Beware the Wild (Beware the Wild, #1) by Natalie C. Parker

Feb 05, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, romance, weight-issues, horror, siblings, quest, mental-illness, paranormal, awesome-guy, high-school

“When the swamp took my brother, it sent someone—something else to take his place. I don’t know what Lenora May is, but she’s not my sister.”

This book is a dark American fairy tale.

In Celtic mythology, we often hear about the changeling in connection with the fae, fairies, whatever you call them. The fae are capricious creatures. They will take what they please, and in some instances, they will take whomever they please. Children, newborn infants, specifically, are particularly vulnerable. T

“When the swamp took my brother, it sent someone—something else to take his place. I don’t know what Lenora May is, but she’s not my sister.”

This book is a dark American fairy tale.

In Celtic mythology, we often hear about the changeling in connection with the fae, fairies, whatever you call them. The fae are capricious creatures. They will take what they please, and in some instances, they will take whomever they please. Children, newborn infants, specifically, are particularly vulnerable. The beautiful child will disappear, abducted by the fae, leaving an ugly, wizened, “wrong,” fae child in its place.

This book has that similar premise, with a twist. Instead of Ireland or the UK, we have the swamps of the deep South in the US. The “child” being abducted is a young man, about to go to college. What’s different is that all memories of the abducted are erased.

The writing is great. The main character is a sympathetic one. There is no insta-love. The atmosphere of the Deep South is well-written, and there is a sense of eeriness and frustration that is pervasive throughout the book. This is one of the better YA paranormal books I have read.

The Summary:

“The swamp ate my brother.”

Sterling Saucier is about to finish her sophomore year of high school when the unthinkable happens: her brother Phineas, in a fit of anger, in an unthinking moment – steps into the swamps behind Sticks, Louisiana. Everyone in town knows not to go into the swamp. It’s dangerous. Once you go in, you never leave.

Even the plants know better: stay the fuck out. The swamp stays away from the people. The people stay away from the swamp. It is a tenuous peace.

For some reason, the swamp stays firmly on the other side. A few brave plants may reach across the line, but by and large, the swamp keeps as much distance from us as we do of it.

Phineas has been gone for hours, and Sterling is frantic. She is panicking, feeling like she will never see her brother again, when out of the swamp steps a girl. Not Phin. A strange girl whom Sterling has never seen before.

Her hand extends slowly and she hesitates before finding the fence. Dark hair hangs in her face, wild with curls and lovely in a way mine will never be. She climbs with something less than grace, fumbles with her dress, and nearly falls to the ground in my yard.

Everyone tells Sterling that this is her sister.

“I want to know who she is, why she’s here, and why you’re all acting like you know her. I watched her climb over the swamp fence, for crying out loud!”
“Now you’re worrying me,” Mama says. “Are you telling me you don’t recognize your own sister?”

The trouble is Sterling knows otherwise. She somehow has memories of this stranger.

I can’t remember someone who doesn’t exist. I can’t remember that her favorite color is purple but thinks Chevelles look best in red. I don’t even know her name.
Except I do.
Lenora May. May to her friends. Lenora to teachers and Aunt Mina. But Lenora May to me. Always Lenora May.

But Sterling knows: this is not her sister. Phin is her brother, and he has disappeared. Nobody remembers her but him.

Well, not nobody. Someone knows what she’s going through. Somebody believes her. Somebody who has lost someone of his own.

“Nathan Payola,” he says. He waits for me to react, but there’s nothing for me to react to. Angrily, he adds, “He was my best friend.”

That somebody is Heath. Heath is a boy at her school. He is not unfamiliar to her, in fact, they had a short, brief, flirtation.

Heath wasn’t a talker, but when he did talk, the words we shared were sweet and supplemented with notes of the flirting variety.

Only that flirtation abruptly stopped…and now she knows why. Heath was struggling with the same thing she was, the loss of a friend, and the knowledge that nobody believes him.

And now they’re in the same boat, and as cute as Heath is, as much of a brief history they’ve had together, there are more important things at hand right now, like how to get her brother back.

At any other time, I’d be stuck on him admitting he ditched me. But now, all I can think of is Phin.

A situation doomed to end in frustration now shows a small ray of hope, because they’re in this together.

We can’t fight something we don’t understand. But I remember what Heath said about hope. I’m not going to let the swamp have that, too.

And they’re going to cling on to every last vestige of that hope they can. Hope is all they have.

The Setting:

There are a hundred ways to die all cloaked in the twist of pale trees—gators fast enough to catch a grown man, mosquitoes teeming with disease, stinging plants, hungry black bears, and nasty cottonmouths all filled with spite and patience.

Tell people that swamps are a dangerous place, and they’ll give you a “No shit, Sherlock,” stare. But they don’t know about the swamps behind Sticks, Louisiana.

But what’s in ours is worse.
Ours is a creature all its own. We don’t stare into its depths and we don’t ever go inside.

