A review by analenegrace
Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I read Kelly's other book last year, and I was super excited for this one, not even realizing it was in the same universe (which I didn't realize until Chef's Special was mentioned lol). 

Alexei and Ben's relationship was beautiful. They were both well-written characters with complicated stories that made them feel so real. Alexei's coming out journey and his complicated relationship with faith were so important and relatable. Ben's journey to realize he was deserving of good love was also beautiful, although this book definitely felt like Alexei's story. My only thing is that I wish Alexei's autism and diagnosis had been a little more than a mention at the end of the epilogue. 

The descriptions of the trail and the adventure Alexei and Ben went on were so well-written, as were the letters they wrote to each other and that Alexei wrote to his family in the middle. The side characters felt full and like real people, something that is a sign of a fantastic author to me!

I loved the little bit of the characters of the last book being featured in this one and I look forward to rereading Love & Other Disasters soon because it's the June pick for my book club!

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