Wild Life

by Liam Brown

When a troubled advertising salesman loses his job, the fragile wall between his public and private personas comes tumbling down. Fleeing his debtors, Adam abandons his family and takes to sleeping rough in a local park, where a fraternity of homeless men befriend him. As the months pass, Adam gradually learns to appreciate the tough new regime, until winter arrives early, threatening to turn his paradise into a nightmare. Starving, exhausted and sick of the constant infighting, Adam decides to return to his family. The men, however, have other plans for him. With time running out, and the stakes raised unbearably high, Adam is forced to question whether any of us can truly escape the wildness within.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Ebooks

272 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2016

About the author

Brown’s debut novel, Real Monsters, was published in 2015 by Legend Press. Wild Life, which the Guardian called "a compelling, chilling investigation into the dark instincts of masculinity", followed in 2016, while his third novel, Broadcast, was published internationally in 2017. Described by the Daily Mail as "a short, sharp and shocking update of the Faustus myth", the book was also optioned by a major Hollywood Studio.

His new novel Skin, about a viral pandemic that puts the world into lockdown, was released in 2019.

Reviews

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book took me by surprise!

Having absolutely LOVED this author’s previous book, Real Monsters, I was so excited when I recently discovered he’d written more books for me to feast my eyes on. Of course, having experienced Real Monsters, I really shouldn’t have been surprised by Wild Life. However, I completely fell into the whole successful, wealthy businessman overindulges with alcohol, drugs and gambling, walks out on his old life and leaves his family after being made redundant during the recession, and lives happily ever after in his new self-sufficient life in a park, growing his own veg and doing daily yoga. Oh what a comfortable ending that might have made.

I’m not a very materialistic person. I hate wasting money. I’m scared of taking financial risks. I’ve only just opened my very first ISA just before turning forty! Just reading about gambling raised my heart rate. I don’t like to borrow money, as owing money stresses me out, so I’ve always saved hard before buying things, except for getting a mortgage, which I’ve been paying back double the amount required every month for the last few years. So for me, I was bothered by the wasteful behaviour at the beginning of the book. Then I was satisfied by the idea of being completely self-sufficient and surviving without the need for money. This part of the story made me feel content and strangely comfortable, except for the running. I couldn’t do all that running!

Then shock horror! The story takes a sickeningly dark turn and it all begins with a swan. A beautiful bird. How can this be? I’ll never look at a swan in the same way again! Imagine if there was a sequel to Lord of the Flies, when the boys were all grown up. This could be it! Through two thought provoking novels, this author has shown how good he is at showing the truly dark side of human nature. A brutality we so often close our minds to in the hope of wishing it away, for fear of discovering it within ourselves or those close to us. As it’s not possible to read this book with your eyes closed, if you make it to the end of this book, consider your eyes very much open on this subject.

This book left me with such mixed emotions. I started off feeling quite proud of myself for being sensible with money. Then satisfied while I daydreamed of growing veg, collecting eggs from free range chickens and being at one with nature. Then I felt sick. Then I felt afraid. Then I felt angry and a dislike of human behaviour, especially violence and self-destructiveness was rapidly growing inside me.

I was out walking with my dog the other day, and there was some sort of reed grass growing in a couple of puddles. It looks a little out of place against all the broom and heather, but that grass has found a new home with the conditions that help it flourish. I’ve probably walked by that reed grass for years not even noticing it, but after reading this book I saw that grass and had an overwhelming feeling of respect for it. That grass is where it needs to be to grow strong. It is causing no harm to anything around it, and it’ll probably outlive the human race and deserves to. This book has got me considering whether nature is more intelligent than humans, or whether humans are too intelligent for their own good. Can I say whether this book made me feel good or bad? I’m not sure I can be sure, because my thoughts are a little messed up at the moment. Either way, this book got me thinking, that really deep kind of thinking. Oh, how I do love a book that does that to me.

Also, am I the only person who had Blur’s Parklife song going round and round in my head the whole time I was reading this?

I highly recommend Wild Life, as well as Real Monsters, which actually made it into my Top Ten Books in 2015.

I borrowed this book through Amazon Kindle Unlimited.

My review is also available on my blog here:
https://littlemissnosleep.wordpress.c...

