The New Wilderness
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- Create Date：2021-08-13 08:51:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Diane Cook
- ISBN：0861540018
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Summary
A debut novel that explores a mother-daughter relationship in a world ravaged by climate change and overpopulation， a suspenseful second book from the author of the story collection， Man V。 Nature。
Bea’s five-year-old daughter， Agnes， is slowly wasting away。 The smog and pollution of the City—an over-populated， over-built metropolis where most of the population lives—is destroying her lungs。 But what can Bea do？ No one leaves the City anymore， because there is nowhere else to go。 But across the country lies the Wilderness State， the last swath of open， protected land left。 Here forests and desert plains are inhabited solely by wildlife。 People are forbidden。 Until now。
Bea， Agnes， and eighteen others volunteer to live in the Wilderness State as part of a study to see if humans can co-exist with nature。 Can they be part of the wilderness and not destroy it？ Living as nomadic hunter-gatherers， this new community wanders through the grand country， trying to adhere to the strict rules laid down by the Rangers， whose job it is to remind them they must Leave No Trace。 As the group slowly learns to live and survive on the unpredictable and often dangerous land， its members battle for power and control and betray and save each other。 The farther they roam， the closer they come to their animal soul。
To her dismay， Bea discovers that， in fleeing to the Wilderness State to save Agnes， she is losing her in a different way。 Agnes is growing wilder and closer to the land， while Bea cannot shake her urban past。 As she and Agnes grow further apart， the bonds between mother and daughter are tested in surprising and heartbreaking ways。
Yet just as these modern nomads come to think of the Wilderness State as home， its future is threatened when the Government discovers a new use for the land。 Now the migrants must choose to stay and fight for their place in the wilderness， their home， or trust the Rangers and their promises of a better tomorrow elsewhere。
Bea’s five-year-old daughter， Agnes， is slowly wasting away。 The smog and pollution of the City—an over-populated， over-built metropolis where most of the population lives—is destroying her lungs。 But what can Bea do？ No one leaves the City anymore， because there is nowhere else to go。 But across the country lies the Wilderness State， the last swath of open， protected land left。 Here forests and desert plains are inhabited solely by wildlife。 People are forbidden。 Until now。
Bea， Agnes， and eighteen others volunteer to live in the Wilderness State as part of a study to see if humans can co-exist with nature。 Can they be part of the wilderness and not destroy it？ Living as nomadic hunter-gatherers， this new community wanders through the grand country， trying to adhere to the strict rules laid down by the Rangers， whose job it is to remind them they must Leave No Trace。 As the group slowly learns to live and survive on the unpredictable and often dangerous land， its members battle for power and control and betray and save each other。 The farther they roam， the closer they come to their animal soul。
To her dismay， Bea discovers that， in fleeing to the Wilderness State to save Agnes， she is losing her in a different way。 Agnes is growing wilder and closer to the land， while Bea cannot shake her urban past。 As she and Agnes grow further apart， the bonds between mother and daughter are tested in surprising and heartbreaking ways。
Yet just as these modern nomads come to think of the Wilderness State as home， its future is threatened when the Government discovers a new use for the land。 Now the migrants must choose to stay and fight for their place in the wilderness， their home， or trust the Rangers and their promises of a better tomorrow elsewhere。
Reviews
Marie Janus
，
I found this book very relevant it is relatable in many ways。 It is a book about the wilderness and survival but also a great character study。 They characters seem immature at times， but I think it’s accurate bc we’re all immature sometimes。 Agnes’ Mom， Bea seems calculating and in control， but in the end we learn she’s naive as well。 Agnes is confident and capable and wild but in the end， she cannot evade the government or the powerful in the world and is fenced in。 Great book。
Jamie Gillette
，
I started out liking this quite a bit but then it drifted so significantly that I kept thinking， "Where on earth is this going？" I kept reading to find out， but the ending didn't offer any kind of meaningful closure to help make all the past events feel meaningful or deliberate。 I started out liking this quite a bit but then it drifted so significantly that I kept thinking， "Where on earth is this going？" I kept reading to find out， but the ending didn't offer any kind of meaningful closure to help make all the past events feel meaningful or deliberate。 。。。more
BreeAnn （She Just Loves Books）
，
