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A review by madeline
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
5.0
Incredible, incredible, incredible.
Alexei and Ben are both hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in an effort to find themselves - Alexei's just lost his job and is working through his emotions about being disowned by his conservative, religious family after coming out as gay. Ben's just passed the NCLEX and is taking a break after several non-stop years of caregiving and studying. When they run into each other (almost literally) on the trail, they're immediately attracted to each other, but have no idea what to do with it, besides hike together and get to know each other.
This book is so truly <i>wonderful</i> and tender and kind and heartachy and perfect. Loving Ben and Lex is irresistible and God did they melt my dumb little heart. They're so cautious and careful with each other, so gracious about boundaries they don't know they need to set until they're setting them, and I've literally never been so entranced by BIRDS in my whole life.
This is a heavy book - Alexei in particular is dealing with A Lot of religious trauma, certainly around his own sexuality, but also around the way his whole childhood was quite sheltered. I've never seen someone so able to capture my own complex feelings about religion (and mine aren't even really compounded by my childhood faith's view of my sexuality!) and the way that something you once thought so fundamental to you becomes something you don't even recognize anymore, except in its purest, best, most love-filled form in the quietest, awe-filled moments. Ben is a geriatric nurse who truly loves his calling, but still has to reckon with a lot of tough patient losses on top of some poor romantic choices in the past. Each of them ends up in some very well-deserved therapy, and I think that all of their trauma is treated with the deftest, kindest, most respectful hand.
I wish I could say more about this book, but I truly don't have the words. This'll likely end up on my favorites shelf at the store.
Thank you Forever and Edelweiss for the ARC!
Alexei and Ben are both hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in an effort to find themselves - Alexei's just lost his job and is working through his emotions about being disowned by his conservative, religious family after coming out as gay. Ben's just passed the NCLEX and is taking a break after several non-stop years of caregiving and studying. When they run into each other (almost literally) on the trail, they're immediately attracted to each other, but have no idea what to do with it, besides hike together and get to know each other.
This book is so truly <i>wonderful</i> and tender and kind and heartachy and perfect. Loving Ben and Lex is irresistible and God did they melt my dumb little heart. They're so cautious and careful with each other, so gracious about boundaries they don't know they need to set until they're setting them, and I've literally never been so entranced by BIRDS in my whole life.
This is a heavy book - Alexei in particular is dealing with A Lot of religious trauma, certainly around his own sexuality, but also around the way his whole childhood was quite sheltered. I've never seen someone so able to capture my own complex feelings about religion (and mine aren't even really compounded by my childhood faith's view of my sexuality!) and the way that something you once thought so fundamental to you becomes something you don't even recognize anymore, except in its purest, best, most love-filled form in the quietest, awe-filled moments. Ben is a geriatric nurse who truly loves his calling, but still has to reckon with a lot of tough patient losses on top of some poor romantic choices in the past. Each of them ends up in some very well-deserved therapy, and I think that all of their trauma is treated with the deftest, kindest, most respectful hand.
I wish I could say more about this book, but I truly don't have the words. This'll likely end up on my favorites shelf at the store.
Thank you Forever and Edelweiss for the ARC!