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a decent read after days of duds. I’ve enjoyed Liam Brown’s Broadcast, so now I’m reading more of his work, apparently in reverse chronological order. Quality was expected, but Wild Life surprised me, which is awesome in itself. It’s a story of a man who has what might be traditionally considered a perfect life(great job, family, two kids, all the material possessions for comfort), but when he gets laid off as a casualty of the market crash, he really derails. Gambling, cocaine, drinking…soon it becomes impossible to maintain the outward semblance of normality and he leaves his life, just walks out and ends up in something of an extreme camp in a local abandoned park. Governed by a former military man with very present military discipline, it’s a place where men who failed at their original lives, be it due to addiction, trauma or otherwise, come for a second chance. And here you might think (and I did for a minute) this might be one of those uplifting redemption stories where the main character will rediscover real values and goes back to lead life with more meaning and joy. But no. And Kudos to Brown for going so much further and so much darker with this story. The camp turns into a nightmare, a viscerally terrifying place. Turns out when you take the men out of civilization, you also take the civilization out of men. When all the governing rules are self made and life is conducted in a delicately balanced microcosm, one offset can prove to be lethal, setting the entire place crashing down. Soon it becomes a struggle to merely survive and although the protagonist isn’t really what one might call a likeable man and is definitely and almost solely responsible for destroying his life not once but twice, his choices being what they are and were, a gambler, a liar and a cheat to boot, and yet (again credit to author) you do end up carrying about him and wanting him to come through, no matter the odds. If I had to puzzle out the moral here, it’s probably something about following the beat of your own drum within reason, figuring out what really matters and making your life just about that. The protagonist’s main fault is that for most of his life he followed a clearly outlined path of a Western materialistic based society and then he followed a path of something like a clean living cult, never really taking the time to pause and evaluate. And boy, does Liam Brown make him pay for it. So it’s a great message and even if you’re not really into messages, it’s just a good story, well written, dark, compelling. Basically a one sitting read, dynamic as it is. Thanks Netgalley.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, although not quite what I expected and a little twisted, was actually rather good. I didn't expect much of it as it was a Poundland impulse buy to make up the W of an alphabet reading challenge. Yet, it was a quick and easy read, but it really made me think about the little things in life we take for granted. I assume that is the purpose of the story and that we can always continue to grow, no matter how dark and twisted we may feel. But I really did enjoy it and although a little predictable it was still enough to keep me reading chunks at a time.

[Isobel Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests, Wild Life by Liam Brown is not a sober story comfortable within the confines of the ordinary and the every day. Instead, protagonist Adam Britman takes the reader on a downward spiral into a nightmarish underworld.

Adam is an accounts manager for a digital marketing company, husband, and father of two. A self-made success it would seem, only his work style and his own propensity for addiction lead him, with the assistance of his little plastic bag of white powder, headlong into alcoholism and gambling. Adam is Dionysius gone wrong. He doesn’t seem to know it but he’s on the archetypal hero’s journey, one filled with the trials and tests and tribulations of the initiatory transition to manhood. His fall is sudden, dramatic, and absolute. He loses his job, walks out on his family, and ends up, drunk, on a park bench.

He’s found by a trickster figure reminiscent of Santa Claus, and welcomed into a cult of homeless men ruled by a bully bent on back-to-earthing, boot camp style. These are not wild men. They are feral, a by-product of shallow, hedonistic, consumption-driven late-capitalism. And as the story unfolds, the reader wonders if Adam will ever find his way out.

Composed in the style of an older, wiser man looking back on a younger, foolish self, Adam’s is an acidic confession. The wry and self-admonishing prose, laced with gritty hyperbole, makes for a face-paced and intense read.

“No, the pros understand that the best way, the only way, to tell a lie is to swallow it yourself. Better still, you have to let the lie swallow you. You have to commit to it totally; to eat, breathe and shit the lie twenty-four hours a day until it becomes part of you, inscribed not only on each and every strand of your being, but on the genetic code of future generations of relatives yet to be born.”

There’s a forward drive to the writing, and a punchy, urban beat. Little space given over to introspection; Adam is not an especially thoughtful narrator. Yet this is the story’s appeal. And while Adam may not be all that reflective, there is much for the reader to reflect on, not least the nature of depravity.

It’s hard to pull off what is essentially a coming of age story, albeit of a man suffering a kind of arrested development the result of his decadent lifestyle. Brown succeeds with a story of betrayal and brutality, that serves as the antidote to Robert Bly’s Iron John. https://isobelblackthorn.com/

Big thanks to Legend Press for my review copy.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the whole of Wild Life in a couple of sittings. It's the sort of book that gave me that 'car accident' feeling; when you really know that you should look away, but you just can't help yourself from watching. I had a feeling of unease and strange anticipation as I turned the pages, and the author actually describes the feelings that I felt when he writes about Adam as he enters the woodland for the first time.