The New Wilderness is a book that I'm not going to forget anytime soon。 I really loved the survival aspect of the story。 A group of people agree to live in the final wilderness left in a world that has almost completely destroyed nature。 They have an entire manual filled with rules about how they can live。 They can't stay in one place for long， they must bring all trash with them， they must check in at ranger posts， the list goes on and on。 When they show up at their scheduled post， and are told The New Wilderness is a book that I'm not going to forget anytime soon。 I really loved the survival aspect of the story。 A group of people agree to live in the final wilderness left in a world that has almost completely destroyed nature。 They have an entire manual filled with rules about how they can live。 They can't stay in one place for long， they must bring all trash with them， they must check in at ranger posts， the list goes on and on。 When they show up at their scheduled post， and are told to head to a new post that they have never visited before， the group is set on a course that will change their lives。I really enjoyed the journey in this story。 I enjoyed the character dynamics and self-discovery of the characters。 I thought this was beautifully written and truly a story that will whisk you away into the pages！I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free。 I am leaving my review voluntarily。 。。。more
Johnett
，
I thought this would be more of a near-dystopian book about climate change。 Instead it’s really a study of interpersonal relationships within closed groups。 I enjoyed the psychology of this book more than the ‘adventure’ aspect。 — js
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
，
“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘， 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣。” - 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘵-𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨！What a brutal and complex story。Imagine that the place you live is so contaminated that the only way to survive is in the wilderness？ This book is terrifying， profound and brutal。 A story about love， motherhood， nature， greed and survival。Thank you HarperPerennial for this gifted copy。𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘿𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙖𝙣， 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣， 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚， 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣， 𝙚𝙘𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨， 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨。https://www。ins “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘， 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣。” - 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘵-𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨！What a brutal and complex story。Imagine that the place you live is so contaminated that the only way to survive is in the wilderness？ This book is terrifying， profound and brutal。 A story about love， motherhood， nature， greed and survival。Thank you HarperPerennial for this gifted copy。𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘿𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙖𝙣， 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣， 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚， 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣， 𝙚𝙘𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨， 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 。。。more
Rose
，
Interesting concept， and well written， however， the ending was underwhelming and made this a three-star。 The story could have gone so many places and yet just puttered out。
Adele
，
3。75 ☆TW Overall i enjoyed this book a lot （read on audio）， although at times it dragged in the middle section。I love dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction， and nature writing， and therefore books like this will always grab my attention， and perhaps sway my feelings on them， but I can see why this won't be for everyone。A warning， it does contain regular references to animal death/slaughter， and human injury/violence， but not in a way that ever glorifies it， it is simply matter of fact， based on the 3。75 ☆TW Overall i enjoyed this book a lot （read on audio）， although at times it dragged in the middle section。I love dystopian/post apocalyptic fiction， and nature writing， and therefore books like this will always grab my attention， and perhaps sway my feelings on them， but I can see why this won't be for everyone。A warning， it does contain regular references to animal death/slaughter， and human injury/violence， but not in a way that ever glorifies it， it is simply matter of fact， based on the harshness of life and death， stripped down to it's core。 It can be hard to read， but knowing that the characters were surviving in the wilderness， I knew to expect it going into the book。I thought the Mother/Daughter dynamic was brilliantly done， and this is something that always interests me a lot in fiction， having got an unusual one with my own Mum。 I felt it also mirrored the varied， often difficult， relationship we have with 'Mother Nature' well。As expected I loved the passages about the environment/nature， and appreciated the honesty and rawness surrounding the loss of loved ones。 I'm looking forward to reading more by Diane Cook in the future。 。。。more