I love a creepy, small Southern town atmosphere, and this book absolutely delivers. It is filled with local legends, lore, creepiness on its own.

This is a dead-end small town in which anyone with aspirations for a better life needs to get the fuck out. There is no future here.

Most of the good folk of Sticks consider it’d be faster to throw your money in a fire if you’re that keen on wasting it, but then, most of the good folk of Sticks think the periodic table has something to do with birth control.

Much of the population can be described by urban citizens as “white trash.” The point is to get out. Leave it all behind.

The swamp itself is a terrifying thing, filled with creatures like the one that wears Phin’s skin.

“I’m hungry,” he says, a sound that seems to crawl from his throat. It’s devoid of the warmth Phin’s voice should have, all mud and gravel. He reaches with webbed hands, each finger tipped with a sharp, black claw.
Not my brother, I think, a trick.

There is a tale of horror that lies behind the mystery that held my attention as it unfolded. This is truly a beautifully descriptive, atmospheric book.

The Characters:

he was gone.
And it’s my fault.
If I was afraid to live in a town without Phineas, I’m plain terrified of living in a world without him.

I absolutely loved Sterling. Trigger warning: the main character has an eating disorder, brought on by the stress of her beloved brother leaving. I thought the portrayal of said eating disorder was well done, because there is an emphasis in this book that eating disorders are not about being thin. It is a mental disorder, exacerbated by stress, by any number of things. Sterling’s mitigating factor just happened to be her brother.

The first time she asked me about this, I’d tried and failed to explain that it wasn’t about wanting to be thin; I couldn’t think of food when the threat of losing Phin to college was so near.

So many people in Sterling’s life give her a hard time about her anorexia, and it is impossible for her to explain to them: it is not about being thin. I think this aspect of her character was adequately done.

I like the fact that Sterling is a devoted sister. She truly loves her brother. She constantly thinks about him. She always seeks to get him back. She will go to any lengths, overcome her own fears of the swamp in order to attempt to rescue him.

The swamp continues to beckon.
I can do this.
“Phineas Harlan Saucier,” I say to whatever might be listening. “I’m coming for my brother.”

Her beauty is never mentioned. Not everyone falls in love with her. Sterling is a realistic character with real flaws, real hurts, and is wholly sympathetic because of them.

Characters who should be the enemy have depths. They have life. They are filled with spirit.

“You’ve been so safe all your life. So safe you might as well be dead. Phin did that, he kept you from living, but I won’t. I promise you, I only want to live as fiercely as I can.”

They have stories. They are not mindless monsters, creatures to be feared. They are people. An unknown and nonexistent sister, not a monster, a person who may turn out to be someone who could be admired.

Lenora May doesn’t care that she’s in the dirt or that she’ll have to wash her dress three times to get rid of the stubborn smells that follow you home from the track, and not caring makes her both vulnerable and beautiful.

The Romance:

I feel small and secure in his arms with my hip balanced against his thigh. This is different from the kiss. That felt chaotic and delirious and like something beginning. This is the opposite. Together we are solid and smart and somehow not new at all.

Now this is how I like my romance. Sterling and Heath have a small romantic past, but they are above all else, friends and allies. She understands him. He understands her. They have a shared past, and a shared present. He is the only one who understands her pain, having gone through it himself.

Heath is a bad boy, but not one as you’d expect. He developed that reputation after having gone through the frustration of losing a friend. Heath is a good kid who started acting out of frustration and anger and pain. He is never, ever an asshole.

Hell, he’s actually quite a gentleman.

“Sterling Saucier,” he says.
His eyes narrow in a smile. Sunlight shines through them, illuminating too many rings of brown and brass to count. He bends closer.
“May I kiss you?” he asks.

Overall: an excellent book.

All quotes were taken from an uncorrected proof subject to change in the final edition. ...more

flag 156 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2014 jv poore rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, magic, paranormal, own-it, legends-myths-fables, realistic-fiction, mystery, folklore

Swamps make stellar settings for the spookiest of stories. “The meanest swamp in Louisiana” however, disdainfully dismisses “spooky”. This arrogant, angry bog is far more frightening than the orneriest of angry alligators. A petulant presence, tinged with wicked lurks within.

Following an epic sibling squabble, Sass’s revered brother, Phin belligerently explodes from the sanctity of their backyard into the eagerly awaiting quagmire. She dreads the worst. Not “the worst” as it relates to the avera Swamps make stellar settings for the spookiest of stories. “The meanest swamp in Louisiana” however, disdainfully dismisses “spooky”. This arrogant, angry bog is far more frightening than the orneriest of angry alligators. A petulant presence, tinged with wicked lurks within.

