Review: Wilderness of Sinners

Price: 77p (ebook)

Publisher: Self

I seem to be getting in to memoir type travel type coming of age stories lately. TG's story is one of these too, but it involves some scary punk arsed kids stuck in a military style boot rehabilitation camp in the arse end of Arizona! TG needs a job, needs a change, needs a break and is fixated on the USA, psychology and escaping the UK rat race...or at least the fight to enter it. This was enough to get me going with the book as I am also a tad obsessed with the USA. 

In the book we follow TG over a year at Vision Quest working with boys who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law for everything from rape to gang activities. Some of the kids are no worse than the staff. The relationships that develop and don't develop between TG and the kids and other staff and in his personal life are great to follow and watch with a voyeuristic type of intrigue! TG changes over the year both personally and professionally and this is clearly displayed in the narrative.

There are some hints of nostalgia in the book, as TG is now writing with 20 years retrospective. However, there doesn't seem to be any regret, or even a hint of it and that is not only a relief but uplifting!

This was indeed an enjoyable read about a normal lad who needs a change and bloody well goes out and gets one. There are some charming and wonderful characters and some classic moments. The fact that this is a year of someone's life, a real life, makes it all the more enjoyable and accessible!

Happy Reading

Book Geek

;-)

p.s. I had developed a bit of a crush on young TG by the end of it!!