Book Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I'm sure all my readers know by now just how big of an Oprah fan I am. Remember this post? To put it lightly, I'm a little obsessed.

You may also remember that after I tweeted my excitement about Oprah's Book Club 2.0, they sent me an autographed, hardcover copy of Cheryl Strayed's Wild. I'm trying not to go too fan-girl thinking about it, but my heart rate is definitely up.

Have you heard about Wild yet? Here's the summary, courtesy of Goodreads:

A powerful, blazingly honest, inspiring memoir: the story of a 1,100 mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

At twenty-six, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's devastating death, her family scattered, and her own marriage was soon destroyed. With nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than "an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise." But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. Gorgeously told, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild is the vivid story of a young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.  

As usual, Oprah did not disappoint me with this Book Club pick. I will admit that Cheryl Strayed was not my favorite person throughout the novel--I found her to be selfish, immature, and in desperate need of a reality check. What I did like about her, though, is that she's a real person who makes real mistakes. Like the rest of us, she is just looking to find herself, in spite of adversity she's faced.

The novel itself was a quick enough read. In spite of Cheryl taking this trip alone, there are a lot of different characters we're introduced to. As with life, everything cycles back and we meet most of these characters again.

For anyone who enjoys soul-searching novels, this one won't let you down. By the end of the novel, you'll want to lace up your hiking boots and start your own adventure.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Rating: 5/5
Pages: 311
2012 Reading Goal: 16,214/15,000

For more information about Oprah's Book Club 2.0, visit the website here.



Readers:

Have you read Wild? Did you read the electronic version with Oprah's notes, or did you purchase a paper copy?


FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this novel from Oprah's Book Club 2.0 in exchange for a review. All opinions and reviews are my own.