Wild Bird, Wendelin Van Draanen
Wild Bird, Wendelin Van Draanen
3 Rating(s)
List: $23.00 | Sale: $16.10
Club: $11.50

Wild Bird

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen

Narrator: Alex McKenna

Unabridged: 8 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/05/2017

Synopsis

From the award-winning author of The Running Dream and Flipped comes a remarkable portrait of a girl who has hit rock bottom but begins a climb back to herself at a wilderness survival camp.

3:47 a.m. That’s when they come for Wren Clemmens. She’s hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who’ve gone so far off the rails, their parents don’t know what to do with them anymore. This is wilderness therapy camp. Eight weeks of survivalist camping in the desert. Eight weeks to turn your life around. Yeah, right.
 
The Wren who arrives in the Utah desert is angry and bitter, and blaming everyone but herself. But angry can’t put up a tent. And bitter won’t start a fire. Wren’s going to have to admit she needs help if she’s going to survive.

"I read Wild Bird in one long mesmerized gulp. Wren will break your heart—and then mend it." —Nancy Werlin, National Book Award finalist for The Rules of Survival

"Van Draanen’s Wren is real and relatable, and readers will root for her." —VOYA, starred review

Reviews

Goodreads review by Erin on January 10, 2021

This intermediate historical novel is set in Victoria, BC in the mid 1800s. The book follows our protagonist, Kate, who aspires to be more than a wife and mother in a time that women rarely became anything else. She yearns to be a doctor like her father, and be a meaningful addition to society. This......more

Goodreads review by Marina on March 12, 2025

I read this book because the description gave me Pride and Prejudice vibes, and because the setting is a British colony in Canada which I thought was very interesting from a historical point of view. But unfortunately the main character was not relatable at all in my opinion because of her constant......more

Goodreads review by Juniper on November 06, 2023

Wild bird is the story of Kate, a 16 year old girl living with her parents in the colonial settlement of Victoria is the early 1800’s. As a young lady of some social standing Kate is expected to marry to the financial benefit of her family, despite possessing a mind fascinated by the intricacies of......more

Goodreads review by Matt on May 24, 2021

Loved this book set in 1861 Victoria BC! Wild Bird tells the story of Kate, a brave forward thinking young woman who will not accept society's sexist expectations of her.......more

Quotes

Praise for Wild Bird:

"Engrossing and inspiring." —PW

"Van Draanen’s Wren is real and relatable, and readers will root for her." —VOYA, starred review 

"Riveting... Van Draanen makes palpable both the outer desert landscape and Wren's intense inner emotions. A memorable book about family, friendship, forgiveness, and second chances." —Kirkus Reviews

"A strikingly raw and emotional story. The first-person narrative perfectly captures Wren’s cynical yet vulnerable teen voice." —SLJ

"What a magnificent book! Inspirational, insightful, and instantly relatable.” –Callan McAuliffe, “Bryce” in the movie Flipped
 
“This impactful, gorgeous, insightful novel will touch you in a deep, extraordinary way.” – Madeline Carroll, “Julie” in the movie Flipped

"An involving tale of a middle-schooler who took a very wrong turn but manages to straighten her own path." —The Bulletin
 
"Spellbinding" —Midwest Book Review
 
"I read Wild Bird in one long mesmerized gulp. Wren will break your heart—and then mend it." —Nancy Werlin, National Book Award finalist for The Rules of Survival

“Wild Bird grabbed me by the wrist on page one—it’s riveting.” —Jenny Hubbard, author of And We Stay, a Printz Honor Book
 
“An exhilarating story of survival and second chances.” —Dana Reinhardt, author of Tell Us Something True

“This was an absolute one-sit read and I recommend it highly.” —Rene Kirkpatrick, University Bookstore, Seattle

“Wow! This book is a gem. I could feel the heat, the cold, the fear and frustration at every turn of the page.” —Valerie Lewis, Hicklebee's Bookstore

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