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A review by tristatereader
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I’m here to yell and scream about Something Wild & Wonderful. It’s my first 5-star read of 2023 and I fear my brain chemistry has been permanently altered by this book (in the best possible way). I don’t think any review will do this book justice, but I’m going to give it a whirl.
Something Wild & Wonderful tells the story of Alexei, a gay man who has been cut off by his conservative parents after coming out. Alexei’s personality appears to be shy and reserved (possibly repressed?) and he is undoubtably battling trauma related to his extremely religious upbringing and the subsequent rejection of his parents. Alexei decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in a cathartic attempt to start a new life as “Alexei 2.0”. It’s on the PCT that he meets the handsome and charismatic Ben. The two are completely captivated with one another from the beginning, and set off to hike the trail together, as friends. Through their arduous 700 miles in the desert, Ben shows Alexei what it’s like to be loved for exactly who you are, something he’s never experienced before. And unbeknownst to Ben at the time, Alexei does the same thing for him.
Friends to lovers enthusiasts rejoice because this 👏🏼 is 👏🏼 how 👏🏼 it’s 👏🏼 done. This book tugged at every single one of my emotions in the most beautiful way. There’s a section of this book written in letter format and oh. my. god. Your girl is not a crier but I was boohoo sobbing during these letters. They are such a powerful, beautiful, and poetic communication method for this story. I also have to commend Anita Kelly on the diversity in this book. I loved the Russian and Portuguese MCs as well the amount of queer representation.
Look for Something Wild & Wonderful on March 7, 2023!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Something Wild & Wonderful tells the story of Alexei, a gay man who has been cut off by his conservative parents after coming out. Alexei’s personality appears to be shy and reserved (possibly repressed?) and he is undoubtably battling trauma related to his extremely religious upbringing and the subsequent rejection of his parents. Alexei decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in a cathartic attempt to start a new life as “Alexei 2.0”. It’s on the PCT that he meets the handsome and charismatic Ben. The two are completely captivated with one another from the beginning, and set off to hike the trail together, as friends. Through their arduous 700 miles in the desert, Ben shows Alexei what it’s like to be loved for exactly who you are, something he’s never experienced before. And unbeknownst to Ben at the time, Alexei does the same thing for him.
Friends to lovers enthusiasts rejoice because this 👏🏼 is 👏🏼 how 👏🏼 it’s 👏🏼 done. This book tugged at every single one of my emotions in the most beautiful way. There’s a section of this book written in letter format and oh. my. god. Your girl is not a crier but I was boohoo sobbing during these letters. They are such a powerful, beautiful, and poetic communication method for this story. I also have to commend Anita Kelly on the diversity in this book. I loved the Russian and Portuguese MCs as well the amount of queer representation.
Look for Something Wild & Wonderful on March 7, 2023!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.