Review of Wild World

[Agang Bongani Mkwananzi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Wild World" by Peter S. Rush.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Wild World by Peter S. Rush is a historical fiction book about a college student’s quest to fight police brutality. During a peaceful protest about the war in Vietnam by students at Kent State University, the armed forces came to stabilize the situation by opening fire and killing a few students. This triggers Steve Logan, a college student at Brown University aspiring to go to law school, to join the police force. His approach is to fix the system from the inside by being a part of it. Steve’s friends do not understand his plan at first, but as he continues on his journey, they understand and give him their support. Steve discovers that his mission is not as easy as he ever thought.

I love how the author uses the characters to tell the dynamics that affect the story. He uses Steve to talk about the corruption and brutality in the police force. Roxy is used to address the brutality of parents, and Steve’s relationship with Roxy is used to address the power of love. The story goes beyond police brutality. It addresses domestic brutality like abuse from parents, how external situations can influence our career choices, and how love is bigger than all the trials we face.

Police brutality is still rife today; this is what makes the book relevant, relatable, and ultimately more enjoyable. The author used descriptive language, which painted a picture of what harsh police brutality is like when Steve was physically abused by fellow police officers in the locker room. The graphic account by the author in this scene made me feel the pain of Steve, and I saw the gruesome picture that he found himself in. It made me feel sympathy for Steve, and I vouch for him more throughout the story. When Roxy’s mother verbally abuses her, the author quotes the words she calls her daughter, and the reader can feel the pain Roxy feels. The author’s writing style inspires feelings of empathy for the characters in the reader.

Steve’s bravery in sticking to his mission beyond all gruesome adversity is very inspiring. I feel this is the book the world needs to read to see how the issues addressed affect all of us and how we can work together to make the world a better place.

This book is for those who love romance and those interested in social issues such as police brutality. However, the book contains profanity and sexual content. This makes the book unsuitable for teenagers or children. For this reason, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars.

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Wild World
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