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Tarin's World #1
Out of the Woods
Wild boy Tarin is determined not to be captured by the men who live in the decaying Before Times buildings on the other side of Tarin’s woodland home, but he’s just as determined to protect the younger boys in the woods.
No one remembers being a child or knows where all the women have gone or how society crumbled, but for as long as they can remember, boys have lived in the woods and are hunted by the men each Fall. Some boys believe in a mysterious Lady who protects them, while others think the men are magic. Tarin knows better – he’s met a man, and escaped by stabbing him.
Hunted through the woods as he tries to protect the weaker Cory, Tarin is trapped and claimed by the very man he knifed. All Tarin wants is to stay in the woods and not have to get ‘civilized,’ but he’s carried off into a different world of rules and discipline. Will he be able to survive now that he is Out of the Woods?
No one remembers being a child or knows where all the women have gone or how society crumbled, but for as long as they can remember, boys have lived in the woods and are hunted by the men each Fall. Some boys believe in a mysterious Lady who protects them, while others think the men are magic. Tarin knows better – he’s met a man, and escaped by stabbing him.
Hunted through the woods as he tries to protect the weaker Cory, Tarin is trapped and claimed by the very man he knifed. All Tarin wants is to stay in the woods and not have to get ‘civilized,’ but he’s carried off into a different world of rules and discipline. Will he be able to survive now that he is Out of the Woods?
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2011
15 people are currently reading
1127 people want to read
About the author
Syd McGinley
74 books111 followersI'm a writer of queer erotica -- mostly m/m and D/s.
I live with Beloved Joe and the evil kitten clan.
I fled Thatcher’s England in the late 1980ies, and have lived in the American Midwest since then. Frying pan and fire come to mind. Back in the UK, I ran a record store (ah vinyl!). Since coming to America, I've taught college, edited at a small publishing house, researched and written background reports, and been a professional thank you letter writer.
I live with Beloved Joe and the evil kitten clan.
I fled Thatcher’s England in the late 1980ies, and have lived in the American Midwest since then. Frying pan and fire come to mind. Back in the UK, I ran a record store (ah vinyl!). Since coming to America, I've taught college, edited at a small publishing house, researched and written background reports, and been a professional thank you letter writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
June 17, 2019
This is a pretty challenging review to write.
When I read the blurb, I was pretty much sold on this already. Wild Boys living out in the woods, surviving harsh winters, hunting and preying on animals, until each year, some boys get hunted and caught by men aka adults.
It sounds like a veeeery weird intro to a porn movie and parts of the plot are very graphic, although you gotta give it to the story to dive in deep into world building here, including phrases and concepts that are derived from the remains of the so-called Before Times in this dystopian setting.
Nothing is truly revealed about these mysterious 'Before Times', but I got the impression it is actually our contemporary world. Apparently there was SOMETHING that permanently changed the world as we know it - and left men starting out as boys who are mysteriously abandoned by divine 'Mothers' in the forest, where men find them, take them under their wings (and in their beds) to become soldiers themselves and complete the cycle.
(And I still think that the few remaining men who survived the apocalypse simply found a porn movie under piles of debris and declared it their religion....)
I did have a slightly uncomfortable feeling reading this, because although the author establishes several times that the 'boys' hunted and caught are in fact 19 years old, they seem like children, especially since they have no memories of their early childhood years and also have no idea about the world and where they came from.
Let's just ignore the fact that they like to spend their time trading blowjobs in the woods...
So, Tarin, our self-sustaining and devastatingly independent hero, is a 19 year old hardened guy who learned how to survive in nature and who does not want to get 'civilized' by men he considers his enemies.
Any resemblance to Tarzan is purely coincidental, I’m sure.
One day, however, like all the boys before him, he gets caught by a man he only names Beak-face. Beak-face is actually Garrick, who is a captain in the military environment the men call home. He is a pretty laid back, gentle guy and lays claim on Tarin and the two bond (which is such a nice term for a daddy-son relationship).
It does remind me a bit of Ancient Greek's take on homosexuality.
And yet it is pretty unique.
Apparently the religious (?) system (that is only hinted at) requires boys and men to pair up, also sexually. Where do the boys come from? Where are the Mothers that are regarded as divine beings by the men and boys? And not just in the religious sense; I mean where are they physically? They very obviously exist and grant the men and boys wishes on 'Mother's Day' which might be derived from our Christmas.
Why are the sacred texts in fact children's books and why don't the men ever undertake agriculture or science, keeping themselves completely at the mercy of the mysterious 'Mothers' (whatever and wherever they are).
So, yes, I came for the promise of some kinky sex and stayed for the fascinating world building and the genuinely interesting characters.
I absolutely liked Garrick and many other men in this world. Tarin was a bit difficult for me to relate to. I wasn’t too fond of the endless pages of men convincing Tarin to use a bathroom, because he refused to do his business inside a building…
Once the complex social structures of the men's world were established, the story even took some interesting turns and plot twists. And the ending was simply amazing!!!
I need to be honest and say that some of the sexual concepts in this story were pretty graphic and disgusting, but my overall fascination for this world and its characters is so strong that I will definitely pick up the second book to find out more about what is going on here...
And yeah, thanks, mom, for the daily bread and thanks Tarin for not spreading your gift on it. The community sure is grateful for that...
4.5 fascinated stars!
When I read the blurb, I was pretty much sold on this already. Wild Boys living out in the woods, surviving harsh winters, hunting and preying on animals, until each year, some boys get hunted and caught by men aka adults.
It sounds like a veeeery weird intro to a porn movie and parts of the plot are very graphic, although you gotta give it to the story to dive in deep into world building here, including phrases and concepts that are derived from the remains of the so-called Before Times in this dystopian setting.
Nothing is truly revealed about these mysterious 'Before Times', but I got the impression it is actually our contemporary world. Apparently there was SOMETHING that permanently changed the world as we know it - and left men starting out as boys who are mysteriously abandoned by divine 'Mothers' in the forest, where men find them, take them under their wings (and in their beds) to become soldiers themselves and complete the cycle.
(And I still think that the few remaining men who survived the apocalypse simply found a porn movie under piles of debris and declared it their religion....)
I did have a slightly uncomfortable feeling reading this, because although the author establishes several times that the 'boys' hunted and caught are in fact 19 years old, they seem like children, especially since they have no memories of their early childhood years and also have no idea about the world and where they came from.
Let's just ignore the fact that they like to spend their time trading blowjobs in the woods...
So, Tarin, our self-sustaining and devastatingly independent hero, is a 19 year old hardened guy who learned how to survive in nature and who does not want to get 'civilized' by men he considers his enemies.
Any resemblance to Tarzan is purely coincidental, I’m sure.
One day, however, like all the boys before him, he gets caught by a man he only names Beak-face. Beak-face is actually Garrick, who is a captain in the military environment the men call home. He is a pretty laid back, gentle guy and lays claim on Tarin and the two bond (which is such a nice term for a daddy-son relationship).
It does remind me a bit of Ancient Greek's take on homosexuality.
And yet it is pretty unique.
Apparently the religious (?) system (that is only hinted at) requires boys and men to pair up, also sexually. Where do the boys come from? Where are the Mothers that are regarded as divine beings by the men and boys? And not just in the religious sense; I mean where are they physically? They very obviously exist and grant the men and boys wishes on 'Mother's Day' which might be derived from our Christmas.
Why are the sacred texts in fact children's books and why don't the men ever undertake agriculture or science, keeping themselves completely at the mercy of the mysterious 'Mothers' (whatever and wherever they are).
So, yes, I came for the promise of some kinky sex and stayed for the fascinating world building and the genuinely interesting characters.
I absolutely liked Garrick and many other men in this world. Tarin was a bit difficult for me to relate to. I wasn’t too fond of the endless pages of men convincing Tarin to use a bathroom, because he refused to do his business inside a building…
Once the complex social structures of the men's world were established, the story even took some interesting turns and plot twists. And the ending was simply amazing!!!
I need to be honest and say that some of the sexual concepts in this story were pretty graphic and disgusting, but my overall fascination for this world and its characters is so strong that I will definitely pick up the second book to find out more about what is going on here...
And yeah, thanks, mom, for the daily bread and thanks Tarin for not spreading your gift on it. The community sure is grateful for that...
4.5 fascinated stars!
June 12, 2014
And the award for the worst book I read so far this year goes to.. Out of the Woods.
It did exceptionally well in the majority of reporting areas, winning multiple category awards for its overall goosebumps-inducing impact and prompting-its-reader-to-consider-harakiri presentation. Additionally, it received a special mention for its thinly veiled pedophilia content. Something that led judge Katinka to remark; “that it is undeniably courageous how this book lustfully taps into a subject that is widely deemed inappropriate and distasteful”.
So, meet the MC..