Following an epic sibling squabble, Sass’s revered brother, Phin belligerently explodes from the sanctity of their backyard into the eagerly awaiting quagmire. She dreads the worst. Not “the worst” as it relates to the average, hazardous marsh. It isn’t images of the one person she loves unconditionally, who loves her right back: sinking into quicksand, being bitten by a venomous snake, hopelessly lost, slowly succumbing to the elements that plague her.

Whispered legends. Volumes of collected Swamp Stories. Knowing looks exchanged over children’s heads. The unimaginable horror that is never actually addressed, always alluded to. These fears fill her mind and freak her out. As if insulted by her tame, unimaginative worries, the glade grabs Sass by her chin, jerks her head up and shoves the unspeakable, tortuous cruelty into her stunned face.

Ms. Parker explodes into the Young Adult literary world, boldly and courageously with an authority that won’t be denied. I’m a little bit in love with her and I’m pretty sure she had me in mind with the shout out to my beloved Phish and the perfect use of a term that needs to come back: spaz attack.

Amid a tale that unapologetically reaches out and with a quick tug, pulls the reader into the sticky, steamy swamp; enters dark-skinned Abigail, the “girl who prefers girls” in a very small town. This diversity is not gratuitous nor is it the point of the story. Rather, Ms. Parker’s natural inclination to include characters of differing ethnicities and sexual orientation seems simply indicative of her norm; yet feels utterly refreshing.

Superbly depicted southern stereotypes lend a feel of authenticity while the dynamics among the characters enrich this brilliantly written, compelling, creepy and captivating story. Absolutely, all-the-way awesome, Beware the Wild is a book that I look forward to re-reading and sharing with my bookish pals both Young and Not-So-Young Adults. ...more

flag 76 likes · Like · see review

Dec 24, 2013 Emily May rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, coverly-love, paranormal-uf, 2014, young-adult

"I do not tell these stories to delight or entice. Rather, I tell these stories to entreat you - stay away from our swamp, but do not ignore it. Read these stories, my loves, and remember. Secrets are never so dangerous as when they've been forgotten."

There were many things I liked about Beware the Wild, but I still didn't like it as much as I expected to. The thing is, it should have ticked every box I have: creepy atmospheric setting, tough but realistic protagonist who puts her sibling fi ...more

flag 52 likes · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2014 Giselle rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, ebook

This started on a great note with a super creepy premise that had a lot of potential, but it started dragging and getting more and more ridiculous; magical peaches and gaterboys and all. in the end, I unfortunately can't say I enjoyed this one very much.

It did grab me full-on at the start, though. Sterling's brother goes missing inside a swamp, and the next thing you know, a strange girl comes out in his place and no one but our main character even remembers her brother. So of course, her famil This started on a great note with a super creepy premise that had a lot of potential, but it started dragging and getting more and more ridiculous; magical peaches and gaterboys and all. in the end, I unfortunately can't say I enjoyed this one very much.

It did grab me full-on at the start, though. Sterling's brother goes missing inside a swamp, and the next thing you know, a strange girl comes out in his place and no one but our main character even remembers her brother. So of course, her family thinks she's gone insane. They remember this new girl, though, as if she had been there all along. Even Sterling starts getting false memories about their childhood together. Sounds awesome, right? I loved it, then, I truly did! I particularly enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and eerie swamp that seemed like a character in itself. It's described as being both magical and evil, and had me completely enamoured. From then on, the story did not go in the direction I had hoped for and expected, however. We find out very early on what the secret behind the swamp is, and why Sterling is the only one who remembers the missing people. That was the beginning of the end for me, sadly. After learning of the swamp's… abilities, I was less enthused with the whole story arc. The mysterious element went from intriguing to mildly interesting and even silly. The answers found in magical peaches and magical cherries only made me snicker and snort, and then when you add in half boy, half alligator beasts… nope, not for me at all.

Still, I could have rolled with it if I had cared about the characters, but unfortunately they fell flat for me as well. I feel like Sterling had this whole complex character arc that just did not come through. She talks of her physically abusive father and having a sort of anxiety anorexia, yet this is merely mentioned in passing. Sure it's mentioned several times, but it's a tell rather than show writing style that ultimately failed to make me feel her psychological scars or emotional struggles. Which is a real shame because it could have given the story a lot more depth and tension. Instead, I grew frustrated with my inability to understand her as her personality simply came off as confusing. Then we've got the secondary characters who felt like convenient plot devices with nonexistent personalities. In turn, there was absolutely zero chemistry between her and the love interest, Heath, who was your cliché misunderstood "rumoured" bad boy.

While I enjoyed the suspense and the eerie atmosphere built around this swamp, the execution of the mystery and the route it took really bored me. I also did not expect this level of strange - and not the good kind of strange (for me at least). Really, though, this is like a B-Rated horror movie. Some will find themselves fully entertained by it, and others will roll their eyes and sigh. I'm sure you can guess which side I landed on. And with that, I wish you good luck with this one!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

flag 34 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 Steysha Kravits rated it really liked it · review of another edition

«Beware the Wild» is a dark and creepy gothic fairytale. It lures you into its mysterious swamp, makes you forget about your life and captures on the pages of its story.