Thea
，
I think this is probably closer to a 3。5， but still a very gripping and intriguing novel that pushes me to give it a slightly higher rating。 I do think it is a bit uneven， as one review I just glanced at said -- the world building is *almost* lush， is *almost* fully-formed， but is still a touch underwhelming。 I think the transition from Bea's voice to Agnes's voice was too rushed and created a sense of lopsidedness。 As much as I enjoyed Agnes's perspective， I still longed for Bea's perspective o I think this is probably closer to a 3。5， but still a very gripping and intriguing novel that pushes me to give it a slightly higher rating。 I do think it is a bit uneven， as one review I just glanced at said -- the world building is *almost* lush， is *almost* fully-formed， but is still a touch underwhelming。 I think the transition from Bea's voice to Agnes's voice was too rushed and created a sense of lopsidedness。 As much as I enjoyed Agnes's perspective， I still longed for Bea's perspective on similar events。 And to that point， the relationship between the preteen to teenaged Agnes and Bea was perfection， which is definitely a huge point in its favor。 I love me a complicated， complex mother daughter relationship that isn't abusive。 Diane Cook carefully and cleanly captured that strain of nascent adulthood， and although my teen years are rapidly fading in my sensory memory， I can still feel the hints of them， particularly the sense that adults cannot possibly know everything and that a young person's lived experiences are also valid。 That being said， I really appreciated that by the end of the story， Agnes's experiences had carried to different conclusions from what she would have thought when she was younger。 The ability to grow and change your mind is， perhaps， the most important thing that happens for young people。 In any case， I overall liked the book and the concept， I wish it had just been a little sharper in some regards。 。。。more
Martin C
，
Reminds me of Lord of the。Flies。 Very readable。 Let’s hope our world never gets to this stage with the only escape involving going back to almost our origins with all that entails in living and leadership。
callie
，
Lord of the flies but with more disdain for bureaucracy I guess
Kate
，
The atmosphere and pacing were delightfully tense and quite foreboding for a long while - not unlike the vibes of NBC's Hannibal when you're watching Hannibal Lecter select his next， um， "guest" for dinner。 I enjoyed the conflict between the Community and the Rangers over the Community's impact on the land， and the Community and themselves over whose will should guide their decision-making: the Rangers' or their own？ I appreciated the constant development of the relationships among all the chara The atmosphere and pacing were delightfully tense and quite foreboding for a long while - not unlike the vibes of NBC's Hannibal when you're watching Hannibal Lecter select his next， um， "guest" for dinner。 I enjoyed the conflict between the Community and the Rangers over the Community's impact on the land， and the Community and themselves over whose will should guide their decision-making: the Rangers' or their own？ I appreciated the constant development of the relationships among all the characters to each other and to the land。 I loved the description of different biomes and the details shared about every part of the wilderness， from the smallest acorn to a majestic elk。What dropped my review from 4 to 3 stars for me is the book's conclusion。 I wish the story ended a bit sooner than it did。 The waiting for the other shoe to drop， the thrill of the chase， the triumph of survival。。。 all that to be followed by That Ending was unsatisfying。 I would have appreciated the book more if its epilogue had not felt so shoehorned in。 I don't know what the author was trying to accomplish with it， but it was so disparate from the conflicts and themes explored in the novel proper that it left a bad taste in my mouth。 The character who narrates the epilogue read to me as a totally inauthentic version of themself for the sake of communicating a message about the relationship between human civilization and the natural world。 It really is a pity， because if the author had written the resolution a little more intelligently， a reader probably could have inferred what happened to the characters， arrived at some insight about what they reveal about human nature， and been okay with how their storylines wrapped up without being spoonfed an unsatisfying， preachy conclusion。 。。。more
Marcella
，
De thematiek is fantastisch， de uitvoering matig。 Ik ga er nog even over nadenken。 Er volgt een blog。
Rhea
，
