Running Wild

July 15, 2019
Twelve-year-old Willa must get her 10-year-old twin brothers safely through the Alaskan wilderness. Five years ago, Willa's widowed father uprooted their family to escape his grief by living out his survivalist, live-completely-off-the-land fantasies in rural Alaska. Since then, he's gotten meaner and abusive, and he has relapsed into alcoholism. A combination of her father's stubborn unwillingness to admit that they don't have enough food for the winter, escalating physical abuse, and Willa's fear that something's wrong with her (she doesn't know about periods) lead her to take the boys and flee to Fort Yukon on a rickety raft. They navigate wildlife (from bears to an orphaned wolf pup that one twin smuggles along), rough rivers, and supply problems, all while avoiding detection, as Willa's afraid they'll be returned to their father before she can contact their aunt in New York for help. Additionally, Willa has to continually persuade her brothers that they want to leave the only life they can remember, that there is something betterout there. The survival elements are entertaining and informative, and there's a good balance between self-sufficiencyand reliance on adults for appropriate help at the novel's climax. While not all is resolved by the end, the story concludes on a hopeful note. Willa's family is white while the Fort Yukon population introduces mainly Gwichyaa Gwich'in people. The acknowledgements thank a wolf expert and a board member of the Gwich'in Council International. Nuanced, character-driven action. (Adventure. 8-12)

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September 6, 2019

Gr 5-8-Combining elements of survivalism, resilience in the face of adversity, and adaptation to the unknown, Bledsoe skillfully weaves a tale of adventure and coming of age on the Alaskan frontier. After their recovering alcoholic father moves them to the middle of nowhere following their mother's death, Willa and her twin younger brothers must learn to hunt, fish, ration, and simply exist in a terrain that neither suits them nor wants them. Her dad falls off the wagon, and Willa must put her own education on hold to cook, clean, and pick up the pieces, literally and figuratively, of his addiction. Finally, she reaches her limit and convinces the twins to run away with her. What ensues is a chase through the wilderness. Readers must suspend their disbelief at some of the plot twists. Despite these moments, Bledsoe makes Willa a likable, relatable, and strong lead who will appeal to readers of a similar age. Much like Ruthie of Bledsoe's short story "Rough Touch," this novel will have readers rooting for Willa and her brothers on their adventure. VERDICT With a plot and character traits akin to Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Julia Alvarez's How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, this would be an excellent addition to middle grade libraries.-Jillian Woychowski, West Haven High School, CT

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