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morticia_59's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
makbrandt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Gore
foxmoon's review against another edition
4.0
three and a half stars.
What Should Be Wild started out as the contemporary gothic fairytale of my dreams. We are transported to a dark world, in which a woman's corpse may be kept alive to incubate an unborn child and where that child's father views her as somewhat of a scientific mystery and keeps her locked away in a mansion to study. This is because Maisie, the child and protagonist of the novel, possesses a sort of super power in which she will kill anything that her skin comes in contact with.
We follow Maisie through her childhood, the peculiar childhood of a captured princess and her overprotective father. The world they inhabit is fascinating, a little bit scary, and shaped by foreboding stories and folklore. The first part of the book which consists of this dreamlike world-building is a delight. Maisie is a precocious but obedient child, and the reader learns along with her, just as eagerly as she does.
It is only when Maisie becomes a young woman and a few new characters are introduced that the novel loses its enchantment. These are the stereotypical love interests (the handsome rogue and the good-hearted nerd), one of whom flattens the wonder in favor of formula. With these new characters, a small voyage of an adventure occurs but its conclusion, and the conclusion of the novel, is underwhelming and doesn't necessarily measure up to the robust lore established in the beginning of the story.
I loved the first part of the book and would have rated it five stars, but it took a turn and never recovered after the halfway mark.
What Should Be Wild started out as the contemporary gothic fairytale of my dreams. We are transported to a dark world, in which a woman's corpse may be kept alive to incubate an unborn child and where that child's father views her as somewhat of a scientific mystery and keeps her locked away in a mansion to study. This is because Maisie, the child and protagonist of the novel, possesses a sort of super power in which she will kill anything that her skin comes in contact with.
We follow Maisie through her childhood, the peculiar childhood of a captured princess and her overprotective father. The world they inhabit is fascinating, a little bit scary, and shaped by foreboding stories and folklore. The first part of the book which consists of this dreamlike world-building is a delight. Maisie is a precocious but obedient child, and the reader learns along with her, just as eagerly as she does.
It is only when Maisie becomes a young woman and a few new characters are introduced that the novel loses its enchantment. These are the stereotypical love interests (the handsome rogue and the good-hearted nerd), one of whom
Spoiler
is very obviously evil andI loved the first part of the book and would have rated it five stars, but it took a turn and never recovered after the halfway mark.
stilljennifer's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book so much, I really did. It had all the elements I love in a story: strong female characters, magical realism, creepy forests... and yet this entire story just fell flat for me. I found much of it to be a slog and I kept reading because I was really hoping for a giant twist/reveal at the end. Instead, I feel like I caught onto what was happening pretty early on and so I was just finishing it just to say I'd gotten to the end/be proven right.
I didn't hate it at all, but I didn't connect emotionally to any of the women, particularly because I felt like the author was trying so hard to make that happen. There was an overarching lesson that women have been put upon for centuries and often are forced to seek refuge from the harshness of the world, and a lot of stuff about embracing the darker elements of ourselves, yada yada, but it all just felt so heavy-handed that I couldn't take that lesson to heart. I'm a little disappointed, but I think perhaps for a younger audience that's not quite so cynical about the world, this could be good.
I didn't hate it at all, but I didn't connect emotionally to any of the women, particularly because I felt like the author was trying so hard to make that happen. There was an overarching lesson that women have been put upon for centuries and often are forced to seek refuge from the harshness of the world, and a lot of stuff about embracing the darker elements of ourselves, yada yada, but it all just felt so heavy-handed that I couldn't take that lesson to heart. I'm a little disappointed, but I think perhaps for a younger audience that's not quite so cynical about the world, this could be good.
hultqur's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bellep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
tabatha_shipley's review against another edition
4.0
What I Did Like:
+The concept of killing or reviving things by touch is one that I’ve seen before but this came across in a novel way. The author paid careful attention to details like food that really brought the story to life.
+I love originality in stories. This one brough the forest to life almost as another character and that was quite impressive. It added to the sort of gothic feel of the entire book.
+Maisie is an exceptional character. She has all of my favorite character traits. She’s flawed, curious, and loving. I enjoyed her story immensely.
Who Should Read This One:
-Readers who like multi-layered fantasy that comes together well in the end will enjoy this one. Particularly those readers who like gothic vibes and darker books.
My Rating: 4 Stars
This one is well written and will please readers of the genre!
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2023/01/26/2023-book-review-what-should-be-wild/
+The concept of killing or reviving things by touch is one that I’ve seen before but this came across in a novel way. The author paid careful attention to details like food that really brought the story to life.
+I love originality in stories. This one brough the forest to life almost as another character and that was quite impressive. It added to the sort of gothic feel of the entire book.
+Maisie is an exceptional character. She has all of my favorite character traits. She’s flawed, curious, and loving. I enjoyed her story immensely.
Who Should Read This One:
-Readers who like multi-layered fantasy that comes together well in the end will enjoy this one. Particularly those readers who like gothic vibes and darker books.
My Rating: 4 Stars
This one is well written and will please readers of the genre!
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2023/01/26/2023-book-review-what-should-be-wild/
siriface's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
koda_kodak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0