Review: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
The Basics
Title: The Simple Wild (The Simple Wild #1)
Author: K.A. Tucker
Published: 2018
Publisher: Atria Books — Simon & Schuster
Pages: 388
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Contemporary fiction, Romance, Contemporary romance, New adult
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Book Synopsis
When Calla Fletcher was only two years old, her mother moved the two of them from a remote Alaskan town to Toronto, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren, in the process. Over the next twenty-four years, Calla never saw her father, and after a fallout with him when she was in middle school, she stopped hearing from him too. That is, until one night when she receives a call from a woman named Agnes telling her that her father is sick and she should come to Alaska to see him in case the worst should come to pass. In spite of her reservations about going to the place that her mother has routinely described as a “barren wasteland,” Calla does not want to pass up what might be her last opportunity to salvage her relationship with her estranged father, so she agrees to go. From the lack of many conveniences to the overabundance of mosquitoes, she is completely unprepared for what awaits her in Alaska. And then there’s Jonah, a bush pilot who seems keen on making her time in Alaska miserable…or at least, that’s what it feels like at first. As Calla spends more time with him, she finds her disdain toward him replaced with a growing sense of attraction, but she is hesitant to act on those feelings. After all, her time in Alaska has an end date, and Jonah, much like her father, will never leave Alaska.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
You know that type of book that is so good that you constantly find yourself trying to sneak away to read it? That’s The Simple Wild. It hooks you from page one and retains your attention until the very last word.
Its enjoyability is in large part due to K.A. Tucker’s engaging writing style. Her use of a first-person narrative and the present tense creates an immersive reading experience in which you feel as though you are experiencing everything firsthand. She is also skilled in conveying emotions and humor. You feel Calla’s highs and lows, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself routinely laughing while reading this book.
Of course, Tucker’s writing style would mean nothing if it weren’t complemented by a well-crafted plot, which fortunately for us, The Simple Wild has. From the slow-burn romance between Calla and Jonah to Calla and Wren rebuilding their father-daughter relationship to Calla’s journey of personal growth, the book has enough going on to give it a sense of depth and prevent it from ever feeling superficial or dull. Plus, the book boasts a captivating setting: the Alaskan wilderness.
Circling back to Calla and Jonah, I just have to take a moment to say how much I enjoyed their enemies-to-lovers storyline. From their first meeting, you can sense the sexual tension between them, which draws you in and keeps you turning the pages so you can see when they will finally get together. It was also touching to see their relationship deepen over the course of the book to the point where they came to truly care for and emotionally support one another.
Another praise-worthy aspect of this book is how it accurately captures the complex nature of love, both romantic and familial. With regard to the former, it uses the relationship between Calla’s mother and father to illustrate that sometimes love alone is not enough. Two people can be deeply in love but not be compatible due to competing needs. The relationship between Calla and her father exemplifies the complicated nature of the second type of love, familial. Calla loves her father, but that love is tangled up with feelings of resentment and regret. It is not until she meets her father and eventually comes to forgive him that she is able to unpack her emotions and understand just how much she does care about him.
The final element of this book that I have to touch upon is its cast of secondary characters. The supporting characters help to round out the story and make the fictional town of Bangor, Alaska feel real. I particularly love Agnes, the quiet but all-knowing neighbor of Wren. Calla’s level-headed step-father, Simon, is another favorite character of mine. He helps to bring Calla back down to earth and forces her (and by extension, us, the reader) to examine why she is feeling a certain way.
The not so good
Calla is the type of character who you do not immediately like. When I began the book, I found Calla to be rather high maintenance and judgmental. I found myself rolling my eyes over some of the things that she said when she first arrived in Alaska. Her character, however, does evolve over the course of the book and becomes much less annoying and more likable.
Overall
The Simple Wild was the perfect quarantine read. It transported me from my far-too-small, cabin-fever-inducing apartment to the spacious and picturesque Alaskan wilderness. Be warned though – once you start this book, you won’t want to put it down. So, read at your own risk.
Have you read The Simple Wild? What did you think?