Set many years in the future， a group of people signed up on a study to live in The Wilderness。 The Community are composed of scientists， adventurers， and people who want to escape the toxic air of The City。 They were given a Manual in how to live: zero waste and they're not allowed to stay in one place for over seven days。 Diane Cook did an amazing job describing the vast landscapes that the characters travel through。 I could smell pine in the air as I was reading！！ And despite being set in a d Set many years in the future， a group of people signed up on a study to live in The Wilderness。 The Community are composed of scientists， adventurers， and people who want to escape the toxic air of The City。 They were given a Manual in how to live: zero waste and they're not allowed to stay in one place for over seven days。 Diane Cook did an amazing job describing the vast landscapes that the characters travel through。 I could smell pine in the air as I was reading！！ And despite being set in a dystopian future， the way of life of The Community gives us a glimpse of how our ancestors were living many many years ago。 Equally fascinating are Bea and Agnes' mother-daughter dynamics。 The characters also did a lot of things that may be quite perplexing （one man impregnating all the ladies， some characters are obsessed with being the alpha and the "leader"， heteronormative marriage is not the rule）。This， I think， is where "The New Wilderness" is the strongest: Diane Cook's worldbuilding prowess and capturing the complexity of Homo sapiens interactions with one another and nature。On the other hand， there is no plot to the book。 You can either see this as a National Geographic documentary film or as KUWTK reality show。 Literally put a group of people in one place and see how they interact 😂。 Another thing is that I don't find a lot of closures by the end of the book。。。 I still wonder why the characters do what they do。 It is easy to say "Well， they needed to survive！" But this seems to me a very lazy answer？？？ HahahahahhAnyway， all things aside， I can see why "The New Wilderness" has been shortlisted for the #2020BookerPrize 。 Diane Cook built a magnificent world with an all-too-Homo sapiens cast of characters and for these alone， this book is worth it。 。。。more
Robert Irish
，
I really wanted to like this book better。 The premise is interesting: a group of people are released into the last wilderness （an area that seems to expand in vastness as necessary for the story）。 At centre are Bea and her daughter Agnes， who was so sick that her family needed to escape the ‘City’。 The story meanders through some fairly predictable survival narratives but never really seems to have a central purpose。 As metaphor for our inability to manage the environment， its message is ambiguo I really wanted to like this book better。 The premise is interesting: a group of people are released into the last wilderness （an area that seems to expand in vastness as necessary for the story）。 At centre are Bea and her daughter Agnes， who was so sick that her family needed to escape the ‘City’。 The story meanders through some fairly predictable survival narratives but never really seems to have a central purpose。 As metaphor for our inability to manage the environment， its message is ambiguous。 The ending was a final disappointment。 。。。more
Daniela M
，
A little boring at the beginning， but got much more interesting when Agnes started narrating。 Not the most amazing book I’ve read this year but the second half kept me turning the pages。
Carla Villar
，
There are a few unexpected twists and turns in this one。 The novel is well-written and fast-paced。 It is not， however， uplifting。 Read it when you are looking for something good that does not need to be happy。
Permanently_Booked
，
I'm not exactly sure how to review this one and I am fairly certain I missed the mother-daughter depth that this was centered around。 It started out strong with a catching opening scene but quickly started to lose steam with the obscurity and plot miscalculations。 Too much just didn't make sense。 I did find myself wanting to know the whys behind everything and that alone pushed me to finish。I didn't connect with this one the way I had hoped。 I do believe that there could have been a strong novel I'm not exactly sure how to review this one and I am fairly certain I missed the mother-daughter depth that this was centered around。 It started out strong with a catching opening scene but quickly started to lose steam with the obscurity and plot miscalculations。 Too much just didn't make sense。 I did find myself wanting to know the whys behind everything and that alone pushed me to finish。I didn't connect with this one the way I had hoped。 I do believe that there could have been a strong novel pulled from the bare bones of this one if the city， rangers and modern day advantages （like trucks and receiving mail） were completely removed。 The characters weren't likable for me which typically isn't a bad thing。 This time though it ended up adding to the confusing plot。There are mixed reviews and not every book is for everyone。 I do feel too many focused on this being a dystopian instead of the bond between daughter and mother。 So I recommend not focusing too much on the dystopian side。 If you like novels that focus on the strains of mother-daughter relationships during abnormal circumstances， this may be one for you。 Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more
