Wildlife by Fiona Wood is all about feeling
insecure and not being able to acknowledge that – maybe not even to
yourself. As such, it seems that it
would have teen appeal, but one character, Holly, was so manipulative and cruel
that I actually found it a relief to finish the book. The story takes place at an outdoor education camp for
privileged students in Australia where making snarky comments about others and
betraying your friends seems par for the course.
..
The story is told from multiple perspectives which was a little disconcerting at first. I felt for “nerdy” Michael who was obviously different and I truly enjoyed reading Lou’s journal entries – even though she was hurting from the recent loss of a dear friend, she was attuned to others, very perceptive and genuinely kind. It’s not a surprise that Michael and Lou found and consoled each other. Again, I kept wishing that other characters would quit worrying about posing for everyone else and relax enough to allow more REAL friendships to develop.
The focus on fake anniversaries and the push to have sex all seemed forced and unnecessary. These characters were leaving childhood behind and it was a painful journey for most.
The story is told from multiple perspectives which was a little disconcerting at first. I felt for “nerdy” Michael who was obviously different and I truly enjoyed reading Lou’s journal entries – even though she was hurting from the recent loss of a dear friend, she was attuned to others, very perceptive and genuinely kind. It’s not a surprise that Michael and Lou found and consoled each other. Again, I kept wishing that other characters would quit worrying about posing for everyone else and relax enough to allow more REAL friendships to develop.
The focus on fake anniversaries and the push to have sex all seemed forced and unnecessary. These characters were leaving childhood behind and it was a painful journey for most.