So, why was Adam in the woodland? What was he fleeing from, and how did he get there? To the onlooker, and indeed to his friends and family, Adam was a twenty-first century success story. He'd worked hard to make sure that everything he dreamt of when he was younger has come true; the big house, the flash car, the attractive wife and the two children. Adam's work consumed him, it was the centre of his being, and he was good at it. He was also good at the things that came with it; the drink, the drugs, the women.

When the economy crashed, so did Adam. It seems that he wasn't that important after all. Leaving the office with a cardboard box of belongings and a good pay off, he then went out and gambled the lot. After a heavy night of denial that involved vodka and cocaine and a knock-back from his young lover, Adam finds himself on the streets. His new sleeping companions are far and away from anyone he has ever spent time with before. But Adam kind of likes it.

Liam Brown has created an underworld of men; drop-outs, drunks, gamblers. Men who were all someone once, but now are nobodies. Lost and forgotten, except within their own circle, where human nature takes over, and there will always be a pack mentality, with the need for power and control. mixed up with a hint of madness.

Wild Life is unlike any story that I've read before. Unbelievable, yet totally realistic at the same time. It's almost a Lord of the Flies with adults instead of boys, it's dark and dangerous and unsettling, yet perfectly paced and very gripping. The men are perfectly drawn, not least Adam, who has reached the heights, felt the dizzying drop to the bottom and is slowly finding out so much about himself, and others.

Wild Life is a story of humans, and power and realisation. It is unsettling and brutal, but so honest. Liam Brown is a very talented and imaginative author

http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...

[✨Ash✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a really interesting book that ended up being very different to how I was expecting. Overall it kept me gripped and had a unique story. I'm some places it was a bit predictable but I liked it.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to go from civilised to feral in just a couple of hundred pages…

Yep. It’s a Wild Life indeed for Adam. Once upon a time he lived in the dog-eat-dog world of high flying sales executives, until his career and its relentless entertainment schedule finally turned its back on him. When his gambling debts spiralled out of control and his recreational drug use became habitual, he stepped out of his front door with just the clothes on his back to contemplate how his life went so badly wrong.

During his impromptu walkabout, Adam stumbles upon a hidden world just a stone’s throw away from society. While society minds its own business, this primitive place embraces him, warts and all.

Except this exclusive place doesn’t feature ‘Eve’. Nope, Adam’s wife, Lydia, is back at home with his children and is none the wiser as to his whereabouts. Would they think less of him when they learn what a major disappointment he was professionally and personally, or that he’s now residing in an undiscovered and somewhat unconventional haven for a chorus of weather-beaten folks with histories not dissimilar to his own?

Most of them prefer their pack as an alternative to the lives they each left behind, dishevelled men like Hopper, Fingers and Al Pachino (no, not THE Al Pachino) … and the elusive Sneed who skulks about the park like a phantom, while you get a whiff of Rusty’s catering skills featuring curried everything with each turn of the page. Under the ‘guidance’ of Marshall, a kind of militant Butlin’s Redcoat and resident sage, these men live by their own moral code and means of survival. They follow a few basic rules: everyone contributes, and once you decide to stay it would be considered rude to leave.

This existence is a stark contrast to Adam’s old one and presents him with an entirely new set of challenges. While conventional law is not recognised, extreme daily activities create the backbone on which the pack survives (including some disturbing early morning yoga). But any freedom gained from abandoning your past self can so easily morph into isolation and fear in the blink of an eye.

It takes an enormous talent to place the peculiarities of fictional characters on trial and make you believe in each every one of them, for better or for much, MUCH worse. Not only that, it’s brimming with shrewd observations of the sinister side of herd mentality and how the group applies deluded reasoning for it. Made me wonder if we’ve ever truly evolved.

I lost all sense of time alongside Adam while reading Wild Life, and that’s no exaggeration. His story is aptly told in ‘seasons’ and I was gutted to reach the final one marking the end of his journey. With it’s wicked brilliance, sharp pace and darkly satirical delivery I can safely say it’s one of those books I could happily read again tomorrow, as it sits superbly in a class of its own.

Rating: A mesmerising 5/5 (and a promise never to take Quality Street for granted again)

(Huge thanks, as always, to the Legend Press folks for providing another great book for me to devour as part of the Legend 100 Club.)

[Natasha Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What a brutal, gruesome, scary, real read.
How someone can lose it all very easily. And how going back to nature, to turn away from modern living, to live with similar broken people always ends up in chaos and madness.
Excellent read.

[Kate Creed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't too sure about this book when presented with it at book club recently but I was wrong to be so reticent as its gripping and a real easy page turner. I really needed to know what was going to happen and it didn't disappoint as the end is not a predictable schmaltzy denouement, its harsh, cold, reality hits the stomach muscles with alarming force and makes you think how wild we could all be.
Read it.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first encountered author Liam Brown’s work last year. I’m pleased to report that this novel shows his talent well, drawing on the symbolism of the wild life we live beneath the sterilized surface. Brown writes the story in an inviting way, making the book a pleasure to read.

[Chloe Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Wild Life to be an engaging work of fiction that left me contemplating and evaluating my perception of those living on the streets and the extremes that they have to go through in order to survive. Brown highlights important themes without being overbearing, reminding us of the importance of nature and the sources of food and nourishment it can provide, as well as the impending downfall of those who give in to temptation and do not right the wrongs that are a direct consequence of these actions.

Our narrator, Adam, reminds us of our heritage and our prior abilities to live off of the land and how we have left nature behind, no longer being able to live without TV’s, smartphones, internet, and takeaway food available at the click of a button. It is his time spent within the community of men living on the outskirts of the park that allows him to realise this dependence our society has on modern technology and changes in science. Through the community setting, Adam is forced to re-evaluate his life and the actions he took, comparing his old life with the new which, ultimately, leads to a new and developed Adam.

In the beginning, I found the novel to be a bit slow in pace – I wasn’t entirely sold on the concept of this novel; Adam appears to have every addiction going for him: drugs, alcohol, gambling – and it appeared as if Brown was trying to give each addiction the chance to shine and show how far Adam had fallen. I didn’t think that it needed to be presented in this way, with some of these addictions not entirely needed. His situation and the effect it had on his livelihood is common knowledge to the majority of adults and could have been handled with less. However, it was around the 80-page mark that I found myself drawn in when Adam first met the community. I could feel the fear and wariness emanating from the pages as Adam met the head of the community, Marshall – and it was then that I became hooked on this novel and its premise.

All of Brown’s characters within his novel appear to develop as the narrative progresses, some for the better and some for the worse. It was interesting, and sometimes unnerving to see how these characters developed and what caused this – with some characters personalities and their relationships to Adam altering drastically throughout the novel. I believed that Adam’s development was drawn out well with him questioning his life and actions and finally realising the impact he has had on others around him.

I really enjoyed this book and the concept and it brings hope that those living on the streets are able to live their lives in more humbly than begging and starving on the streets. It reminds us that these people are as much a part of society and our local communities as anyone else – they once had jobs, children, friends, and gave back to our economy etc.

[Katrina Vasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I've read in a while! When a man stuck in the rut of a suburban life gets into major financial trouble, he actually does what we have all thought of doing at one point in our lives- fleeing society for the wilderness. Stumbling upon this colony of men who all have their own reasons/ stories, Adam becomes member of a self-sustaining world inside an abandoned park. For anyone who loved Lord of the Flies, this is a book for you! It answers the question of what would have happened if the boys of LotF had been adults, with a (hypothesised) satisfying accuracy.

One must suspend their disbelief somewhat, accept that the park is its own world with no acknowledgement of wider life (until the events of the novel unfold as they do). However, Brown does create a fascinating world with realistic characters and excellent descriptions. With great knowledge of the human psyche, he perfectly captures the suffocating atmosphere of Adam's life and financial situation before he leaves society. Brown encapsulates moments and feelings with a beautiful accuracy that make for a satisfying read.

The park life functions in just the way I imagine it would, the presence of alpha, betas, omega personalities, a culture of bullying, bravado and ruling through threat; as well as the fragility of 'democracy'. As an animal lover, there were some moments that disturbed me but in the brutal environment they find themselves in, Brown would be a traitor to his genre if he shied away from them.

I do find fault with the conclusion, I think the men would never have resorted to cannibalism so quickly, or with such vehemence. Also, the opportune arrival of his daughter was a little predictable. It seemed all a little too neatly wrapped up; an ambiguous ending like that of LotF may have been better- the real world comes crashing in and the men see what it is that they have become.

