SYNOPSIS:
It’s an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp — the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn’t return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.
Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp’s done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance — and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK IT OUT?
We are loving the influx of new horror novels in YA and while this one isn’t exclusively horror, you can’t tell us that the premise isn’t horrifying! Much like Irish folklore has children stolen away by the Fae, here we have a swamp in the American South who presumably trades people who go in with another. The question becomes: are Sterling and Phin’s best friend Heath just sharing a delusion, or is all of this really happening? The book will certainly appeal to fans of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES world.
This cover could not have been anything else beyond the creepy, murky swamp that is so central to the plot. In sickly shades of green, blue, and black, we have to wonder what possessed Phin to even set foot there. The spotting of fireflies and the twisted root ends on the title are nice touches.
This is Natalie C. Parker’s debut YA novel. She grew up in Mississippi in a Navy family “where having adventures was as common as reading fairy tales”. She holds a degree in English and an MA in Women’s Studies. Natalie currently works on a project studying climate change where she eavesdrops on the conversations of brilliant scientists gathering fodder for future novels. She now lives in Kansas with her partner in “a house of monsters”. Find Natalie online at www.NatalieCParker.com!
EARLY REVIEWS SAY…
Some details rise above: The mysterious Shine, Lenora May’s love for life and Sterling’s best friend Candy all leap off the page…. Whiffs of the paranormal and Southern Gothic traditions imbue this mystery, and the ending has genuine emotional resonance too: This engaging debut should enjoy a wide audience. (Kirkus Reviews)
WATCH THE TRAILER
NECESSARY DETAILS
YA Urban Fantasy
Hardcover & ebook, 336 pages
Published on October 21st 2014 by HarperTeen (ISBN 0062241524)
http://www.epicreads.com/books/beware-the-wild/9780062241528/
Purchase Beware the Wild at Amazon.com!
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