The Wild Things by Dave Eggers (Audiobook Review)

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Title: The Wild Things
Author: DaveEggers
Narrator: Dion Graham
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Duration: 6 hours, 6 minutes
Copyright: 2009
Genres: fantasy, adventure, juvenile
Filed in: Audiobook Reviews
Review copy provided by Blackstone Audio.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The Wild Things is about the confusions of a boy, Max, making his way in a world he can't control. His father is gone, his mother is spending time with a younger boyfriend, and his sister is becoming a teenager. At the same time, he finds himself capable of startling acts of wildness: he wears a wolf suit and he bites his mom.
During a fight at home, Max flees and runs away into the woods. He finds a boat there, jumps in, and ends up on the open sea, destination unknown. He lands on the island of the Wild Things, and soon he becomes their king. But things get complicated when Max realizes that the Wild Things want as much from him as he wants from them.
©2009 Dave Eggers; (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

MY TAKE ON IT: Poor little Max. His world is changing and he just doesn’t know how to cope with it. Three years ago, everything was fine. Now his parents are divorced, both with new significant others, and his big sister just isn’t interested in the same things he is interested in anymore. What’s an adolescent boy to do?
Well, Max does what any other confused boy would do, he acts out. On one occasion he fills a bucket with water and pours it out in his sister’s bedroom. Seven times. On another memorable evening, he dons his favorite wolf costume and runs rampant through the house. When Mom finally catches him he bites her. These all seemed like perfectly logical reactions at the time, but in retrospect, even Max can’t figure out why he does the things that he does. So he runs away.
This is when Max’s real adventure begins. He finds a boat and sails away, finally landing on an island inhabited by large beasts. Max quickly becomes their king, but he soon learns that with great power, comes great responsibility. Now the tables are turned, and Max begins to understand what it is like to be in charge of others who do not always act rationally.
If this sounds a little bit familiar, it is because The Wild Things is based on the old children’s picture book, Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, originally written in 1963. Dave Eggers took that simple story and turned it into something much more vibrant and three-dimensional. His knowledge of the inner workings of a twelve-year-old boy are splendidly intuitive. I love the thought processes that go through Max’s mind as he hatches one plan after another, none of which work out the way he intended.
Of course, the ending is the best part. Max returns home, weary and bedraggled, and wakes up the next morning in his own bed. It is left up to the reader to decide if Max’s adventure was real, or if it was all just a dream. To a twelve-year-old boy, how much difference is there between the two?

NARRATOR: The Wild Things was my first experience with narrator Dion Graham, but I liked him right away. He has a very mild and soothing voice, and his voices for the different characters were quite good.
Dion Graham is the narrator of The First 48, a very popular homicide investigation docudrama on A&E. The show is currently in its eleventh season.

FINAL WORD: The Wild Things is really a great audiobook that I think kids would enjoy. Better yet, this might be a good one for parents and their kids to enjoy together.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Boy With the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu
The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling

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If you like this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get “The Wild Things” by Dave Eggers (Unabridged Audiobook) from Blackstone Audio.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
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