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winglady's review against another edition
5.0
Richly-drawn and complex characters set against a wintry search & rescue in the backcountry of Colorado, make for a story that will make the reader shiver. Excellent storytelling.
wanderaven's review against another edition
2.0
I do not have to love or even like the protagonist in a novel. A perfect example of this is Perfume - a novel I liked quite a lot, despite the protagonist being a hideously vile person with no redeeming qualities, no reason whatever to root for him. I appreciate novels where the villain is given qualities or a history of what you can at least somewhat reasonably understand why she acts the way she does though you could never support her actions.
But even if I don't like the protagonist, I have to at least care about the outcome of their story. Whether they'll be redeemed or punished or karma-spanked. If I don't care about what happens to them, then what's the point of finishing their story?
Which is why I stopped Breaking Wild at around the 52% mark. Really, you could argue that this novel has two protagonists and their stories are presented in alternating chapters, with staggered timelines. There's Amy Raye, a bow hunter who has gone missing on a mountainside, and Pru, a search and rescue woman helping to look for her. Pru, I found somewhat engaging, though quite not enough to carry the story on her own.
Amy Raye, though... ugh. No thanks. I often find many protagonists start out somewhat reprehensible but they grow on me as their situation and history and motivations are slowly revealed (i.e. everything I've read by Gillian Flynn). Amy Raye was reversed for me - the more I heard of her motivations and backstory made me like her less, every chapter. Which made me care less about her fate, every chapter. And finally, I had to stop.
A caveat: I have read reviews from other readers saying that this wasn't the case for them - that they grew to like Amy Raye. So you may, too. If so, I can certainly say that the plot is quite engaging, pulling the reader right along to find out what's happened, and the disjointed time between the two women's stories serves this very well.
*Berkley Publishing provided an advanced copy for my review.
But even if I don't like the protagonist, I have to at least care about the outcome of their story. Whether they'll be redeemed or punished or karma-spanked. If I don't care about what happens to them, then what's the point of finishing their story?
Which is why I stopped Breaking Wild at around the 52% mark. Really, you could argue that this novel has two protagonists and their stories are presented in alternating chapters, with staggered timelines. There's Amy Raye, a bow hunter who has gone missing on a mountainside, and Pru, a search and rescue woman helping to look for her. Pru, I found somewhat engaging, though quite not enough to carry the story on her own.
Amy Raye, though... ugh. No thanks. I often find many protagonists start out somewhat reprehensible but they grow on me as their situation and history and motivations are slowly revealed (i.e. everything I've read by Gillian Flynn). Amy Raye was reversed for me - the more I heard of her motivations and backstory made me like her less, every chapter. Which made me care less about her fate, every chapter. And finally, I had to stop.
A caveat: I have read reviews from other readers saying that this wasn't the case for them - that they grew to like Amy Raye. So you may, too. If so, I can certainly say that the plot is quite engaging, pulling the reader right along to find out what's happened, and the disjointed time between the two women's stories serves this very well.
*Berkley Publishing provided an advanced copy for my review.
floyd_jpg's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
deservingporcupine's review against another edition
2.0
I made it halfway through and then skimmed to the end. I loved that it was about strong women doing things you don't usually see women doing, but the long, drawn out journeys into their pasts was just overwhelmingly melancholy. I think I'm too old to read sentence after sentence that has no humor or joy. Definitely not my thing.
g_unit_lol's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
andrearbooks's review against another edition
3.0
As a note that's more about me as the reader, I should share that prior to this I'd read four beach reads. So switching to a novel focused on literal survival was quite the twist. This is a beautifully written story of two women. When Amy Raye is lost in the woods, Pru leads the efforts to find her. This is about them in these roles, but more so who they are outside of this search and quests to survive. I'll be honest that this isn't totally my jam from a genre perspective (I read this for a book club), but I was still captivated by the way in which these stories were told!
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Diane Les Becquets' Breaking Wild is a suspense-laden novel of survival and redemption. This compelling story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of lost hunter Amy Raye Latour and Bureau of Land Management Ranger Pru Hathaway and it is impossible to put down as the search for Amy Raye thunders to a thrilling conclusion.
