#1 The Big Wander

I’ve just begun reading The Big Wander by Will Hobbs. When I read the first pages, the book didn’t appeal to me. As I continued reading, I became a little more interested. I think the book so far is okay. I thought the idea of a boy raveling across the desert alone was interesting. I am enjoying the adventure part of it. Other than that, I think the book is boring.

The main character is a fourteen-year-old boy who is searching for his uncle in the desert part of the U.S. The main character’s name is Clay. He had an older brother also looking for the uncle, but he left and went back home, while Clay stayed behind determined to find his uncle.

Clay and I aren’t much alike. A similarity I did find between us is we’re both fourteen years old. I think Clay likes to travel, and so do I. I could find quite a few differences between us. He doesn’t mind traveling far away from home with just his brother, who is a couple or so years older than he. When Clay’s brother wanted to go back, Clay decided that he wanted to stay behind and try to find his uncle in the desert all alone. I would’ve never dared to venture into the desert alone. Clay knows a lot about horses and he knows how to ride them, while I’ve only ridden a pony at a carnival when I was about seven years old.

If you are a person that enjoys western/adventure books, you would possibly like this book. In my opinion, the book so far is an okay one, but not a great one. If you are a person that finds western books boring, this probably isn’t the book for you. It takes place back in the ‘50s, so if you don’t like books that take place in the past, this isn’t the book for you.

The only thing I’ve learned so far is that a burro is a very useful thing to have in a desert because it can carry all the things you need, and is able to carry you too when needed.