Have you ever heard of Sticks, Louisiana? Nobody has. It’s a secluded small town with own secrets, and the biggest one of them – is the swamp. Nobody knows why it is fenced, why are everyone scared of it, but they know one thing for sure – you better stay the hell away from it. Don’t mind the swamp and it won’t mind you.
That is ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2014 Melanie rated it liked it

Shelves: e-arc, books-i-own, aliens-and-other-creepy-creatures, me-likes-you, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, romance, young-adult

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

No one has seen Phin all day. After having a fight with his sister, Sterling, he stepped foot into the swamp and hasn't emerged ever since. Everyone knows not to go into the swamp, they say that if you go in, you never come back. Yet later that day, while Sterling is outside underneath the hot beating sun, she see's someone come out of the swamp, but it's not her brother. It's a girl and apparently her sister. Lenora May has always been Sterling's sister acco ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2014 Faye, la Patata rated it liked it

Shelves: haunting-narration, good-heroine, sibling-love, young-adult, supernatural, paranormal, swamps

Objectively, Beware the Wild is really good. Subjectively, while I found it decent, I couldn't really connect to it very much.

Don't get me wrong, the writing is gorgeous. It's very showing than telling, moving the plot along in a great pace while portraying the heroine's personality and flaws exceptionally well. There were a lot of inner thoughts and monologues that give you front-row seats of the turmoils being stirred within her as Sterling finds herself in a situation where nobody suddenly re Objectively, Beware the Wild is really good. Subjectively, while I found it decent, I couldn't really connect to it very much.

Don't get me wrong, the writing is gorgeous. It's very showing than telling, moving the plot along in a great pace while portraying the heroine's personality and flaws exceptionally well. There were a lot of inner thoughts and monologues that give you front-row seats of the turmoils being stirred within her as Sterling finds herself in a situation where nobody suddenly remembers who her brother is, except, perhaps, the Swamp where magic and danger lie within. There is flow, and you could even say things happen "naturally" and nothing feels forced, but...

I don't know. It just... fell flat, for me, characterisation-wise. Is it normal to recognize the beauty of the words and how they were weaved (which means, yeah, kudos to the writing), but not feel connected to the characters? Because that's what happened to me. It felt like while the words flowed beautifully and naturally, it lacked 'heart'. At times, I found myself skimming over some scenes (especially the romantic ones) because I would lose interest every now and then. And then we would have half-human/half-alligator creatures, magical fruits, and I would sigh every 10 pages because I would feel exhausted.

BUT!!! The atmosphere. The atmosphere is really well-done, and it's something I haven't seen this well-written in a long, long while. You're in a small town called the Sticks (the Sticks?! Really?! It's hilarious and a little ridiculous at the same time, but there is an endearing aspect to it), and nearby is the Swamp, and between the two is a white fence that has been there for generations. It really gives this "magical realism" vibe mixed with some eerieness that can only be achieved when characters live in a small town that knows everybody right next to a living, breathing, giant place of mud and huge oak trees. Imagine the swamp in The Princess and the Frog (Disney version) just... more sinister. And somehow romantic, even? Does that even make sense?!

As for the plot itself, I liked it, even if I weren't emotionally-invested in it. It was really creepy when everyone suddenly had no memory of one person and had new memories of someone else who appeared out of the blue. Even if I couldn't connect completely to Sterling, I did feel for her at least in this regard. I can't imagine it if someone you loved suddenly didn't exist in everyone's minds except for yours. I would go completely crazy! To think that a Swamp has such powers really makes it formidable and somehow romantically mysterious.

All in all, Beware the Wild was well-written in a way it's not telling than showing and that it sets up the atmosphere really well, better than many I've read previously. Small town with a dangerous swamp may not be original but this book gives something new to the plate, no doubt. It's just disheartening that I couldn't connect to the characters, and thus, the plot, because it would have an even more fantastic ride otherwise. I recommend you try it yourself, still, though. I may not have had a 5-star experience, but your journey may be well different from mine.

Find me here:
Twitter
Blog
Instagram ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

May 08, 2012 Lindsay Cummings rated it it was amazing

When I first heard about BEWARE THE WILD, I was floored by the concept. A girl whose brother goes into a mysterious, haunted forest on the edge of their property, and returns...as a girl.

I waited and waited for the cover reveal, and when it finally came up on my twitter feed, I was even MORE excited for the book.

And then came the review copy. Then the first few moments of reading..chapter one, chapter two, and chapter three, the very first parts of the book that will tell me whether or not I wil ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Dec 08, 2018 Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-supernatural, horror, zzexp-2018-read, own-it, ya, first-in-series, zzexp_2018-ammp-bairn-bingo

Different but good and I loved the swamp setting. I wasn't too keen on the author's choice to make... (view spoiler) but I grasp her intention. It just felt like a very underwhelming solution.