Tamara
，
I have mixed feelings about this book。 I couldn't put it down yet I was frustrated much of the time。 The mother/daughter relationship and the group dynamics were so compelling。 That's what pulled me through the book so quickly。 But I wanted to see behind the curtain， to understand what the Administration was trying to achieve。 Maybe I missed something。 I continuously asked myself， just like several characters did， what is the point of all this？ I have mixed feelings about this book。 I couldn't put it down yet I was frustrated much of the time。 The mother/daughter relationship and the group dynamics were so compelling。 That's what pulled me through the book so quickly。 But I wanted to see behind the curtain， to understand what the Administration was trying to achieve。 Maybe I missed something。 I continuously asked myself， just like several characters did， what is the point of all this？ 。。。more
Barbra
，
Barely two stars as I agree with what all the 1* reviewers said。 Although I started off thinking it might end up at 3。5* with an interesting premise and some “excitement” early on， it went downhill as the story progressed so that I just wanted to finish and move on。 I get that “dystopian” books aren’t obligated to explain why the future world is the way it is， but this one was especially unrealistic and unconvincing。 The mysterious City where apparently something like 99% of the population must Barely two stars as I agree with what all the 1* reviewers said。 Although I started off thinking it might end up at 3。5* with an interesting premise and some “excitement” early on， it went downhill as the story progressed so that I just wanted to finish and move on。 I get that “dystopian” books aren’t obligated to explain why the future world is the way it is， but this one was especially unrealistic and unconvincing。 The mysterious City where apparently something like 99% of the population must live - is this the only city left in the US？ What was the point of the experiment to allow 20 “lucky” random people to live in the remaining empty Wilderness？ And they still get mail and cookies？ The callousness with which death was handled also surprised me （although apparently no one ever needs to worry about a dentist or eye doctor）。 Supposedly this book boils down to being a story about motherhood， so maybe I can’t fully understand that since I’m not a mother， but I doubt it。 The only really fully developed character was Agnes （and Bea to some extent） with the others just shallow placeholders。 The dialogue was also terrible and banal。 Was it so stupid since they knew they could just hop a ride with a Ranger if things got bad？ Sort of like an interminable Survivor episode with no challenges or $1 million at the end。 They are on their own， but not really。 。。。more
Marcia
，
Didn’t finish as it wasn’t right for my current temperament。
Ellen Ruddell
，
An environmental dystopia-- the air in cities becomes so polluted， and jobs so scarce that Bea takes her daughter Agnes， who is extremely ill， to join an experiment。 A group of 20 people released into the Wilderness， to live a monitored Nomadic lifestyle。 The perspective shifts around a third of the way through， to Agnes， and the book is all the better for it。 Agnes all but entirely grows up in the wilderness and is so utterly compelling as a heroine。 Deals with issues of motherhood， loss， and w An environmental dystopia-- the air in cities becomes so polluted， and jobs so scarce that Bea takes her daughter Agnes， who is extremely ill， to join an experiment。 A group of 20 people released into the Wilderness， to live a monitored Nomadic lifestyle。 The perspective shifts around a third of the way through， to Agnes， and the book is all the better for it。 Agnes all but entirely grows up in the wilderness and is so utterly compelling as a heroine。 Deals with issues of motherhood， loss， and wildness。 Enjoyed so much more than I initially thought I would！！ 。。。more
Kate
，
A brutally honest and raw capture of humanity。I felt extremely compelled by this book， it had a hold on me and I couldn’t put it down。 Although it wasn’t a quick read。 I found myself taking my time over some of the passages， re reading to make sure I had grasped their meaning。The plot is captivating。 A dystopian future and a community thrown together under the guise of an ominous study。 Twenty people， forced to live together in the wilderness state， to survive as one with nature。 But is this rea A brutally honest and raw capture of humanity。I felt extremely compelled by this book， it had a hold on me and I couldn’t put it down。 Although it wasn’t a quick read。 I found myself taking my time over some of the passages， re reading to make sure I had grasped their meaning。The plot is captivating。 A dystopian future and a community thrown together under the guise of an ominous study。 Twenty people， forced to live together in the wilderness state， to survive as one with nature。 