Out of the Wilderness by Deb Vanasse

Out of the Wilderness Reviews

• 
  Cinthia Ritchie

  I read "Out of the Wilderness" on a warm summer night, and I huddled beneath the electric blanket because it wasn't summer, it was the middle of the winter and twenty below zero, and I was cold and the wind blew and the snow was that perfect lavender only found in Alaska in the deepest and darkest months of the year.
  Deb Vanasse's young adult novel takes readers to Willow Creek, Alaska, where Josh lives with his father and older stepbrother, Nathan. The book opens with a dramatic hunting scene, which comes full circle.
  But trust me: I won't give away the ending.
  The plot follows Josh, who resents his father's almost obsessive concern toward Nathan, recently reunited with the family. Nathan scorns modern life and wants to align/lose himself in the wilderness.
  It's difficult not to see parts of Chris McCandless, the young man who starved to death in a bus near Denali National Park and romanticized in Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild," in Nathan. He's just as pig-headed, just as intent on following principles instead of common sense.
  What sets "Out of the Wilderness" apart from other YA novels is the sense of place. Vanasse knows Alaska, and this knowledge breathes through every word, every scene.
  The writing is strong, and the pace and tension so finely tuned that it's impossible to stop reading (I stayed up until 4 a.m. and then dragged myself to work the next day).
  I highly recommend "Out of the Wilderness" to young adult readers and anyone who wants to escape to the magic of Alaska's winter environment.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Mason.osman

  "Out of the Wilderness" by Deb Vanasse was a good book. I enjoyed the story line, because I was able to relate to the older brother Nathan. Nathan was a stubborn and strongwilled young man, which is exactly what I am. I like the fact that the story took place in the wilderness. "Out of the Wilderness" had many suspenseful situations, including Josh, Nathan, and their father almost being killed by a bear. The dialogue between characters helped me understand the tone of the converstion and set an image of exactly what was going on in the story by using many descriptive words. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventures and suspense.
• 
  Esther Somorai

  ***Proof***
  I won this book from the author through GoodReads, first-reads giveaway. Thank you so very much.
  
  Right off I like the cover and enjoyed the story of this family of a dad and his two sons, who are half brothers. The story tells of everyday life interaction, how they get along or don't. Learning to understand each other in order to survive in the wilderness of Alaska. There are some very tense scenes within this story. Some lessons are learned the hard way. I identified totally with the younger brother, he was wise beyond his years.
• 
  Jen Lynn

  This book was alright. It kept my interest. It seemed a bit sad to me that the father was so interested in keeping the older brother happy, with no regard to his younger son. The older son's intense love of nature made him lose much of his common sense, which both frustrated me and kept me intrigued. My biggest complaint was the ending. It seemed completely unfinished. What happened to Nate? Did Josh and/or the whole family move to the city or stay at the cabin? It just seemed like it ended with absolutely no closure whatsoever. The bad and sudden ending was disappointing.
• 
  Kathie O

  This was a Goodreads Goiveaway, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All my life, I have wanted to visit Alaska, and I felt as it this book took me there. It will appeal to readers of all ages. While my grandsons are all too young for it now, it is definitely a book I will save for them!
• 
  ClaudiaJade

  This book was okay. I feel like it never really fleshed out certain parts of the story, like it was all these quick moments in their lives, and didn’t really progress much beyond Nathan wanting to do his own thing, the father being worried and josh longing to live somewhere that wasn’t there. It just stayed in that same cycle throughout the book. And then the end was quick to finish without much resolve.
• 
  Audrey Terry

  I really enjoyed this book on a couple different levels. I don't know a whole lot about Alaska, but the idea of being out in the middle of nowhere is kind of intriguing. I'm from a small town, but it's entirely different to live with zero people around you, no electricity, and no running water. Personally, I think I'd probably get cabin-fever and go bonkers within a week. On the other hand, I really liked watching how the two brothers dealt with this. I empathized a lot more with Josh than I did his brother. I don't think I've ever wanted to kick someones ass as much as I did Nathan's. My own brother has a hare-brained scheme pretty similar to this (without the being a bear part), so maybe it just struck a little too close to home for me, haha. But there are days when I wish he'd get bit by a bear too just as a reality check.
  
