Customer Reviews

Out of the Wild

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In Durst's version of "once upon a time," all fabled beings live in a storyland prison of sorts known as The Wild. There they are forced to live their story from start to finish - never straying from the script - only to begin again as soon as they reach their "happily ever after" (or in some cases, their horrible demise). The evil witch is always the evil witch, the damsel in distress is always in distress. No growth, no change, no new, no choice.

What I liked so much about the first book, Into the Wild, is that it intelligently discussed the problem with living the same story over and over, and how each of us needs to write our *own* story and change endings when needs be. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a book of Big Thinking in the way that War and Peace might be, but I could still smell the meat in the thick of the plot.

But this sequel, Out of the Wild, left me very disappointed. The storyline was all over the place, and it felt like situations were created adlib from page to page just to keep the story moving. I couldn't get behind WHY some of the characters were acting the way they were, and what the ultimate point of the action was in terms of a larger meaning. A sort of "and I care because...?" left hanging in the air.

I feel like perhaps the first book ought to have been expanded quite a bit, eliminating the need for this second one. I'm not sure what the plans are for any more books in this series, but I do hope in the event Durst continues to write about The Wild, she revisit some of the depths she reached in her debut.

I adored Into the Wild, and was just as thrilled with the sequel. Really, it's a continuation of the first story, with revelations about exactly who and why someone released the Wild in the first book, and a very satisfying conclusion. I adore all the characters, and am terribly impressed with Durst's encyclopedic knowledge of fairy tales. Goodness! I fancied myself a fairy tale fan, but this book proved how little (and how affected by Disney!) my fairy tale skills are! A fun, fun book!

Julie's dad mysteriously appears, ejected from the Wild. Before anyone can give him the primer on not, you know, acting like a fairy tale character in public, a princess is stolen and the chase ensues. Read it after Into the Wild, because you miss the characters, because you want a deeper understanding of the Wild and the world within it, or because you'd like to see Julie leave Massachusetts.

Cross-posted from [...]

I went to numerous bookstores trying to find this book and was thrilled that it shipped so quickly for my daughter.

Julie Marchen is an ordinary 12-year-old. That is, if an ordinary 12-year-old has Rapunzel for a mother, Puss-in-Boots as an adopted brother --- and has successfully defeated the dark forces of the Wild, a fairy tale enchanted forest that wants to take over the world and change everyone into mindless characters forever looping through fairy tale plots. Julie is so relieved to have the Wild safely contained under her bed and life back to normal.

Unfortunately, all that changes when Puss-in-Boots and his girlfriend chase three blind mice through the house. One mouse accidentally falls right into the green vines of the Wild beneath Julie's bed. The Wild engulfs him, making Julie and her mother, Rapunzel, crazy with fear. After all, the Wild now has a fairy tale character --- and it will grow. But instead of growing, the Wild tosses forth a person they both know. It's Julie's dad, Rapunzel's prince, who Julie regretfully had to leave in the Wild when she defeated it.

Julie is stunned and thrilled. But Rapunzel, who hasn't seen Prince in five centuries, is shocked speechless. Joy finally dawns, but Rapunzel won't let herself cry because she wept at the end of her fairy tale. If she was in the Wild, her tears would trigger an eternal cycle of living through that story again and again and again.

The family's bliss doesn't last long, however. They ride (Prince has problems fitting his sword into their Volkswagen) to the downtrodden Wishing Well Motel, home to Rapunzel's witch mother, Dame Gothel. Grandma is no longer evil, although she's cantankerous. She's also puzzled. Why would the Wild release Prince...or anyone? Before she can do more than voice her concerns, Bobbi, Cinderella's fairy godmother, comes rushing in with the news that Sleeping Beauty is in terrible danger. The princess is napping, and her thorns are growing out of control.

Julie's dad is a prince who can never resist helping a damsel in distress. Bobbi informs him that Sleeping Beauty's own prince refuses to awaken and rescue her (because he's "moved on"). Dad is outraged. Despite Rapunzel and Julie's warnings that he will not only fuel the Wild by acting out part of the Sleeping Beauty tale but he also might give away the family's secret identity, he charges off to wake her. Very soon, however, a princess is kidnapped and evil spells have been cast. Before you can say "Bibbity bobbity boo!" Julie is flying off (by broomstick and by bath mat) on an urgent quest across the country. Can she save her family and the world just one more time?

OUT OF THE WILD continues the promise of its predecessor, INTO THE WILD, complete with fairy tale characters as we've never seen before author Sarah Beth Durst introduced them to us (for instance, Jack of beanstalk fame lives with a talking, cooking cow and Gina, the former giantess). Julie is a spunky, self-deprecating, courageous and hilarious protagonist. She also struggles with issues regarding boys and family that any girl can relate to. The plot is lively and suspenseful, with a surprise twist that leads to a heartwarming, thought-provoking conclusion, giving us a great read that is magical on many levels.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

Life is starting to get back to what Julie Marchen is used to. The Wild is safely contained and back under her bed. Most of the fairytale characters, and the humans who took their places for a time, seem to be readjusting as well as can be expected. Until everything changes.

While attempting to escape from Puss and Boots, one of the Three Blind Mice gets sucked into The Wild, and Julie and her mother expect the worst. Instead of growing larger, The Wild spits out Julie's dad!

Julie is thrilled and her mother is just plain shocked. Everything will be perfect now! Except for her dad constantly running out to rescue damsels in distress, and his inability to function under the radar in the regular world, and his refusal to trust Julie's grandmother. (So what if she used to be evil? She's not anymore!)

Apparently there's a difference between choosing to escape from The Wild and being forcibly removed from it. And it's beginning to seem like The Wild knew what it was doing. Every time Prince, the name Julie's dad chose for himself, performs a fairytale-like act (which would be just about everything he does), The Wild grows.

Now it's up to Julie and some strange, some new, mostly completely unexpected friends to save the world. Again.

I loved this book even more than the last title, INTO THE WILD! This one is non-stop from page one. I felt almost breathless reading it! And nearly as exhausted at the end as I imagine Julie was. As unreal, and hilarious, as pretty much all of the situations are, you still feel like you're right there experiencing all of it.

Happily ever after is a dangerous concept.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman