A review by random_spider
Wild Song by Candy Gourlay

dark informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

 ------Stat Score------

Plot/Content: 7/10
Characters/POVs: 7/10
Prose/Style: 8/10
Themes/Messages: 9/10
Enjoyability/Impact: 7/10

OVERALL RATING: 7/10 (Good)

A similarly valorous, provoking sequel to Bone Talk, I think it's a smudge better than its predecessor.
"What are you going to do? Jump on a train? Go home?" I snapped. "The Americans are our hosts. Show some respect!"

"Show respect when they show us no respect —"


Synopsis and/or Premise:
Luki wanted to do more than the constraints and control of her Bontok people. So, when the opportunity arrived through Truman Hunt, she sailed to America to be a part of the World's Fair. This will be the change that's going give her freedom. To be out there. To experience the world. And she indeed experienced it.

The Good and The Bad:
This sequel continues to be one of the most thematic books I've ever read. The author was particularly fond of packing them with those relevant to its target audiences, as well as exploring rarely-touched histories. Themes such as Colonialism, Feminism, Racism/Discrimination/Prejudice, Personal Identity and Independence, Spirituality, Greed, etc., many of which were dark-toned. I mean, it's not the biggest surprise since true historical events were mostly f*cked up 😬. The narrative was particularly focused on the exploitation of various people around the globe for Westerners' entertainment, not an ounce of regard towards sensitivity just so to establish their superiority. Ever heard of the Human Zoo during the 1904 World's Fair in St. Luis? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. All of this within the perspective of a Bontok character made the collective message much more stirring.

To my pleasant surprise, this book was incredibly balanced in terms of being a plot-driven and a character-driven story ⚖️. The plot had an overarching control of the direction, but our main characters (especially Luki) had capabilities to write their own stories. They had to grapple with their everyday decisions to survive and adapt. And because of this personal agency, it was an effective Young Adult (YA) fiction. Lastly, the pacing of the narrative was more stable comparatively to its antecedent. They all just fit snuggly together.

Again, the author published something with genuine intention of educating the readers to what happened in the pages of history 🧑‍🏫. This was evident, again, through the ending pages of the book. The section called 'What Happened Next' was a historical excerpt from the author explaining her inspirations (including their legitimate references.) There was also a Discussion Guide after it, encouraging groups of readers to share their thoughts comfortably (and perhaps learn a thing or two.) Such a great, well-researched Historical Fiction that checked all my criteria for the genre (see my he review for reference.) This is why I admire Candy Gourlay, further cementing herself to be my favorite Filipino author.

But like its predecessor, it had suffered some flaws that kept me from rating it much higher:

1. Forced scenes 😒 - There were a few scenes throughout the book that was forced...and it's embarrassing how obvious it was (as if the author was struggling on transition.) They also led into some questionable/random/odd scenarios for the characters.

2. Few derivative themes 🤷- There's nothing innately wrong with the themes (I scored them highest, even), but they were those that have been explored further on other modern novels. Thus, they felt not fresh enough. Also, how some themes were pushy rather than being subtly integrated doesn't help either.

3. Telling 🗣️ - This issue was connected to the prose, which was unique by the way. Luki consistently talking to his mom? IT'S DIFFERENT YET IT WORKS WELL. However, because of this format, there were unavoidable telling incidents where Luki simply narrated the event to her mom rather than the author simply showing the occurrence.

Final Thoughts:
Wild Song by Candy Gourlay is a YA, Historical Fiction novel about the 1904 World's Fair in the perspective of a young Bontok woman and her people. It's a sequel to the author's most recent work, Bone Talk, though I'm not 100% certain if this duology would soon become a trilogy. But I'm just glad she continued her utilization of superstitions/beliefs (like in all of her novels) as it was a large part of this series. There are some parts that I would like to be written differently, but that's just me. Now, I was constantly debating on who's character to side on, since the author made sure their actions and decisions stemmed from logic. They all had a solid point, and they left me ripped apart questioning myself. THAT'S WHY I LOVED IT!!! 😍

Thank you, Miss Bea for this Christmas Book Giveaway, 😁!!!

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Links to my ratings and reviews:
Goodreads reviews
The StoryGraph