From looking at the cover and reading the synopsis I expected this story to be scary and have more of a horror vibe to it then it actually did. It's pretty mild. The alligators didn't even bite. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Romily Bernard rated it it was amazing

Okay just finished and I can't even form coherent sentences. It was gorgeous. Atmospheric. Completely creepy. So FREAKING GOOD!!

I was racing through the pages b/c I was DYING to know what happened next and, at the same time, I wanted to pace myself b/c the writing's brilliant and Sterling's an awesome heroine and I didn't want to leave her.

Ugh. Fall's waaayyyy too long to wait for this one. If you have a chance to score an ARC, do it. WILD is beyond excellent. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

May 08, 2012 Valerie rated it it was amazing

I have been fortunate to read this book as it was written and I can't tell you how excited I am for people to read BEWARE THE WILD. It's not like anything out there right now -- a little Southern Gothic, a little Paranormal, a LOT of awesome. And one of my favorite boy characters ever! ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Apr 24, 2014 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it really liked it

Shelves: amazing-writing, magic, all-the-right-choices, totally-saw-that-coming, arc-2014, best-of-2014, favorites, young-adult, reviewed-in-2014, edelweiss

4.5 stars
Beware the Wild is a remarkable debut and Natalie C. Parker’s defining work. It speaks volumes about this young author and about all the things we can expect from her in the future. It is precisely the type of book I’m always hoping to read: gorgeously written, slightly weird, completely original and even daring. There aren’t that many YA authors whose writing easily takes my breath away. I’m always hoping to add another one to the list, and today I finally have.

Parker’s debut novel is 4.5 stars
Beware the Wild is a remarkable debut and Natalie C. Parker’s defining work. It speaks volumes about this young author and about all the things we can expect from her in the future. It is precisely the type of book I’m always hoping to read: gorgeously written, slightly weird, completely original and even daring. There aren’t that many YA authors whose writing easily takes my breath away. I’m always hoping to add another one to the list, and today I finally have.

Parker’s debut novel is hauntingly atmospheric and absolutely gorgeous. The mood of this book is similar to that in Brenna Yovanoff’s or Tessa Gratton’s works, but Parker's writing style is different enough to make the whole thing stand out. It is so easy to get lost in Sterling’s story despite the many dangers lurking right behind the fence. All it takes is a single page for us to get lost in Parker’s beautiful and compelling prose.

Sterling only ever loved and needed her older brother Phin. He was her rock, this boy who saved her from their abusive father, protected her for years from every fear and insecurity. He is her protector and best friend, so when he disappears, Sterling’s world collapses. To make matters worse, when Phin gets lost in the swamp, no one but Sterling can remember him. In his place is Lenora May, a lovely girl and Sterling’s older sister, at least according to everyone else. But Sterling can’t forget the brother she once had, even if she also has memories of this new girl, of growing up with her, hiding from their father, whispering secrets while growing up. But what is real and what is the result of some strange magic? Is Sterling the one who is delusional or is it everyone else?

Then comes Heath, a boy Sterling likes.. He’s also lost someone to the swamp, and no one but him remembers. While they search for their loved ones desperately, a romance slowly develops, but it never gets in the way of their search and what is truly important. The romance worked very well for me; it kept things interesting without overtaking the plot, and I liked seeing Heath and Sterling together, their relationship was simple, beautiful and natural.

As I mentioned before, this is only Parker’s debut, and she already shows so much maturity and promise. She joined Yovanoff, Stiefvater and Gratton on my auto-buy list, and I fully expect her to stay there for years (and many more novels) to come.

...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2012 Julie Murphy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-fourteenery

Be jealous. Be very jealous. NCP nailed it with this book.

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2014 Jessica (The Psychotic Nerd) rated it really liked it

Shelves: harper, read-in-2015, released-in-2014, pov-girl, school-year-2014-2015, paranormal, series-books, hall-of-awesome-4-stars-or-more, covers-blueness, creepy-and-weird

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

MY THOUGHTS
I really wanted to read this book because of it's very unique idea! And I did really end up enjoying this book!

After a fight, Sterling's brother, Phin, runs into the swamp. No one ever goes into the swamp, with good reason. Phin never comes out, but a girl named Lenora May does. Soon, Lenora May takes over Phin's life. Everyone, except Sterling has forgotten about Phin and believes that Lenora May is her sister. Even Sterlin This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

MY THOUGHTS
I really wanted to read this book because of it's very unique idea! And I did really end up enjoying this book!

