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A review by btwnprintedpgs
Wild Life by Opal Wei
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
My biggest hope for this book is that it finds it audience, because it was such a gem, and a lot of current reviews don't reflect that.
This book is for the people pleasers, the ones who stay small so they don't bother anyone, the ones who feel like a burdens, as well as those who take on too much and work too hard to strive for something that doesn't make them happy.
Zoey is a cancer research student and is chaotic from the start. From her gaggle of mugs to her running off into the distance leaving an important research slide with a stranger, she's kind of everywhere. Though the book is told in third person, I still felt like I was stepping into the character's heads. Zoey's brain is a mix of indecision and emotion. She labels things with a TM in her head, and she hates her program but is afraid to throw out all her progress despite her feeling burnout and tired. I loved how the slide is a catalyst for her jumpstarting the story and her journey outside of her comfort zone (I have more thoughts on the slide, but I don't want to spoil anything! DM me if you're curious!).
In contrast, Davy felt quieter and steadier, despite his anxiety. He really knew how to pause and take a moment for himself, and he was like a sunflower to Zoey's chaotic sunshine. I loved that his anxiety and troubles were taken seriously by his found family, even if his own family was less than stellar. I also loved how he took his energy and put it into trying to create an animal sanctuary. I was so afraid the sanctuary was going to be gimmicky, but it felt legit and I appreciated that they didn't trivialized interactions with Baby (Davy's aging cougar that he received from a zoo).
The romance is sexy, but it also felt intellectually supported. Though I didn't love the week-long timeline, I did love how they helped to break down one another's problems and walk them through potential paths to get better and figure out their lives. It never felt like they were being forced together, nor did it ever feel immature. Some of the discussions they have about mental health, changing careers, and making different life choices felt so real, especially for me, as someone around their age dealing with the ups and downs of life. I wish the "I love yous" came later, because five days is wild to my demi brain, and much of this initial feelings are lust-based, but the growth and support really came through and saved the relationship for me.
One other complaint is that the final book had some typos and one page is type-set wrong (so very much an editing issue, not an author issue), but outside of that, I really enjoyed Wild Life. It definitely surprised me in the best ways.
Rep: Chinese-Canadian MC with burnout, Taiwanese-Canadian MC with anxiety
TW: cancer, injury detail, panic attack; mentions drug use, drug abuse, medical content, addiction
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Finished copy gifted by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
This book is for the people pleasers, the ones who stay small so they don't bother anyone, the ones who feel like a burdens, as well as those who take on too much and work too hard to strive for something that doesn't make them happy.
Zoey is a cancer research student and is chaotic from the start. From her gaggle of mugs to her running off into the distance leaving an important research slide with a stranger, she's kind of everywhere. Though the book is told in third person, I still felt like I was stepping into the character's heads. Zoey's brain is a mix of indecision and emotion. She labels things with a TM in her head, and she hates her program but is afraid to throw out all her progress despite her feeling burnout and tired. I loved how the slide is a catalyst for her jumpstarting the story and her journey outside of her comfort zone (I have more thoughts on the slide, but I don't want to spoil anything! DM me if you're curious!).
In contrast, Davy felt quieter and steadier, despite his anxiety. He really knew how to pause and take a moment for himself, and he was like a sunflower to Zoey's chaotic sunshine. I loved that his anxiety and troubles were taken seriously by his found family, even if his own family was less than stellar. I also loved how he took his energy and put it into trying to create an animal sanctuary. I was so afraid the sanctuary was going to be gimmicky, but it felt legit and I appreciated that they didn't trivialized interactions with Baby (Davy's aging cougar that he received from a zoo).
The romance is sexy, but it also felt intellectually supported. Though I didn't love the week-long timeline, I did love how they helped to break down one another's problems and walk them through potential paths to get better and figure out their lives. It never felt like they were being forced together, nor did it ever feel immature. Some of the discussions they have about mental health, changing careers, and making different life choices felt so real, especially for me, as someone around their age dealing with the ups and downs of life. I wish the "I love yous" came later, because five days is wild to my demi brain, and much of this initial feelings are lust-based, but the growth and support really came through and saved the relationship for me.
One other complaint is that the final book had some typos and one page is type-set wrong (so very much an editing issue, not an author issue), but outside of that, I really enjoyed Wild Life. It definitely surprised me in the best ways.
Rep: Chinese-Canadian MC with burnout, Taiwanese-Canadian MC with anxiety
TW: cancer, injury detail, panic attack; mentions drug use, drug abuse, medical content, addiction
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Finished copy gifted by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Medical content, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use