ARC Review: Wild Song by Jane Eagland
Title: Wild Song
Author: Jane Eagland
Publisher: Stoke books
Publication Date: January 2013
Page Count: 69
Where I got it: Publisher via Netgalley
Where you can get it: Amazon
How much: List Price 6.95
Format I read it in: eARC
Challenges: ARC August Challenge, 2013 ARC Reading Challenge, Netgalley Knockout Challenge
Description/Blurb:
Anna’s lived on the island all her life. She knows no one else, apart from her father, her father’s assistant and two faithful servants. But one day, a strange boy is washed up on the shore. He’s wild and free. And he has the power to change everything.
My Thoughts: ★★-1/2
Okay, so let me give you this information first. From the Netgalley page for the book, information about the publisher.
Please note that Stoke Books are created specifically for reluctant or dyslexic readers. The books are short and action-packed with compelling narratives. This book is aimed at kids aged 13 and up with a 3rd grade reading level.
So, I totally get that. Really, I do. We are not talking about a traditional teen reader here. We are targeting a reader who has reading difficulties and is not going to read at what is considered appropriate level for this age. I commend this publisher for targeting the dyslexia community because they are way underserved when it comes to reading materials.
However, while this was a great idea in theory, the execution felt a little lacking to me. The story took me about 20 mins to read. Granted, I do not have dyslexia and read at much above a 3rd grade reading level. But even a struggling reader will be able to see that there were some holes in the way the story was written.
A well executed short story, novelette, novella, or novel needs a beginning, a middle and an end. There needs to be conflict, but there also needs to be a resolution. The conflict was great. It was a universal theme in a way. But there was no resolution. We are left hanging with no answers and even more questions. What happened to Rob? Is Jasper really on Anna’s side? And is her father really that afraid of the outside world that he curls up in a ball and cowers when things go wrong?
I think this would have made a good beginning of a story, but to me, it just felt like half of it was missing and I feel like it needed something more. The writing is very juvenile, but when you are talking about teenagers that have a 3rd grade reading level, that is to be expected, so I am not faulting on that. As this was an eARC, I am also not commenting on the editing, and hopefully the editing issues in this were addressed prior to final publication. I have not seen the finished copy, so I cannot really say.
I found Anna likable, if somewhat sheltered and unaware of the world around her. I was slightly disturbed in the beginning by her infatuation with the MUCH older man, and that particular part of the plot made me uncomfortable, as did the much older man’s declarations toward her. However, we are never told how old Anna is, so maybe I am way off.
I am rating the book as I am because I just felt like it was not enough to stand on it’s own. I feel like I needed something more.
**DISCLAIMER** In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this opinion, and the thoughts are my own. Links above will take you to a site where you can PURCHASE a copy. Using those links will take you through an affiliate link and I will receive a small percentage of the purchase cost. You are in no way obligated to use affiliate links and there is no additional cost to do so. Clicking will take you to more information about the book on Goodreads. Clicking will take you to the authors website.
© 2013, lisapottgen. All rights reserved.
ARC Review: Wild Song by Jane Eagland is a post from: Just Another Rabid Reader
