Hi friends, this week’s teen review is of a book I never expected from this author. I had read most of her tween titles and was pleasantly surprised when I found this one day on a shelf in the library. Van Draanen had me intrigued from the beginning with this teen story of hers. Hope to see you below!
Title: Wild Bird
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Genre: Fiction – contemporary
Publication details: Alfred A. Knopf; NY, 2017
ISBN: 9781101940440 (Hardcover)
What this book is about: Wren Clemmens is hustled out of her house at 3:47 am and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who’ve gone so far off the rails, their parents don’t know what to do with them anymore. This is a wilderness therapy camp. Wren arrives in the Utah desert angry and bitter, and blames everyone but herself. But neither the anger nor bitterness helps her in putting up a tent or starting a fire. Wren’s going to have to admit she needs help if she’s going to survive. In her most insightful book yet, beloved author Wendelin Van Draanen offers a remarkable portrait of a girl who took a wrong turn and got lost – but who may be able to find her way back again in the vast, harsh desert.
My review: A poignant and powerful read!! Although this read took me a while to get into, towards the middle I ended up enjoying it. There are some pretty dark themes visited here. Be warned parents, if you have a tween trying out new reads, just be nearby. I found Van Draanen’s descriptions of the extreme environment mirrored what our protagonist Wren was going through internally. Those subtle flashbacks and Wren’s emotions towards what she did in the past, blended in well and I felt that they did an amazing job in giving us readers the whole picture. Wren’s journey of survival through this ordeal was described with amazing attention to detail that you can’t help but feel for her. A good read with excellent characters and storyline.
My rating: 4 ⭐
Additional notes: This title was nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award and the South Carolina Book Award for Junior Books in 2020.
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