Wandering Wild

May 9, 2016
Tal and her younger brother, Wen, are Roma-esque "Wanderers," moving between towns with a caravan of families and subsisting on the scams run on "markies." With 16-year-old Tal as the "compass" directing their movements, they have stayed out of trouble, even as their leader's son, Lando, is tightening the group's reins. Though Tal couldn't imagine leaving the Wanderer life, she knows that Wen is tired of roaming, and she cannot ignore the distance between herself and best friend Sonia or the impending arranged marriage between herself and a boy from another caravan. When Tal meets Spencer, a college-bound markie who recognizes her game, she must decide if he is worth staying in one place for, and what it will take to free herself from Lando's control. Taylor's debut novel is spiritedly paced, with tension increasing as Tal is pulled between her Wanderer identity and her romance with Spencer. Lively characters showcase the lore and traditions within the group, including the Spirit of the Falconer they believe protects them, as Tal is forced to make a decision that will affect all in her path. Ages 14âup.

April 1, 2016
Talia and Wen's nomadic life with the Wanderers is all they've ever known. Sixteen-year-old Tal and her younger brother travel in a caravan of RVs. Hustling and stealing are their means not only to make a living, but to avoid Tal's looming marriage by paying off the bride price that the camp's Boss accepted. In South Carolina, the two try to con a preppy "mark" who knows a thing or two about hustling himself. Tal and Spencer soon fall for each other. The unlikely romance at the core of the novel is charmingly realistic, but unfortunately, the context feels artificial. A healthy suspension of disbelief is needed to accept the Wanderers' reliance on "the Spirit of the Falconer" to protect them by sending warnings through owls, some falling from the sky. The Wanderers, while not identified as ethnic Roma, are known to the people of the towns they pass through as gypsies, and their portrayal plays into the stereotype of gypsies as swindlers with no moral compass. Tal and Wen have no compunction about conning people to maintain their lifestyle. Despite her outrage at "living in a society that buys and sells girls," Tal still craves "the freedom, the fearlessness, the invincibility" of Wanderer life. The strength of this debut novel is in the tantalizing development of character and setting as the story unfolds and Tal seeks her path in life. Uneven yet enjoyable. (Fiction. 13-17)

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May 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Tal and her 15-year-old brother Wen are Wanderers: moving from town to town and living off the grid, they are essentially parentless and live by the rules of their fellow rovers. They subsist by running cons and scams on various "markies"-townies who are easy marks or targets. Tal loves her free-spirited way of life and has little to no regrets about her felonious methods, until she meets Spencer Sway, a markie her own age who has his own secrets. This, coupled with an impending arranged marriage at age 18 to a fellow Wanderer, leads to an awakening of sorts for Tal, who now begins to imagine a life free of the Wanderers. Still adverse to school, a nine-to-five job, or any other form of imposed structure, Tal yearns to continue to roam, but on her own terms rather than those of the Wanderers. But trying to break free from the Wanderers while at the same time protecting Wen proves to be a challenge that Tal might not yet be ready to face. Taylor keeps the narrative moving at a good pace with believable dialogue and a bit of suspense. The unique setting of the somewhat squalid Wanderer camp, especially when juxtaposed with the comfort of Spencer's home, is thought provoking. Despite her life of grift, readers will root for Tal and her nascent moral compass.

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