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A review by she_loves_to_read
The wild ones by Antonio Ramos Revillas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Known as 'Los Salvajes' - The WIld Ones because of where they live on the edges of society on the hillsides of El Penon in Mexico. 15-year-old Ephrain and his 2 younger brothers are left to feed for themselves after their mother is wrongly imprisoned for the theft of a mattress.
What follows is their perilous journey whilst trying to survive whilst searching for very scant and poorly paid jobs in order to try to fight for their mothers' innocence and release. But the journey is far from an east one as they are faced with rampant police corruption/brutality, deprivation, poverty, starvation, gang culture, gun violence, betrayal injustice and murder. All whilst battling the many prejudices placed upon them by societal heirarchy.
It's an honest and exploration of what life is like for the poorest and vulnerable in society.
Antonio does a good job of vividly setting the scene and struggles that Ephrain encounters. However, for me, the pace was quite slow, considering the themes contained within the story. There were a few strands of the plot that had the potential to add another layer to the storyline. But they just never really got off the ground. Despute me hoping they would develop over time. Making it feel a little disjointed.
But I do think that it's a great educational tool for teenagers and young adults when it comes to shining a spotlight on and giving a voice to the very real lives and experiences of youngsters in countries around the world.
What follows is their perilous journey whilst trying to survive whilst searching for very scant and poorly paid jobs in order to try to fight for their mothers' innocence and release. But the journey is far from an east one as they are faced with rampant police corruption/brutality, deprivation, poverty, starvation, gang culture, gun violence, betrayal injustice and murder. All whilst battling the many prejudices placed upon them by societal heirarchy.
It's an honest and exploration of what life is like for the poorest and vulnerable in society.
Antonio does a good job of vividly setting the scene and struggles that Ephrain encounters. However, for me, the pace was quite slow, considering the themes contained within the story. There were a few strands of the plot that had the potential to add another layer to the storyline. But they just never really got off the ground. Despute me hoping they would develop over time. Making it feel a little disjointed.
But I do think that it's a great educational tool for teenagers and young adults when it comes to shining a spotlight on and giving a voice to the very real lives and experiences of youngsters in countries around the world.