Wild Child

Wild Child – Mike Wells

Evan’s ESS = 7 out of 10

Erin’s ESS = out of 10

Content = PG-13 (Adult Content, Language, Mild Sexual Content, Negligent Boat Driving, Pestering Government Agents)

Why: Don’t drink the water!  Seriously, if the liquid in your hand has any kind of greenish glow – don’t consume it! 

Kyle and Briana were enjoying a pleasant day on the lake when the latter decides to add a little excitement to the afternoon.  Having a reputation for pushing the limits, Briana pressures Kyle to partake in a half mile swim towards a series of underwater caves.  Tragedy strikes almost at once in the form of a nasty speedboat hit-and-run.  Just when Kyle is sure his friend is lost beneath the depths of the lake forever, Briana suddenly reappears with more life and vigor than ever before.  The details of her miracle cure seem simple enough, yet the implications are far reaching.     

Standing in at just over 100 pages, Wild Child is a quick, fast paced story with plenty of page turnability!  The writing was straightforward and the plot was unique.  Both main characters are complex and if there’s anything we found wanting, it’s on the side of development.  We wanted more!  We wanted to know what drove Briana to be such an adrenaline junkie and better understand why Kyle had some pretty significant “daddy issues”.  Nonetheless, a glimpse here and there provided enough to keep the plot moving forward and the reader engaged.

Wild Child also contains several interesting themes for the reader to explore.  The character of Briana is feisty and always ready to push the boundaries.  She’s also a bit of a bully and constantly pressuring those around her to succumb to temptation.  On the other hand Kyle is more grounded and loyal, yet has the confidence to stand up and say no to his best friend (we liked Kyle).  In short, the characters were real and just when you think you have them figured out; the twist at the end will catch you by surprise. Oops, now it won’t... sorry.  Just read the book!