During a weekend hunting trip, Amy Raye sets out on to bag an elk with nothing but a bow and arrow and a limited amount of supplies. While tracking the injured elk, the weather turns treacherous and Amy Raye quickly loses her bearings once darkness falls. With dogged determination, she continues trying to return to safety until a devastating injury leaves her stranded in a secluded cave where she soon faces frigid temperatures, numerous snowstorms and wild animals.
Pru and her search and rescue dog Kona are quickly called in to look for Amy Raye but deteriorating weather conditions soon hamper the team's rescue efforts. Recovering numerous clues during the search, local Sheriff Colm McCormac tries to determine what happened to Amy Raye. Unlike the other members of the search, Pru is not convinced that Amy Rae is dead and over the next several weeks, she continues looking for her on her own.
Amy Raye is an experienced outdoorswoman with a strong sense of survival. Battling the elements, she knows the steps to take to keep herself alive and she remains hopeful she will find her way back to civilization. With nothing but time on her hands, Amy Raye becomes quite introspective as she reflects on the mistakes of her past and her somewhat troubled marriage.
Pru also has a bit of tragic past but she has forged a successful life for herself and her teenage son, Joseph. She is a rather solitary person and while she does not date, she and Colm are good friends. Although the official search for Amy Raye has been called off, Pru cannot forget the lost woman and she continues to pore over evidence while still hunting for her. Discovering new information, she expands her search area but Pru is frustrated by her inability to locate Amy Raye.
Beautifully rendered and impeccably researched, Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets is a magnificent story of inner strength, survival and ultimately, a journey of healing and self discovery. This well-written novel has an engaging storyline and a cast of multi-faceted, sympathetic characters. A riveting read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Diane Les Becquets' Breaking Wild is a suspense-laden novel of survival and redemption. This compelling story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of lost hunter Amy Raye Latour and Bureau of Land Management Ranger Pru Hathaway and it is impossible to put down as the search for Amy Raye thunders to a thrilling conclusion.
During a weekend hunting trip, Amy Raye sets out on to bag an elk with nothing but a bow and arrow and a limited amount of supplies. While tracking the injured elk, the weather turns treacherous and Amy Raye quickly loses her bearings once darkness falls. With dogged determination, she continues trying to return to safety until a devastating injury leaves her stranded in a secluded cave where she soon faces frigid temperatures, numerous snowstorms and wild animals.
Pru and her search and rescue dog Kona are quickly called in to look for Amy Raye but deteriorating weather conditions soon hamper the team's rescue efforts. Recovering numerous clues during the search, local Sheriff Colm McCormac tries to determine what happened to Amy Raye. Unlike the other members of the search, Pru is not convinced that Amy Rae is dead and over the next several weeks, she continues looking for her on her own.
Amy Raye is an experienced outdoorswoman with a strong sense of survival. Battling the elements, she knows the steps to take to keep herself alive and she remains hopeful she will find her way back to civilization. With nothing but time on her hands, Amy Raye becomes quite introspective as she reflects on the mistakes of her past and her somewhat troubled marriage.
Pru also has a bit of tragic past but she has forged a successful life for herself and her teenage son, Joseph. She is a rather solitary person and while she does not date, she and Colm are good friends. Although the official search for Amy Raye has been called off, Pru cannot forget the lost woman and she continues to pore over evidence while still hunting for her. Discovering new information, she expands her search area but Pru is frustrated by her inability to locate Amy Raye.
Beautifully rendered and impeccably researched, Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets is a magnificent story of inner strength, survival and ultimately, a journey of healing and self discovery. This well-written novel has an engaging storyline and a cast of multi-faceted, sympathetic characters. A riveting read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
nancyinoregon's review against another edition
4.0
Love books about search and rescue or wilderness survival, fictional or not. This book has both. Greatly enjoyed the story and the characters. Learned some things. I have to say...these days if you go out in the wilderness you should carry a Spot device. Period. It doesn't make for good plot lines, but it does make for happy endings.
ainwena's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0