The Wildlands

A Novel

By: Abby Geni

Narrated by: Carol Monda

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

From the award-winning author of The Lightkeepers comes a pause-resisting new novel that explores the bond between siblings and the animal instincts that threaten to destroy them.

When a Category Five tornado ravaged Mercy, Oklahoma, no family in the small town lost more than the McClouds. Their home and farm were instantly demolished, and orphaned siblings Darlene, Jane, and Cora made media headlines. This relentless national attention and the tornado's aftermath caused great tension with their brother, Tucker, who soon abandoned his sisters and disappeared.

On the three-year anniversary of the tornado, a cosmetics factory outside of Mercy is bombed, and the lab animals trapped within are released. Tucker reappears, injured from the blast, and seeks the help of nine-year-old Cora. Caught up in the thrall of her charismatic brother, whom she has desperately missed, Cora agrees to accompany Tucker on a cross-country mission to make war on human civilization.

Cora becomes her brother's unwitting accomplice, taking on a new identity while engaging in acts of escalating violence. Darlene works with Mercy police to find her siblings, leading to an unexpected showdown at a zoo in Southern California.

The Wildlands is another remarkable literary thriller from critically acclaimed writer Abby Geni, one that examines what happens when one family becomes trapped in the tenuous space between the human and animal worlds.

A Millions.com pick of most anticipated upcoming books. A Women.com pick of 15 awesome books with strong female protagonists. A Paperback Paris pick of new books this summer.

©2018 Abby Geni (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

We Have a Winner

I'm labeling this as the best book I've encountered in 2018! I didn't want the story to end and hope to one day see it on the big screen.

Very good drama/slice of Americana

I like this book a lot. I picked it up sight unseen based on my enjoyment of the author's previous work, The Lightkeepers, and I largely enjoyed this one more. I miss the occasional surrealness and horror aspects of the first one, but it trades that for being a more confident and artfully delivered piece of writing.
The biggest strengths are in the use of its setting in rural Oklahoma and Texas, and when it centers around its primary protagonist - and it's still very good when the focus shifts away to other members of her family dealing with what happened to her. My main criticism is a section in the middle that sags a bit when one of the characters repeatedly talks through their beliefs and motivations to various other characters. Not to even say what they might be getting right or wrong, it's just always difficult to pull off scenes like that without coming off preachy or didactic, and the book falls into that trap for a while.
Regardless, that does help describe their motivation and how they relate to the protagonist and other characters, so it's not the worst flaw. Overall, the book is still very strong, and a solid recommend.

loved it

beautiful writing, lovely story, captivating, it draws you in, such good characters. all in all a great read

Narrator’s voice ruined this book

Some parts of the story were excellent, but the narrator’s voice made the overall experience pretty painful. A better narrator could have made a world of difference.

Very well written.

Extremely entertaining. Abby Geni paints an incredible story, full of detail without managing to over-state. The voice over is great as well.

Fabulous story of family relationships

One of the best stories I have heard on Audible. Beautiful story of family relationships and mental illness

Deeply moving

It was once asked for an alter, it was said, "let no man made tools be used in it's construction because they POLLUTE. " This reading helps us understand polluting in a more realistic way and our true rolls in it.

I loved this book!!

I was sad when the book ended. But it was soo good. I was hooked when the brother came back.

Unusual road trip

As I started this book, I was in a sad mood and thought it might not be the kind of story I needed. Maybe something a bit more frivolous would be better. However as I went along I discovered that the story line was so interesting that it led me away from my dark thoughts. Granted the content of the book is not lighthearted but I did get carried away by it. A family drama that will make you think. It just might make a good movie also. I highly recommend this book.

An interesting if rather odd tale

This story held my interest for the most part. However, if often drew along too much in ongoing descriptions of what the characters saw or were experiencing.

It’s a rather strange and overall, a sad tale. The author is a very talented writer; expertly describing scenes and personalities.

Carol Monda offers a pretty darned great narration. I enjoy her work immensely.