Wild Things by Clay Carmichael

Juvenile Fiction
2009
240 pages

A "must" for anyone who loves Children's Literature. Wild Things is about Zoe, an 11-year-old who has long since learned to fend for herself and in the process, never learned to trust anyone. It's easy to understand, Zoe's mother was a lazy-good-for-nothing who had boyfriends coming and going on a regular basis. After her mother dies, Zoe goes to live with her uncle Henry, brother to the father she never knew. Henry used to be a heart surgeon, a pretty good one, as Zoe learns, but now devotes all his time to metal sculpting. As Zoe tries to adjust to her new life (Henry says she must go to school, Zoe disagrees), she meets some of Henry's good friends, some people who aren't, and a black and white feral cat who helps lead her to an old cabin where Zoe makes an interesting discovery. Told in voices, first person by Zoe and third person from the cat's point of view, Wild Things is a well constructed story about the power of love and kindness and learning how to trust. A strong Newbery contender, absolutely.

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