Having said this, this novel was an exciting read that I would definitely recommend for those interested in studies of human nature, survivalism and even those intrigued by the '1984 Big Brother' corruption within political structures. I look forward to seeing what Brown writes next!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam will throw away his life after losing his job and gamble all his savings. Instead of facing the reality, he decides to leave his life... When he tries to commit suicide he meets a group of homeless men, that will teach him what's more valuable in life.
Ready to enter into the Wild Life?
This is a story of acceptance and redemption, how to reconcile with your faults and try to live with them.
This book has taught me that homeless men are human too, that maybe their life has fallen apart, but they still have feelings, needs and dreams. And we have to treat them with respect even if they don't have a home or a shower, they are still people.
Adam will learn how to survive in extreme conditions, but will learn how powerful is the human race, for good or bad.
Entering in the Wild Life is watching a microcosm society; there's a king and their subjects, the strong tries to command and the weak has to fight for their life. But sometimes there's fraternity too, complicity and friendship, sadly it never lasts forever.
Since I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down, sometimes was so real that was scaring!
Do you know who lives in your park?

[Naomi Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fantastically well written and pacy. It is about the downfall of Adam, a high flying executive with a collection of the usual literary bad habits - gambling, drugs and a mistress. At first, as Adam comes to realise that his lifestyle has taken its toll, and unable to lie his way out of it any more, the book seems to tell a predictable journey of falling and redemption.
Adam suddenly leaves home in the middle of the night. However, rather than sleeping in the streets, he finds himself in an old park where he is befriended by Rusty, another homeless man who invites Adam into the community to which he belongs.
It would give too much away to describe the community and what happens to Adam, suffice to say, it becomes a bit ‘Lord of the Flies’. The rules of the community are ignored as hunger and anarchy descend. What will happen to Adam? Does his story have a tragic, or happy ending? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

[Suzy Bowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished reading Wild Life, I read it very quickly, I was hooked from the start.

This unusual tale (Legend Press seem to publish a great line in quirky different novels) tells the story of a guy who, down on his luck and desperate, is “adopted” by a group of similarly desperate and homeless men who live and survive together in a local park. At first all goes well but things soon deteriorate and life becomes frightening, violent and barbaric, in some ways it reminded me of Lord of the Flies.

The book is well written, the characters are real, the story is believable and possibly serves as a warning of what could happen if society as we know it breaks down.

In short excellent - read the book!

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feel like angsty teenage me would have loved this book. Dialogue was a little dodgy at points and despite everything that happened it felt like quite a slow read, but ultimately, I feel like I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come. I enjoyed delving into the dark depths of human nature and the nihilistic tendancies of the protagonist. It left me wondering what a book like this would look like with female protagonists? Would there be just as much chaos in a sisterhood of homeless women? I would love to think that they would create a more harmonious community, but perhaps that is a little naive...

[Jacqueline Laidlaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expect the unexpected

This book has made me late for work, helped my diet and made my insomnia a pleasure. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Liam Brown's Wild Life, and struggled to stop myself reading 'just one more page'. It's a tale that takes the reader on a journey. Every image, smell and taste comes alive, so much so that it's more like watching a movie than reading a book. I am now suffering from an end of book void that only a damned good read can bring on.... More from this talented Birmingham author cannot come soon enough.

[The Book Ninja · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a reviewer to give this 5 stars, they must have not done much reading before. It's well written and easy to read but I skimmed the last 3rd as I just wanted it to go somewhere. It's far fetched and derivative and has too many coincidences.

I'd recommend this to a young adult who might not be ready for Lord of the Flies

[Nikki Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

💬 “The wildness is in you - is you - and no matter how the wooden blocks of your successes stack symmetrically on top of one another, your education, your job, your car, your wife, your kids, all it would take is for a single lapse of concentration, one fumbled false move and your entire sorry life will come tumbling down around you, leaving you thrashing around in the dirt with all the other beasts.”

This was Adams story of losing his job, facing addiction, losing everything and abandoning his family - how he starts a new path of life with a bunch of homeless men and while things start out routined and organised, chaos soon hits and the inner monsters of these men soon show.

