Book Review - Among the Wild

Among the Wild – Gripping Tale of Abuse and Revenge in 1840s Oregon

Author: Carl Pettit
Rating: 4 of 5
Format: Kindle, Paperback

Beaten to the ground, Noah Adair picks himself up from the mud wondering again what he has done to deserve such a punishment from his brutal uncle. But this time is different. Though only a young teenager, the hard life of traveling west in the mid-1800s has made him big and strong and the fear he once had for his uncle is gone. No more abuse. If only his parents hadn’t died leaving himself and his younger brother to suffer under the iron will of his uncle. Fortunately his aunt, unable to have children, has so far protected his younger brother taking him as her own. But when Noah overhears his uncle pay another man to kill him, Noah escapes under nightfall vowing to one day take back his brother and live once more as a family.

Carl Pettit’s “Among the Wild” is a gripping tale of one young boy’s survival against all the odds. Pettit’s narrative and cadence perfectly paint a picture of the hardships his young protagonist must overcome in his journey. I was simultaneously frustrated yet drawn in to a story where this young boy repeatedly finds opportunities for friendship and companionship, but abandons them in order to continue his quest to find his brother. I wanted to know more about these characters but Pettit is smart not to linger too long with them illustrating just how desperate and driven Noah is to finish his calling. I found the ending bittersweet and its twist at first unsatisfying but upon reflection had it ended any other way it would have seemed too contrived. Well done Mr. Pettit.

For those looking for an epic old west epic story, you won’t be disappointed with Among the Wild.

About these ads