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A review by missbibliography
What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine
4.0
What Should Be Wild is a twisting complex novel. It follows the story of a girl who is born with an unusual power- the power to kill and bring back to life with a single touch. As a result, her mother dies while she is in the womb, and she forgoes physical touch with anything living her entire life, always covered under clothes or gloves, etc. The woods near her home hold their own magic, or possibly curse, and when her father goes missing, she must finally venture in.
I went in expecting magic and lots of fairytale tropes and storylines. However, much like the dark cover of the novel, the storyline is very much a gothic, classical fairytale rather than the lighter “happily-ever-after” style I was expecting. Repeated throughout is the mantra that everything requires sacrifice, and for our heroine to have her “happily-ever-after” she must go down a dark and twisted road. There were times when I couldn’t tell whether she was heroine or villain and I think that was the point that Fine meant to make. It was a read that I enjoyed, but also a heavier read than I expected. I wouldn’t suggest this if you want something light and happy, but if you want something steeped in classic goth storytelling, with what reminded me of Celtic influence, this is the book for you.
I went in expecting magic and lots of fairytale tropes and storylines. However, much like the dark cover of the novel, the storyline is very much a gothic, classical fairytale rather than the lighter “happily-ever-after” style I was expecting. Repeated throughout is the mantra that everything requires sacrifice, and for our heroine to have her “happily-ever-after” she must go down a dark and twisted road. There were times when I couldn’t tell whether she was heroine or villain and I think that was the point that Fine meant to make. It was a read that I enjoyed, but also a heavier read than I expected. I wouldn’t suggest this if you want something light and happy, but if you want something steeped in classic goth storytelling, with what reminded me of Celtic influence, this is the book for you.