{"id":3855,"date":"2025-08-18T10:53:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T10:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=3855"},"modified":"2025-08-18T10:53:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T10:53:00","slug":"starred-book-review-rewilding-by-lisa-gerlits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=3855","title":{"rendered":"STARRED Book Review: Rewilding by Lisa Gerlits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rewilding<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

by Lisa Gerlits<\/p>\n

Genre:<\/strong> Middle Grade \/ Contemporary<\/p>\n

ISBN: <\/strong>9798991123709<\/p>\n

Print Length:<\/strong> 288 pages<\/p>\n

Publisher:<\/strong> One ELM Books<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reviewed by Samantha Hui<\/em><\/p>\n

A tender story about family, healing, and the power of rediscovering childhood amidst life\u2019s hardest truths<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cI guess some things will grow without tending.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Family secrets grow like weeds in a garden: no matter how many times we try to pull them out, they always seem to return. But when we confront those secrets and care for ourselves and our families with the compassion of a guardian, rather than the control of a gardener, a beautiful, unruly garden can bloom.<\/p>\n

Lisa Gerlits\u2019s Rewilding<\/em> is a middle grade novel that tackles heavy topics such as depression, abuse, and gaslighting through the lens of an eleven-year-old child. Through the symbolism of rewilding nature, the book invites readers to reflect on their own need for healing and self-care.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat if my sweet, talkative brother spills all our family secrets?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joy is the caretaker for her seven-year-old brother, Ian, shielding him from the harsh realities of their world. Since their father left and their mother\u2019s depression has kept her largely confined to bed or the couch, Joy has taken on the responsibility of looking after Ian, providing for their mother, and guarding their family\u2019s secrets. When the school guidance counselor starts asking questions and the threat of Child Protective Services looms, Joy redoubles her efforts to protect her family. But she\u2019s also hiding a secret of her own, one that has earned her the nickname \u201cBruiser.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Rewilding? It\u2019s an attempt to undo the damage humans have done and return the land to nature.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When Joy and Ian discover a baby bird in their yard, whom they lovingly name Lady, they embark on a journey that not only deepens their connection to nature but also teaches them powerful lessons about childhood, love, and resilience. In their quest to care for the bird, they form an unlikely friendship with Ezzie, the neighborhood pariah, known for her overgrown yard. In exchange for letting Lady stay with her during the day, the children help Ezzie \u201crewild\u201d her yard, and in doing so, learn how to \u201crewild\u201d themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to get on with landscaping our life so that no one will have reason to question what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rewilding<\/em> is a poignant exploration of trauma through the eyes of a child. Joy\u2019s character has been forced to grow up too quickly, shouldering responsibilities that no child should bear. Yet, young readers will relate to Joy\u2019s naivety about her home life. She doesn\u2019t see her situation as unfair or traumatic; she simply feels frustrated and confused. While most coming-of-age stories focus on the transition from childhood to adulthood, Rewilding<\/em> follows Joy as she regains the wonder and excitement of childhood. The book beautifully reminds readers of the virtues of childhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think of the food webs we\u2019ve drawn in school, the lines connecting sun to plant to animal to bigger animal. I wonder if there are more lines than we ever thought to draw.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Throughout the novel, touching illustrations by Savanna Durr bring the story to life. Gerlits\u2019s lush descriptions of Ezzie\u2019s garden, teeming with wildflowers and wildlife, alongside the vivid portrayal of Joy\u2019s inner world\u2014her excitements and anxieties\u2014help make the story feel immersive, as though the reader is right there with the characters. The simple, yet emotionally charged illustrations offer a powerful complement to the narrative, drawing readers even deeper into Joy\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Oh, don\u2019t get all mopey about it. You did the wrong thing. Now you know better, and you\u2019ll do better.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rewilding<\/em> is a book full of life\u2014innocent and loving, yet unflinching in its portrayal of grown-up struggles. It\u2019s a story for both children and their parents, especially those who feel the weight of family problems on their shoulders. This novel shows us that children understand more than we often give them credit for. But without truth and guidance, their understanding can twist and turn inward, leaving them to carry burdens that aren\u2019t theirs to bear.<\/p>\n

I highly recommend Rewilding<\/em> to young readers and their parents, as it opens a space for honest conversation about the complexities of family, love, and growing up.<\/p>\n

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Thank you for reading Samantha Hui\u2019s book review of Rewilding<\/em> by Lisa Gerlits! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.<\/p>\n

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The post STARRED Book Review: Rewilding by Lisa Gerlits<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rewilding by Lisa Gerlits Genre: Middle Grade \/ Contemporary ISBN: 9798991123709 Print Length: 288 pages Publisher: One ELM Books Amazon Bookshop Reviewed by Samantha Hui A tender story about family, healing, and the power of rediscovering childhood amidst life\u2019s hardest truths \u201cI guess some things will grow without tending.\u201d Family secrets grow like weeds in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3855"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}