Name: taryn a.'s review of What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine
Item: What Should Be Wild
Rating: 3
Author: taryn a.

Julia Fine

“Delightful and darkly magical. Julia Fine has written a beautiful modern myth, a coming-of-age story for a girl with a worrisome power over life and death. I loved it.” —Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry In this darkly funny, striking debut, a highly unusual young woman must venture into the woods at the edge of her home to remove a curse that has plagued the women in her family for millennia—an utterly original novel with all the mesmerizing power of The Tiger’s Wife, The Snow Child, and Swamplandia! Cursed. Maisie Cothay has never known the feel of human flesh: born with the power to kill or resurrect at her slightest touch, she has spent her childhood sequestered in her family’s manor at the edge of a mysterious forest. Maisie’s father, an anthropologist who sees her as more experiment than daughter, has warned Maisie not to venture into the wood. Locals talk of men disappearing within, emerging with addled minds and strange stories. What he does not tell Maisie is that for over a millennium her female ancestors have also vanished into the wood, never to emerge—for she is descended from a long line of cursed women. But one day Maisie’s father disappears, and Maisie must venture beyond the walls of her carefully constructed life to find him. Away from her home and the wood for the very first time, she encounters a strange world filled with wonder and deception. Yet the farther she strays, the more the wood calls her home. For only there can Maisie finally reckon with her power and come to understand the wildest parts of herself.

A Novel

What Should Be Wild

allie

taryn a.

the most disappointing read I've had in a long time :/ I adored the first 40% and then felt that affection slowly disappear over the remainder of the book. the premise and set-up were brilliant, but what felt original/quirky/magical got ruined by the predictable and boring when the flat secondary characters/"love interests" and plot got going. initially i was even endeared by the s20th century diction the author gave the characters, given it matched the tonality of the book, but by the time she had a bathing-suit-clad 8 year old speaking like a debutante i was just over it and annoyed. if it wasn't for the first 150 pages this would've been 2 stars

“Delightful and darkly magical. Julia Fine has written a beautiful modern myth, a coming-of-age story for a girl with a worrisome power over life and death. I loved it.” —Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry Finalist for the Bram Stoker Superior Achievement in a First Novel Award • Shortlisted for the Chicago Review of Books Best Novel Prize • A Bustle Unmissable Debut of the Year • A Popsugar Best Book of the Year • A Washington Post Best Fantasy Book of May • A Refinery 29 Best May Book • A Chicago Review of Books Best May Book • A Verge Gripping Fantasy Novel of May In this darkly funny, striking debut, a highly unusual young woman must venture into the woods at the edge of her home to remove a curse that has plagued the women in her family for millennia—an utterly original novel with all the mesmerizing power of The Tiger’s Wife, The Snow Child, and Swamplandia! Cursed. Maisie Cothay has never known the feel of human flesh: born with the power to kill or resurrect at her slightest touch, she has spent her childhood sequestered in her family’s manor at the edge of a mysterious forest. Maisie’s father, an anthropologist who sees her as more experiment than daughter, has warned Maisie not to venture into the wood. Locals talk of men disappearing within, emerging with addled minds and strange stories. What he does not tell Maisie is that for over a millennium her female ancestors have also vanished into the wood, never to emerge—for she is descended from a long line of cursed women. But one day Maisie’s father disappears, and Maisie must venture beyond the walls of her carefully constructed life to find him. Away from her home and the wood for the very first time, she encounters a strange world filled with wonder and deception. Yet the farther she strays, the more the wood calls her home. For only there can Maisie finally reckon with her power and come to understand the wildest parts of herself.

Judy Hudgins

An interesting 'curse' on a young girl from birth which culminates in a bit of a twisty ending. It did get a bit weird and very dark for me toward the end, but I did ultimately enjoy the book.

Renee Blankenship

Thank you Harper Books for the free copy of What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine. All opinions are my own. 

When I began reading What Should Be Wild, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I had heard the buzz words "magical realism" floating around the bookstagram sphere and was curious. But not curious enough to read any reviews ahead of time. I knew I wanted my experience with this book to be my own, as it had been far too long since I had read something magical and fairy tale-ish. Something I would not want to put down until it was finished, and I was crossing my fingers this book would deliver. 

My experience with this book was just that. Once I started, I had a hard time distancing myself from the story for very long. I also had a hard time picking up the other book I'm currently reading! I couldn't stop thinking about Maisie. Or the women in the woods. Their stories honestly captured me more than Maisie's did. I was delighted that we were given a chance to peer back in time and witness what had brought them to the woods beyond Urizon. 

If I'm being honest, the ending (particularly the last few chapters) felt rushed in a vague sort of way. It made sense and the ending was satisfying without a doubt, but I wanted more. My understanding of what brought the women to the woods is still a bit shaky. Maybe I've been away from fairy tale reading for too long and am expecting too many answers! Certainly the beauty of some stories are the parts left open for interpretation. But with this one I wanted to know all the details! And the whys. And hows.

That aside, I gave this book four stars on Goodreads because I would most certainly recommend it to a friend. Or strangers I see wandering the aisles of the bookstore looking for something interesting. I loved the story! I loved how different and original the tale was from start to finish, while also developing Maisie's view of the world and her own coming of age. Julia Fine wrote a beautiful tale of a girl with a fairy tale story to tell and I loved it.

allie &
What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine

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