Wild
Gr 7 Up—Cade grew up among the trees and caves of Daniel Boone National Forest. Dara grew up in the Kentucky town of Makwa. When a Spring Break camping trip Dara takes with her boyfriend, Josh, turns terrifying, the world of the forest and the world of modern-day Kentucky are thrust together. Cade is forced out of the wilderness and must contend with the media circus forming around him. It may be more than he and Dara can bear. The plotting of this retelling of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan of the Apes is smart and will keep readers interested in how Cade came to be in the woods by dropping clues about his mother's past throughout the narrative. The novel features some romance, but it is not overwrought nor does it override the mystery element. Some mentions of modern technologies such as Tumblr, Skype, and iPhones will date the novel, but they add to Cade's overwhelming lack of knowledge about the world he is suddenly a part of. A fine addition to any YA collection.—Paige Garrison, Aurora Central Public Library, CO