When six-year-old Abel Cohen wanders off from her parents’ cabin in the woods of Maine, she is rescued by Zac Lipton, a girl barely older than herself, who knows her way through the trees because they are where she has spent her entire life. That meeting sparks a summer-long friendship filled with laughter, stories, adventures and, of course, spinning. 

Fourteen years later they meet again, and after a rocky introduction, strengthen that bond of friendship formed so many years ago. Abel loves introducing Zac to the world she’s barely glimpsed from her overlook in the woods, and Zac, in turn, shares her love of the outdoors. Together they explore not just their surroundings, but their fears, hopes and feelings.

When Abel nears the end of college and her regular trips to the cabin, will she be able to convince Zac to leave her beloved woods and join her in the bustling city of Boston? Or will Zac decide to remain in her comfort zone, hidden behind the branches and tree trunks, safe from the chaos of civilization?

REVIEW
Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawr!

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

If you ever wished to read to a Tarzan-type of story featuring women who love women, swing your way over to Wild: The Wild Will Tame You. This book has been on my “to read” list for awhile, and I just got around to finishing it last night.

Prior to reading les-fic, I spent most of my time in the world of classics and magic realism. It took me a few books to wrap my head around the concept of the “new adult” genre as a sub-category within les-fic. The les-fic that I knew prior to 2013 was just… well… fiction. Judging by book sales and reviews, “new adult” seems to be gaining some dominance in the market.  Perhaps, this can be attributed to some of the more recent pivotal changes in our laws and society’s perception of sexuality. Maybe? Well, I’m just glad to see that our stories are diversifying. Variety is the spice of life… and literature.

Wild: The Wild Will Tame You seems to fit very nicely into this “new adult” category. It’s a sweet story about a girl and her not-so-imaginary friend from the forest, and their adventures in luuuuurve.

The story is told from a third person perspective. Wild: The Wild Will Tame You has an interesting narration, since the world is seen and experienced so differently between the two main characters. From the perspective of Zac, the readers see the innocence and the child-like qualities in her thought patterns. She reminded me of Ariel from The Little Mermaid, minus the fork and the scary octopus woman. There’s a wonder and bewilderment in all new things that Abel shows her, and the tentative steps that Zac takes outside of her beloved forest and into city life is steadied by the woman she’s loved all her life. From Abel’s perspective, the world is very much like the world that most of us live in: school, job, cars, vacations, etc. When Zac brings Abel deep into her forest, you can truly sense that it’s a special place that is far from civilization, but unfortunately, not a place where they can continue to grow the love that they have for each other.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I loved it’s message. This book shows its readers that home is not always the place you come from. Home is where the heart is.

SOUNDTRACK
1. Animal Collective – Leaf House
2. Wild Ones – Dim the Lights
3. Active Child – 1999
4. Sia – I’m in Here
5. Scavenger Hunt – Lost
6. Little Daylight – Love Stories
7. On and On – Drifting
8. Betty Who – Missing You
9. Alfred Hall – Someplace Beautiful
10. Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You
11. Feist – Mushaboom
12. Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
13. A Boy and His Kite – Cover Your Tracks
14. Passion Pit – Live To Tell The Tale

CHEERS!
This book would be best served with a….

BLACKBERRY SMASH
-4 blackberries
-8 mint leaves
-1 oz of lemon juice
-1/2 oz of honey
-2 oz of rye whiskey

Muddle all the ingredients together and serve. Blackberries can be substituted with other berries, just make sure it ain’t random berries you find out in the wilderness while camping.