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A review by jtchibnalljr
Arctic Wild by Annabeth Albert
3.0
Feeling Factor:
Surprisingly, the true star of this show was not the romance kindled between the two main characters but rather the bond cultivated between father and daughter. The trope of distant-dad trying to win over his teen "before it is too late" is QUITE overdone but in this book it is presented in a rather refreshing way that doesn't feel forced. The dad never tries to change the his daughter but rather thinks about how he can make changes to support her while still being her dad and not her bestie.
Level of Queerness:
On one hand, we love the a love story between two bisexual men who took time to discover and explore their sexuality. On the other hand, I doubt that being a queer couple in Alaska is as fairytale-esque as this book leads us to believe. It is a rough and tumble place and while it doesn't need to be an ode to rural homophobia, there could've been more conflict when it came to identity.
Believability:
Some of the elements of the story were a stretch to say the least. Firstly, surviving a plane crash is quite something and it almost glossed over. I wanted more drama, more search and rescue, more "is he gonna make it." This was a PLANE CRASH not a scraped knee. The general premise of the recovery is a little absurd as well. This stranger is going to host this other young stranger back to life whilst he tries to salvage his relationship with his distant teen daughter. THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS MAN and they just let him into their home and lives like it was nothing. We could assume it would work out because of the genre but it still stressed me out as someone who watches too much True Crime. I wasn't so bothered by the older/younger coupling and did like that the younger's family had some reservations.
Missed Opportunities:
Toby is indigenous and save the mention of his family's traditional healer there wasn't much acknowledgement of his identity beyond that. There was an opportunity to explore the intersectionality between his culture and his queerness. I would've loved to see Ruben learn about Toby's background and embrace his culture a bit more - I think that would've bridged the gap with the theme of Toby's family's distrust of Ruben as an "outsider."
Flags/Triggers/Warnings:
It is stated in the description but there is a plane crash
Surprisingly, the true star of this show was not the romance kindled between the two main characters but rather the bond cultivated between father and daughter. The trope of distant-dad trying to win over his teen "before it is too late" is QUITE overdone but in this book it is presented in a rather refreshing way that doesn't feel forced. The dad never tries to change the his daughter but rather thinks about how he can make changes to support her while still being her dad and not her bestie.
Level of Queerness:
On one hand, we love the a love story between two bisexual men who took time to discover and explore their sexuality. On the other hand, I doubt that being a queer couple in Alaska is as fairytale-esque as this book leads us to believe. It is a rough and tumble place and while it doesn't need to be an ode to rural homophobia, there could've been more conflict when it came to identity.
Believability:
Some of the elements of the story were a stretch to say the least. Firstly, surviving a plane crash is quite something and it almost glossed over. I wanted more drama, more search and rescue, more "is he gonna make it." This was a PLANE CRASH not a scraped knee. The general premise of the recovery is a little absurd as well. This stranger is going to host this other young stranger back to life whilst he tries to salvage his relationship with his distant teen daughter. THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS MAN and they just let him into their home and lives like it was nothing. We could assume it would work out because of the genre but it still stressed me out as someone who watches too much True Crime. I wasn't so bothered by the older/younger coupling and did like that the younger's family had some reservations.
Missed Opportunities:
Toby is indigenous and save the mention of his family's traditional healer there wasn't much acknowledgement of his identity beyond that. There was an opportunity to explore the intersectionality between his culture and his queerness. I would've loved to see Ruben learn about Toby's background and embrace his culture a bit more - I think that would've bridged the gap with the theme of Toby's family's distrust of Ruben as an "outsider."
Flags/Triggers/Warnings:
It is stated in the description but there is a plane crash