Wild, by Ele Fountain - Nicola
I have not read any of Ele Fountain's books before, but I absolutely LOVED this one.
It starts with us meeting Jack, who has fallen into the wrong crowd following an awful tradgey in his family. He feels ignored buy his mum and is just trying to find where he belongs… we can all imagine where this starts going.
He then gets 'dragged' away by his mum over the school holidays, which he is less than excited about because he KNOWS that this isn't a mother/son bonding trip: sitting by the pool, playing games, reading books... No. Once again, she needs to work.
He finds himself thrust into a world that he doesn't feel like he belongs in, but comes to discover something quite amazing about himself. His bravery can actually make a hugely positive impact on the future of the rainforest.
My favourite part of the book is when Jack, who is kept completely in the dark about the location and purpose of the trip he is embarking upon, refuses to take the easy option and be left behind. He acknowledges he might hate what he is about to experience but he wants to feel something other than anger. This point really helped him realise how fed up he was of being angry all the time; it made him look around and see what else there was to life... if it is pain, sadness, embarrassment, frustration... then at least that's better than constant anger. It didn't even occur to him that he might actually start smiling.
I loved this part of the book, because he really acknowledged how he was feeling and the impact that it was having on him and the people around him. Whilst he wasn't consciously changing for the better, it was a real turning point for him, and for his relationships with the other characters.
A beautifully written book about trauma, growing up, acknowledging your mistakes and becoming who you are meant to be ... all mixed in with the right amount of education (who knew bullet ants were a thing!) and understanding about the planet. Showing us the impact that silly humans are having on this beautiful world!
Nicola
