Mixed feelings about this one. I thought the premise sounded so cute but there were some aspects of the whole situation that didn’t really sit right with me. The mystery surrounding the DUI, Zander’s anger at Charlie after she finds out, the INSANE WAY all of the adults handled the competition??? It got a little too much for me. Charlie and Zander were cute at time but most of the time I was a bit annoyed by them and even with all the harrowing situations, I found some parts to be slow. A bit disappointed!

Slow start but so worth it in the end!

I didn‘t really vibe with this the first half of the book. I didn‘t feel any connection to the characters and the life or death situations really weren’t hitting the way I expected them to.

But after the half way point I started to feel for the characters, the secrets they had and shared, the trust between them, the adventures, everything was way more enjoyable for me! The last 20% were crazy!! This was fun and cheesy but I loved it in the end! Also I cried!! And if you need a little more convincing: australia as a setting was absolutely beautiful! The author described the nature so well!
Im so so grateful for netgalley and the publisher! Thanks that I got to read an arc for Lynettes newest release!!

This is an amazing dip into contemporary YA by Lynette Noni. In her authors note she addresses concerns that her readers may not read a book that isn’t YA fantasy but that’s absolutely untrue. The characters in Wandering Wild were complex, brave, and beautifully written. The adventures were surprisingly high stakes which kept me up late reading. The “older” adults were all frustrating but that was pretty common in the Akarnae series as well.

This was seriously well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Lynette Noni crafts a deeply tender story in her contemporary debut, 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥. As a fan of Noni's 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳 fantasy series, I couldn't have been more excited for her signature tense, high-stakes scenes and heartfelt writing that I knew would translate into the young adult contemporary genre.

𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥 follows famous actor, Zander, as he attempts to mend his public image with an appearance on a survival show with a disgruntled fan, Charlie, who is only there to please her best friend. As the trip goes awry and the pair have to rely on each other for survival, romantic feelings begin to develop.

The first quarter of the book was difficult for me to enjoy as it's typical setup for a contemporary romance - we meet each character and catch a glimpse into their struggles, and since it's a young adult novel, this background felt a bit immature and difficult to relate to. (I am above the target audience, so this is just a me problem, not a book problem!)

However, once Zander and Charlie jump (literally!) into their wilderness adventure, I was hooked! I loved the tense, high-stakes survival scenes and tender romantic feelings that begin to develop. Zander and Charlie are both complex, thoughtful characters, and I admired their strength and growth throughout the story.

I wasn't expecting the exploration of grief and very real-world problems which makes 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥 an easily relatable reading experience. Readers are sure to grow and reflect on life experiences alongside the characters, and there's something very intimate about an author achieving that. I was able to see a side of myself in Charlie that had struggled with loss and grief at 19 years old, and that remains a comforting experience.

It's a quick read, and by the end I wanted more of Zander and Charlie alone together and less of the dialogue with friends or scenes with the crew. That's a sign of a job well done, and I'm sure these characters will stick with me for a while!

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

The amount of joy and happiness and excitement I went through when I got this arc is too hard to explain but I was extremely giddy when I got this book on my kindle. Lynette Noni has become one of my top authors of all time and I absolutely love her writing, her stories, and her as a human being on her social media. Safe to say I'm going to be an extreme fan for life and hope to one day meet her in person.

Okay on to this marvelous novel.

Charlie and Zander are amazing. They both are so different from each other, yet both have gone through some very traumatic moments that are similar to one another. And both are still dealing with those moments and trying to figure out life. Just like us readers I'm sure.

I love Charlie. She is so loyal and fierce and determined. I love those qualities in a person and Charlie has them 10 times over. For her to do this show with an actor she dislikes just to make her closest friend happy shows how much she will sacrifice for the people she loves.

Zander is very much the same as Charlie in his qualities. But I also love that he hasn't let the fame of being a famous actor get to his head. He is very much protective of his friends who are like family.

The hardships, both mentally and physically, Charlie and Zander had to go through in this novel is intense. For two people not trained to be going through these obstacles, they did a fantastic job. I'm severely frustrated with the grownups in this book, but when presented with the issues and challenges they went through, Charlie and Zander were determined to finish their mission.

I love all of the side characters in this book: Samantha, Maddox, Sandi, Ember. They truly love their close friend and are always there for each other. I truly hope another novel in this world will be created because I would love to see how things progress with all of these characters!

I honestly can't explain how much I love this book. There is adventure, love, danger, determination, and being able to find yourself and your dreams. It's a beautiful story and I'm going to make everyone I know read in May!