Wild by Alex Mallory (review)

Dara and her long-term boyfriend, Josh, hike deep into Daniel Boone National Forest to camp over spring break, but instead of repairing their relationship, the trip exposes its fault lines, particularly when Dara is convinced that they are not alone. Sure enough, Cade, who has no memory of living anywhere but in the woods, and who has been alone since his parents died three years earlier, is watching them, and when they are attacked by a bear, he saves their life, nearly losing his own in the process. Getting him medical help exposes him to a society that his mother had told him was both doomed and dangerous, so he is wary and uncommunicative, except with Dara. As Cade learns to trust his foster mother and his relationship with Dara blooms, the media frenzy over the “primitive boy” becomes more intrusive, and it becomes clear that he won’t be happy until he can go home to his woods. Meanwhile, Dara’s father, the sheriff, slowly unravels Cade’s backstory, and Cade has to confront the most difficult truth of his life: that his mother lied to him. This utterly compelling contemporary take on the Tarzan story has all the appeal of a paranormal romance without the supernatural cheats; instead, Cade’s appeal is 100% natural, all ropy muscles and innocent delight in touchscreens, hot baths, and the miracle that is peanut butter. Cade’s sense of humor and his quest for honest relationships, honed by his parents’ storytelling as well as their love for him, poke subtle holes in contemporary relationship protocols, as do the sensitive portrayals of Dara’s father, torn between love for his daughter and the requirements of his job, and Cade’s foster mom and her boyfriend, who engage with Cade wisely and with love. Poor Josh gets a bit hard done by as he is upstaged by Cade’s easy grace and poignant need, but no reader could fault Dara for choosing this irresistible natural wonder.