4/5 bear sightings.
"Even in the wilderness, you can't hide from yourself". I really enjoyed this one! "Gone Wild" is really short for my normal reads, roughly one hundred pages, but full of a good story. I grew up camping and hiking in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park every summer since I was a kid. This book makes me remember the rough parts of camping, the bears, caching food, being careful with drinking water and what not to eat lest you get sick, but it also held an interesting story about two people who feel so very lost and need to find themselves. The woods are my go-to place when I need to be re-centered and this story talks about that while staying close to the characters and their own journeys to find the right path for them.
This book also made me sit back and remember that even when times get tough and it feels like everyone else around you is in charge of their lives as well as yours, that you still hold the power over your own life. No one can tell you what is the right path for you, only you, and that you can accept help in difficult situations without giving away all control. For Seth, it's allowing Brooke to care for him when he truly needed it, trusting in another to not hurt him after being hurt so many times before, and learning that by just being honest with yourself and others, you can find a solution to a rough situation. For Brooke, it's showing compassion for a stranger, accepting the consequences of shutting out those who truly care, and believing in yourself and your plans/dreams.
I would certainly recommend this read to others, not just those that are going through a rough patch, but for everyone to just be able to remember what is to believe in yourself, help a stranger, and have faith that everything will work itself out for the best.
Thank you to NetGalley and James Lorimer and Company for sending this ARC my way for an honest review!
~~~~~~~~~~Synopsis~~~~~~~~~~
Bullied in foster care and then by his adoptive mother's boyfriend, Seth decides to head out on his own. Brooke thinks she might be pregnant and, instead of facing her controlling mother, she runs. The strangers meet in a wilderness park on Vancouver Island, where basic survival is a challenge. As they work together to find food, water, and shelter, they find the strength to take control of their own lives.