A novel of mothers lost and found. Grainne's Mom disappeared years ago when her parents were divorced, and Mom moved to the U.S. Now, bafflingly, s...
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reviews
Sep 19, 2011
Vicky
rated it: 
Wilderness tells the intertwining stories of members of a blended family living in Dublin, and weaves together their experiences of growing-up. Doyle captures the voices of the characters perfectly, and brings the stories together with great skill, balancing the tension and emotions throughout.
Brothers Tom and Johnny are taken on a wilderness holiday by their mother, to take part in a dog-sled expedition through Finnish Lapland. I've been there myself to do a dog-sled trip, and thou More...
Brothers Tom and Johnny are taken on a wilderness holiday by their mother, to take part in a dog-sled expedition through Finnish Lapland. I've been there myself to do a dog-sled trip, and thou More...
Jun 26, 2010
Karen
rated it:
Wilderness is a book for younger readers. I usually enjoy such books, but something about this one just didn't do it for me. I didn't connect with the characters. I couldn't relate to them.
It's a story of two boys who are taken on a wilderness holiday by their mother. She is keen to be away from home while her husband's first wife visits their daughter, who lives with her dad. I enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship -- the fear, anger and getting to know each other scenes. More...
It's a story of two boys who are taken on a wilderness holiday by their mother. She is keen to be away from home while her husband's first wife visits their daughter, who lives with her dad. I enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship -- the fear, anger and getting to know each other scenes. More...
Feb 23, 2011
Oscar
rated it:
Wilderness, by Roddy Doyle is about a family going through hardships. Two brothers, Johnny and Tom are spending the holidays with their mother, Sandra in the wilderness. But soon they are seperated and the boy are lost searching forthier mother. Mean while thier half-sister, Grainne is out her dad. Her relationship with her stepmom is not so good, and she is going through the stress of being a teenager. And on top of that, her real mom, who disappered after her parents divorce, is back. So this
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Nov 03, 2009
Jonah
rated it: 
i gave this book 4 stars because it was entertaining, but not really very climatic. it was kind of boring, most of the time.
what happen is 2 boys and their mother, take a trip to Finland. once they get their its all fun. the hotel is beutifull. and they get to take trips on sled dogs. until thier mothers go astray. and she gets stranded. the boys find her and they save her.
MEANWHILE
while this is all happening. they have a half sister who is meeting her mother for t More...
what happen is 2 boys and their mother, take a trip to Finland. once they get their its all fun. the hotel is beutifull. and they get to take trips on sled dogs. until thier mothers go astray. and she gets stranded. the boys find her and they save her.
MEANWHILE
while this is all happening. they have a half sister who is meeting her mother for t More...
May 13, 2008
Jennifer
rated it: 
Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com
Ten-year-old Tom Griffin and his older brother, twelve-year-old Johnny, live in Dublin, Ireland, with their parents and a teenaged half-sister, Grainne. Grainne has not seen or heard from her mother since she was a baby, and now her mother is coming from America for a visit. Grainne is nervous about the visit. Will seeing her mother heal the hurt of being abandoned by this woman?
The boys' mother, Sandra, decides to take the boy More...
Ten-year-old Tom Griffin and his older brother, twelve-year-old Johnny, live in Dublin, Ireland, with their parents and a teenaged half-sister, Grainne. Grainne has not seen or heard from her mother since she was a baby, and now her mother is coming from America for a visit. Grainne is nervous about the visit. Will seeing her mother heal the hurt of being abandoned by this woman?
The boys' mother, Sandra, decides to take the boy More...
Feb 01, 2008
Ian
rated it: 
Roddy Doyle is one of my favourite authors, after being thrilled by the Barrytown Trilogy I’ve followed his writing through Paddy Clarke, Paula Spencer and the Last Roundup books. I thought writing a memoir of his parents was a little indulgent but I still enjoyed reading it. His Meanwhile Adventure kids book I thought a scream but even so ‘Wilderness’ didn’t make me rush to the library on it’s publication date. From the blurb I’d seen it would appear Roddy had written a book for teenagers with
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Oct 23, 2008
Martin. A
rated it:
This book has two stories that unite at the end. The characters are Grainne, Johnny, Tom, Sandra, Frank. Sandra was the mother and frank was the husband. Frank told Sandra and their sons to pass the vacation in Finland but Grainne did not want to pass with her stepmother. The author made great ways of imagery because when they got to Finland he expressed the cold and the dogs that pulled them and how they did not see a thing. they made a gigantic trip for some cabin at the end that was really
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Aug 08, 2009
Doug
rated it:
Another grand book from Roddy Doyle. He's weaving two stories together about kids in the same family and their different, but seminal, experiences growing up.
Some other of Doyles books I haven't enjoyed. Not that I wouldn't recommmend them, but that to me, their audience was restricted to certain folks who would be able to enjoy the story. This is I could recommend to a larger audience - especially a young adult audience.
Some other of Doyles books I haven't enjoyed. Not that I wouldn't recommmend them, but that to me, their audience was restricted to certain folks who would be able to enjoy the story. This is I could recommend to a larger audience - especially a young adult audience.
