Customer Reviews

Wildside

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was another great book from an author with a rapidly expanding fan base. The story was excellent, the characters were well developed, and the main character, Charlie, was just as much a unique indivudual as Gould's hero from Jumper, without being a carbon copy of the character. The story itself is fast-moving and it's hard to put the book down once you've begun.

As the synopsis says, the hero, Charlie, discovers a portal in an old barn that leads into an alternate earth; an earth where humans never existed. Actually, it's not proven that there are no humans anywhere -- it doesn't matter to the story and the main character doesn't explore the entire world -- but it appears there aren't.

Charlie hatches a scheme to use this portal for fun and profit, but to do so he needs to enlist the help of some friends. So the group establishes a base on the far side of the portal - the wild side - and gets to work. Though it seems as if the story of setting up a base in a humanless environment would be dull, Gould is able to tell even this with a writing style that compells the reader to continue. The logistical element is used in large part for character development, as we see the dynamic of the group of friends and watch them progress in their lives even as the story progresses.

In his realistic if somewhat cynical fashion, the writer does not allow Charlie's actions to go unnoticed by the government, and they decide to get involved, which creates a building conflict between the heroes and the government which infuses the story with a sense of urgency and suspense.

In his previous book, Jumper, Gould used teleportation as a device to further the plot, never fully explaining the reasons behind it. It seems throughout most of Wildside that he is going to do the same thing with the portal. However, at the end of the book, the portal itself is explained, and the explanation is... unexpected.

I found the book to be enjoyable and fast-paced without being a vapid adventure tale. There is plenty to think about in the story, and it leaves you with the satisfying feeling you can only get from a good story told well.

Those who have read Heinlein's "juveniles" will recogonize the format immediately. Take a group of old-teen-young-adults, drop them into a very dangerous situation where they have absolutely no support system from the mainstream adult world, and let them solve their problems (technical and otherwise) through intelligence and bold action. Then reunite them with their parents so that both parents and kids recognize that the kids have "come of age" and are now successfully independent adults.

However, the book is not just an imitation. Nor is it an homage. It seems to me a reinterpretation of the same themes and concepts Heinlein used to write about, but updated for the turn of the century rather than the 1950s.

The book was well written and kept me reading it late into the night, but a couple parts of it seemed to be just a little too "angsty". Fortunately the author pulled back from that just in time to keep it from bogging down the story. The book is squarely targeted at teens, but is enjoyable for adults as well.

Charlie and his small group of friends have a secret. In the barn on a farm left to him by his missing and presumed dead uncle is a very special door, a door to another earth, the Wildside. An earth where man never evolved! So what would a group of teenagers do with such a secret? Why go for the gold naturally! After all no there are no men, therefore there's all the gold in them thar hills just waiting to be scooped up. The problem is they're in Texas and the gold is in California so what do you do? Simple, fly!

Wildside is a fun story, although not very believable (forget about the inter-dimensional travel how about two kids, 18 years old, getting certified as airplane mechanics is less that 4 weeks!) But does it have to be believable to a good, enjoyable read? I don't think so. Quell your stunned disbelief and let the story take you for a ride. It is a relatively unique plot with strong, well-developed characters. Explore with them a Texas without man and root for them against a government willing to do just about anything to get the secret of Wildside.

It's one that I have read more than once and have enjoyed it every time. For certain I RECOMMEND it for anyone looking for a relatively quick, uncomplicated but thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is an *excellent* book! It's a coming-of-age novel, combining very good character development, a well-developed science fiction device, Man-vs-Nature adventure, ecological ethics, and a rousing dose of good-American-boy vs. evil-Government-agents. As in Steven Gould's first novel, Jumper, issues of alcoholism are examined in a sensitive manner.

If you are an aviation buff, you will want to read this book. If you are a Heinlein fan, you will want to read this book. If you live in Texas, you will want to read this book. If you were ever an American teenager, you will want to read this book. Get the picture? :-)

The author places young people in a unique situation with complications that make them look at their world and their values. They must make decisions that could affect their world as they know it as well as their amazing discovery. Clever and well written.

This is an intelligently written fantasy with an innovative plot. The characters are well developed and the interplay among them enough to keep me interested in their own stories minus the fantasy aspects. The narrator is a likable hero and come through smarter than his age. The only complaint I have is too much descriptive technical jargon which tends to slow down the pace of the story. A few times I just skiped how a certain object is built or how a plane is flew! More effort could have been invested in the wildside itself and the characters. A pity!

Once again, Gould doesn't disappoint. If you liked Jumper, you'll love Wildside. If you didn't read Jumper, by all means do so, but don't worry, these are stand-alone stories so you don't need to read them in a particular order.

Gould does fine work here, particularly in describing the details that our young protagonist engages in to conduct his business.

The author certainly has a handle on the young and writes about them very well. Enough people have described what the book is about, so you don't need a rehash from me.

Just read it. You'll be glad that you did.

I would say that this book is aimed at late teen readers. However, the author writes well enough that it is also entertaining for adults.

When Charlie Newell discovers a door in his barn that leads to another, pristine world, where humans never evolved, he puts a plan together. In order to finance his plan he sells some carrier pigeons (extinct birds) to some zoos. Things get tricky and very risky from there.

The author has created very sensible and intelligent characters in this book. Despite the fact that the major characters are just out of high school they they act in many ways with more sense than many 'grown up' people.

The only thing that ocassionaly lets this book down is the author's love of describing 'gadgets' and processes, which can make the prose a bit dry at times.

Worth a read if you like 'reality' based fantasy-adventure novels.

It feels good to just sit down and read a nice simple story without having to wrap your brain around complex ideas or situations. Wildside is a nice simple story, but it is not childish or mundane. Gould builds the story around the characters, and does a good job of weaving a believable story about a doorway to another reality. Gould is a much better writer than I am, so enough with the review, read Wildside and enjoy it for yourself.

I loved this book, I mean normaly when people write about alternate universes and stuff like that, I have no idea what the heck they are talking about because they don't describe it at all. But Steven Gould has written a wonderful, fast paced, UNDERSTANDABLE novel and the descriptions blend perfectly with the plot. This book has it all: sci-fi, action, romance, and thrills. It is beautifuly wriiten and well described, and maybe not entirely bealievable but what the heck, right? The charac ters in this story were very well detailed, but not so much as that it slows down the plot with useless descriptions. All in all this was a great book and you should read it. Oh, by the way if you liked Jumper, (another book by Steven Gould) Steven Gould is writing a sequal to it called Reflex and it will be released Nov. 1, 2004.