No... wait! I’m going to start with the good news. This author has written a precious little gem of a book called ‘What Worse Place Can I Beg in Your Love?’. It’s only 38 pages short, but manages to be intriguing and weird in the best possible way. It’s about a human male who strands on a strange planet and ends up being kept as a pet by a creature with shark traits. It’s quirky and – thanks to the present tense first person narrative – a pretty intense page-turner. Worth checking out!
So this awesome ‘shark captor story’ made me hungry for more from this author, which led me to Out of the Woods. I’m afraid this is also where the good news ends. The blurb mostly tells it like it is, but personally, I prefer my own summary: this book is about little, chubby children who are dumped in the woods of some dystopian world by some unknown presence. Not bothered by any memories from before their time in the woods, the little boys frolic around in the woods semi-naked, collecting food and jerking off, until after only a few summers they are ‘harvested’ by brutal dudes who want to use and abuse the little savages.
If minors feel like sexing I’m, like, have fun! Heck, only a week ago I raved about a Teen Wolf fanfic in which Scott’s dad shows a 16 year old Stiles ‘how it’s done’ (which is the age of consent in many countries including mine BTW). Howeverrr, the obnoxious and overall unpleasant MC of this book, Tarin, and the other boys are either simple-minded or very, very young. His supposed age – Tarin is said to be 19 – must be a joke, possibly added as an afterthought to avoid being called out on…what I’m actually calling this book out on now, ha!
Sigh, so this was a bit of a nauseating read for me. The kids in Out of the Woods don’t understand most of what’s happening to them – they are innocents when it comes to everything, including sex – yet they are trained to suck dick and become whores for the adult men. They behave like wild animals held in confinement and are denied any possibility to develop themselves. If they try running away from the ‘masters’ they are assigned to, they are punished in ways that defy all logic (think: castration and cutting off big toes) and have a heavy religious component (that reminds me even more of choirboys being molested by priests). The men carry them around easily, and the boys are hardly capable of expressing themselves sufficiently, which results in the following;
THIS is actually how the MC talks the entire time, and damn, does it get old fast! Add to that the fact that his thought process is that of a healthy 10 year old (add to that, too, an endless stream of the exclamations ‘scat!’ and ‘the Lady!’ this and ‘the Lady!’ that (some sort of goddess)) and maybe I’m forgiven for DNF’ing at 50%? :/
Of course, I tried looking past the overall ick factor, and enjoy this weird dystopian world for what it is. Then there’s the mystery element of discovering what exactly is the deal with these boys being dropped in the woods and these men living without women. But it seemed all so painfully simplistic and lacking to me. Like the author created this world solely out of convenience; to carry out a kinky storyline of boys being abducted and violated by men, without anyone asking questions.
Since I DNF’ed, I asked a few friends what happens further along in the story, and apparently there will be answers in book 2. In the end, this book, too, will definitely be a case of different strokes for different people. So please check out other reviews when in doubt. My humble advice though? Go for the short and wonderfully crazy ‘What Worse Place Can I Beg in Your Love?’ by this author first and take it from there.
Buddy read with Mammarella and Angelica. Woop!
It did exceptionally well in the majority of reporting areas, winning multiple category awards for its overall goosebumps-inducing impact and prompting-its-reader-to-consider-harakiri presentation. Additionally, it received a special mention for its thinly veiled pedophilia content. Something that led judge Katinka to remark; “that it is undeniably courageous how this book lustfully taps into a subject that is widely deemed inappropriate and distasteful”.
So, meet the MC..
No... wait! I’m going to start with the good news. This author has written a precious little gem of a book called ‘What Worse Place Can I Beg in Your Love?’. It’s only 38 pages short, but manages to be intriguing and weird in the best possible way. It’s about a human male who strands on a strange planet and ends up being kept as a pet by a creature with shark traits. It’s quirky and – thanks to the present tense first person narrative – a pretty intense page-turner. Worth checking out!
So this awesome ‘shark captor story’ made me hungry for more from this author, which led me to Out of the Woods. I’m afraid this is also where the good news ends. The blurb mostly tells it like it is, but personally, I prefer my own summary: this book is about little, chubby children who are dumped in the woods of some dystopian world by some unknown presence. Not bothered by any memories from before their time in the woods, the little boys frolic around in the woods semi-naked, collecting food and jerking off, until after only a few summers they are ‘harvested’ by brutal dudes who want to use and abuse the little savages.
If minors feel like sexing I’m, like, have fun! Heck, only a week ago I raved about a Teen Wolf fanfic in which Scott’s dad shows a 16 year old Stiles ‘how it’s done’ (which is the age of consent in many countries including mine BTW). Howeverrr, the obnoxious and overall unpleasant MC of this book, Tarin, and the other boys are either simple-minded or very, very young. His supposed age – Tarin is said to be 19 – must be a joke, possibly added as an afterthought to avoid being called out on…what I’m actually calling this book out on now, ha!
Sigh, so this was a bit of a nauseating read for me. The kids in Out of the Woods don’t understand most of what’s happening to them – they are innocents when it comes to everything, including sex – yet they are trained to suck dick and become whores for the adult men. They behave like wild animals held in confinement and are denied any possibility to develop themselves. If they try running away from the ‘masters’ they are assigned to, they are punished in ways that defy all logic (think: castration and cutting off big toes) and have a heavy religious component (that reminds me even more of choirboys being molested by priests). The men carry them around easily, and the boys are hardly capable of expressing themselves sufficiently, which results in the following;
Tarin ventured: “Men are complicated”.
“Big word for a little boy,” rumbled Helem.
“Eat fish!” said Tarin proudly and then bit his tongue. It wasn’t a secret, but he didn’t like telling them anything. They already knew too many boy secrets. (...) “Scat!” wailed Tarin. “Don’t want beak-face!”
THIS is actually how the MC talks the entire time, and damn, does it get old fast! Add to that the fact that his thought process is that of a healthy 10 year old (add to that, too, an endless stream of the exclamations ‘scat!’ and ‘the Lady!’ this and ‘the Lady!’ that (some sort of goddess)) and maybe I’m forgiven for DNF’ing at 50%? :/
Of course, I tried looking past the overall ick factor, and enjoy this weird dystopian world for what it is. Then there’s the mystery element of discovering what exactly is the deal with these boys being dropped in the woods and these men living without women. But it seemed all so painfully simplistic and lacking to me. Like the author created this world solely out of convenience; to carry out a kinky storyline of boys being abducted and violated by men, without anyone asking questions.
Since I DNF’ed, I asked a few friends what happens further along in the story, and apparently there will be answers in book 2. In the end, this book, too, will definitely be a case of different strokes for different people. So please check out other reviews when in doubt. My humble advice though? Go for the short and wonderfully crazy ‘What Worse Place Can I Beg in Your Love?’ by this author first and take it from there.
Buddy read with Mammarella and Angelica. Woop!
December 12, 2011
I was really surprised how much I disliked this book. This was DNF but I still got to over 60% done. Tarin is a wild boy who is caught by a captain who claims him. He along with other boys are bought to the campus to be civilized and trained to please men.
1. Tarin acts like a wild boy--doesn't know anything like spoons, bed, socks etc. The boys are called savage and beasts. The men are cruel if they don't get obedience. It just reminded me of men who think they're superiorly intelligent capturing wild animals and deciding they know what's best for them. The book just puts me in mind of animal cruelty. Change the wild boy in the story to any wild animal and you could never enjoy this book.
2. Man boy sexual situations squick me out. The author makes sure to say that the boys are chronologically of age (Tarin is assumed to be 19), but since the boys mentally appear to be children it feels like adult sexual exploitation. They have limited language ability and just a vague understanding of what's going on. The boys are trained with cadets and others on how to please men sexually. They have to practice There's a scene in the book where each boy is made to strip in front of the men who hoot and holler etc. The boy in one scene just looks puzzled as if he doesn't understand what's happening. That just made them seem even more like children. Given the imbalance between the men and the boys, there's no possible way that this book can shape up into an acceptable love story--more like Stockholm syndrome.
3. The boys are punished beyond reason. One boy who decides to run away is punished and is further punished as he's used as a sexual free toy for all because he's no longer under the protection of one man. This way the new boys learn that it's better to have one man to belong to and to accept their captivity-more Stockholm syndrome training.
4. At one point Tarin says he doesn't believe in The Lady or mother, a creature he's never seen. This is seen as blasphemy and Tarin is whipped as his punishment. The story just begins to have a feel of a cult and almost religious fanaticism. If you dare to not believe what you have never seen etc--it begins to feel like a bad catholic school story with extreme corporal punishment.
5. At the point where I stopped, the world building was unimpressive. We have no idea what's motivating the men or the boys to do what they do. I'll compare it to a story like The Hunger games, where people are willing to commit atrocities against each other but we understand the world and the motivation of almost every single character. Out of the Woods just appear to be erotica as every action including the punishments is sexualized. I have no interest in erotica that involves the taking advantage of boys by men who have superior strength and mental abilities.
6. Tarin's personality wears thin after a while. I also got tired of him saying the word scat. It's used as an exclamation and every time he said it I thought of , you know, scat. Not an imagery I want to have especially as the book spends a lot of time on Tarin's bathroom activities.
I'd give this a one star but since I didn't make it to the end I'll up the star on the possibility that the book goes through a dramatic improvement at the end.
1. Tarin acts like a wild boy--doesn't know anything like spoons, bed, socks etc. The boys are called savage and beasts. The men are cruel if they don't get obedience. It just reminded me of men who think they're superiorly intelligent capturing wild animals and deciding they know what's best for them. The book just puts me in mind of animal cruelty. Change the wild boy in the story to any wild animal and you could never enjoy this book.
2. Man boy sexual situations squick me out. The author makes sure to say that the boys are chronologically of age (Tarin is assumed to be 19), but since the boys mentally appear to be children it feels like adult sexual exploitation. They have limited language ability and just a vague understanding of what's going on. The boys are trained with cadets and others on how to please men sexually. They have to practice There's a scene in the book where each boy is made to strip in front of the men who hoot and holler etc. The boy in one scene just looks puzzled as if he doesn't understand what's happening. That just made them seem even more like children. Given the imbalance between the men and the boys, there's no possible way that this book can shape up into an acceptable love story--more like Stockholm syndrome.
3. The boys are punished beyond reason. One boy who decides to run away is punished and is further punished as he's used as a sexual free toy for all because he's no longer under the protection of one man. This way the new boys learn that it's better to have one man to belong to and to accept their captivity-more Stockholm syndrome training.
4. At one point Tarin says he doesn't believe in The Lady or mother, a creature he's never seen. This is seen as blasphemy and Tarin is whipped as his punishment. The story just begins to have a feel of a cult and almost religious fanaticism. If you dare to not believe what you have never seen etc--it begins to feel like a bad catholic school story with extreme corporal punishment.
5. At the point where I stopped, the world building was unimpressive. We have no idea what's motivating the men or the boys to do what they do. I'll compare it to a story like The Hunger games, where people are willing to commit atrocities against each other but we understand the world and the motivation of almost every single character. Out of the Woods just appear to be erotica as every action including the punishments is sexualized. I have no interest in erotica that involves the taking advantage of boys by men who have superior strength and mental abilities.
6. Tarin's personality wears thin after a while. I also got tired of him saying the word scat. It's used as an exclamation and every time he said it I thought of , you know, scat. Not an imagery I want to have especially as the book spends a lot of time on Tarin's bathroom activities.
I'd give this a one star but since I didn't make it to the end I'll up the star on the possibility that the book goes through a dramatic improvement at the end.
January 8, 2015
A Captivating Story of the Taming of a Free-spirited Wild Boy in a Post-Apocalypse Totalitarian Society
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Out of the Woods. It is a pleasure to watch the unique and original storyline unfolds as I tried my best to solve the mysteries surrounding the woodland boys and the men from the Before Times buildings. I pondered on why the men would hunt the boys each Fall? Why would new younger boys kept appearing in the woods skipping and singing? Are these new boys replacements for all those older ones which the men took with them? Where on earth did they come from when there's not a woman in sight? And lastly, why the men honour the Mothers greatly whereas the wood boys idolizes the Lady? These are only part of the mysteries found within the book and I am going to leave a theory of mine towards the end of this review on a major mystery everyone is dying to know. I am going to take my own shot at uncovering the layers of veils for that much speculated mystery.
These mysteries made Out of the Woods a highly compelling story. Apart from this there are also other positive areas such as the well crafted characters that are engaging and relatable, amazing world-building with intriguing societal setup and exciting plots that super-glued me to the book.
Each of the characters have their own distinctive personality. And they are all memorable in their own way. This is especially true with Tarin our much adored protagonist. Tarin is a contented wild child of the woodland. His free-spirited ways with his valiant heart and plucky nature won me over. There is an endearing sweet innocent that surrounds him. He is also the character that made this story a whole lot of fun! His guileless approach to his new surroundings in the men's settlement resulted in many hilarious situations. Tarins says the darndest things! He tickles my funny bone countless times with his silly antics. He might appear to be clueless most of the times, yet there are times where he is wise beyond his years. I love him to bits.
The atmospheres at the men's settlement is always buzzing and alive with activities. Their daily lives are fascinating to me. Watching the men trying to reconstruct a civilized society based on what was left behind after what I think was an apocalypse destruction was thought-provoking.
Although there is only one antagonist in this story, I would say he wasn't the biggest threat to our protagonist or to his friends. It was men's greed for power and over ambitiousness of maintaining absolute control over others that made many suffered unfairly. This was nothing but outright tyranny and enslavement in the guise of protection and safety. Hence I reckon this issue as the predominant threat to Tarin and the boys.
The men adopted to a totalitarian societal setup that bears strong resemblance to a militarian organization. They are segregated by ranking and entitled to certain benefits according to their ranks. While the boys will always be boys; they do not have any authority or any actual autonomy. (I am unsure if this is a spoiler, but I decided to hide it to be on the safe side. So explore at your own risk) This hierarchical system promotes powerplay that encourages oppression of the weakest. While I am fascinated by this societal structure, I am also repulsed by the harsh treatments of the boys because of it. As the judicial system was only made up by several of the top guns, the men are inevitably favored.
MY THEORIES ON THIS UNIQUE MALE DOMINATED WORLD:
MY CONCLUSIONS:
Out of the Woods is certainly a character and plot driven story. There are many intriguing aspects in the lives of these men and boys to keep the wheels in my brain spinning endlessly churning out one speculation after another. I always appreciate books that made me think, helps keep my brain from rusting away. Heh.
Sex was sparse and low key. I was quite surprised it wasn't heavy on the sex as the men and the boys are all pretty hedonistic in nature. Don't fret though, because gifts (that's what they called jism/cum) are flying everywhere 'all the time' despite the lack of penetration.
I had SO much fun trying to try to figure out all those new words used to describe Before Times stuff, for example the 'silver duck', 'divid' and 'go-sloshes'. It's quite funny once you get what they actually meant.
I didn't spend time to talk about Tarin's relationship with his man because I wish to focus on the uniqueness of the setting and also to share my impression of the story as a whole. If you must know, the romance aspect wasn't the core of this story. It is more like a sub-plot. Tarin and Garrick did have a rocky beginning and they both have to work out their priorities before their relationship could take the next step. Yes, Garrick is a good man at heart and his patient and caring ways made him suitable for Tarin.
The focus of the story is really on Tarin's struggles on fitting in with the men's civilized community and his effort to find himself again in a strange world he was thrown into. It wasn't an easy feat and he was fighting them every steps. Everything felt wrong to him, his beliefs was scorned, his will and freedom was forcefully taken away from him. His only hope for survival is his submission. In the men's eyes Tarin is just a savage that needed to be tamed and to learn his place amongst the men.
I know some readers might find the woodland boys to be too childlike and dislike the story because the boys' peculiar behaviour would make the men appears like perverted geezers pawing on the kids. Nevertheless I am excusing this odd behavior of the boys because they have essentially lived in seclusion ever since young and devoid of adult attentions or exposure to the civilized world. Therefore it is highly plausible for them to retain their innocence and to displays such level of naivety akin to a young child just on the onset of puberty despite being in their late teens years. Hell! the boys can't even speak properly, they lack vocabulary and grammatical knowledge to make their dialog mature.
All this makes sense to me and I am glad the author has the wisdom to depict these special boys with such strange situations realistically. In fact, I would commend the author for her superb skill at bringing to life such a difficult character to portray, as the main character. Making him an engaging character who not only charmed the readers but carried the storyline effortlessly was an amazing feat.
I wish I could tell you more but I do not want to spoil the story for you. Do read this with an open mind if you wish to gain more than just a capture-captive story. I loved it so much that I picked up the sequel right after putting this book down and finished the second book in record breaking time.
If you wish to explore more of Tarin's world, you might want to check out the author's page dedicated to this wonderful book: TARIN'S WORLD (it is very informative and I really appreciate the author's effort on putting it up. How I wish other books I've ever read has such a page for the readers)
BOOK DETAILS:
Title: Out of the Woods
Author: Syd McGinley
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Torquere
Type: Novel, 80,349 words (approximate)
Genre: Post-apocalypse and Dystopian M/M Fiction, Science Fiction-Futuristic
Main Characters:
Tags/Keywords:
Description:
Wild boy Tarin is determined not to be captured by the men who live in the decaying Before Times buildings on the other side of Tarin's woodland home, but he's just as determined to protect the younger boys in the woods. No one remembers being a child or knows where all the women have gone or how society crumbled, but for as long as they can remember, boys have lived in the woods and are hunted by the men each Fall. Some boys believe in a mysterious Lady who protects them, while others think the men are magic. Tarin knows better - he's met a man, and escaped by stabbing him. Hunted through the woods as he tries to protect the weaker Cory, Tarin is trapped and claimed by the very man he knifed. All Tarin wants is to stay in the woods and not have to get 'civilized,' but he's carried off into a different world of rules and discipline. Will he be able to survive now that he is Out of the Woods?
