Lottie Longshanks 

The Dark Wild by Piers Torday – review

Lottie Longshanks: 'Who would believe that you could be totally entranced by a book with a cockroach as one of the main characters?'
  
  


I was really excited when I found out that this book was on the long list for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize. I was very disappointed when the first book in the series, The Last Wild, was not. The second book is equally brilliant and unusual.

Who would believe that you could be totally entranced by a book with a cockroach as one of the main characters? We normally think of talking animals in books for much younger children but this story is so exciting, so skilfully told and its messages so important, that you forget that many of the characters shouldn't be able to talk.

I think that the messages woven into the book tell us that if we don't respect wildlife, if we don't treat the environment with care and if we let ourselves be driven by greed, then the dystopia described so imaginatively in the book could become reality here on earth.

After his adventures in The Last Wild, Kester James thought that all would be well when he finally made his way back to his home and was reunited with his scientist father, but this was not the case. His amazing gift to talk to animals drew him deep into the earth under the biggest rubbish dump you could imagine. He had to fight with the leader of The Dark Wild, a terrible dog called Dagger with razor sharp metal teeth. After his escape Kester had, once more, to find his father and his best friend Polly who held the clue to saving all the creatures.
Kester found the strength to stand up to Selwyn Stone, the leader of Facto: the company that had a monopoly on all the food available, and his chief culler, Skulldis. Kester had to learn very hard lessons about who he was able to trust.

The story is more complicated than the first book as new, exciting characters are introduced. I especially like Aida and her gang – she has definitely got attitude! It will certainly change the way you look at animals and give you plenty of ideas to feed your dreams, but I think you will enjoy it more if you read the Last Wild first.

I can't wait for the next book in the series. I wonder what it will be called – perhaps The Free Wild…?

• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop

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