put this book down. Wow wow wow. Honestly, this book can be read by anyone. Adults, teens, tweens, and kids alike will adore the marvelous journeys and wanderings of the Wildness.
adewey_20's review against another edition
2.0
I had to read this for my Evaluating Human Impact on the Environment through Children's and Early Adolescent Literature (I think that's the name?) class. It was interesting to read this and find that it has talking animals, which is not something you see often, and the virus reminds me a whole of COVID-19. There were some thing that bothered me starting with that I found it to be really cheesy and random. There were quite a few plot twists that would shock the characters at first then quickly move on (this book was also pretty fast paced). The characters also got on my nerves as well, it seemed everytime they spoke my brain started to hurt. Overall I didn't really like this book but if I was within the age group this was written for, I may have enjoyed it.