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A review by norspider
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Sometimes the journey is about the journey.
The Vaster Wilds opens with a young girl running away from the settlement she lives in. Her only option is to run through the wilderness and try to survive. We see her make shelters, hunt food, and do what it takes to keep herself going. Through her desperate plea for survival we are forced to look inward and ask ourselves the most difficult questions.
This book suffers from repetition: run, sleep, dream, run, sleep, dream, run, sleep, dream. But the speedy pacing combined with visceral language and graphic content, topped with existential philosophy, make this story worth your time.
The Vaster Wilds opens with a young girl running away from the settlement she lives in. Her only option is to run through the wilderness and try to survive. We see her make shelters, hunt food, and do what it takes to keep herself going. Through her desperate plea for survival we are forced to look inward and ask ourselves the most difficult questions.
This book suffers from repetition: run, sleep, dream, run, sleep, dream, run, sleep, dream. But the speedy pacing combined with visceral language and graphic content, topped with existential philosophy, make this story worth your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Excrement, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, and Stalking
Minor: Torture and Abortion