"Beware the Wild" by Natalie C. Parker: review

Beware the Wild
by Natalie C. Parker
Expected publication: October 21st 2014 by HarperTeen

It's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp -- the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance -- and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her.

This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.

«Beware the Wild» is a dark and creepy gothic fairytale. It lures you into its mysterious swamp, makes you forget about your life and captures on the pages of its story. 

Have you ever heard of Sticks, Louisiana? Nobody has. It’s a secluded small town with own secrets, and the biggest one of them – is the swamp. Nobody knows why it is fenced, why are everyone scared of it, but they know one thing for sure – you better stay the hell away from it. Don’t mind the swamp and it won’t mind you.

That is what everybody in Sticks does, until one girl loses her brother. 

Sterling Saucier is the main protagonist. At the beginning we see her as a girl who was always under protection of her a bit aggressive brother. Their father was a cruel man who liked to beat his wife and children, and the only person who tried to protect them was Phin Saucier. But after some stressful fight over his moving to college, the boy leaves his home and goes into the swamp. Sterling waits for him the whole day and then she sees like someone climbs over the fence… but it’s not Phin. It’s a girl, Lenora May, who claims the spot of her brother.

 Nobody remembers him anymore… Nobody believes that he ever existed… except for Heath, the boy at school with whom she had a brief romance and who experienced the same situation. What is more important, he believes her. He remembers. 

What I really liked, was the development of Sterling’s character. At the beginning she was just a scared girl with eating disorder because of a fear of losing her brother – her only protector. But now it is he who needs her help. As it turns out, Sterling has the courage of a lion. She is strong, smart and desperate to save her beloved brother. 

There is also Heath, Sterling’s love interest, but I can’t say much about him. I was not into this romance. He is a good boy with the dark past, and the reason to it is the swamp. But if Sterling became strong because of her burden, Heath became weak. And that’s my only problem with him. I love it when main heroes are equal. 

But this book is not about love between a boy and a girl. It’s about brother and sister relationships. That our love to someone and the need to protect can be twisted into something entirely else. That we must learn to stand for ourselves and stop depending on other people. Because everything has a price. 

The plot and the writing were incredibly good. It made me want to go to the swamp, so vivid was the description of it, with its lights that are always leading people into its depth, with magical cherry trees and monsters, waiting for you in the dark. I also loved the secondary characters and the main villain. It’s not easy to guess here who is good and who is evil. Everyone has their reasons. Somebody can surprise you. 

Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of gothic romances. I’ve read it a couple of days ago and its atmosphere still haunts me. And I love it!