School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Every town has a place that is shrouded in strange stories, a place that everyone avoids. In Sticks, Louisiana, that place is the swamp and no one in their right mind would think of crossing the fence to enter it. But Phineas Saucier wasn't in his right mind. He had just fought with his sister, Sterling, when he jumped the fence and ran into the swamp. Sterling anxiously awaits Phin's return, but it's not Phin who emerges from the swamp hours later. Instead, a girl named Lenora May appears and somehow slips into Sterling's family, erasing and replacing Phin's very existence. Sterling is positive she isn't crazy, but no one, not even her oldest friends, seems to remember Phin. The only person who believes her is a troubled boy named Heath. The two of them band together to send Lenora May back to the dangerous place she came from and rescue her brother. The swamp, however, has power of its own and Lenora May isn't about to return willingly. This is a creepy, atmospheric book that will draw readers in. Parker has created a supernatural setting that manages to feel new and yet strangely familiar, reminiscent of Brenna Yovanoff's work. The swamp and its magic are fully developed characters just as much as Sterling, Lenora May, and Heath. Beware the Wild breathes new life into the teen supernatural genre.- Heather Webb, Worthington Libraries, OH (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A small Southern town harbors a haunted swamp that has the power to steal people and memories. Sterling and her brother, Phin, are best friends. They survived their alcoholic father, and nowfather gone, mother remarriedthey remain close, although Sterling fears Phin's imminent departure for college. When an argument results in Phin's storming off into the avoid-at-all-costs swamp, Sterling worries. Then her sister comes traipsing home, and only Sterling knows that the sibling who stormed off was a brother; for everyone else, Lenora May has always been there. Sterling's journey to recover Phin leads to adventure and new connections and leaves her face to face with the power at the heart of the swamp. Parker has a nice touch with the Southern flavor of Sterling's Louisiana town, steeped in superstition and silence, still racist and old-boy governed (Sterling's black stepfather is respected but clearly not accepted). Some details rise above: The mysterious Shine, Lenora May's love for life and Sterling's best friend Candy all leap off the page. Other detailsgeography, back story and especially second best friend Abigailclearly exist for plot propulsion, but the mosquito hum of tension and the rising romance and danger all keep this afloat. Whiffs of the paranormal and Southern Gothic traditions imbue this mystery, and the ending has genuine emotional resonance too: This engaging debut should enjoy a wide audience. (Fantasy. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
It's no secret, ours is the meanest swamp in Louisiana, says Sterling of the swamp bordering her town, contained both by a fence and long-established rituals. Aside from superstitious folktales, no one speaks of the swamp as a real threat, but no one crosses the fence, either until Sterling's brother, Phineas, bolts into the swamp after a fight and disappears. A girl named Lenora May returns in his place, and everyone believes she is Sterling's sister. If not for the charmed bracelet Sterling wears, she would have forgotten Phineas, too, but memories of her brother are strangely superimposed with memories of Lenora May. Only troubled loner Heath believes her, because he lost someone to the swamp, too. Parker's assured debut is a creepy southern fairy tale set in a town infused with an undercurrent of supernatural menace. Sterling, Heath, and Lenora May are all deeply sympathetic, expressive characters, each with a compelling stake in untangling the swamp's dark secrets. This vivid swamp magic tale will appeal especially to fans of Brenna Yovanoff and Franny Billingsley.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2014 Booklist