Published by: HarperTeen, October 21st 2014
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Gothic
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: HarperTeen, via Edelweiss
It's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp -- the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.
Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance -- and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her.
This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.
I've been looking for a good southern gothic book for as long as I can remember. The ones I've read, hoping for brilliance, all fell flat. But I finally found a diamond in Beware The Wild. Set in the heart of Louisiana, this book tells the story of Sterling, a girl whose brother waked into the swamp that is more than a swamp, and the town that forgot he existed when a swamp girl took his place as Sterling's sister.
From the get go, there was just something about this book. Something enchanting and gripping and unnerving. I was sucked into the story in much the same way Phin was sucked into the swamp. I found myself rooting for Sterling, believing in her and her quest to save her brother, and I also found myself suspicious of everyone. I didn't trust Lenora May, or Darold, or Fisher - which turned out to be good instinct - and it kept me on edge, not knowing who was evil or not.
I loved the romance, too. Heath was pretty sweet, and tortured, and easy to love. He has a charm about him that reads as effortless, and I can see how Sterling fell for him. The other relationships in this book, between Sterling and her family, and her best friends, felt so authentic, like I could walk into any school and find them there, speculating about the swamp's magic and boys. Everything in Beware The Wild just felt so real.
Beware The Wild is just a wonderful book, all around, with an tensely atmospheric story of a determined girl, a lost brother, and a swamp that's as dangerous as it is miraculous.
From the get go, there was just something about this book. Something enchanting and gripping and unnerving. I was sucked into the story in much the same way Phin was sucked into the swamp. I found myself rooting for Sterling, believing in her and her quest to save her brother, and I also found myself suspicious of everyone. I didn't trust Lenora May, or Darold, or Fisher - which turned out to be good instinct - and it kept me on edge, not knowing who was evil or not.
I loved the romance, too. Heath was pretty sweet, and tortured, and easy to love. He has a charm about him that reads as effortless, and I can see how Sterling fell for him. The other relationships in this book, between Sterling and her family, and her best friends, felt so authentic, like I could walk into any school and find them there, speculating about the swamp's magic and boys. Everything in Beware The Wild just felt so real.
Beware The Wild is just a wonderful book, all around, with an tensely atmospheric story of a determined girl, a lost brother, and a swamp that's as dangerous as it is miraculous.
Characters ★★★★☆
Setting/world building ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★☆
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"Fear doesn't protect anyone. Fear only makes us more vulnerable when we should be finding ways to be strong."