After a fight, Sterling's brother, Phin, runs into the swamp. No one ever goes into the swamp, with good reason. Phin never comes out, but a girl named Lenora May does. Soon, Lenora May takes over Phin's life. Everyone, except Sterling has forgotten about Phin and believes that Lenora May is her sister. Even Sterling has memories of Lenora May that she knows never happened. Sterling has to figure out how to get Phin back and it's becoming difficult to convince people that she has a brother, not a sister. Though, a boy in her class knows exactly what she's going through, as his friend was forgotten as well, and together they might be able to figure it out.

I love, love, love the premise of this story! There are a lot of books centered around rescuing the MC's sibling, which actually is a good thing as it shows the importance of family, but this book twisted it around in an entirely different way. Not only does Sterling's brother go missing, but someone else takes his place and everyone forgets about her brother. This would be extremely hard, and it is for Sterling. She knows she has a brother and everyone has forgotten about him, even her parents and his best friends. Honestly, it's very sad and frightening.

The premise with the swamp goes further and further as the book goes on. Basically, it gets weirder and weirder. I don't know how I feel about it. I love the weirdness, but there were points when it just got a bit confusing. All in all, the weirdness did add a lot more uniqueness to the book.

Sterling, our main character, is your pretty average YA heroine, so I don't really have that much to say about her. She does stay strong in this book and continues to remember her brother, which is very difficult. She makes some reckless decisions, but that is to be expected. Heath helps her out in this book. Without Heath, she would have probably continued to tell people that she doesn't have a sister, which is what she was doing before Heath.

Romance was okay. It didn't distract from the main plot, which I love, but it didn't really evoke any feeling from me.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this was a very strange book that I oddly liked! The premise was very new and interesting and was treated well. If you want to read a unique paranormal standalone, this is a great book! ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

May 08, 2012 shady boots rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-faves, mindfuck

Strong beginning, shaky middle, strong ending. Overall this was a very unique book. Definitely loved the interesting twist on the whole changeling mythology. I really enjoyed it.

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

May 23, 2014 SoWrongItsRANDI {Bell, Book & Candle} rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal-romance, mystery, young-adult, high-school, paranormal, ghosts, afterlife, stand-alone

Bell, Book & Candle | Beware the Wild Review

Apparently I added this to my "to read" list on Goodreads and completely forgot about it. The other day i received an email alert that this book was released and decided to read it right away. The story was certainly something. The premise was very fascinating and captured my attention right away; how strange would it be that one day everyone forgot your brothers entire existence? It would be very peculiar if I do say so myself. Alright, so let's get Bell, Book & Candle | Beware the Wild Review

Apparently I added this to my "to read" list on Goodreads and completely forgot about it. The other day i received an email alert that this book was released and decided to read it right away. The story was certainly something. The premise was very fascinating and captured my attention right away; how strange would it be that one day everyone forgot your brothers entire existence? It would be very peculiar if I do say so myself. Alright, so let's get this review rolling!

The setting is in the swamps of Louisiana, so you already know there's about to be some bullshit happening! One swamp in particular has a bizarre habit of luring people into its clutches. Consequently, the people never leave like its the hotel California, and are immediately written out of existence. The pacing dragged a little at times and had he wondering when the big showdown was going to happen. Some parts were predictable, I. E the bracelet subplot, so don't be surprised if you've guessed half the book right. The characters could be brainless at times, which really put a damper on my mood while reading.

Our POV character, Sterling, was a decent heroine. I can't say that she's the bomb or anything, mainly because her incessant pestering of everyone about if they remember her brother was a bit annoying. Obviously the swamp makes people forget those they took, so why do you keep asking? She was beginning to sound deranged. And yet it worked out for her in the end with Heath remembering, but you'll have to find out why.

Sterling has also been shown to be clueless. Why is she trusting some guy she met in the infamous swamp? Especially when fisher said some things that didn't quite fit together with what we have already learned in the book. It's plain as day that he's manipulating and cunning. And the supposed help fisher is giving her? Come on Sterling, you're old enough to know that nothing in life is free.

I didn't like Lenora May at first, but she's the character I ended up liking the most. Although Sterling was legitimate in her feelings of her missing brother, her demonizing of Lenora May didn't puzzle in with how Lenora behaved towards her. The saddest part was when she said the swamp wouldn't let her go, but at least at that time her and Sterling formed a sisterly bond.

There's an exiguous romantic plot between Heath and Sterling that was borderline cheese-fest. Especially when they had a date that mirrored the date scene in the notebook. Maybe of I were still on high school I would think it romantic but not anymore.

In short this book wasn't half bad. It was predictable at times but still decent none the less. It's not terribly difficult to figure out where the plot is heading. It had it cheesy moments, i. e. Notebook date, but I was still entertained. Good writing and worth a read! ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2014 Stacee rated it really liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, read-in-2014

Loved the premise of this book and the fact that it was a stand alone almost had me weeping in joy.

Sterling is a great MC. She's sassy and stubborn and loyal as hell. It was fun being inside her head, reading her struggle with everything. Heath has a lot of swoony potential and the only downside to this story is that I wanted a lot more of the two of them.