I really enjoyed the way this captured how not having structure and routine and not keeping your mind occupied can cause havoc on one’s mental state and the way Liam told this story made me feel unsettled - I can’t say too much without spoiling anything, but there were a few times where I full body cringed.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for everyone. Adam has it all. Good job, home, family, etc. But then the economy crashed, so did Adam. We then witness his decline. Not able to handle losing his job, he does things that has him end up on the streets. He finds himself in an underground homeless shelter. This is his life now. There were some times in the book where you have to let your imagination run wild, but overall, this book was good. I enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

[Snoakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild Life is about advertising executive Adam and what befalls him when he pushes his excesses to their limits and loses everything.

As things reach desperation point it heads squarely into Lord of the Flies territory & reminds us that we are all of us never that far from the beast within.

An entertaining if slightly far fetched read.

[Dan Patmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I havent read anything like this in a long while. Reminds me of the early Dannny Boyle movies or some of the strange indie films I like, where you just run with a character and things get weird.

It is weird, and dark, and easy to read and so very entertaining.

Definitely not for everyone, but definitely for me.

I'd say more but I dont want to do spoilers.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that certainly took a crazy turn! An adult Lord of the Flies....this will sneak up on you and you won’t be able to look away. Well-written enough to keep the reader in rated, despite some implausibility. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this exciting read.

[Micaiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

wow, at first I wasn't feeling it and by the end I was all in that was a very entertaining story. 3.5. I'm glad I bought this on a whim because I was very entertained. This makes me wanna go back into just reading random books that I find.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A disturbing and gripping story about survival on the outside of society. Lord of the Flies with grown-ups, I really liked it!

[Kevin Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

After losing his job, with debts mounting and debtors circling, Adam struggles with his choices and delves further into a world of gambling, drink and drug addiction. Soon he believes that his family are better off without him and leaves them in the middle of the night. While drunkenly stumbling around the city he discovers a world far from his own. In an overgrown park a community of men live. Surviving, indeed thriving off the land and their own hard work. Adam soon gets used to the daily work, but how long can this community last until the wild truly takes over.


This book was fantastic. Brown provides an uncomfortable glance into society and how it can all implode around us. The story gives the reader hope that Adam has found a new purpose and new hope, and we are led in that direction. But we soon realise that the idea of a utopia is not so, as we are shown how, no matter what, humans will always be a few missed meals away from mistreating each other. Part Lord of the Flies and part Stanford Prison Experiment. A must read!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord of the Flies Today

[Nicole B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. Basically, man has nervous breakdown after losing his job and spends a year in a cult and things quickly go from good to bad to worse. I'm left feeling curious as to what will happen next to the narrator. Worth a shot if you feel in the mood for something a little different.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking, darkly eloquent and decidedly quirky look at the dangers of success and the possible consequences of losing touch with ourselves and the world around us, Wild Life by Liam Brown is all of these things and much more.

Narrated by the main character, Adam, a highly flying executive with an apparently perfect life (wife, children, money and all of its trappings), it brilliantly shows the pitfalls of such an existence. Adam is spiralling out of control with drug and gambling addictions taking their toll until one night he walks away from everything. In a drunken stupor Adam finds himself in a forgotten park when he finally reaches his breaking point, which is when he meets Rusty.

Rusty leads Adam further into the wilderness of the park where he is befriended by a group of homeless men led by Marshall. The lifestyle these men lead is slightly surreal but the lack of the normal beer-guzzling, drug ridden cliches at this point is really refreshing. They have created an entire world for themselves with a small farm providing vegetables, foraging for herbs and even some chickens. The setting is almost idyllic with no real sense of time other than that which nature provides with dawn, dusk and the turning of the seasons.

Thanks to the leadership of Marshall there is a structure to their lives - yoga, running in the morning and work on the farm. All of which give Adam more of a feeling of reality and purpose than he has had in a very long time. There is, however, a strange 'Lord of the Flies' vibe from this point onwards and an underlying sense of violence just below the surface.

I felt it was slightly unrealistic that there is no mention of his family throughout this sequence but, with the reappearance of a loved one, Adam begins to take a more truthful look at himself. Unfortunately for him the situation within the group slowly descends into madness and destruction. This is a little far-fetched but ultimately a natural progression for the story. After all this is a work of fiction so no problem there.

The structure of the novel, with its seasonal sections, works well. With Adam's downfall in winter, rescue by Rusty and the rebirth inherent in spring, an idyllic summer giving him a reconnection with reality, the change of autumn and the eventual chaos and death winter can bring, it is easy to become engrossed in his story.

I can highly recommend Wild Life as a fine piece of fiction but also as an interesting twist on a phenomenon we all see everyday whether we want to admit it or not.

With thanks to Legend Press for the review copy