Review *WILD*

by Ele Fountain

Cover art by Thy Bui Published by Pushkin Press

A Sarah Odedina book

Ele Fountain has done it again!

Real life + environmental issues + cultural diversity are seamlessly woven together to give us another perfectly formed story with characters that come alive & burst through the pages, pulling us into their world.

In this case, we see Jack struggling in a few worlds but managing to hide his new habits from his mum. An environmental anthropologist, she is always busy & often travels.

Handling the heavy feeling he's had inside since his dad died is a huge challenge. Living with Mum has MASSIVE challenges too. Different but MASSIVE.

Flares of anger creep up on him sometimes. Even Jack is taken by surprise.

He's also teamed up with a couple of sketchy *friends* from school & as a crew they have some questionable ideas about spray paint.

# NotShopping

As Jack's behaviour spirals it'll take something major to spark a change.

Cue Mum's plan to take Jack on a trip. But of course, it isn't an ordinary trip.

Nothing is ever ordinary with Mum. Jack sometimes agrees to eat at home with Mum because there's only a limited time without food in his mouth that she can actually expect him to speak. Watching a film works too - no talking allowed!

But it's not a quaint B&B in the crisp English countryside. No. Jack finds himself *in a rusty jeep, with no wi-fi or 'phone connection, heading to the jungle*.

It's actually a work trip for Mum but nobody had planned or could predict the sequence of events that unfolds. Maybe it's the true & immediate danger Jack almost craved that allows him to access parts of his mind he'd mostly shut down at home.

A smile even manages to find its way to Jack's face as he interacts with Pakoyai in the jungle camp.

Smiles have been absent for a long time at home.

So many elements are included in this story. Relationships, dealing with grief, mental health, coping mechanisms, personal goals & achievement (+ several others) but true connection surprised Jack the most. Not just connecting with his mum but his own small home community & the team members in the jungle. If something is important & meaningful enough to you, you find a way to make things happen.

He manages to find it within himself to allow feelings in again & experiences positivity in the best way.

As with all of Ele Fountain's books, there is a multi-layered message threaded with skill into the lines & pages of a beautifully sculpted story. Each one is completely different.

They all explore the fact that human resilience & personal strength can be amazing.

*Watch out for anything with six legs. Or any number of legs that isn't two!*

*Always check your shoes!*