There are so many great secondary characters, but the only one I'll mention is Candy. She's Sterling's BFF and I loved her snark and idiosyn ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Apr 19, 2014 Evie rated it it was amazing

In all honesty, Beware The Wild was so much better than I thought it would be and so very different from what I initially assumed it would be about. It's not so much a horror story, as it is a beautifully drawn gothic fantasy with elements of horror and supernatural. It's so rich and flavorful, so thick and layered, so sensual and atmospheric and full of southern charm and magic, it's a fabulous read through and through.

I went into it expecting a scary read. A creepy swamp story that would send ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Aug 05, 2017 Colleen Houck added it

Shelves: contemporary, friends, ghosts, monsters, setting, paranormal, death, outdoors-camping, memory-loss, secrets

The setting in this book is so vivid, I could smell the swamp, feel the humidity and practically see the fireflies. I really loved that about it. There are tales of the swamp mentioned in the book and I would absolutely pick up a book about that. It sounds fascinating. Loved the heroine and the story of the grandpa and the peaches.

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2014 Heidi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Four Stars: A gorgeously written, creepy atmospheric read!

Sterling's skin sticks to the hood of Phin's Chevelle. Even though the metal is burning her bare legs, Sterling refuses to budge from the car. She has been out there staring at the swamp for hours, hoping against hope that Phin will come striding out of the swamp. It is Sterling's fault that Phin jumped the fence and disappeared into the swamp. They were fighting, and in a fit of rage, Phin left. Hours later, a strange girl comes strollin ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 25, 2014 Rayne rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, romance, fantasy, paranormal, you-go-girl, mystery, my-kind-of-guy, 2014-favorites, favorite-books-of-2014

Beware the Wild is a languid, eerie, beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric mystery with a flawed, but engaging main character, a fascinating mystery and plot, and a fantastic romance that's a partnership all the way to the end. From the beginning, Beware the Wild excels at creating a mystifying and engaging atmosphere that effortlessly captures the mesmerizing quality of the Southern Gothic and adds a wondrous feel for the fantastical. This book oozes magic and handles beautifully the Beware the Wild is a languid, eerie, beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric mystery with a flawed, but engaging main character, a fascinating mystery and plot, and a fantastic romance that's a partnership all the way to the end. From the beginning, Beware the Wild excels at creating a mystifying and engaging atmosphere that effortlessly captures the mesmerizing quality of the Southern Gothic and adds a wondrous feel for the fantastical. This book oozes magic and handles beautifully the mystery of the place, the wonders of the secrets kept by this small town.

Sterling wasn't always a heroine that was easy to like, but she was so multidimensional, so realistic and flawed, it wasn't hard in the slightest to feel invested and interested in her. She's a near perfect example of how a heroine can win over the reader with her layers, her imperfections and her motivations instead of immediately falling into the reader's graces because of the safe, special snowflake, saint-like goodness characterization most YA authors prefer. Sterling had her flaws and she overcame a lot throughout the book, but she did it because she was brave, she was driven, determined and strong. Everything she achieved in this book was through her own effort and merit, and she did it by pushing through the barriers of her own flaws, her own shortcomings and weaknesses. Not everything about her gets wrapped up perfectly in the end and not every problem gets solved, but the book leaves you with the sense that she's on the right path to face her troubles head on instead of avoiding them.

The book doesn't spend much time in the development of secondary characters, and still, they all came across as a diverse, engaging, well-rounded group of individuals that added their own weight to the story. There were a couple of characters that left me wanting for more development and exposure, particularly the POC/minorities characters, which I felt the novel would've benefited a lot from, but for the most part, the characters that played a central role in the plot came through as layered individuals with clear personalities and motivations, particularly Lenora and Candy, even Phin who shows up very little in the story. Somehow, Parker created these characters, and in the most subtle of ways and with the smallest space, she managed to shape them in a realistic way that transcended the page effortlessly and made me care for them deeply. They all had their issues, their stories and their struggles, and the author weaved all that carefully but confidently into the main plot, effectively creating a multi-layered and thoroughly engaging story that went far beyond just the general mystery and wonder of the main storyline. A lot of personal issues were touched here, from social to emotional to physiological, and each and every single one of them was handled with care, respect and honesty, though I ended up wishing some of them had ended the book with some closure.

The same goes for the love interest, Heath. He is one of the most endearing love interests I've read about in a while. He is supporting, understanding, and comes with his own set of weaknesses and flaws that humanize him in the most captivating ways. His relationship with Sterling was also lovely. They had a little bit of history before the events of the book, and while it still feels a bit fast, the relationship still felt natural to me all the way through. They respected and understood each other. They worked around each others' faults and weaknesses and created a partnership that became the perfect foundation for their romantic relationship.

