What Should Be Wild

A Novel

By: Julia Fine

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Rebecca Gibel

Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

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 woods. 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 for the very first time, she encounters a strange world filled with wonder and deception. Yet the farther she strays, the more the woods calls her home. For only there can Maisie finally reckon with her power and come to understand the wildest parts of herself.

©2018 Julia Fine (P)2018 HarperAudio

Critic reviews

“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)

Better prepare for a new journey...

The audiobook for What Should Be Wild brought me into Coeurs Crossing and the wood near Urizon, allowing me to experience the novel as if I was present for the events. The narration brings the voices of Maisie and the other Blakely women to life. The story is, at times, suspenseful, witty, moving, and empowering. I identify as male and still feel that this story dominated by women is relatable to my experiences. Highly recommend you listen to the audiobook of What Should Be Wild.

Wild as it should be

some of the reviews for this book make it seem as if it's full of gratuitous sex and torture. It is not. The author merely handles casually subjects many readers would consider taboo.

The end?

This book was nothing less than fascinating and downright chilling at times, however I struggled deeply with the narrators cadence for a majority of my listening experience and was a bit let down by the ending. It seemed almost anticlimactic in a way, leaving me with so many unanswered questions. I felt that I had come to know the women in the woods almost as well as the main protagonist and yet didn’t get to see how their stories ended.

Unexpectedly brilliant

I'll be honest, I added this book to my wish list a while back because i liked the name and the cover art.

This book was so unexpectedly good. Beautifully written and with an absolutely fascinating premise - I couldn't stop listening. I listened in the shower, while cooking, while washing dishes, while driving. I blazed through it, dreading it coming to an end but unable to stop.

I really look forward to any future works from Julia Fine.

Stunning debut!

This amazing debut novel from Julia Fine is a feminist fairytale with one of the most unique main characters you'll ever see. Both actresses were great as well. 5 stars!

Overall pretty good

What should be wild has a very interesting and unique storyline and Julia Fine was very descriptive. The story though felt very under developed and did not flow very well. I wish there had been more background and more of a plot. The entire book I was waiting to understand what the point was and that was a little frustrating. The ending was quite anticlimactic but with that being said, I think the concept of this book was great.

Unsatisfying

It is an interesting concept that seems not fully developed. It is slow to get started and then ends leaving you with a lot of open questions and undeveloped story lines.

So many loose ends...

I enjoyed the concept of this book very much! However the execution was lacking. There are so many things introduced that are never explained. A lot of introspection but not a lot of explanation. I was so surprised when the book ending because it answered ZERO questions. Narrators were great though!

What is original, should be good?

I did enjoy this story. Some of the imagery and premise were very original.
The story progresses very fast to the point that some important parts are glossed over. I wouldn’t have wanted a longer story.
The narrators of the book were cast well. Easy to listen to.
I think everyone has a different expectation for a story involving witchcraft.

great if you listen at 2.25 speed!

An original story that is bogged down with too much character back and forth and romantic intrigue