Published September 2019 via Margaret Ferguson Books
★★★★
When Willa's mother died, her father uprooted the rest of the family—himself, Willa, and Willa's twin brothers—and moved them to Alaska. They've been living a survivalist life since then, and although it isn't always easy, it's been okay. Except Willa's father has gotten angrier and angrier, and she knows they don't have enough supplies for the coming winter. And finally she comes to a terrifying conclusion: She and her brothers will have to make their way down the river, and out of the wild.
This makes for something of a contemporary Hatchet. Reading about Willa and her brothers on their trip down the river is genuinely harrowing; Alaska is not a forgiving place. Willa is smart, as are Seth and Keith, and they have a lot of knowledge of the land that helps them out, but I love that at the same time, Sam and Keith especially are kids. They're not sure they want to go with Willa; they're not good at things like rationing limited food and choosing the most logical option. The physical survival part of the story is probably a minority of the story, which gives Willa a bit of a chance to experience some other types of survival—like getting used to a world she's no longer experienced in.
Running Wild is middle grade but enjoyable for curious older readers as well...and now I find myself wanting to reread Hatchet.
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