What Should Be Wild

I feel like I’m on a cold streak. The last few books I’ve read have left me longing… This one almost scratched the itch.

Until I hit page 210 or so.

The premise of What Should Be Wild is enough to grab you. A young girl, kept basically captive in her family’s old estate. Maisie’s father can’t let her out because she has an incredible and mysterious power. She kills everything she touches. Plants, people, animals… nothing is safe. Her mother could not even survive the process of carrying her and she was borne from her mother’s death She also has the power to bring things back to life with that same touch. But, you can see why her father could take no chances. She’s also told never to go into the mysterious woods behind the walls.

You can see where this is going.

When Maise finally ends up venturing into those woods, she sets into motion a centuries-old curse. It’s a curse that has women from throughout her family’s lineage, trapped in some sort of in-between. They are there because they fled what would have otherwise held them back.

It’s fascinating and, for the first 200 pages or so, it carried me. I was hungry for what’s next. I was anxious to see how this “cursed” little girl could help unlock the curse that kept her ancestors captive in the woods. Unfortunately, the book was 308 pages long. And, it took a dive well before that ending. I found myself slogging ahead, wondering what happened to all that juicy momentum. When Maise is forced to take a detour out of the woods, I found myself detouring interest as well. The ending may have been satisfying had it not been for the 100 pages or so that preceded it.

Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s that this was the author’s first book. Either way, what started out as such a fascinating story ultimately lost me. Maybe a re-write would do the trick, as the ending was somewhat satisfying on its own.

I actually finished this book more than a week ago, but just got around to writing about it because it just didn’t interest me enough to share.

Unfortunately, the book I’m currently reading may be following the same fate.

Stay tuned…

Whiskey

I finished this book last week, but I really needed to sit with it. I needed to shake it off. I needed to let it roam around inside my head before I put my thoughts on paper.

What did I learn? 

It's a good book. But, it's a hard read.

Whiskey's cover caught my eye, then I learned the author is local and that the book takes place all around me. From the reservation to where I live to the mountains and hills that make up eastern and central Washington, brothers Andre and Smoker live a tough life. From their addict parents' tumultuous home to their own misguided choices and mistakes, you find yourself wanting to root for them, but frustrated time and again at the decisions that lead them to inevitable tragedy.

This book forces that question... how much are we a product of our DNA, of our upbringing, of the small towns and small minds that pre-date our existence. How much can we blame the nurture AND the nature before we're responsible for our own lives? 

The story of these brothers meanders a bit between time periods and points of view. The writing is dense. The subject matter is heavy. There are times you can't help but sigh because you know the alcohol is going to win. You know the men are going to leave. You know the women are going to fail their children.

It's extremely well-written and I can see it being taught it schools as an example of the modern American west genre. But, it's not a story in which you can casually dwell. Read at your own risk, knowing the characters will fail themselves and your expectations. Know that it's reality for so many families in poverty. 

Despite my appreciation for the writing and the structure, I struggled to get through it. I know it's a good book, but I can't say it's a good read. The lack of redemption was just too much.