This novel was tautly plotted and developed almost flawlessly. It is unbelievably refreshing to see a novel that takes full advantage of every tool at its disposal and works beautifully without turning to coincidences, conveniences and deux ex machinas to solve every single one of its plot lines and plot holes. There's a difference between complex and complicated, and this book managed to be complex without once being overcomplicated or hard to get through or understand. There's never a dull moment and the story got better and better with each new chapter.

This novel was a very lovely surprise. I went in expecting one thing, and the novel delivered that flawlessly, but it gave me so much more than I expected. This is a complex, beautifully executed novel that has honest characters, a great romance, an engaging story, and a mesmerizing atmosphere, all of which combined make Beware the Wild one of my favorite books this year.
...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2014 Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: challenge-2014, paranormal, young-adult, to-review, thriller

With Halloween on the horizon, and so many of my friends enjoying this book, I knew I had to put a few things aside and fall into this world that Parker created.

Welcome to Sticks, Louisiana. A small town, with a swamp that has put a lot of fear into the residents surrounding it. When Sterling's older brother Phin runs away from home and into the town swamp and doesn't return, a girl named Lenora May climbs out of the swamp instead and alters the memories of the town folks. The only person that ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Apr 30, 2014 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-book-read, kindle-books

This year seems to be my year for trying the unusual, the bizarre, and the strange. I have loved some of those reads and some of them, not so much. But the fact is, either way, I have loved trying them and trying something that wasn't the norm. After all how do you really know what you like or dislike unless you try it?

And I admit, for a lot of them, I have been drawn to the setting more than anything else. There is just something to be said about a good creepy read set near the heart of New Orl ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2014 Mauoijenn rated it it was ok

Shelves: dysfunctional-families, fantasy-sci-fi, 2015-rc, creepy-fun-times, teenage-drama-ya, just-4-thought

I really had high hopes for this.
The blurb I read had me fooled.
I guess these YA's I'm reading are just not up to par with me.
...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2016 Angela Blount rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, urban-fantasy

Set in Louisiana in an ultra small-town (with the rather tongue-in-cheek name of ‘Sticks’), this YA urban fantasy presents with memorable characters and a deliciously eerie bayou ambiance.

Ever since they were children surviving the abuse of their alcoholic father, Sterling has always relied on her older brother, Phin. So when Phin announces he’s going off to college, Sterling rails against his “abandonment” the only way she knows how. Her passive but dangerous self-neglect incites a fight betwee ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jul 05, 2014 Tomoe Hotaru rated it liked it

Shelves: coulda-been-better, young-adult, fantasy, contemporary-fantasy, advanced-reader-copy

~ Disclaimer ~
This is a review of an uncorrected Advanced Reader Copy

My first thought upon reading other reviews and the blurb was that it sounded similar to Chime by Franny Billingsley - although that one was set in 1800's England. Having loved that particular piece of work, I set myself up for something in the same vein.

But to cut straight to the chase: I came out of reading Beware the Wild feeling rather "meh" about it. By comparison to other YA titles out there, it is definitely one of t ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2014 emily rated it it was amazing

Shelves: siblings, general-creepyness, fantasy-ish, titles-i-love, top-tier-favs, southern-american-south, magic, friendships

it's been far too long since a book sucked me right in and i sat down and devoured it in one sitting.

thank fuck for this book. i needed it. i needed it so badly. it gets five stars and a hug because of how badly I needed this book. (it's probably more of a 4/4.5-ish star, because I'm always hesitant to give out fivers for some reason, but fuck it, it gets 5 because it hit me when I needed it.)

it has all sorts of elements meant to entice me: southern setting, sibling relationships, fairy-tale fe ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 07, 2014 Farrah rated it really liked it

Dark, creepy, and engaging, Beware the Wild was a fantastic YA read. I really liked this delightfully dark book. It drew me in, while sending chills down my spine. I really enjoyed reading this wonderful book.

Without a doubt, my favorite part of the book is how the swamp was portrayed as its own character. Ominous and omnipotent, it hung over the characters as they tried to find a way to save Phin. It had a life and a character of its own that was subtly creepy and created a sense of foreboding. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2016 The Sassy Bookworm rated it liked it

This was an enjoyable little read that started out better than it ended.

I loved the atmospheric setting, and the mystery at the beginning pulled me right in. I just wish there had been more background given on why the town feared the swamp. Also why the lady who gave out the charms could remember people while everyone else couldn't. It's like the story just touched the surface of what could have been, if that makes sense.

There is also a touch of romance in here, but this is a young adult book th ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2012 Jaye rated it it was amazing

Like an old time story told around a campfire, Beware the Wild will sneak into your imagination and not let go. Using vivid imagery and lush storytelling to create a story of magic, creepiness, and romance, Parker's debut is sure to satisfy those who love a bit of magic, nature, and the south in their novels. Twists and turns abound, but the biggest winner in this story is the swamp itself. It's a place you won't forget for a long, long time after reading. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review