Rating: 3/5
“The Wild Inside” by Jamey Bradbury tells the story of Tracey Petrikoff, who has been hunting, racing, and wandering around the woods of Alaska for as long as she could remember. Tracey lives with her brother, Scott, her father, Bill, and up until recently, her mother, Hannah, who passed away due to an accident. The family tries to move on from the tragedy, but it is difficult for them to get by financially and emotionally without Hannah. Early on in the story, Tracey is attacked by a man in the woods. She spends much of the novel worried that he will come back and hurt her, or even her family. She struggles to decide what is best for her, but she is also a teenager with ambitions and curiosity.
The book goes between Tracey in present day and her memories of the past, but all of these memories are not necessarily hers. We learn very early on that Tracey is a little different from those around her. There is something that Tracey has been doing since she was little, other than exploring and competing in races with her dogs, that gives her a deeper connection to the animals and the people around her. When Jesse, a boy the same age as Tracey, comes into her life, she wants to know more about him and how he might be connected to the man who attacked her in the woods.
I gave this book a 3/5. I thought it was unique and unlike anything I have read before, which I liked, but there were quite a few parts that were slightly confusing. I would recommend this book to an older audience, as there are elements that some readers may find disturbing. I would also recommend this book for those that enjoy stories about nature, but also to those who enjoy thrillers and suspense.