Excerpt found on Publisher's website:
This review has also been cross-posted on my blogs:
WHERE TO PURCHASE:
★|| AMAZON ||★|| TORQUERE PRESS ||★
* Reviewed on April 10th, 2014
*:--☆--:*:--☆:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*:--☆:*:--☆--:*:--☆--:*
July 10, 2013
I actually tried for several weeks to write a review of this (and Twice-Caught), but as the pages mounted (I got as high as ten) I realized I had way too much to say about it. Bottom line: readers of the book may find themselves suffering from a severe case of provoked thinking. Short of starting a web site devoted to arguing about it, I’m left with yelling at people that THEY HAVE TO READ IT.
However, all the handwringing about my failure did end up inspiring one of my more peculiar and transgressive fantasies: teaching this book in a college seminar. I decided to write up the idea up for my blog and if you can forgive the self-promotion, I am including the link to what should serve as my tribute to this remarkable book: http://liliafordromance.blogspot.com/...)
If I somehow haven’t been clear enough in the above: I can’t praise this book enough. To understand why, YOU. MUST. READ. IT.
However, all the handwringing about my failure did end up inspiring one of my more peculiar and transgressive fantasies: teaching this book in a college seminar. I decided to write up the idea up for my blog and if you can forgive the self-promotion, I am including the link to what should serve as my tribute to this remarkable book: http://liliafordromance.blogspot.com/...)
If I somehow haven’t been clear enough in the above: I can’t praise this book enough. To understand why, YOU. MUST. READ. IT.
August 31, 2016
This book is very different from any MM I've read before. In this world, society is divided into boys, men, and Mothers. It is, presumably, a post-apocalyptic world in which modern technology still exists, but has become limited. The men live on a military base, and organize themselves according to military rank. The division between boys and men isn't about age. The boys tend to be younger than the higher-ranking men that claim them, but the lower-ranking men might be of a similar age to the captured boys.
I'm still not entirely sure about the details, which I'm hoping to get in the next book. In any case, I was sucked into this world early on. I couldn't wait to find out more.
Tarin is either eighteen or nineteen years of age, but I'd say mentally he's younger than that. He's grown up in the wild surrounded by other boys. The lack of mental maturity made me feel like a pervert at first, but I got used to reading Tarin's POV.
The relationship between Tarin and Garrick isn't your conventional romance. I don't even know if it actually is a romance. Do men love their boys, or are boys more like pets? Do boys see their men as more than their protectors? Whatever the specifics, Tarin and Garrick's relationship was both hilarious and sweet. They fight each other on many things, but find compromises that work in the end. It's clear that they care for one another.
This book is only half the story. I have so many questions, and I really want to see where Tarin and Garrick go next! If you're looking for something unusual, give this a try.
I'm still not entirely sure about the details, which I'm hoping to get in the next book. In any case, I was sucked into this world early on. I couldn't wait to find out more.
Tarin is either eighteen or nineteen years of age, but I'd say mentally he's younger than that. He's grown up in the wild surrounded by other boys. The lack of mental maturity made me feel like a pervert at first, but I got used to reading Tarin's POV.
The relationship between Tarin and Garrick isn't your conventional romance. I don't even know if it actually is a romance. Do men love their boys, or are boys more like pets? Do boys see their men as more than their protectors? Whatever the specifics, Tarin and Garrick's relationship was both hilarious and sweet. They fight each other on many things, but find compromises that work in the end. It's clear that they care for one another.
This book is only half the story. I have so many questions, and I really want to see where Tarin and Garrick go next! If you're looking for something unusual, give this a try.
February 20, 2013
This is up there with "weirdest shit I've ever read", and not altogether in a positive way, if at all. For the longest time (which wasn't very long considering this is a quick read) I hated this book, but before I go into details on why it had me slightly furious I'll say something positive about it.
- the world-building may be weird and lack lots of detail (i.e. why is the world the way it is, what happens to the elderly, for how long are the boys really boys, are there ordinary civilians, why are the mothers separate and obviously superior, why are they goddamned deities?, and so on for 3 pages) but it does create a certain atmosphere and it's easy to just slip into this weird compound world
- even though there are quite a lot of characters present with very little description they are miraculously kept separate and they seem to be able to acquire personalities through what little they say
But, the negative points far outnumber the positive ones. First and foremost: no way in hell these "boys" are 19. That feels just like an afterthought to prevent Americans from screaming about it being illegal. Had the book been published in Scandinavia, I'm sure they would have been 15 or 16. In reality, they must be TEN YEARS OLD! Either that, or seriously retarded. I'm going with 10 though, because no matter how much they have been starved in the forest (in summer time... ehm?) they are obviously very light and can be carried around by the "men". Which is where the creepy starts. The whole relationship thing that I don't particularly feel like going into detail about is just creepy to the max. Sure, it gets somewhat cute towards the end and that saves the book, but for the first half it felt like the author had created a demented dystopia only to be able to write really weird sex-scenes.
Second major annoying element: Tarin. I hate him with a passion. He is disgusting, stupid, obnoxious, stubborn, and just... no, there's nothing positive to be said about him. He is NOT funny or amusing.
Third major annoying element: language use. The boys apparently get dropped off in the forest at age 11 with no previous memories, able to hunt and gather stuff for food (miraculously learned?) and with obviously limited language skills (were they kept isolated in boxes those first 11 years?) that seem to exclude personal pronouns and an affinity for referring to themselves in the 3rd person. This does not help with the "creepy impression" since this is supposedly a "romance" and the men speak just fiiine. Also, the word use, the childish terms, the wearing of t-shirts and... Making myself slightly nauseous just thinking back here.
In one word, this was nasty.
- the world-building may be weird and lack lots of detail (i.e. why is the world the way it is, what happens to the elderly, for how long are the boys really boys, are there ordinary civilians, why are the mothers separate and obviously superior, why are they goddamned deities?, and so on for 3 pages) but it does create a certain atmosphere and it's easy to just slip into this weird compound world
- even though there are quite a lot of characters present with very little description they are miraculously kept separate and they seem to be able to acquire personalities through what little they say
But, the negative points far outnumber the positive ones. First and foremost: no way in hell these "boys" are 19. That feels just like an afterthought to prevent Americans from screaming about it being illegal. Had the book been published in Scandinavia, I'm sure they would have been 15 or 16. In reality, they must be TEN YEARS OLD! Either that, or seriously retarded. I'm going with 10 though, because no matter how much they have been starved in the forest (in summer time... ehm?) they are obviously very light and can be carried around by the "men". Which is where the creepy starts. The whole relationship thing that I don't particularly feel like going into detail about is just creepy to the max. Sure, it gets somewhat cute towards the end and that saves the book, but for the first half it felt like the author had created a demented dystopia only to be able to write really weird sex-scenes.
Second major annoying element: Tarin. I hate him with a passion. He is disgusting, stupid, obnoxious, stubborn, and just... no, there's nothing positive to be said about him. He is NOT funny or amusing.
Third major annoying element: language use. The boys apparently get dropped off in the forest at age 11 with no previous memories, able to hunt and gather stuff for food (miraculously learned?) and with obviously limited language skills (were they kept isolated in boxes those first 11 years?) that seem to exclude personal pronouns and an affinity for referring to themselves in the 3rd person. This does not help with the "creepy impression" since this is supposedly a "romance" and the men speak just fiiine. Also, the word use, the childish terms, the wearing of t-shirts and... Making myself slightly nauseous just thinking back here.
In one word, this was nasty.
August 8, 2014
First things first: There is NO BDSM in this book. There is plenty of D/S, slavery and abuse, which is NOT the same.
***
I think I got the idea of how this "society" is supposed to work.
Not really a spoiler, just my own thoughts:
What does this particular military community contribute to the pile? Why are the men in it reduced to reading little kids' books as if they were holy scriptures? Why do boys have to go through the woods and then be "civilized"? How did humans in general end up in this predicament? I can only fantasize and spend days obsessing over it.
I am not sure if this book is "thought provoking" or just a bad move on author's part. My impression is that she didn't want to think it through and supplied us with the necessary minimum, while concentrating on her usual "breaking a boy" plot. Look at her other works, they all come down to just that - taming a wild boy, breaking a new boy, teaching a boy submission and rules, adapting a boy to an alien (literally) environment and so on, more of the same in different settings and variations. Fun, I can't deny, but her books (at least the ones I've read) all come down to the same thing.
I am moving onto book two, because I am still curious about how this world came to be and because I already own it.
***
I think I got the idea of how this "society" is supposed to work.
