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lmc624's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jfranco77's review against another edition
5.0
Initially I gave this 4 stars, but I think that was an unfair comparison to In The Distance (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36388598-in-the-distance) which was just a staggeringly good book. All Things Left Wild is more of a "regular" 5-star book, if there can be such a thing.
All Things Left Wild is a story of bad decisions and their consequences. Caleb Bentley and his brother are on the run in the Wild West after a fateful decision to steal horses goes terribly wrong. Randall Dawson is chasing after them, though he is ill-equipped to do so. Along the way, Caleb wrestles with his bad decisions and whether he can ever move past them. He also wrestles with his brother (sometimes literally) and whether he even wants to move past their outlaw status. Randall meets up with Charlotte, a hard woman who teaches him how to survive and maybe to understand his own feelings.
At times, Wade can get a little preachy or in love with his own words, but the overall story is great and the vivid descriptions of the American Southwest at the turn of the century are breathtaking.
All Things Left Wild is a story of bad decisions and their consequences. Caleb Bentley and his brother are on the run in the Wild West after a fateful decision to steal horses goes terribly wrong. Randall Dawson is chasing after them, though he is ill-equipped to do so. Along the way, Caleb wrestles with his bad decisions and whether he can ever move past them. He also wrestles with his brother (sometimes literally) and whether he even wants to move past their outlaw status. Randall meets up with Charlotte, a hard woman who teaches him how to survive and maybe to understand his own feelings.
At times, Wade can get a little preachy or in love with his own words, but the overall story is great and the vivid descriptions of the American Southwest at the turn of the century are breathtaking.
bkwrm1317's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While it’s a slow paced narrative, that’s the nature of a good western, so wasn’t a drawback to this read for me. Perhaps faster pace than some westerns, but I don’t agree with the claim of “fast-paced” on the back cover.
Taking place in mostly Texas at the turn of the 20th century, themes of violence in the changing West, corruption, morals and values, and simply how to survive all take a turn. There’s even some love thrown in for good measure. Solid debut and a solid western!
Taking place in mostly Texas at the turn of the 20th century, themes of violence in the changing West, corruption, morals and values, and simply how to survive all take a turn. There’s even some love thrown in for good measure. Solid debut and a solid western!
girlpuck's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
flexdza's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
keana's review against another edition
5.0
This book broke my heart in the best way. I had a favorite book long before reading this book, and this easily took its place as my new favorite book.
I love the language that Wade uses, and the use of first and third person depending on the point of view further characterizes Caleb Bentley and Randall Dawson. This book is a conversation about life and choice, and Wade converses with the reader through the characters, providing different viewpoints through different characters.
However, life is its own entity, and no man controls life.
A man only owns his decisions.
I love the language that Wade uses, and the use of first and third person depending on the point of view further characterizes Caleb Bentley and Randall Dawson. This book is a conversation about life and choice, and Wade converses with the reader through the characters, providing different viewpoints through different characters.
However, life is its own entity, and no man controls life.
A man only owns his decisions.
karenika's review against another edition
4.0
This story of good and evil, two brothers on the run and the man chasing them, was more gruesome than i would have liked but I really liked reading about “wild west” in the early 1900s and the people they met along the way and it reminded me of Cormac McCarthy.
If you like historical fiction and reading about the west, you will like this one.
If you like historical fiction and reading about the west, you will like this one.
noeminemowriting's review against another edition
5.0
After their mother dies, and their father abandons them, The Bentley brothers decide to rob a local horse ranch. One wants to cast off the shackles of his life and is in search of adventure, and one he just should have known better than to follow his brother into something like that. In an unfortunate turn of events the ranchers young son is killed. Grappling with what has happened the brothers set off across Texas during the Mexican Revolution to escape what's coming and try find what's next.
The rancher, Randall Dawson a book learned gentleman, not cut out for the rough and dirty life of the West is left reeling from the death of his son, and the loss of his idyllic dream of the West. His bitter and grieving wife insists that he chase the boys down and make them pay for what they did, and so begins his journey. As a tenderfoot gentleman, he blunders through his search and is eventually aided by a friend of his sons, and a young free woman, turned gun-slinger, but death and destruction know how to follow a trail, and Dawson is leaving one a mile wide.
Diving deep into the frame of mind that formed the American West, Wade writes a story that illuminates the struggle for life in a place where a life isn't anything special. With grit, and prose he highlights the beauty and tragedy of life that is to easy to forget on this side of civilization.
MY THOUGHTS:
I kept thinking the whole time I was reading this book... "Kevin Costner needs to make this into a movie". I loved it. I loved it like I love Open Range, Slow West, and all those meandering, harsh, grassroots philosopher Westerns. It was vivid and atmospheric and completely transported me. One could almost consider this book as the origin story of The Man With No Name. Beautifully done, well thought out, and that ending *phew*.
The rancher, Randall Dawson a book learned gentleman, not cut out for the rough and dirty life of the West is left reeling from the death of his son, and the loss of his idyllic dream of the West. His bitter and grieving wife insists that he chase the boys down and make them pay for what they did, and so begins his journey. As a tenderfoot gentleman, he blunders through his search and is eventually aided by a friend of his sons, and a young free woman, turned gun-slinger, but death and destruction know how to follow a trail, and Dawson is leaving one a mile wide.
Diving deep into the frame of mind that formed the American West, Wade writes a story that illuminates the struggle for life in a place where a life isn't anything special. With grit, and prose he highlights the beauty and tragedy of life that is to easy to forget on this side of civilization.
MY THOUGHTS:
I kept thinking the whole time I was reading this book... "Kevin Costner needs to make this into a movie". I loved it. I loved it like I love Open Range, Slow West, and all those meandering, harsh, grassroots philosopher Westerns. It was vivid and atmospheric and completely transported me. One could almost consider this book as the origin story of The Man With No Name. Beautifully done, well thought out, and that ending *phew*.
hookandtumble's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lizserafini's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars - beautifully written, great characters. I thought the audiobook was really well produced but I was wishing I had a hardback because I love the cover