coletters's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story and I think the ghost writer did a good job. However, I don't agree with her that the "book" be split into two. And while previews focused on the fact that she was raised by monkeys in the jungle, she spent more time navigating the "jungle" of the human world than she did with the monkeys.
It's still a good story, and I look forward to reading her life in the next book.
It's still a good story, and I look forward to reading her life in the next book.
dyerra's review against another edition
3.0
I found this story unbelievable in a way that means it was probably fairly true. I know there has been a lot of debate as to the veracity of the author's claim, but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. I didn't think the writing style was the greatest, and sometimes the level of repetition detracted from the flow of the narrative. It was, however, an interesting and thought-provoking read.
wildflowerjen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
3.0
What I Liked
This story has most certainly been fascinating. Marina's story is incredible, and although it does seem unbelievable or at least a little stretched from the perspective of a child with fragmented memories and a traumatic past, that isn't why I gave this book low stars.
What I Didn't Like
I actually had trouble getting into this book. It seemed disjointed and unemotional, and I had trouble finding compassion for Marina as a real person. I had compassion for someone who was suffering and enduring hard trials, but I didn't leave this story feeling like I knew Marina.
This story has most certainly been fascinating. Marina's story is incredible, and although it does seem unbelievable or at least a little stretched from the perspective of a child with fragmented memories and a traumatic past, that isn't why I gave this book low stars.
What I Didn't Like
I actually had trouble getting into this book. It seemed disjointed and unemotional, and I had trouble finding compassion for Marina as a real person. I had compassion for someone who was suffering and enduring hard trials, but I didn't leave this story feeling like I knew Marina.
nadeenbeckett's review against another edition
4.0
The story was fascinating but I had so many unanswered questions at the end. Otherwise I would've given this a 5 star.
feralreader's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fascinating account. I have seen other reviewers trying to suss out if it's true or not, and while I was determined not to go down that road, against my will I found myself trying to piece the "truth" together.
I have developed my own theory (she's definitely not lying), but it's not really important. I believe it's the truth, with some unintentional metaphor woven in. As her daughter said in an interview, "we're just sharing our family story."
Apparently there was so much material, the author stopped when Marina was 14, intending to write a sequel. I'm sorely disappointed that after nearly ten years, the sequel does not appear to have been written.
I have developed my own theory (she's definitely not lying), but it's not really important. I believe it's the truth, with some unintentional metaphor woven in. As her daughter said in an interview, "we're just sharing our family story."
Apparently there was so much material, the author stopped when Marina was 14, intending to write a sequel. I'm sorely disappointed that after nearly ten years, the sequel does not appear to have been written.
mssegallsays's review against another edition
4.0
Every now and then you read a book that leaves you speechless. This is that book. It is an absolutely incredible story of how Marina survived. I cannot even begin to imagine the experiences and hardships she has overcome. I would definitely recommend.
mlottermoser's review against another edition
3.0
A young girl in Colombia is taken and abandoned in the jungle. She fends for herself and makes friends with a troop of monkeys. Eventually she is discovered and taken to the city where life is even more dangerous.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
One has to wonder how much easier she might have had it had she been older -- and also how much of her survival is attributable to her age. On the one hand, the older one is the more basic survival skills one is likely to have picked up; on the other hand, her age probably played a part in her willingness to mimic other creatures, and her small size probably made her less threatening to the monkeys.
There's so much more I wish I knew (much of which I suspect the author couldn't tell anyway), but also numerous places where I wondered how much was memory and how much was reconstruction of what must have happened -- not any kind of accusation, but reaching back that far for memories must be difficult.
The subtitle doesn't lie -- it is an incredible story, not least because for the first half (survival in the jungle) but also for the terrible circumstances of the second half (life in a brothel, on the streets, etc.). It's also amazing to think that so many people could get away with treating a child so terribly. (Can you imagine the response today if a child was found, wild, in the woods of, say, the Canadian interior?) It'll be interesting to see whether she does follow up with a post-reintegration book.
There's so much more I wish I knew (much of which I suspect the author couldn't tell anyway), but also numerous places where I wondered how much was memory and how much was reconstruction of what must have happened -- not any kind of accusation, but reaching back that far for memories must be difficult.
The subtitle doesn't lie -- it is an incredible story, not least because for the first half (survival in the jungle) but also for the terrible circumstances of the second half (life in a brothel, on the streets, etc.). It's also amazing to think that so many people could get away with treating a child so terribly. (Can you imagine the response today if a child was found, wild, in the woods of, say, the Canadian interior?) It'll be interesting to see whether she does follow up with a post-reintegration book.