In the shocking new thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Run Away, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery must find a missing teenage girl before her disappearance brings about disastrous consequences for her community . . . and the world beyond. Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. Now an adult, he still doesn’t … his past. Now an adult, he still doesn’t know where he comes from, and another child has gone missing.
No one seems to take Naomi Pine’s disappearance seriously, not even her father-with one exception. Hester Crimstein, a television criminal attorney, knows through her grandson that Naomi was relentlessly bullied at school. Hester asks Wilde-with whom she shares a tragic connection-to use his unique skills to help find Naomi.
Wilde can’t ignore an outcast in trouble, but in order to find Naomi he must venture back into the community where he has never fit in, a place where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it’s too late.
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Finished but not my favorite read.
Another good mystery by Harlen Corbin…..you won’t see the end coming!
From what I read in the synopsis of this book I was so intrigued. I was very excited to read this and have heard good things about Mr Coben’s other books. This was my first. I am so very sorry but this one did not do it for me. I didn’t get that thriller effect that I love.
The main character, Wilde, was ok but I still am wondering why was he in the woods. Why was he left and what happened to him before. What was his life like before that. I don’t like to read about someone that is the main character, the title actually about said character, then no answers as to why, when or what happened. While he was a somewhat likable character there are still many questions about him.
I did not feel like any of the other characters were realistic. This book did not hold my interest like a good thriller should. I didn’t care about any of the characters, not even the victims. I didn’t like the political aspects that were involved either. It was just not what I expected. It fell way short for me. I am not going to say that I will never read a Harlan Coben book again as that would possibly not happen. I always give an author at least two tries before I write them off. As I said, I have heard good things about this author’s work, so I will give him a try again. It was this book. It read like a manuscript and not a flowing story. It just didn’t keep me interested thus took me a long while to read. I picked it up then put it back down several times before actually finishing it.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #HarlanCoben, #GrandCentralPublishing for this ARC. This is my own honest opinion of this book.
I give it 2.5 stars and just can’t in all honesty recommend it. It just fell short.
This book is all right but not up to standard. A bit too much political point-making; characters that lacked the usual depth. I found Wilde, to be like his name; a bit of a caricature.
While I usually love the author and devour his books, this one didn’t grab me. I couldn’t get into the plot and the hero wasn’t well drawn. Disappointed.
A routine, predictable story. Characters lack full personalities. Does not justify the author’s reputation.
Harlan Conan is one of my favorite authors. Never fails to entertain .
Descendants of Poe’s Dupin and Conan Doyle’s Holmes, eccentric investigators with uncanny abilities of perception and intelligence have become ubiquitous in modern detective fiction. These characters are portrayed as having supernatural abilities of observation and deductive reasoning when solving crimes but are almost completely socially stunted and misanthropic. Their “outsider” status makes them exceptional, but their lack of interpersonal skills makes it difficult for them to operate within established systems of law enforcement. In The Boy From the Woods, Harlan Coben’s latest release, a nod to this canonical character takes the form of “Wilde” —a man whose feral childhood has honed his instincts but reduced his ability to operate in society. The book opens with a news article describing how he was found living on his own for an indeterminate amount of time in the woods as a young boy. With no knowledge of his past or a family to claim him, Wilde’s only connection with people are with those who discovered him and tried to re-incorporate him into their NJ community. Now an adult with a military background, Wilde’s survivalist nature comes in handy when his godson asks him to help track down a missing classmate. Matthew is concerned about this girl and feels guilty for not coming to her defense through many years of ritualized bullying. He enlists his grandmother as well, a well-connected attorney with a strong media presence and hard-earned reputation. Just as this first disappearance is resolved, another one soon follows that may be tied to a prominent family and a controversial political candidate. Wilde and his family become enmeshed in a drama that has huge ramifications, with national security implications and much higher stakes than it at first appears. The Boy From the Woods is an ambitious book, with themes of wrongful imprisonment, rich/white privilege and racism, and threats to democracy resulting from extreme political factionalism. The over-arching question posed by the book is “When do the ends justify the means?” and it addresses the idolization and vilification of the rich and famous. Wilde’s role allows for an examination of vigilantism, especially under circumstances where the system is skewed toward protecting the status quo rather than achieving justice. These are big and timely issues, and Coben does an admirable job balancing these weighty topics with a story that remains gripping enough to maintain entertainment value. The novel may be accused of taking on too many issues and having an excessive number of side plots and exposition, but Coban has the requisite experience and talent to achieve success.
Thanks to the author and Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Another winner by Harlan Coben! The story was very entertaining and had many twists. The main character, Wilde, is a loner and doesn’t know how he came to be found living in the woods. Flash forward to current life and he has evolved a bit but is still a loner. He connects almost better with kids than adults. Wilde gets pulled into a kidnapping situation and has to rely on friends to help him figure it out. Just when you think he has, Harlan hits you with a twist and then another. Pick up this story and enjoy the Wilde ride!
The novel was rather disjointed at the beginning, but it got a lot better. The last third was terrific.
Harlan Coben is always great, but this was one of my favorites. Loved the characters and the story. So we’ll written. Can’t say enough good things!
I enjoyed his new book and have read them all, but this one was not up to his usual standards – in my opinion.
Excellent twist and turns throughout the book! Good development of characters
I LOVED this book!! I really like this author & he didn’t disappoint
I found it interesting. Typical Coben with twists in the end.
Everything he writes is a must-read he just doesn’t write fast enough
My favorite Coben novel since the last Myron Bolitar. Fast-paced, humorous, easy-reading that’ll have you gulping it down in a single sitting!
After reading most of the Myron Bolitar books, I stepped away from Coban. Starting to come back to him now, and this book is a great re-introduction to Coban’s work. I can only hope this is the first of a series of Wilde books as I found the character and his story great.
A great read!
Wasn’t his best book.