Walk the Wild Road by Nigel Hinton

Release Date: January 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Pages: 272
Series: n/a
Review Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Leo took one step forward and then stopped. This was it-the road away from everything he knew. He could turn back. But then who would save his family from starvation? No, Leo was their last hope. He must go on...

The journey is not easy-he'll have to sleep on the streets, steal food, and even fight off greedy soldiers. Along the way, Leo discovers the kindness of strangers and the loyalty of friends. But he also learns there are some people you just can't trust, especially when you're on the wild road to America.

My Thoughts:
‘Walk the Wild Road’ is a perfect middle grade adventure novel. Nigel Hinton uses straightforward language to tell Leo’s story, but he focuses on very serious subject matters. Right from the beginning Leo’s conditions of living are pretty devastating and his situation is quite drastic. The story is about Leo’s journey and about his survival. There are plenty of scary and sad situations described throughout the book, but there are fun and sweet moments as well.

The book features a whole cast of interesting and lovable characters that Leo meets along the way, including Bel the dog who is a lovely animal companion. The great thing about this book is that while it is an adventure story it also delves deeper into really important issues like war, nationalism, religion, and poverty. It doesn’t do this in a heavy way, though, and it doesn’t try to teach a lesson. It’s just a part of the story: a part of Leo’s reality. I definitely enjoyed reading about Leo’s journey and I appreciated that while the ending was bittersweet it also showed a lot of hope for Leo’s future. I would definitely recommend this for young boys who like adventure and survival stories, but also for readers of all ages who appreciate a layered story of "daring and adventure", as the cover says.

The Cover: I like it! It draws me in, and I think it represents the story perfectly.

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Walk the Wild Road by Nigel Hinton on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.ca