Wild Things

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Wild Things Pub. Date: 5/1/2012 Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
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Wild Things Pub. Date: 5/1/2009 Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
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Wild Things (MP3 - Unabridged) Pub. Date: 7/15/2010 Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC

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Overview

With her father long gone, spunky eleven-year-old Zoe is shuffled from relative to relative after her mother dies. The story opens as she arrives at her uncle Henry Royster's Farm outside Sugar Hill, a small Southern town.

Editorial Reviews

VOYA

Zoe, eleven and wild, comes to live with her half-uncle Henry when her mother dies. Henry, a doctor turned metal sculptor, is the only reliable adult in Zoe's life. Unlike Zoe's mentally ill mother and her string of no-good boyfriends, Henry works steadily and is able to provide Zoe with basic needs like new clothing and clean shelter. For the first time in her life, wise-beyond-her-years Zoe must attend school regularly, even though she considers herself too smart for school in everything except math. Interspersed with Zoe's story are passages centering on a feral cat that lives under Henry's porch, which is supposed to parallel Zoe's life, show her passion for animals, and explain some of her family's history. Full of hokey dialogue and flat characters, this book is best enjoyed by adults who want to reassure themselves of children's wisdom and need for solid adult guidance. There are no children in the book save for Zoe until about the midpoint, and they serve only to antagonize. The adults are all fonts of wisdom, especially Zoe's teacher, who gives her a journal in which to write. Rounding out the book's long list of flaws are slow pacing, long descriptions that do little to move the book forward, and the completely unintriguing mystery of a boy living in a nearby woods. Reviewer: Carlisle K. Webber

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From The Critics

This wonderfully rich and layered novel is filled with real and symbolic "wild things." There is the main character, Zoe, an untrusting eleven-year-old girl, who goes to live with her Uncle Henry after the death of her mentally-ill mother. There is the old feral cat that has lived in the woods near Henry's house for years. There are Uncle Henry's eccentric metal sculptures, and there is the beautiful white deer and her mysterious companion who roam the woods. Zoe quickly learns that her Uncle Henry is not like the troubled men her mother knew. Henry is kind and reclusive. Zoe warms to his friends, particularly Bessie, the fragile wife of Henry's caretaker. One day, while roaming the woods around Henry's home, Zoe stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned cabin. The cabin becomes Zoe's hideout, a place for her to be alone and write in her journals and read the books that her teacher has loaned her. Zoe becomes furious when, one day, she discovers her hideout has been ransacked, and her special journal is missing. This incident leads to multiple events: the near fatal shooting of the white deer, the discovery of the wild boy who cares for the deer, and the eventual unfolding of the wild boy's connection to Zoe and her family. The author tells her story through Zoe, but readers learn the family's history through the stray cat that Zoe eventually tames. These alternating viewpoints, combined with intriguing subplots and the theme of learning to trust, make this a fantastic book for classroom or small group discussions. Reviewer: Jody J. Little

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781590786277
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Publication date: 5/1/2009
Pages: 241
Sales rank: 115,413
Age range: 9 - 12 Years
Lexile: 890L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 5.90 (w) x 8.40 (h) x 1.00 (d)

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Sar_Man

Posted December 3, 2009

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GREAT!!!!!!!!!

i really liked this book I recommend this to everyone no matter what age.
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LissaMonster

Posted August 12, 2009

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One of the best books I've read this year

There's a man and a girl and an old feral cat who all learn to trust and love. There's a family made up of people who have chosen each other. There are hardships and discovery and forgiveness and friendships. There's art and following your spirit. And it made me cry. In a good way. I absolutely adore this book.
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TeensReadToo

Posted June 20, 2009

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Reviewed by Andrew S. Cohen for TeensReadToo.com

In WILD THINGS, protagonist Zoe no longer trusts anyone. Both her parents have now left her; her father left at an early age, and now her mother, an irresponsible mother and slob, has died. As a result of her traumatic, unbelievably self-sufficient childhood, Zoe trusts only herself.

To begin, Zoe goes to live with her uncle, Dr. Henry Royster, a surgeon. In his house she finds massive sharp metal sculptures dangling in a room, as she finds out her uncle is a famed sculptor. Though reluctant to trust Henry because everyone else in her life has failed her, Zoe finds much in common with him, especially their equally broken hearts.

All the while, Zoe meets a cast of friendly, curious characters who are loyal to Henry and begin to mend her heart, along with a wise cat and a mystical boy in the nearby forest. Zoe's curiosity, as she explores the woods, leads to adventure, heroism, and more as she unmasks the boy's identity, defiles a local lie, and more through her Wild Spirit. The tale of WILD THINGS is a wondrous page-turner.

What a phenomenal debut book by Ms. Carmichael. Throughout the story, I was stunned by the depth of the characters, and how I truly connected with many of them. My favorite part was the added perspective of the narrative of the wild cat, which adds an excellent dimension to this book. Carmichael, inspired by her actual husband, also a metal artist, skillfully weaves this story and interesting characters together to create the masterpiece that is WILD THINGS.

A must-read for all readers!
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Anonymous

Posted May 15, 2009

Really Good Book

This book is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone of any age, particularly animal lovers!
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Wild Things

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Overview

All Available Formats + Editions

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Overview

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Editorial Reviews

VOYA

From The Critics

Product Details

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GREAT!!!!!!!!!

One of the best books I've read this year

Reviewed by Andrew S. Cohen for TeensReadToo.com

Really Good Book