Not really a spoiler, just my own thoughts:
What does this particular military community contribute to the pile? Why are the men in it reduced to reading little kids' books as if they were holy scriptures? Why do boys have to go through the woods and then be "civilized"? How did humans in general end up in this predicament? I can only fantasize and spend days obsessing over it.
I am not sure if this book is "thought provoking" or just a bad move on author's part. My impression is that she didn't want to think it through and supplied us with the necessary minimum, while concentrating on her usual "breaking a boy" plot. Look at her other works, they all come down to just that - taming a wild boy, breaking a new boy, teaching a boy submission and rules, adapting a boy to an alien (literally) environment and so on, more of the same in different settings and variations. Fun, I can't deny, but her books (at least the ones I've read) all come down to the same thing.
I am moving onto book two, because I am still curious about how this world came to be and because I already own it.
December 19, 2011
Another book I'd like to think about before I write a complete review. I will say, to my own personal tastes, I am pretty sure that this is in my top three m/m books I've read this year, maybe, just MAYBE number one. Twice-caught and his man are flat out amazing. Here's hoping the sequel just doesn't completely suck balls.
April 6, 2011
It's been a day since I finished this book and I'm still thinking about it. I'm also still conflicted about it. I have decided to give it this rating because the world building isn't complete (there will be at least one sequel), so I deserve the right to change my opinion about it once I have all relevant information.
Good things:
The premise of the novel is original and complex. It is clear that the author has given a lot of thought to the world building. It was fun recognizing the remnants of our time in it (divids, for example, were easy to spot). The writing is superb. I've seen several reviewers complaining somewhat about the slower middle, but I have devoured the book. The characters, especially Tarin, are excellent. He is probably the best character I've read about in a long, long time. He is a half-feral young man (he is 19) who can barely speak properly and, yet, the author has managed to convey that he is highly intelligent. His reasoning is practically flawless, even if it doesn't always lead to correct conclusions due to the lack of practical knowledge. For example, he concluded that nakedness becomes uncomfortable or humiliating or even remotely important only when clothes are brought into equation. He has so much spirit and has such a good heart that you absolutely have to root for him. His collision with "civilized" society is source of many humorous moments. You simply have to love him.
Things I was conflicted about:
What bothered me was the lack of choice. I know, I know. This is obviously post-apocaliptic world and we don't have all the info, but I have only my contemporary mind and it was bothered by this fact. Hell, it bothered Tarin's mind. The "boys" don't have any choice in the role they were given and they don't get to chose the man they will serve. If they don't comply to the rules they can be severly punished as it was illustrated by Ofer's misfortune. They are kept ignorant: they aren't allowed to learn to read or write, because that is reserved for "men" (although one small episode, which will probably have its fruition in the sequel, shows us that some obviously found the way around that fact). It is clear that the system is imperfect, not only because it fails to protect the boys from abuse, but also because Tarin doesn't fit the role of submissive, at least not completely (he asks for his sexual pleasure, questions everything, etc.). There are also hints of mind control ().
Finally, this is really, really an excellent novel. If I wasn't bothered by these things (which is entirely my own problem), I would have most definitely given it five stars. Considering that the world building isn't yet complete, I've decided on this rating. Depending on the sequel(s), it can go both up and down. But, I am definitely recommending it. It will make you laugh, squirm and, most importantly, think - all very good traits in a book.
Good things:
The premise of the novel is original and complex. It is clear that the author has given a lot of thought to the world building. It was fun recognizing the remnants of our time in it (divids, for example, were easy to spot). The writing is superb. I've seen several reviewers complaining somewhat about the slower middle, but I have devoured the book. The characters, especially Tarin, are excellent. He is probably the best character I've read about in a long, long time. He is a half-feral young man (he is 19) who can barely speak properly and, yet, the author has managed to convey that he is highly intelligent. His reasoning is practically flawless, even if it doesn't always lead to correct conclusions due to the lack of practical knowledge. For example, he concluded that nakedness becomes uncomfortable or humiliating or even remotely important only when clothes are brought into equation. He has so much spirit and has such a good heart that you absolutely have to root for him. His collision with "civilized" society is source of many humorous moments. You simply have to love him.
Things I was conflicted about:
What bothered me was the lack of choice. I know, I know. This is obviously post-apocaliptic world and we don't have all the info, but I have only my contemporary mind and it was bothered by this fact. Hell, it bothered Tarin's mind. The "boys" don't have any choice in the role they were given and they don't get to chose the man they will serve. If they don't comply to the rules they can be severly punished as it was illustrated by Ofer's misfortune. They are kept ignorant: they aren't allowed to learn to read or write, because that is reserved for "men" (although one small episode, which will probably have its fruition in the sequel, shows us that some obviously found the way around that fact). It is clear that the system is imperfect, not only because it fails to protect the boys from abuse, but also because Tarin doesn't fit the role of submissive, at least not completely (he asks for his sexual pleasure, questions everything, etc.). There are also hints of mind control ().
Finally, this is really, really an excellent novel. If I wasn't bothered by these things (which is entirely my own problem), I would have most definitely given it five stars. Considering that the world building isn't yet complete, I've decided on this rating. Depending on the sequel(s), it can go both up and down. But, I am definitely recommending it. It will make you laugh, squirm and, most importantly, think - all very good traits in a book.
October 28, 2012
Oh...WOW!
First off, let me thank Cassandra for the recommendation because to be honest, I would have never even paid attention to this book let alone read it.
This series...I can't even begin to describe. It's futuristic, gritty, fast-paced, post-apocalyptic, raw, erotic and just so good.
Our main character, Tarin, is a wild boy who has lived in the wilderness for eight summers. Wild Boys who are on their eighth summer beware because the men from the Before Times buildings are going to take you away. What sort of life Tarin lived prior to being placed in the woods is still unknown.
The suspense of Tarin trying to be made civilized by his Beak-Face, finding out more of Tarin's World (Just who are the Mothers? And who decides soldiers and wild boys? Where are the women? Why isn't someone trying to bring Jadon down? What's the status of Beak-Face and Tarin? Is Tarin going to be civilized? These lumps while explained... I still needed to know why Tarin had
The eroticism of the Wild Boys abductions and the mens' way of making them civilized? Hotness. I thought this book was going to be a smut rape story but it turned out to be so much more. I hope it works out for Tarin in the next book which I had to get ASAP! LOVE this series.
First off, let me thank Cassandra for the recommendation because to be honest, I would have never even paid attention to this book let alone read it.
This series...I can't even begin to describe. It's futuristic, gritty, fast-paced, post-apocalyptic, raw, erotic and just so good.
Our main character, Tarin, is a wild boy who has lived in the wilderness for eight summers. Wild Boys who are on their eighth summer beware because the men from the Before Times buildings are going to take you away. What sort of life Tarin lived prior to being placed in the woods is still unknown.
The suspense of Tarin trying to be made civilized by his Beak-Face, finding out more of Tarin's World (Just who are the Mothers? And who decides soldiers and wild boys? Where are the women? Why isn't someone trying to bring Jadon down? What's the status of Beak-Face and Tarin? Is Tarin going to be civilized? These lumps while explained... I still needed to know why Tarin had
The eroticism of the Wild Boys abductions and the mens' way of making them civilized? Hotness. I thought this book was going to be a smut rape story but it turned out to be so much more. I hope it works out for Tarin in the next book which I had to get ASAP! LOVE this series.
August 15, 2011
Stunning world-building. Three dimensional, intriguing characters. Wickedly sensual and sexy. Plot to keep you guessing. And OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ENDING. The next book now now now now now!
April 25, 2014
Freaky dystopian mash up of Lord of the Flies and pagan beliefs.
Well, entertaining and annoying at the same time. Gotta say, Tarin is pretty much me and every argument he makes is logical. That said, this is drawn out a bit, just watching Tarin learn to bake bread takes three times longer than it should, not that it isn't entertaining. But that amusement comes from watching the wild boy being taken in and which is correct civilization or nature. Will he adapt? The illustration of the two sides is good, but labored. There are many things not explained in this story. It is the first of how many? I don't know, but the lack of closure makes it as if someone wrote a 1000 pages story and took a cleaver part way through and tossed you a section.
Bought book two so I'll be catching up with Tarin and Beakface.
Well, entertaining and annoying at the same time. Gotta say, Tarin is pretty much me and every argument he makes is logical. That said, this is drawn out a bit, just watching Tarin learn to bake bread takes three times longer than it should, not that it isn't entertaining. But that amusement comes from watching the wild boy being taken in and which is correct civilization or nature. Will he adapt? The illustration of the two sides is good, but labored. There are many things not explained in this story. It is the first of how many? I don't know, but the lack of closure makes it as if someone wrote a 1000 pages story and took a cleaver part way through and tossed you a section.
Bought book two so I'll be catching up with Tarin and Beakface.
