Wild Child by Mike Wells- Book Review
Briana Fox is the wildest girl in school. She and Kyle have been close for a long time...almost lovers. But Kyle is afraid that if he pushes her, he'll have his heart broken and lose his best friend. When Briana challenges him to a swim across the lake, she's injured in a horrific accident, but she discovers a mysterious substance in an underwater cave that saves her life. What seems to be a magical yet harmless "power drug" invokes superhuman abilities, and Briana soon becomes dependent on it for her very survival. When two government agents learn of the discovery, they will stop at nothing to find the source and turn Briana into a human experiment. Is Kyle willing to risk everything to protect his love?
This book is a definite page-turner!
I recently heard about this book through the author's twitter account, and I was very intrigued when I read the description of Wild Child. I did a little bit of research and found that the first book of the series is free and was so excited I immediately downloaded a free copy of the book. I still did not read the rest of the series but I wanted to give you guys my opinion on the first book first.
What I loved
Character Development
Kyle is the main male character and the story is told from his point of view. The first few pages of the book I found myself talking out loud to my screen saying: " Omg, that is exactly me" whenever Kyle said something to Brianna. I related to his slight conservativeness and caution towards new things. I felt like he represents me in my group of friends, usually reluctant to be impulsive due to overthinking. I loved reading about a character that seems so real like that.
Kyle, or rather the way Kyle was portrayed by the author, witnessed great character development. At first I didn't notice the change in Kyle's actions towards the underwater cave. However when I was almost halfway through the book, it suddenly dawned on me how brave and defiant Kyle has become since the beginning of the book. Mike Wells managed to smoothly show this change in a rather quite short book ( E-book: 85 pages),which shows his special writing skills.
Story is easy to read
The language was easy to read and understand yet it was appropriately descriptive. There was also a slight touch of humor in there which I loved.
What I didn't like as much
No explanation of Kyle and Brie's relationship
I feel like if the story was a little longer, there would have been room for a back story of Brie and Kyle. Perhaps this is included in the other books in the series, I will have to read them and see. I personally prefer to know about their history in the first book, maybe because I am impatient!
Who do I recommend this for
I recommend this story for anyone who loves thriller and suspense and is looking for a gripping yet short book to read. Also, if you love seeing a character grow and change, I believe this series will be a very good place to find that.
Extras
Would I reread this book anytime soon or in the future?
Probably not, it is one of these books where you happily read once and that's it.
Would I purchase the rest of the series?
I might. I would probably buy the series after I buy all the other books I originally wanted to buy. I quite like the way it is written. Plus, I think my 13 year old brother would really like it, so I might buy it for him!
About the Author
Mike Wells is an American bestselling author of over 20 "unputdownable" thriller and suspense novels, including Lust, Money & Murder and Passion, Power & Sin. He is also known for his young adult books, such as The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer, The Wrong Side of the Tracks, and Wild Child, which are used by English teachers in high schools and colleges worldwide. Formerly a screenwriter, Wells has a fast-paced, cinematic writing style. His work is often compared to that of the late Sidney Sheldon, with strong and inspiring female heroes, tightly-written scenes, engaging action/dialogue, and numerous plot twists. He currently lives in Europe and has taught in the Creative Writing program at the University of Oxford.
This was my first review and I am very excited to hear your feedback. Comment below if you have read Wild Child or if you plan to read it and what do you think about it? Have you read any books for Mike Wells before? Tell me in the comments!
Adios.
