Wild Things ~ Clay Carmicheal

Hello Lovelies!

I am bringing a review today that is for a type of book I don't normally read. As most of you all probably know I am a student teacher and I am in a 5th grade classroom. Some of my 5th graders are reading this book at the moment and I fell in love with it. Let's get started!

Summary

A headstrong girl. A stray cat. A wild boy. A man who plays with fire. Eleven-year-old Zoe trusts no one. Her father left before she was born. At the death of her irresponsible mother, Zoe goes to live with her uncle, former surgeon and famed metal sculptor Dr. Henry Royster. She's sure Henry will fail her as everyone else has. Reclusive since his wife's death, Henry takes Zoe to Sugar Hill, North Carolina, where he welds sculptures as stormy as his moods. Zoe and Henry have much in common: brains, fiery and creative natures, and badly broken hearts. Zoe confronts small-town prejudice with a quick temper. She warms to Henry's odd but devoted friends, meets a mysterious teenage boy living wild in the neighboring woods, and works to win the trust of a feral cat while struggling to trust in anyone herself. In this ALA Notable Children's Book and "Kirkus Reviews "Best Children's Book of the Year, Zoe's questing spirit leads her to uncover the wild boy's identity, lay bare a local lie, and begin to understand the true power of Henry's art. Then one decisive night, she and the boy risk everything in a reckless act of heroism.

Thoughts

9 out of 10!

I love this book! I read it in one day because I honestly couldn't put it down. It is written on a 5th grade reading level so it was not difficult to read in any stretch of the word.  

Zoe is an eleven year old girl who just lost her mother and always been one to look after and take care of herself. I have never faced as hard of a life as Zoe has but I connected with this character because the author is so detailed about what she goes through and how she thinks. 

The other feature of this book I love is that every so often throughout the story you get a stray cat's point of view about what is happening around the house. He does not seem to be too interested at first and it is quite a transformation within the cat itself.

I think people of all ages will love this book because it honestly deals with issues that everyone deals with at one point or another in their lives. This book is something that families can read together or you can simply speed through it like I did on Friday. 

The only reason why this did not get a 10 out of 10 is because it is not the kind of book I would reread. I would definitely recommend it to everyone I know though, wholeheartedly.

I would love comments on this review or any others I have done. I can't do more things you guys like without feedback and I love getting it!

Thanks for reading!

C.