August 4, 2019
This was a fantastic book! One of the best post-apoc/sci-fi stories I’ve read in a long time. It reminded me a lot of “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome“, with that concept of a strange and twisted society/religion that evolves from a people that have forgotten the past but are trying to make sense of it from the remnants left behind. But this story has it’s own unique twist and plot, and together with the wonderful characters (the main character in particular) and skilled writing, it makes for an utterly fascinating and intriguing page-turner. I could not put it down, and read it from start to finish in one sitting!
The story is told entirely from Tarin’s PoV, which I really enjoyed. He’s such a wonderful, likable and vibrant character. I loved how his mind worked, how he spoke (which made me laugh out loud many times!), and loved seeing how he viewed the world and the people around him. Also, how he questioned and rebelled against everything. I only had one small quibble, and that was with Garrick. I felt like I didn’t really get to know him all that well, but since his relationship with Tarin seemed to take a bit of a back seat to the rest of the story (at least, for a large portion of it), it didn‘t bother me as much as it would have if this had been the usual erotic romance fare that I normally read. To explain a bit better…I’ve tagged this as an erotic romance, but I feel that it’s mainly a sci-fi novel with a heavy dose of mystery, some erotic elements and a romantic sub-plot. Not saying that’s a bad thing, just that you shouldn’t expect it to be like something you‘d find in the usual M/M romantica genre. However, I have a feeling (and hoping!) that we’ll get to know Garrick much better, and have more Tarin/Garrick relationship time, in the sequel.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this story was how you very gradually get to see and understand more about this world. How little bits of info are slowly revealed that make you go “Huh?” one moment, and then “Oh, that’s what that is!” the next. One of my favourites was the “silver duck”. LOL! And then there was the “Mother’s Day” service, which I thought was just plain weird and creepy…and then suddenly something happened (not gonna give away any spoilers!) that totally threw me, made me completely rethink my theories and really start questioning what the hell was going on. But even as you start feeling like you’ve got a pretty good grasp on certain aspects of this world, there’s still the ever-present mystery of “The Lady” and “Mothers”, and why there’s only men here, and why boys just suddenly show up in the woods and live there for years (until they‘re caught), like wild animals, with no apparent memories of where they came from or their life before the woods.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m seriously impressed. And so glad that I decided to take a chance on an author that was unknown to me, and with a book that I couldn’t find any reviews for. I usually would never do that, but the synopsis was so enticing! Luckily, it turned out to be a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it! Now I’m dying to read the sequel, which is supposed to be out sometime later this year. A word of warning though…it ends with a big cliffhanger, a ton of unanswered questions, and the start of an interesting conflict between some of the characters.
The story is told entirely from Tarin’s PoV, which I really enjoyed. He’s such a wonderful, likable and vibrant character. I loved how his mind worked, how he spoke (which made me laugh out loud many times!), and loved seeing how he viewed the world and the people around him. Also, how he questioned and rebelled against everything. I only had one small quibble, and that was with Garrick. I felt like I didn’t really get to know him all that well, but since his relationship with Tarin seemed to take a bit of a back seat to the rest of the story (at least, for a large portion of it), it didn‘t bother me as much as it would have if this had been the usual erotic romance fare that I normally read. To explain a bit better…I’ve tagged this as an erotic romance, but I feel that it’s mainly a sci-fi novel with a heavy dose of mystery, some erotic elements and a romantic sub-plot. Not saying that’s a bad thing, just that you shouldn’t expect it to be like something you‘d find in the usual M/M romantica genre. However, I have a feeling (and hoping!) that we’ll get to know Garrick much better, and have more Tarin/Garrick relationship time, in the sequel.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this story was how you very gradually get to see and understand more about this world. How little bits of info are slowly revealed that make you go “Huh?” one moment, and then “Oh, that’s what that is!” the next. One of my favourites was the “silver duck”. LOL! And then there was the “Mother’s Day” service, which I thought was just plain weird and creepy…and then suddenly something happened (not gonna give away any spoilers!) that totally threw me, made me completely rethink my theories and really start questioning what the hell was going on. But even as you start feeling like you’ve got a pretty good grasp on certain aspects of this world, there’s still the ever-present mystery of “The Lady” and “Mothers”, and why there’s only men here, and why boys just suddenly show up in the woods and live there for years (until they‘re caught), like wild animals, with no apparent memories of where they came from or their life before the woods.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m seriously impressed. And so glad that I decided to take a chance on an author that was unknown to me, and with a book that I couldn’t find any reviews for. I usually would never do that, but the synopsis was so enticing! Luckily, it turned out to be a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it! Now I’m dying to read the sequel, which is supposed to be out sometime later this year. A word of warning though…it ends with a big cliffhanger, a ton of unanswered questions, and the start of an interesting conflict between some of the characters.
July 28, 2011
I really enjoyed this one a lot! I stay up until three in the morning to finish reading it! It was definitely a unique and fresh story, totally addicting for me!
ETA: I forgot to mention how funny it was, too!!!
I loved Tarin (Twice-Caught) and Garrick (Beak-Face). Tarin was just so adorable with his stunted speech and his 'no socks!' determination. He's wild and stubborn and puts things bluntly. I absolutely loved him and felt Garrick was the perfect fit for him. Garrick was just so likable with his ability to put up with Tarin and all his rebellious ways.
This world was completely fascinating to me. It has a post-apocalyptic and sci-fi feel to it but definitely different from anything I've read lately with the culture and society they live in. At first, I was a little bit confused but things cleared up fast for me. I still have some questions about the society and why some things are the way they are but I loved the book so much and it kept me reading it and devouring it there's no way I could give this less than five stars. I do hope we get some answers to why the Mothers send the boys to either be a cadet or into the woods because I'm extremely curious about why it's like that!
Other than that, I loved the book a lot. It was spectacular, IMHO. I want more of Tarin and Garrick and see how they fight against Jadon. Can't wait for more of them in September! Yay!
Definitely recommended!
ETA: I forgot to mention how funny it was, too!!!
I loved Tarin (Twice-Caught) and Garrick (Beak-Face). Tarin was just so adorable with his stunted speech and his 'no socks!' determination. He's wild and stubborn and puts things bluntly. I absolutely loved him and felt Garrick was the perfect fit for him. Garrick was just so likable with his ability to put up with Tarin and all his rebellious ways.
This world was completely fascinating to me. It has a post-apocalyptic and sci-fi feel to it but definitely different from anything I've read lately with the culture and society they live in. At first, I was a little bit confused but things cleared up fast for me. I still have some questions about the society and why some things are the way they are but I loved the book so much and it kept me reading it and devouring it there's no way I could give this less than five stars. I do hope we get some answers to why the Mothers send the boys to either be a cadet or into the woods because I'm extremely curious about why it's like that!
Other than that, I loved the book a lot. It was spectacular, IMHO. I want more of Tarin and Garrick and see how they fight against Jadon. Can't wait for more of them in September! Yay!
Definitely recommended!
June 8, 2018
This book was picked for me to read in a pick it for me challenge. Wild boy Tarin is determined not to be captured by the men who live in the decaying Before Times buildings on the other side of Tarin's woodland home, but he's just as determined to protect the younger boys in the woods. The boys in the woods have raised themselves as no one knows what happened to all the women. Every fall men come into the woods to capture them. Tarin has been captured twice he is trained to be a slave. I don't normally read futuristic/apocalyptic type books but this one was pretty good. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
August 21, 2011
I just worked out what Silver Duck was. LOL. Syd is obviously a MacGyver fan!
Loved working out all the references. eg Had a bit of a problem with fairy-sickle, and even getting it reiterated as pharisaical stumped me for a while, until I figured out it was farcical. Good one, Syd.
Seems those pesky males were naughty at some point in time, lol. Too much "Mark and Steve"'s for the Aussie cricket fans and "Phil" for the rugby fans.....
Chip 'em and stick 'em behind a force field barrier, huh? All they're good for!
Loved working out all the references. eg Had a bit of a problem with fairy-sickle, and even getting it reiterated as pharisaical stumped me for a while, until I figured out it was farcical. Good one, Syd.
Seems those pesky males were naughty at some point in time, lol. Too much "Mark and Steve"'s for the Aussie cricket fans and "Phil" for the rugby fans.....
Chip 'em and stick 'em behind a force field barrier, huh? All they're good for!
October 25, 2011
A highly original post-apocolyptic fantasy that takes you deep into Tarin's world. First as a wild boy in the woods then as a captive of "Men" who try to civilize him. Tarin will make you laugh and groan as he tries to understand his new world and fights his attraction to his "beak-faced" man.
No real ending on this title, so be prepared to read the sequel Twice Caught. I cannot wait to see what happens next to Tarin and Garrick.
No real ending on this title, so be prepared to read the sequel Twice Caught. I cannot wait to see what happens next to Tarin and Garrick.
March 26, 2011
I'm suffering "really good book reading withdrawals" staring forlornly at my computer screen, hitting the arrow button again and again in hopes there's one more page that I missed.