But is this really how humans are supposed to live？ Seemingly without any objectives or greater purpose？ The author follows the community for years as they develop their skills as Hunter/gatherers， form relationships， create hierarchies and a society of sorts。 But， they are always watched， always controlled by the rigorous yet at times apathetic “administration”。 Just what is the purpose of this wilderness and the community being studied within it？This novel does not really provide any answers and in fact， leaves the reader with many questions including perhaps “what did I just read？！” But not in a bad way。。。 I think there is definitely a sequel in this， and a prequel as I was left with too much unanswered for my liking。The writing is completely raw， vulgar in many places and portrays a stark image of humanity and how far we push our resources， and ourselves， to the limit just for our own self-importance and survival。 I found it raised a lot of interesting issues for me to reflect upon and I will need a few days to fully gather my thoughts！I was frustrated at times by the telling of the story through such a naive child’s voice though。 The initial parts， told by Bea， were understandably more informed as to the bigger picture in this dystopia。 The parts narrated by Agnes were insightful due to her unique perspective but often I wanted an adult to clarify what was going on around the immature， uninformed observation and add some grander context。 This was often contrasted with some rather astute observations from Agnes so I was left feeling okay about it and thinking more context would have to be in another book。 。。。more
Bayard
，
Wandering the Wilderness State。。。page turner， but great？
Carla
，
Hard to give a book 2 stars that engaged me enough to keep me up into the wee hours。 Right after finishing Man v。 Nature I checked for the eBook of The New Wilderness and was able to check it out and start immediately。 Cook has much more control over the short story form as her novel just ran away from itself。 She would jump abruptly from personal inner voice and meander there for awhile and then get back to her campfire。 And although the emotional realities of Bea and Agnes were recognizable， t Hard to give a book 2 stars that engaged me enough to keep me up into the wee hours。 Right after finishing Man v。 Nature I checked for the eBook of The New Wilderness and was able to check it out and start immediately。 Cook has much more control over the short story form as her novel just ran away from itself。 She would jump abruptly from personal inner voice and meander there for awhile and then get back to her campfire。 And although the emotional realities of Bea and Agnes were recognizable， their angst seemed parallel to the story and everyone else is two-dimensional。 My major complaint is that Cook’s world-building skills are thin at best。 The same sort of unreal worlds that permeate her short story collection do not hold up to the demands of a plot。 Cook is better at Still Life than Landscape — and novels with pretensions to world-building need to be able to do Landscape。 。。。more
Els
，
Read my review in Dutch on stukgelezen。nl: https://stukgelezen。wordpress。com/202。。。 Read my review in Dutch on stukgelezen。nl: https://stukgelezen。wordpress。com/202。。。 。。。more
Rêve
，
Its sneaking brilliance slowly builds up， going on until the very end。A dystopian setting， a tale about mothers and daughters at its heart。
Paige Newman
，
This surprised me with how much I really enjoyed it。 It's a post-apocalyptic tale that is also full of the beauty of the natural world。 It's what I wish the book California would have been。 This surprised me with how much I really enjoyed it。 It's a post-apocalyptic tale that is also full of the beauty of the natural world。 It's what I wish the book California would have been。 。。。more
Kathy Leslie
，
I admit I skimmed the last 100 pages or so。 I lost patience with it and I did not like the ending。
Molly
，
4。5 stars rounded down only because i think parable of the sower and station eleven can’t be matched when it comes to this genre。 but this is close。 particularly loved the title reveal。
Dan Towner
，
This book was entertaining enough to read to the end， but I'm still wondering what the whole point was。 There is no cohesiveness throughout the story， no reason why anything happens throughout the pages， and not really any kind of ending。 Some people walk around the wilderness for months？ Years？ Seasons？ We don't know exactly， or why exactly。 Pointless。 This book was entertaining enough to read to the end， but I'm still wondering what the whole point was。 There is no cohesiveness throughout the story， no reason why anything happens throughout the pages， and not really any kind of ending。 Some people walk around the wilderness for months？ Years？ Seasons？ We don't know exactly， or why exactly。 Pointless。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The New Wilderness
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The New Wilderness&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The New Wilderness&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0