Something Wild and Wonderful
I turned 30 two weeks ago, and so, my friend Maria asked me what kind of book I would like as a gift. Because of course, we gift each other books. I had this one on my list after stumbling upon the German edition in town, but I wanted to read it in English. Shortly afterwards, this arrived in the mail, and it was one of the sweetest reads of my year so far.
Synopsis: Alexei and Ben meet on the Pacific Crest Trail, each of them with different motivations and different problems. Whereas Ben is finally settling on a career but struggles with getting his general life in order, Alexei is struggling after coming out to his Russian-orthodox family. Faced with a new world in which he has no longer strict parents nor an overbearing church, Alexei stumbles down the PCT not knowing where his life might be headed - and right into Ben's arms, saving him from a rattlesnake.
Personally, I am not a hiker. I am not interested per se in books that are about hiking or the outdoors, but for some reason, this book simply spoke to me. I was completely taken in after a few pages only, adoring Anita Kelly's simple yet incredibly beautiful and gentle style. It is not overly complicated but also not too simple - it is not quite how people speak, but also not too literary, making it accessible and endearing to both casual and more experienced readers. I often have the problem that the simple language of rom-coms bores me to death, but this was absolutely not the case here.
Alexei and Ben are absolutely fantastic characters that the reader cannot help but root for. Both have their issues, rooted in family affairs and the struggle of figuring out who they are and what they want from life. Whereas Ben's family is open-minded and has no issue with him being gay, Alexei struggles with the consequences of coming out to his conservative, Russian-American family and the loss of his religious life. Alexei is frequently mentioned praying before going to sleep, but it never feels forced, but as merely part of him. It is incredibly refreshing to read a queer character that, despite the trauma, is still religious and does not blame their god for what happened to them. Ben's struggles are of a different nature, with him being unsure about his career and what he actually wants to do with his life - and whether to stay near his family or not.
The book is perfectly paced. Nothing happens too early or too soon, neither in terms of plot development or personal growth of the characters. Everything gets its time to develop and does so at the right speed and with the appropriate consequences. All obstacles, including social anxiety, personal issues, and sudden reactions happen exactly when they should - and that is, in my opinion, a great task to achieve, and Anita Kelly has done so masterfully. Not one did I get the impression that Ben and Alexei moved too fast or too slow, or that their decisions were rushed. It felt all incredibly natural.
Something Wild and Wonderful is a story of self-discovery and, most importantly, self-forgiveness. Alexei and Ben learn to accept who they are and that they are, indeed, wild and wonderful at the same time. In fact, the novel is so full of warmth and acceptance that it left me with a very fuzzy, warm feeling on the inside when I finished it, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
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