Syd McGinley takes us into a strange society, based in the not-so-distant future. The world building and societal order, the attention to minute details, boggles my mind. How did this author keep it all straight, especially since the story was origianlly released as a serial? There's quite a cast, but I didn't have trouble keeping them straight, as our protagonist, Tarin, has his own name and descriptions for them to remind the reader just who they are.
There are situations that may make some readers uneasy, like dubious consent, implied non-consent, and maiming as punishment. If fit into the Out of the Woods pseudo-military society.
Tarin is a most memorable character, plucky and steadfast, and yielding to his man is a long, drawn-out process, but "Beak-face" is a good and patient man - exactly what Tarin needs. This book proved a real page turner for me and I couldn't put it down. Now I'm really sad, waiting for the sequel to see what will become of our two heroes. This is the kind of story that you think about long after you've finished it.
I really, really wanna read the sequel.
Syd McGinley takes us into a strange society, based in the not-so-distant future. The world building and societal order, the attention to minute details, boggles my mind. How did this author keep it all straight, especially since the story was origianlly released as a serial? There's quite a cast, but I didn't have trouble keeping them straight, as our protagonist, Tarin, has his own name and descriptions for them to remind the reader just who they are.
There are situations that may make some readers uneasy, like dubious consent, implied non-consent, and maiming as punishment. If fit into the Out of the Woods pseudo-military society.
Tarin is a most memorable character, plucky and steadfast, and yielding to his man is a long, drawn-out process, but "Beak-face" is a good and patient man - exactly what Tarin needs. This book proved a real page turner for me and I couldn't put it down. Now I'm really sad, waiting for the sequel to see what will become of our two heroes. This is the kind of story that you think about long after you've finished it.
I really, really wanna read the sequel.
Read
December 31, 2013(⇀‸↼‶)I made it as far as the boy MC and the man's first 'meeting' in the woods. Something about little boys living in a forest being abducted by 'men' just screams pedophilia even if it is in a 'fantasy world.' The boy MC states he's been living in the forest for 8 summers. His thought processes are that of a child. Not appealing (for me). Pass.
August 6, 2019
So this book came up as a GR recommendation and I was instantly intrigued. This book is a hard to find, out of print book and it took me forever to find a copy.
This book is confusing, funny and very strange, but I really liked it. I thought Tarin was hilarious, I loved his stubbornness and how he questioned everything.
I started putting things together as the book started to move on, I sort of assumed that the Mothers' were all living somewhere else and were keeping close tabs on the community and were watching what was going on with their many sons. What I don't understand is why they are living like this, I am hoping that is explained in the next book.
I don't know if I would recommend this book, it is strange and it might not be everyone's twist, but if you are into MM and not bothered by the weird and if you can find a copy than go ahead and read the book.
This book is confusing, funny and very strange, but I really liked it. I thought Tarin was hilarious, I loved his stubbornness and how he questioned everything.
I started putting things together as the book started to move on, I sort of assumed that the Mothers' were all living somewhere else and were keeping close tabs on the community and were watching what was going on with their many sons. What I don't understand is why they are living like this, I am hoping that is explained in the next book.
I don't know if I would recommend this book, it is strange and it might not be everyone's twist, but if you are into MM and not bothered by the weird and if you can find a copy than go ahead and read the book.
March 3, 2012
*sigh..... ok this book started off good. I was interested in why they were there, why the men were hunting them. Tarin was funny, especially when he thought garrick was trying to "eat him" BUT when he is captured for some some reason this book just rubs me the wrong way. I start to feel really uncomfortable I have 50 pages left and im not looking foward to it. When he is captured even though it is said he is 19 he speaks and sometimes thinks like he is much younger, which is quite disturbing when i have to read about him learning how to "service" "his man" properly. The author really doesn't bother to go into why the boys are captured or why they are sent there in the first place, what happens for the first 11 yrs of their lives, where do the boys go after they get old, were the men boys too? we don't know! Its kind of sick, the boys are not allowed to read, or learn anything to better themelves mentally and i just don't think this book should be considered a romance i don't see any instance where Tarin and Garrick could be in love. Its just a slave and master relationship and not in the good way where the master secretly lets his servant get away with everything. its the ligit, bring-me-water-or-ill-beat-you kind of thing. And the whole religeous practices reminds me of a cult. i just... i don't know.... when i read the book i just can't help picturing a 12-14 yr old boy( because thats what Tarin sounds like) being violated
May 1, 2011
I was thrilled with this book half way through; I thought Tarin was a wonderful character and I couldn't stop giggling at his statements. While I'm sure he was good intentioned, he ended up contradicting himself so many times that it was hilarious. I also really enjoyed the slave processing part of the book and how Tarin was very opinionated about everything they tried to force him to do.
No we come to the part that I didn't like. Tarin's speech and behaviour, while cute at first, started to become tedious about a third of the way through the book. He didn’t seem to grow as a character. I also didn’t particularly like the main romance between Tarin and Garrick. When your first image of a character is "beak face" it's really hard to picture Garrick and Tarin together without grimacing. Garrick was the type of character that you admired from afar because of his kind and good-natured heart, but never desired. He was like the Uncle you loved in a totally platonic way.
The other negative was the ending. The book ended literally in the middle of a plot-point! There was no attempt to resolve it and I was left wondering if the copy I bought was defective! It was very unprofessional and not something I'd expect in a pro-novel. For that alone I would change this to a two star book, but the story was too original to be that harsh.
No we come to the part that I didn't like. Tarin's speech and behaviour, while cute at first, started to become tedious about a third of the way through the book. He didn’t seem to grow as a character. I also didn’t particularly like the main romance between Tarin and Garrick. When your first image of a character is "beak face" it's really hard to picture Garrick and Tarin together without grimacing. Garrick was the type of character that you admired from afar because of his kind and good-natured heart, but never desired. He was like the Uncle you loved in a totally platonic way.
The other negative was the ending. The book ended literally in the middle of a plot-point! There was no attempt to resolve it and I was left wondering if the copy I bought was defective! It was very unprofessional and not something I'd expect in a pro-novel. For that alone I would change this to a two star book, but the story was too original to be that harsh.
November 28, 2012
4.5 stars. Only little problem with the ending, a bit too rushed and confusing. I don't know if there was a problem with the formatting, but maybe a blank space here and there?
This book surprised because it's funny and sexy. There is a little bit of daddy kink maybe, and I must admit I was perplexed in the beginning, but it worked in the end.
Tarin is 18/19, but he's lived in the woods for 8 years together with other boys his age and younger. His speech is basic and reflects some kind of knowledge, but also the fact that he's lived in the wild for years. He talks about himself in 3rd person and he's just funny. He expresses his needs with surprising efficiency and even if he sounds childish - due to his lacking interaction with adults which didn't help the developing of a normal language - he's also smart and can think quick on his feet. I don't know if he has a sense of self-preservation. Probably he does at the beginning, but slowly, after being caught and brought to the colony of men, civilization makes him more thoughtful and less impulsive, even if he has very strong instincts he finds hard to work against.
In this world, men (biologically male) live together in a colony and worship Mothers, real/mythical women who provide for them occasionaly. Why did it happen? Why 10-year-old boys spring up in the woods and are captured after they've spent 8 years there to live with and serve the men? Why does men and women don't interact? What happened in the Before Times? There is a sort of post-apocalyptic feeling, but maybe not.
When they are caught, boys are re-educated. They are given baths, clothes and they are taught to serve the community, also sexually. It sounds a bit bad, but the author doesn't take herself too seriously and everything is very tongue-in-cheek. For Tarin this is extremely difficult. He doesn't want to be civilized, he doesn't see strength in the ways of men, he wants to provide for himself, to hunt, not to receive, not to be given. He wants to climb, to run. He is a free spirit and he's impossible to tame, because he never relinquish his free thinking. His independence is the most endearing trait in his personality. He's also an hedonist, he loves food, warm water and sex. He hates socks, but I bet he'll reconsider.
The man who claims Tarin is Garrick. Garrick - or Beak-Face, as Tarin calls him - is the embodiment of patience. He is a very just and compassionate man and he can see behind Tarin's wildness, and he's able to conquer him with his quiet strength. He is there for his boy, he is severe, but not harsh. His character is cast in shadows by Tarin's brightness and brattiness, but he is able to gain Tarin's confidence and loyalty by example.
The secondary characters - boys and men - are fleshed out, they never blend into each other and each one of them brings something into the story. The author decided to simply immerse the reader into the story. There is no info-dumping, we simply learn about the world building from Tarin's recollections or the words of the characters. When the story ends, Tarin and Garrick have to face a troubled future. The story is satisfying, but it's clearly not finished.
It's one of those book I'm sure I will pick up now and then to boost my mood up. It brought me sheer joy.