  Speaking of reality checks... I'm more venting here than anything else, but Josh's dad needed a kick in the ass too. It's one thing to go on a noble quest for your oldest son, but once you'd found him and realized he was a little bonkers, don't you think you'd do something? I mean maybe not at first, but there definitely would have been indicators that he was self destructive. Images of tying him up and driving back to Anchorage come to mind. Some people just shouldn't live on their own. And all this because you're still beating yourself up for something you did ten years ago? That doesn't mean you need to endanger your other kid while you babysit the one that doesn't care about anyone but himself.
  
  And don't get my started about Shannon. She's like some kind of groupie with blinders on. "Once you've been in the wilderness, a part of it will always be with you"....Oh yeah, because it's been all sunshine and tulips out there for Josh. It's not like his crazy brother just intentionally got mauled by a bear or anything. Sure, he's gonna miss freezing all the time and surviving on bear meat, and using outhouses. She's just so silly and vapid it's mind boggling. /endrant
  
  In any case, rarely have I run across a book that got me this invested in such a short amount of time. And I loved that it did that.... it's refreshing to be able to just throw yourself into another place for awhile. Great work.
  
  Also, I won this book as part of an ARC Giveaway.
• 
  Heather

  While the scenery is captivating the real heart of the story is the people that we meet. In one way or another I was able to identify with every character that we met; however, I felt most connected to Josh. I was able to empathize with his sadness, loneliness, anger, and sheer determination. Still, there is no way that I will ever be able to fully appreciate his situation. I can’t imagine living in a cabin that does not have running water, having to hunt for my supper and almost being killed by a bear, or constantly feeling as though my thoughts and feelings are second, at best, because it is more important to appease my sibling.
  
  Please check out our FULL review by visiting us at www(dot)griffinshoney(dot)com
• 
  Digit

  The publisher's comment calls it 'a chilling winter tale'... It's possible that they intended that comment as a joke, but I have not known publishers to know what humor is; so I'll say that the only way that this story is chilling is due to the fact that it's set in the Alaska bush in winter. With that out of the way, I can say that I enjoyed the story. It's more of an homage to Thoreau than a scary read, which some might glean from said publisher's comment. The loneliness of living in the wilderness and the struggle between different siblings (who rank in different priorities in their father's eyes) is captured in a stark and haunting manner. I'm a sucker for the outdoors tales, but I think many folks would enjoy this yarn.
• 
  Big Book Theory

  Out of the Wilderness was an amazing read. Deb Vanasse's excellent story telling made me feel as if I could feel the bitter cold, yet experience the breathtaking beauty of Willow Creek. I felt immensely sorry for Josh from the beginning of the story and also saddened by the fact he had to be dragged along for the sake of Nathan. However, I also understand the dad's unwillingness to let Nathan go again, and the deep need to make up for 'lost' time. A story filled with genuine human emotions. It was brilliant!
• 
  LadyCalico

  This was an extremely well-written novel with characters so real that I felt a part of their heart and soul. I was ready to give it a five-star until the ending. Say what? I did come to care for the characters and would have liked to have seen a few of the loose ends tied up, even if still loosely, like some inkling of what direction they will go from there or have gotten some sense of the rationale behind why it ended where it did.
• 
  D.S. McKnight

  For me, Out of the Wilderness seemed to tackle the conflicts within a family while using the harsh Alaskan weather/terrain as a sort of staging area. The author did a wonderful job giving voice to her characters. While they weren't all necessarily likable, they were believable. I found Josh to be the most intriguing as he dealt with his father's shortcomings and his brother's idiosyncrasies. Definitely enjoyed the author's writing style.
• 
  Dorilyn

  Braving the wilderness
  
  This book looks at families, relationships & striving for independence in extreme conditions. It opens your eyes to what "living on your own" truly means.