Published by Atria Books Genres: Fiction, Horror
Format: ARC, eBook
First off, that cover! Am I right? It’s fantastic! I had high hopes for Wilderness Reform. I thought it was going to be a slam dunk for me. It’s set in the wilderness, is a horror book, and the synopsis drew me in.
Troubled teens are sent to a wilderness camp to learn teamwork, survival skills, discipline, and to respect authority. Thirteen-year-old Ben is sent to the camp by a judge and quickly notices that everyone is happy and upbeat. But even with all the happiness and smiles, Ben can feel something sinister simmering underneath the smiles. He begins to feel and notice that something isn’t quite right.
This book was a SLOW BURN. I do not get along with slow burns. Most of the book is about Ben making connections with the other boys in his cabin, taking books out of the library and making astute observations. But again – this was too slow a burn for me. I struggled with this book but was interested enough to keep reading.
Then *BOOM* the ending of the book! The ending I loved. The pace picked up significantly and you know what began to hit the fan! The ending was fantastic! I can’t fault it at all, but getting there was so very hard.
Besides the ending, this book was atmospheric with vivid descriptions of the camp, the wilderness, and the characters. The camp being away from civilization provided the trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. But the slowness just didn’t work for me.
I know that many will not have an issue with the pace of this book. I am an outlier. I really wanted to love this all the way through. Early reviewers love this book. Please read their reviews as well.
As I loved the ending, I would be open to reading more books by these authors in the future.
Atmospheric, creepy, and sinister
Thank you to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.