This book surprised because it's funny and sexy. There is a little bit of daddy kink maybe, and I must admit I was perplexed in the beginning, but it worked in the end.
Tarin is 18/19, but he's lived in the woods for 8 years together with other boys his age and younger. His speech is basic and reflects some kind of knowledge, but also the fact that he's lived in the wild for years. He talks about himself in 3rd person and he's just funny. He expresses his needs with surprising efficiency and even if he sounds childish - due to his lacking interaction with adults which didn't help the developing of a normal language - he's also smart and can think quick on his feet. I don't know if he has a sense of self-preservation. Probably he does at the beginning, but slowly, after being caught and brought to the colony of men, civilization makes him more thoughtful and less impulsive, even if he has very strong instincts he finds hard to work against.
In this world, men (biologically male) live together in a colony and worship Mothers, real/mythical women who provide for them occasionaly. Why did it happen? Why 10-year-old boys spring up in the woods and are captured after they've spent 8 years there to live with and serve the men? Why does men and women don't interact? What happened in the Before Times? There is a sort of post-apocalyptic feeling, but maybe not.
When they are caught, boys are re-educated. They are given baths, clothes and they are taught to serve the community, also sexually. It sounds a bit bad, but the author doesn't take herself too seriously and everything is very tongue-in-cheek. For Tarin this is extremely difficult. He doesn't want to be civilized, he doesn't see strength in the ways of men, he wants to provide for himself, to hunt, not to receive, not to be given. He wants to climb, to run. He is a free spirit and he's impossible to tame, because he never relinquish his free thinking. His independence is the most endearing trait in his personality. He's also an hedonist, he loves food, warm water and sex. He hates socks, but I bet he'll reconsider.
The man who claims Tarin is Garrick. Garrick - or Beak-Face, as Tarin calls him - is the embodiment of patience. He is a very just and compassionate man and he can see behind Tarin's wildness, and he's able to conquer him with his quiet strength. He is there for his boy, he is severe, but not harsh. His character is cast in shadows by Tarin's brightness and brattiness, but he is able to gain Tarin's confidence and loyalty by example.
The secondary characters - boys and men - are fleshed out, they never blend into each other and each one of them brings something into the story. The author decided to simply immerse the reader into the story. There is no info-dumping, we simply learn about the world building from Tarin's recollections or the words of the characters. When the story ends, Tarin and Garrick have to face a troubled future. The story is satisfying, but it's clearly not finished.
It's one of those book I'm sure I will pick up now and then to boost my mood up. It brought me sheer joy.
March 31, 2011
Likes:
- Trying to figure out just what happened to the world to get to where the story takes place - some future dystopian time. I love it when you don't have all the info just dumped out in the beginning.
- Told in Tarin's 3rd person POV, which makes for entertaining misunderstandings and a joyfully unreliable narrator. He's been living in the woods for 8 years - since he was 11 - and to experience his interactions with the men who are "civilized" is very, very cool.
- There is a nicely kept balance between the humor and the very serious situations of learning to live in the men's compound, where there are strict rules with stricter punishments.
Dislikes:
- Sometimes the story dragged in the middle, with scenes that didn't necessarily move it forward. I agree with other reviewers that this is likely due to the serialization of the book in its initial offering.
- An ending that was really a "to be continued..."
Highly recommended and looking forward to the sequel.
- Trying to figure out just what happened to the world to get to where the story takes place - some future dystopian time. I love it when you don't have all the info just dumped out in the beginning.
- Told in Tarin's 3rd person POV, which makes for entertaining misunderstandings and a joyfully unreliable narrator. He's been living in the woods for 8 years - since he was 11 - and to experience his interactions with the men who are "civilized" is very, very cool.
- There is a nicely kept balance between the humor and the very serious situations of learning to live in the men's compound, where there are strict rules with stricter punishments.
Dislikes:
- Sometimes the story dragged in the middle, with scenes that didn't necessarily move it forward. I agree with other reviewers that this is likely due to the serialization of the book in its initial offering.
- An ending that was really a "to be continued..."
Highly recommended and looking forward to the sequel.
August 28, 2016
The setting is interesting, there are a lot of characters and quite a network of interactions between them and finally, the post-apocalyptic universe is fascinating.
Things I didn't like:
- the romance is pretty superficial (more of a Greek erastes-eromenos sort of thing, without the modern love scenario), but that might also be because it was presented from the point of view of the adolescent wild boy that doesn't really appreciate complex relationships
- the ending was totally abrupt. I'm guessing there's a sequel in the works.
- the world they lived in is still pretty much a mystery by the end (maybe even more so). I suppose it's also because we're supposed to find out the rest in the following book.
- a character was castrated as punishment (we were only told about it, it's not really described, but I still have to say that it was hard to appreciate "the civilized" when they used such methods...)
Things I didn't like:
- the romance is pretty superficial (more of a Greek erastes-eromenos sort of thing, without the modern love scenario), but that might also be because it was presented from the point of view of the adolescent wild boy that doesn't really appreciate complex relationships
- the ending was totally abrupt. I'm guessing there's a sequel in the works.
- the world they lived in is still pretty much a mystery by the end (maybe even more so). I suppose it's also because we're supposed to find out the rest in the following book.
- a character was castrated as punishment (we were only told about it, it's not really described, but I still have to say that it was hard to appreciate "the civilized" when they used such methods...)
June 18, 2019
Ok, so I'm probably not being fair, but since I've read a review that said that the whole will not be properly explained in the next book, I feel cheated and grateful.
Grateful for the review, cause now I won't buy the next book and get royally pissed off.
Cheated because, why would you mention bits like that if you're not gonna explain them properly? What purpose do they serve in furthering the plot?
This way, it feels like a porn movie about truckers that is basically two guys fucking in front of a truck. You look at the movie cover and you think you'll get the fantasy, but you only get the sexy bits that could have been taken out of context and had the same effect.
So, as I said, I'm being unfair because I haven't actually read the sequel, and maybe curiosity will get the best of me and I'll read it someday, but not any time soon.
Grateful for the review, cause now I won't buy the next book and get royally pissed off.
Cheated because, why would you mention bits like that if you're not gonna explain them properly? What purpose do they serve in furthering the plot?
This way, it feels like a porn movie about truckers that is basically two guys fucking in front of a truck. You look at the movie cover and you think you'll get the fantasy, but you only get the sexy bits that could have been taken out of context and had the same effect.
So, as I said, I'm being unfair because I haven't actually read the sequel, and maybe curiosity will get the best of me and I'll read it someday, but not any time soon.
October 6, 2011
Затрудняюсь поставить оценку этой книге. Написано очень хорошо, гл.герой бесподобен чуть более, чем полностью, мир необычный, но вот социальное устройство общины, в которой происходит действие, меня ужаснуло.
Ну какбэ вы либо диких детишек обучайте манерам, грамотности и интегрируйте их в общество на правах полноценных личностей, а не домашних зверушек, и тогда можете рассуждать о преимуществе Цивилизации и о своей великой, мать ее, миссии. А если вы хотите малолетних сексуальных рабов, которых держат за второсортных недо-людей, то нефиг делать такую благообразную физиономию.
Завуалированный матриархат немного исправил впечатление, но немного. Я так понимаю, у теток эта община вместо Дома-2, для лулзов.
Ну какбэ вы либо диких детишек обучайте манерам, грамотности и интегрируйте их в общество на правах полноценных личностей, а не домашних зверушек, и тогда можете рассуждать о преимуществе Цивилизации и о своей великой, мать ее, миссии. А если вы хотите малолетних сексуальных рабов, которых держат за второсортных недо-людей, то нефиг делать такую благообразную физиономию.
Завуалированный матриархат немного исправил впечатление, но немного. Я так понимаю, у теток эта община вместо Дома-2, для лулзов.
March 27, 2011
This was different, interesting, and funny. Tarin was wonderful in his view of the world of what should and shouldn't be -- true or false -- fact or fable. He grows and stubbornly yet holds onto some of his beliefs. He speaks his mind without thought to if or who he offends but he doesn't lie. I held my breath waiting for Tarin to decide what he would do time after time.
I struggled with whether it was a four or five for me. I was thoroughly involved, engaged and boy did I laugh aloud several times. Admittedly, I have an odd sense of humor so others may not laugh as much. This will definitely be on my reread list.
I struggled with whether it was a four or five for me. I was thoroughly involved, engaged and boy did I laugh aloud several times. Admittedly, I have an odd sense of humor so others may not laugh as much. This will definitely be on my reread list.
July 30, 2011
This story is set in such an interesting world that the reader just begins to get a better glimpse of toward the end of the story...leaving the reader even more intrigued. Tarin was the best part of this story. He is one of those characters that kept me laughing and you know the author had to work some magic to make sure Tarin did not slip from humorous to annoying (which thankfully didn't happen). I look forward to the next book to clear up some questions and see Tarin's and Garrick's relationship develop.
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