Sep 25, 2007
Alex
rated it:
This was supposed to be a story of how families that have drifted apart can come back together, especially if propelled by tragic events, but I thought it was a little clumsy. The chapters flip back and forth between the two sets of children from one family; one line is about a rebellious teenage daughter who feels alienated from her fathers new family, and how she is reconnected with her real mother. The other story line is about how the step mom takes her two sons for an arctic dog sledding a
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Oct 26, 2008
Alison
rated it:
Wilderness by Roddy Doyle is a wonderful family drama and snowy adventure book combined. It is about a family of five, two brothers Tom and Johnny, their half sister Grainne, their mother Sandra and father Frank. When Tom, Johnny and Sandra go on vacation to Finland to go on a dog sledding expedition, Grainne and Frank stay home so that Grainne can meet her mother who "abandoned" her. But when Sandra gets lost on the groups way to a stop, Tom and Johnny go out with the dogs to rescu
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Dec 04, 2008
Rachel
rated it:
Fun adventure story with lots of sled dogs and snow. The voice is a little choppy at times and the Irish slang gets in the way. The voices change between younger boys and older girl so this would have broad appeal
Jul 07, 2008
Tracie
rated it:
A parallel story that centers around one family. Grainna is angry, rebellious, confused and lonely - she hates her family even though she loves them, her father, her step-mom, and her two step-brothers, Tom and Johnny. Now her mother, who abandoned Grianna and her father when Grianna was younger, is coming back to Dublin to re-unite if possible.
Now that Graainna's mother is returning, Sandra (step-mom) doesn't think she can handle this on top of Grainna's abuse of her family these More...
Now that Graainna's mother is returning, Sandra (step-mom) doesn't think she can handle this on top of Grainna's abuse of her family these More...
May 13, 2009
Pip
rated it:
Reading to my eleven year old boy.
Fantastic scary adventure, lost in the icy snow in Finland. Describes a divorce in ways a kid can understand.
Great writing -pitched just right for a kid
Fantastic scary adventure, lost in the icy snow in Finland. Describes a divorce in ways a kid can understand.
Great writing -pitched just right for a kid
Jan 24, 2009
Jessica
rated it:
Very young style of writing, i wasn't too impressed with this book as i thought that the back made the book sound amazing, however, there were too many short sentences.
Nov 02, 2011
Marielle Ruth
rated it:
1. A book about survival
2. Because the books of Roddy Doyle are good so I thought this one will be good too and I was right but it wasn't the best of Roddy Doyle.
3. I enjoyed it when Tom and Johnny and their mother Sandra went for an adventure in Finland but one night Sandra got lost in the wilderness. So Tom and Johnny had to take risks to save their mother who was lost in the wilderness. I also enjoyed
4. When Grainne's mother had to leave her because her pa More...
2. Because the books of Roddy Doyle are good so I thought this one will be good too and I was right but it wasn't the best of Roddy Doyle.
3. I enjoyed it when Tom and Johnny and their mother Sandra went for an adventure in Finland but one night Sandra got lost in the wilderness. So Tom and Johnny had to take risks to save their mother who was lost in the wilderness. I also enjoyed
4. When Grainne's mother had to leave her because her pa More...
Jun 22, 2011
Jack
rated it:
I liked this book, but some of it was quite boring and I don't think that there was many climatic parts in it. I enjoyed some parts, but not all of it. The actual chapters weren't bad, but the things in between I found a little boring. I also thought the writing was quite simple and the word "said" was repeated loads. D= I still liked it, but not my favourite book and I think the writer could have done better. It's aimed for readers a little younger than me, but still...
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Feb 17, 2009
Sylvia
rated it:
Brothers go on winter trip in Finland with mom. Dog sleds, saving mom. Also deals with troubled teenage sister.
Dec 08, 2008
Priya
rated it: 
This is an okay book......... It was sorta stupid and hard to understand but it still had a good story line - classic.
Nov 30, 2007
Jennifer
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If you are looking for a decent adventure book for boys I would recommend this book. It pales in comaparison to Alabama Moon and My Side of the Moutain but I think adventure seeking young readers would still enjoy this story. The two main characters are brothers who are close in age. They have a spirit and spunk that keep the story alive. The sub plot between an older sister and the mother who abandons her is also interesting from a female adult perspective but I don't think many young reader
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Dec 02, 2008
Sheila
rated it:
Wilderness by Roddy Doyle was a big disappointment. I picked it for my junior book club because I loved his other adult books. I also loved The Giggler Treatment. I found this story pretty weak and out of 15 girls in my book club 12 of them didn't enjoy it.
Dec 07, 2011
Stephen
rated it:
The ending was very nice. But the story was very slow moving. I would not recommend most people to rea this book.
Nov 13, 2007
Rose
rated it:
Roddy Doyle is a brilliant author, and this book, written for a young audience, is proof of his brilliance. The relationships between each mother and the child/ren are powerful, and once again support the notion that the link between a mother and her child is unbreakable. Some of the scenes describing the adventure through the snow were a little tedious at times, but the underlying story is strong.
Nov 29, 2007
Alexa
rated it:
Give me anything in the cold wilderness with dogs and what have you and it will be read in a jiffy. This one is actually about young brothers and their mother out in the snow with dogsleds. It's a little young for general consumption but I'd recommend it to young boys.
Dec 03, 2007
Linda
rated it:
I love Roddy Doyle so I read this YA adventure/family story but if you haven't read any of his books and you want to, this isn't the one you want
Dec 02, 2011
Ema
rated it:
It was the first novel (not storybook) I ever read and the one that made me fall in love with books.
