Review 128: The Wildlands

The Wildlands by Abby Geni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The book opens with six-year-old Cora awakened to their family hurriedly gathering belongings and rushing to the basement shelter. A tornado is about to hit. This tornado changes their lives entirely. Already Motherless, the storm took their father, the house, the farm and all their animals, everything. All that was left is the four siblings. Months later the only boy, Tucker leaves. Three years later the eldest, Darlene is trying to keep the family housed, fed, clothes and going to school, and for herself, just trying to get by. The book is about what happens when Tucker returns.

The story is told mainly from Cora’s point of view, but also switches to Darlene. There is a lot of simplicity as we are given mostly a nine-year-old’s view of the world. Cora missed her brother more than anyone imagined so when he teaches her his point of view, Cora accepts it easily.

I was pulled into the story very easily. The writing is decent. The story line is somewhat sad, and highly traumatic for the characters! I worried for Cora, for when she would be older, or when things were returned to normal for her. What would happen to Tucker? Could he return to the family to be a good role model?

What I’d like to know is why do environmentalists or animal lovers become portrayed as off their rocker in most books? Why can’t they be heroes instead of crazy extremists? Maybe I’m just not reading the right books.


I received a free copy of this book at a library conference. I was not required to write a review, but felt like it and, of course, the above opinions are my own.