Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

I just read a great book called Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.  It is a nonfiction survival book and probably one of the best in this genre.  This book is filled with life-or-death situations, survival stories, and controversy.  After you read this book you will be hooked on the survival genre.

            This book is set in 1992 when a young man named Chris McCandless decided he would give up on “regular” life and drift around the Western United Sates.  After he finished college, he donated his $25,000 in savings to charity, got rid of most of his possessions, and started his epic journey.  He traveled with literally nothing for a couple of years before heading to the Alaskan Bush.  He lived off the land in Alaska for a few months before he was found dead by some hunters.  This short summary is just the tip of the iceberg. This book explains what happens on McCandless’s journeys in vivid details that make this book a rapid page turner.

            The way Krakauer uses character development in this book is almost unbelievable.  Krakauer does an excellent job of describing McCandless’s life through interviews with his family and friends.  After reading this book I felt as though I knew Chris McCandless.  I think this passage from the book shows excellent character development:

“Chris was fearless even when he was little. He didn’t think the odds applied to him.  We were always trying to pull him back from the edge.”

            This is a quote that Krakauer used in the book from an interview with McCandless’s dad.  I think it shows good character development because it describes McCandless’s driven and fearless mindset.

            The structure of this book is also very interesting.  It is written almost like a report or magazine article.  It includes many of McCandless’s journal entries and a good amount of interviews with the people that knew him.  This structure helps you understand the story better and also helps you know what opinions other people have about Chris Mccandless.  In some cases this structure might make a book boring but in this case it makes it more interesting.

            I definitely rate this book a 10 out of 10.  It is probably the most interesting book I have ever read.  It is well written and will keep you turning the pages.  Into the Wild is an emotional story that will make you think about subjects you haven’t ever thought about before.  Even if you aren’t a serious outdoorsman or you usually don’t read books about survival, I suggest you give this book a try.  Into the Wild is definitely worth your reading time!

Reviewed by Ryan Bowman

8th Grade